Transferring data from Android to Xiaomi via Google: Full Guide 2026

Why Google is the Best Way to Move Data to Xiaomi

The transition to the new Xiaomi smartphone (be it Redmi Note 13 Pro+, POCO X6 or Mi 14 Ultra) is often accompanied by the question: how quickly and without loss to transfer all data from an old Android device? the use of Google services remains the most reliable method – it requires no cables, works on any version of Android and guarantees the safety of contacts, photos, notes and even some settings.

Unlike proprietary solutions (such as Xiaomi’s Mi Mover), sync through Google Account is universal: it works even if your old phone is Samsung, Honor or Realme. The main advantage is that data is stored in the cloud and available on any device after authorization. But there are nuances: not all file types are synchronized automatically, and the amount of free storage in Google Drive is limited to 15 GB.

In this article, we will discuss:

• 🔄 How to Prepare an Old Device for Transfer (Spoiler: Without This Step, You’ll Lose Some Data).
• 📱 Step-by-step synchronization setting for contacts, calendar, photos and documents.
• ⚡ Quick ways to transfer applications and their data (not everyone knows about Android Backup Service).
• ⚠️ Common errors that cause files to “not reach” the new Xiaomi.

Step 1: Prepare an old Android device

Before you start transferring, make sure that on your old phone:

1. Google sync is enabled, and without that, contacts, calendars, bookmarks, and bookmarks will not be saved in the cloud.
2. All apps are updated, especially Google Photos, Drive, and Contacts – outdated versions may not support new data formats.
3. Enough space is freed up for backup (at least 10% of the volume of files being transferred).

To check the synchronization status:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Select your account and make sure the switches opposite Contacts, Calendar and Disk are active.
3. Click "Sync Now" (in some firmware, this button is hidden under the ⋮ → Synchronize).

Make sure your old phone has Wi-Fi or mobile internet on.

Check the free space in Google Drive (Settings → Google → Account Management → Storage)

Update Google Apps to the latest version

Write down the login and password from Google account (useful for the new Xiaomi)

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Critical detail: if the old phone used a non-main Google account (such as a work account), after the transfer, the data will be attached to it, not to a personal one, which can cause access problems on the new device.

⚠️ Note: If you deleted your Google account from your old phone before the transfer, it will be impossible to recover data from the cloud.

Synchronization of contacts and calendars

Calendar contacts and events are transferred automatically through Google, but only if they were saved to a Google account, not to the phone or phone memory. SIM-It's easy to check it out:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Click on any contact and see where it is stored (top of the screen) If you have a Device or SIM, you need to export it manually.

For manual export:

1. In "Contacts" open the menu (⋮) → Contact management → Exports/imports.
2. Select "Export to Device" (creates a.vcf file).
3. Upload this file to Google Contacts via the web version (contacts.google.com).

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If duplicates appear in contacts after the transfer, use the Google Contacts merge tool: highlight duplicates → “Combine”.

Transfer photos and videos via Google Photos

Google Photos is the most convenient way to transfer media files, but it has limitations:

• 📸 High quality (compressed) does not take up space in the cloud, but reduces the resolution of the photo to 16 MP and video to 16 MP 1080p.
• 🎞️ Original quality preserves the original files, but counts into a quota of 15 GB.
• 🔄 Files uploaded before June 1, 2021, in "High" quality are not counted in the limit (this rule no longer applies for new downloads).

To transfer photos and videos:

1. Open Google Photos on your old phone.
2. Click on the account avatar → Photo settings → Backup and sync.
3. Turn on the switch and select quality (we recommend "Original" if you have enough space in the Drive).
4. Wait until the download is complete (you can track the progress in notifications).

On the new Xiaomi:

1. Sign in to the same Google account.
2. Open Google Photos → Photos → Devices (all downloaded files will appear here).
3. To save them in your phone memory, select files → ⋮ → Save it to the device.

⚠️ Note: If the old phone used the Xiaomi Gallery app with Cloud Sync feature, these files are stored on Mi Cloud servers, not Google.

Transfer of applications and their data

Android has an integrated application backup system called the Android Backup Service, which stores:

• 📱 List of installed applications (but not APK-file).
• ⚙️ Some settings (Wi-Fi network, wallpaper, screen brightness).
• 🎮 Game data (if the developer supports this function).

To enable backup:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → System → Backup.
2. Activate “Google Drive Backup”.
3. Click on "Create a backup now."

On the new Xiaomi:

1. When you first turn on, select “Recover Data” and log in to the same Google account.
2. If the phone is already set up, go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Data Recovery.

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Android Backup Service does not support APK-Application files – only their list and part of the data. Once restored, the applications will automatically install from Google Play, but may require re-authorization.

Transfer files and documents via Google Drive

The best way to transfer documents (.pdf,.docx), archives and other files is to use Google Drive.

1. On your old phone, open Google Drive.
2. Click + → Download and select the desired files.
3. Wait until the download is complete (check in the "Recently" section).

On the new Xiaomi:

1. Open Google Drive and find the files you have downloaded.
2. Press the file. → ⋮ → Download (it will be saved to the Download folder).

To speed up the process:

• 📂 Upload files with archives (for example, in.zip) – this will reduce the number of operations.
• 🔗 Use "Shared Link" if you want to transfer files to multiple devices.
• 📡 When Internet is slow, turn on “Traffic Saving” in Drive settings.

⚠️ Warning: If you download files larger than 10GB, use the desktop version of Google Drive or break them down.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

Even with the right synchronization setup, users are having problems.

1. Data is not synchronized

Reason: Background activity for Google services is disabled on the device.

Decision:

• Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Google Play Services.
• Allow "Autostart" and "Background Activity."
• Reboot the phone.

2. Google Photos are not displayed on the new Xiaomi

Reason: Storage optimization is enabled or files are hidden.

Decision:

• In Google Photos, click on the avatar → Photo settings → Free up space (if files are deleted from the device but left in the cloud).
• Check the Archive or Cart folder in Google Photos.

3.Apps recovered but data lost

The developer does not support Android Backup Service.

Decision:

• Check if the app has its own backup feature (for example, on WhatsApp it is Settings → Chat → Backup).
• Use third-party tools like Titanium Backup (require root rights).

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If the new Xiaomi has not recovered wallpaper or screen settings, check if theme synchronization is included in Settings → Wallpaper → Wallpaper Synchronization (not available on all models).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions