How to Flip Data From One Xiaomi to Another: A Complete Guide to 2026

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but data porting often becomes a headache. Photos, contacts, messages, app settings all need to be saved and moved to a new device without loss. Fortunately, Xiaomi owners have a few convenient ways to do it quickly and without risk.

In this article, we’ll break down all the current data transfer methods between Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi, POCO and Black Shark models), their pros and cons, and give practical tips on how to avoid typical errors. Whether you upgrade from the Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 14 or transfer files between the POCO F5 and Redmi K70, here you will find the optimal solution.

We will focus on the official Mi Mover tool, which many users underestimate, as well as alternative ways for cases where standard methods do not work.

1.Official method: Mi Mover - fast transfer without PC

Mi Mover is a built-in app from Xiaomi that is specifically designed to migrate data between the brand’s devices, and it supports almost everything from contacts and messages to the history of calls and settings of MIUI. The main advantage is that you do not need to connect to a computer or the cloud, everything happens via direct communication between phones.

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

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Next:

1. On an old smartphone, open Settings → About Phone → Data Transfer (Mi Mover).
2. On the new device, when you first turn on, select the option “Data Transfer” or find Mi Mover in the settings.
3. On the old phone, click "I am the sender" and on the new phone, "I am the receiver."
4. Scan it. QR-code from the new phone old (or enter the code) PIN-manually).
5. Select data types to transfer (photos, videos, contacts, messages, applications) and confirm the start of the process.

The speed of the transfer depends on the amount of data and the model of smartphones. For example, transferring 20 GB of information from the Redmi Note 12 to the Xiaomi 13 Lite takes about 20-30 minutes with stable Wi-Fi. If the process is interrupted, you can resume it from the same place - Mi Mover keeps progressing.

⚠️ Warning: If the new smartphone already has data (for example, you started using it before the transfer), Mi Mover will suggest resetting the device to factory settings.

2.Transfer via OTG cable: maximum speed

If you have a USB-C OTG- adapter (or a USB-C to USB-C cable) on hand, you can transfer data many times faster than over Wi-Fi. This method is especially useful for large volumes, for example, transferring video files in the resolution of 4K or heavy games.

You'll need:

• 🔌 OTG- adapter (if the old phone has a microUSB connector and the new phone has USB-C).
• 📱 Both smartphones with at least 30% charge (transfer consumes battery!).
• 🛠️ File Manager (e.g., Built-in Explorer or Total Commander).

Instructions:

1. Connect your old smartphone to your new one via the OTG- cable. The new device will display a notification saying "USB- drive connected."
2. On the new phone, open Explorer and select "USB- drive" (this is the memory of an old smartphone).
3. Copy the files you need (DCIM folders for photos, Download for downloads, etc.) into the internal memory of the new device.
4. To transfer contacts and messages, use export to.vcf (contacts) and SMS Backup & Restore (messages).

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If the smartphone does not recognize the connected device, try enabling File Transfer (MTP) mode in the USB settings on the old phone (Settings → Additional → Developer Settings → USB Configuration).

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Transmission speed up to 40-60 MB/s (vs. 5-10 MB/s over Wi-Fi).
• 🔒 No risk of data loss due to communication breakdown.
• 📁 Only the necessary files can be selectively copied.

⚠️ Warning: Not all Xiaomi models support OTG-host mode (e.g., some budget Redmis can only be "subject" devices).

3. Cloud services: Xiaomi Cloud and Google Drive

Unless you have a OTG- cable or stable Wi-Fi for the Mi Mover, cloud services are a good alternative. Xiaomi offers its own cloud (Xiaomi Cloud), and Google Drive is integrated. Let's consider both options.

Method 1: Xiaomi Cloud

• 📱 Suitable for transferring contacts, notes, photos, calendar entries, and certain settings MIUI.
• 🆓 Free 5GB (enough for contacts and photo parts)
• 🔄 Sync is in the background, so you can keep using the phone.

How to transfer data:

1. On your old phone: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Xiaomi Cloud → select data to sync and wait until it’s finished.
2. On a new phone: Log in to the same Xiaomi account and enable synchronization of the same data.

Method 2: Google Drive

• 📁 Supports all types of files, including documents and archives.
• 🆓 Free – 15 GB (shared storage for Gmail, Photos and Drive).
• 🔗 You can share links to files if you want to transfer data to multiple devices.

Instructions for Google Drive:

1. On your old phone, install Google Photos (for media files) and Google Drive (for other data).
2. Upload files to the cloud (in Google Photos, enable autoload).
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Google account and download the files back.

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4. Bluetooth and LAN: When there is nothing else

If you don't have access to Wi-Fi, cable, or the cloud, you're left with Bluetooth or direct transmission over the LAN, which is slower, but sometimes they're the only way out.

Bluetooth transmission:

• 📶 Suitable for small files (photos, contacts, documents up to 50MB).
• 🐢 Speed - about 1-2MB/s (for 1GB it will take ~10-15 minutes).
• 🔋 Strongly drains the battery of both devices.

How do I tell you?

1. Turn on Bluetooth on both phones (Settings → Connections → Bluetooth).
2. Then, put the “Search” on one side and “Search” on the other.
3. Select files in Explorer, click Share → Bluetooth and select the target phone.

Transmission over a local network (Wi-Fi Direct):

• 📡 Works without internet but requires Wi-Fi Direct support.
• ⚡ Speed is faster than Bluetooth — up to 10MB/s.
• 📂 You can transfer the entire folder.

For this:

1. On both phones, turn on Wi-Fi Direct (Settings → Wi-Fi → Wi-Fi Direct).
2. Connect devices to each other (on one click "Create a group", on the other - "Connect").
3. Use any file manager that supports local area network transmission (e.g. Xender or Send Anywhere).

5. Computer Transfer: Reliable but Longer

If you need to migrate all data without exception (including hidden application files or game backups), the best way is to use a PC or Mac as an intermediary.This method takes longer, but guarantees 100% control over the process and no data loss.

You'll need:

• 💻 Computer with USB-port.
• 📁 Free hard disk space is sufficient (it is better to have a stock of 10-20% of the data volume).
• 🔌 Two. USB-cables (preferably original from Xiaomi for stable speed).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old smartphone to your PC and copy all the data to a temporary folder (e.g., D:\Xiaomi_Backup). Use Windows Explorer or Android File Transfer (for Mac).
2. Turn off the old phone and connect the new one.
3. Transfer data from the Xiaomi_Backup folder to the new smartphone.
4. For contacts and messages, use export/import via.vcf and.xml files (can be done via Google Contacts or SMS Backup & Restore).

Advantages of the method:

• 🔍 Complete control of files (you can check the integrity of the data before transferring).
• 🛡️ Minimum risk of data loss (there is an intermediate copy on the PC).
• 🔧 You can edit files before transferring (e.g., delete unnecessary photos).

⚠️ Warning: When copying via PC, do not use disk formatting in FAT32 — this format does not support files larger than 4GB. It is better to format a flash drive or external drive in exFAT or NTFS.

6. Transfer of applications and their data

Conventional methods (such as Mi Mover or cable copying) only transfer application.apk files, but not their data (such as saving in games or setting up messengers).

Method 1: Backup in MIUI

• 📱 Works only for system and some third-party applications.
• 🔄 Requires a Xiaomi account.

How to do this:

1. On an old phone: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Xiaomi Cloud → Backup → Select apps and create a backup.
2. On a new phone: log in to your account and restore data from the backup.

Method 2: Titanum Backup (requires root)

• 🛠️ Supports all applications, including system applications.
• 🔓 Root rights are required (it is difficult to get them on new Xiaomi models).

Method 3: Built-in Application Functions

Many applications have their own tools for data transfer:

• 🎮 Games: Use a link to your Google Play Games account or social media.
• 💬 Messengers: WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber have built-in chat export/import.
• 📅 Calendars and notes: sync through Google Account or Xiaomi Cloud.

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If the app doesn’t support data porting, try to find an alternative on Google Play with the import feature. For example, instead of the standard “Message” use Pulse SMS or QKSMS – they know how to reserve SMS to the cloud.

7.Typical mistakes and how to avoid them

Even with proven methods, users often encounter problems, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to solve them:

Problem 1: Mi Mover doesn't find the device

• 🔌 Make sure both phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (not mobile data!).
• 📵 Turn off VPN, firewall and power saving modes.
• 🔄 Reboot both devices and try again.

Problem 2: There is not enough space on the new phone

• 🗑️ Before transferring, clear the cache and unnecessary files on the new device (Settings → Storage → Cleanup).
• 📁 Transfer data in parts (e.g., photo first, then video).
• 💾 Use the SD- card (if the new smartphone supports memory expansion).

Problem 3: Cable transmission interrupted

• 🔌 Check the cable and port — try another USB- cable or port on your PC.
• 🔋 Make sure that the battery power is not below 15% (some phones turn off data transmission when the charge is low).
• 🛠️ Enable Developer Mode and turn off the option to "Disable USB- Ports When Locked."

Problem 4: Contacts or messages have not been transferred

• 📇 Make sure that contacts are saved to a Google Account or SIM- card, not to the phone's memory.
• 💬 For SMS, use SMS Backup & Restore — it saves messages to a.xml file that can then be restored.

8 How to transfer data from a damaged Xiaomi

If your old Xiaomi smartphone doesn't turn on, has a broken screen or other malfunctions, data transfer becomes more complicated, but it's still possible.

Method 1: Connecting to a PC in Recovery Mode

• 🔧 Works if the phone responds to charging or buttons.
• 📁 Allows you to copy data from internal memory.

Instructions:

1. Turn off the phone (if it is getting stuck – press Power + Volume up for 10 seconds).
2. Press Power + Volume Up to Enter Recovery Mode.
3. Connect your phone to your PC via USB and select Mount /data (if you have one).
4. Use ADB- commands to copy files (requires expert knowledge or assistance).

Method 2: Extract the SD- card (if any)

• 📷 Suitable for photos and videos saved to a memory card.
• 🔍 If the card is encrypted, no password can be restored.

Method 3: Contacting a Service Center

• 🛠️ Specialists can connect to a phone’s memory via ISP or Chip-off (expensive but efficient).
• 💰 Cost: from 3 000 to 10 000 rubles depending on the complexity.

⚠️ Warning: If your phone has enabled BitLocker (disk encryption) or Mi Account protection, you can’t recover data without a password or account—even in a service center!

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions