How to transfer data from one Xiaomi phone to another: all the ways of 2026

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but data porting often becomes a headache. Contacts, photos, messages, apps — all of this needs to be saved and moved to a new device without errors. Fortunately, Xiaomi has several built-in tools that simplify the process. However, they are not all equally effective: somewhere you need a stable Internet connection, and somewhere you need cable and patience.

Many users make the critical mistake of starting a transfer without a backup, which can lead to data loss if a connection fails or firmware incompatible. Others have been saving photos for years in DCIM, and then wonder why they didn't automatically migrate. In this article, we'll look at all the current ways, from branded Mi Mover to cloud redundancy, and also reveal nuances that even official instructions keep silent.

If you're moving from Redmi Note 12 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra, or just want to copy files between devices in the same ecosystem, here's the best method. And for those who are afraid of losing data, we've prepared a unique table of portability with MIUI versions.

1. Mi Mover: The Official Way From Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a built-in data migration app that works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones with MIUI 9 and later. It allows you to migrate almost everything from contacts to call history, but there are limitations, for example, some system settings (such as fingerprints) are not copied.

How does it work? It creates a local network between phones via Wi-Fi Direct, so you don't need Internet, the speed depends on the amount of data: 10 GB of photos can move up to 30 minutes. It's important that both devices have the same version of MIUI (or a difference of no more than 1-2 updates), otherwise there will be failures.

• ✅ Supports: contacts, messages, photos, videos, music, applications (without data), call history, notes
• ❌ Does not support: Wi-Fi passwords, lock screen settings, data from some games (e.g. Genshin Impact)
• ⚡ Required: Both phones with charge >50%, cable USB-C/USB-A (optionally)

⚠️ Note: If the old phone has data encryption enabled (Settings) → Additionally. → Encryption), Mi Mover may not see some files.Decrypt the device in advance!

Step instructions:

1. Open Mi Mover on both phones (if not, download from Google Play).
2. On the old phone, select “I am the sender” and on the new one, “I am the receiver.”
3. Scan it. QR-code from a new phone or connect via Wi-Fi Direct.
4. Select the data to transfer (you can mark all or only the desired categories).
5. Confirm the transmission. Don't interrupt the process!

Shut down. VPN both-device|Close background applications (especially messengers)|Check the free space on the new phone|Connect both devices to charging|Make sure both phones have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled-->

2. Move through Google Account (for contacts, calendar and mail)

If you only need to flip contacts, calendar events and emails, syncing through Google Account is the easiest way. It works on any Android device, not just Xiaomi, and requires no additional apps.

And the important thing is that it doesn't tolerate media, messages, or apps, but it's ideal for people who want to keep only basic information, like if you're selling an old phone and you want to clean it up, but you're leaving contacts.

• 📱 Step 1. On your old phone: Settings → Google accounts → Synchronization → Turn on sync for Contacts, Calendar and Gmail".
• 🔄 Step 2. On a new phone: Log in to the same Google Account and wait for automatic sync (can take up to 10 minutes).
• ⚠️ Step 3: Check that the contacts are displayed in the Contacts app (sometimes they are in the Other Contacts folder").

⚠️ Note: If your old phone only stores contacts in your device memory (not Google), you must export them first. → ⋮ → Contact management → Exports/imports → Export to.vcf and then import the file on your new phone.

Mi Mover|Google Account|Cable USB|Cloud services (Mi Cloud, Google Drive)|Other-->

3. Use of USB cable (for large amounts of data)

If you have tens of gigabytes of photos, videos or music, air transmission (Wi-Fi/Bluetooth) It can take hours. It's more reliable to use the cable. USB — Especially if you have USB-C/USB-C or OTG-adapter.

This works for all Xiaomis, but requires preparation: on an old phone, you need to turn on File Transfer Mode (MTP). Also make sure the cable supports data transfer (some cheap cables are only for charging!).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your new phone via cable (you may need to). OTG-adapter).
2. On the old phone, select File Transfer (MTP) in the notification bar.
3. On the new phone, open the Explorer (or Files) and find the connected device.
4. Copy the folders you want (DCIM for photos, Download for downloads, etc.) to the internal memory of your new phone.

💡

If the phone is not detected via cable, try a different USB port or restart both devices, and check if antivirus (such as Avast or 360 Security) is blocking transmission.

4. Cloud services: Mi Cloud vs Google Drive

Cloud storage is convenient if you want to save backup or transfer data not immediately, but within a few days. Xiaomi has its own service - Mi Cloud, but it has limitations: free available only 5 GB, and for some regions (for example, Russia) functionality is reduced.

Google Drive is more versatile: 15GB is free, but it can take a long time to download large files. Also keep in mind that not all data is synced automatically - for example, SMS and call history require manual reservations.

• 🌥️ Mi Cloud: ✅ Supports: contacts, messages, notes, photos (low resolution), system settings ❌ Not Supported: Video in Original Quality, Some Apps 🔗 How to use: Settings → Mi Account. → Mi Cloud → Backup
• 📁 Google Drive: ✅ Supports: any files (up to 15 GB), contacts, calendar ❌ Not supportive: SMS, Xiaomi settings 🔗 How to use: Set up Google Photos for Media and Google Contacts for Address Book

⚠️ Note: When using Mi Cloud in Russia, some features (e.g. synchronization of notes) may be disabled due to sanctions!

5. Transfer applications and their data (including games)

One of the most challenging aspects is the transfer of installed applications and their data. For example, if you play Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail, just copy it. APK-File is not enough: you also need to save and cache.

There are several ways to do this:

• 📲 Mi Mover: portables a list of applications, but not all data (e.g., in save games, you may not be copied).
• 🔄 Titanium Backup (root): the most reliable solution, but requires root rights (not recommended for beginners).
• ☁️ Cloud Savings: Many Games (for example, PUBG Mobile) synced via Facebook or Google Play Games.
• 💾 Manual backup: For some applications (such as WhatsApp) you can create a local copy in Settings → chat → Backup copy.

For transfer APK-file-in-file:

1. Download APK Extractor from Google Play.
2. Export the APK of the desired applications to the folder on the memory card.
3. Transfer the files to your new phone and install them manually.

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If a game or app uses cloud-based saves (e.g., through Google Play Games or Mi Account), just log in to the same account on a new phone – the data will be downloaded automatically.

6. Alternative methods: Bluetooth, SD-map, PC

If none of these methods work, alternatives can be used, which are slower but sometimes help in emergencies.

• 📱 Bluetooth: Suitable for transferring small files (up to) 50 MB) Speed ~1-2 MB/s. ✅ Pros: No Internet or cables required. ❌ Cons: very slowly, often breaks off.
• 💾 SD-card: if both phones have a memory card slot, you can copy the data to it and then paste it into the new phone. ✅ Pros: No limits on volume. ❌ Cons: Not all phones support adoptable storage (e.g., Xiaomi 13 Pro does not allow you to use the app). SD internal memory).
• 💻 Transfer over PC: Connect both phones to your computer and copy files through Explorer. ✅ Pros: High speed (especially with the USB 3.0), reliability. ❌ Cons: You need a computer and cables.

⚠️ Attention: When in use SD-Format the maps in exFAT (not in exFAT) FAT32), If you want to transfer files larger than 4 GB (for example, video to the Internet) 4K).

Comparison of all methods: what to choose?

To make it easier, we've put together a table with the pros and cons of each method, and focus on the amount of data, the Internet, and the types of files you want to migrate.

If you need to move everything at once, the best option is Mi Mover + USB cable (for large files), and if only contacts and photos are important, Google Account and Google Photos will be enough.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data portability to Xiaomi