Data portability to the new Xiaomi: a complete guide from contacts to apps

Why does data transfer to Xiaomi require a special approach?

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always a joy from fresh technology, but also a headache: how not to lose years of accumulated contacts, photos, notes and settings? Unlike the iPhone, which has a single iCloud, or Samsung with a Smart Switch service, Xiaomi has its own MIUI ecosystem dictates its rules.

For example, owners of Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5 often find that the standard Mi Mover (built-in portability app) can not see the old phone through Wi-Fi Direct if it is running Android 9 and lower. And when using Google Account, SMS and call logs are not transmitted - they will have to be saved separately. This article will help avoid typical errors and choose the best way depending on your situation.

We have tested all the current methods on devices with MIUI 14 (Android 13) and earlier versions, so the instructions will work even if you are upgrading from Xiaomi Mi 9 (2019) to Xiaomi 14 (2026).The main rule is: before any data transfer check the free space on the new phone - MIUI requires at least 20% of free space for correct port.

Method 1: Mi Mover – the official solution from Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a built-in application in MIUI firmware that allows data to be transmitted over a Wi-Fi Direct wireless network. It supports the transfer of:

• 📞 Contacts (including groups and notes)
• 📷 Photo and video (in original quality)
• 💬 SMS and MMS (file-attached)
• 📞 Call log (with missed tags)
• 🎵 Music and documents (if stored in your phone’s memory)
• 📱 Some system settings (wallpaper, sound profiles)

However, there are limitations: Mi Mover does not carry installed applications (only their data if the application is already installed on a new phone) and does not work with phones from other brands (for example, Samsung or Huawei), and both devices must have a version of MIUI 8 or later.

Charge both phones at least 50% | Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (not necessarily, but speeds up the process) | Make sure the new phone has enough space (data takes up as much as the old one) | Disconnect VPNs and firewalls (they can block the connection) |Update Mi Mover to the latest version in Settings → About Phone → System Update

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Step-by-step:

1. On the new Xiaomi phone, open the Mi Mover app (if not, download from Google Play).
2. Select the option I receive data.
3. On the old phone, run Mi Mover and select I send data.
4. Scan it. QR-code from a new phone or connect via a device search via Wi-Fi Direct.
5. Select data types to transfer (you can mark everything or select selectively).
6. Confirm the transfer on both devices and wait until it is completed (can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour depending on the volume).

⚠️ Note: If the process is stalled during the Preparation phase, restart Mi Mover on both phones and try again. If the error repeats, try another method (for example, through Google Account).

Method 2: Transfer through Google Account (for contacts, photos and apps)

If you have a Google Account synced to your old phone, this is the easiest method.

• 📞 Contacts (via Google Contacts)
• 📅 Calendar and reminders
• 📷 Photos and videos (via Google Photos)
• 🎮 Data of certain games and applications (if they support cloud backup)
• 📝 Notes from Google Keep

The advantage of this method is that the data is automatically synced with the new phone when you first log in to your account.

• ❌ Not tolerated. SMS call-book.
• ❌ Applications are not automatically installed (only their data if the application is already installed).
• ❌ Photos in Google Photos are compressed if you have an unpaid tariff (from 2021, free storage is limited to 15 GB per account).

How to transfer data:

1. On your old phone, check that sync is enabled: Settings → Accounts → Google → [your email] → Account Sync Make sure Contacts, Calendar and Google Photos are enabled.
2. Wait until the synchronization is complete (may take a few minutes).
3. On the new Xiaomi phone, when you first turn on, select the Restore from backup option and log in to the same Google Account.
4. If your phone is already set up, go to Settings → Accounts → Google → [your email] → Sync and enable the options you need.

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If you have a lot of photos, check the Google Photos settings on your old phone before perenosom: go to Settings → Backup and Sync and select Original Quality (if you have space in the cloud).

Method 3: Using an OTG cable or adapter (for large amounts of data)

If you have a lot of data (e.g. 100+GB of photos and videos), wireless methods can take hours or even days, in which case direct cable connection will be the fastest solution.

• 🔌 OTG-Adapter (if the new Type-C phone has a Micro-USB phone).
• 📱 Cable to connect an old phone to an adapter.
• 🔋 Charger (transfer can drain the battery).

This method is suitable for any phone, including iPhone (if you have a Lightning-to-USB adapter) and transfer speeds reach 40-60 MB/s, which is 5-10 times faster than Wi-Fi.

Instructions:

1. Connect. OTG-Adapter to the new Xiaomi phone.
2. Connect your old phone to the adapter via cable.
3. A notification will open on the new phone USB-the device is connected. Click on it and select File Transfer (or MTP).
4. Open Explorer (or Files) on your new phone – the old phone will appear as a removable drive.
5. Copy the folders you want (DCIM for photos, Download for downloads, etc.) to your new phone’s memory.

⚠️ Note: If the old phone doesn’t show up as a drive when you connect, check your settings USB on it: go to Settings → System system → For developers → Configuration USB and select File Transfer (MTP). If there is no "For Developers" option, activate it by pressing the build number 7 times in Settings. → The phone.

Mi Mover (Wi-Fi Direct)|Google Account (cloud)| OTG cable or adapter | Other methods (specify in the comments)| Never transferred data-->

Method 4: Backup via MIUI Backup (for a full copy of the system)

If you want to migrate all the settings, including wallpaper, sound circuits, app data, and even the location of icons on your desktop, use the built-in MIUI Backup feature, which creates a full system snapshot that you can then restore to your new phone.

Importantly, this method only works between Xiaomi phones with MIUI 12 and newer, and the new phone must have the same or newer firmware version, otherwise the recovery may end in error.

How to make a backup and restore it:

1. On your old phone, go to: Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Local Backup
2. Click Backup and select the data to save (it is recommended to note everything).
3. Wait until it's finished (can take 30-60 minutes). The backup file is saved to /MIUI/backup/AllBackup/.
4. Copy the AllBackup folder to your new phone (via cable, cloud, or Mi Mover).
5. On the new phone, go to the same backup settings and select Restore by specifying the copied file.

Method 5: Transfer applications and their data (without losing progress in games)

One of the most painful things about changing phones is losing progress in games or app settings, and fortunately, most modern apps support cloud sync, but you need to set up the backup properly.

How to transfer applications and their data:

• 🎮 Most games (such as Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile) are linked to a Google Play account, Facebook or your own gaming account. Before perenosom, check that you are logged in through an account, not as a guest.
• 📱 Social networks: WhatsApp, Telegram, VK They sync through the cloud. On WhatsApp, backup chats in Settings. → chat → Backup copy.
• 💰 Banking applications: Most banks (SberBank, Tinkoff, VTB) require re-authorization on the new device. Only copy screenshots with props (but do not save them in the gallery!).
• 📊 Other applications: Use built-in export functions (e.g., in the 1Password or).

For applications that do not support cloud backup, use third-party utilities:

• Swift Backup (requires root) – creates full backups of data applications.
• Titanium Backup (older but running on older versions of Android)
• App Cloner – duplicates applications with settings (without root).

⚠️ Note: Do not use Titanium Backup or Swift Backup on phones with a backup. MIUI 14 and later, these firmwares block access to system folders without unlocking the bootloader. Instead, use cloud services or manual data export.

What if the data is not transferred or lost?

Even with the most accurate transfer, sometimes you have problems: contacts are lost, photos are not opened or apps are out.

1. Contacts missing:

• Check if sync is enabled in Google Contacts (https://contacts.google.com).
• If the contacts were on SIM-Insert it into a new phone and import it through Contacts → Settings → Import with SIM.
• If the contacts were only stored in the phone’s memory, try to restore them through apps like Undeleter (works if the phone hasn’t been reflashed yet).

2. Photos and videos are not opened:

• Check if the files have been copied completely (sometimes the transfer is interrupted and the files are corrupted).
• If the photo is in.HEIC (iPhone) format, install the HEIF Viewer app on Xiaomi.
• Use PhotoRec to recover damaged files (you will need a computer).

3.The applications are departed after the transfer:

• Clear the app cache in Settings → Apps → [name] → Storage → Clear the cache.
• If the app requires a license (such as paid games), sign in to the same Google Play account.
• For banking applications, reinstall them from the official website of the bank.

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If you lost data after transferring, first check the /MIUI/backup/ folder on your old phone — it may have saved an automatic backup. Also check the shopping cart in Google Photos (the data is stored there for 60 days).

FAQ: Frequent questions about data portability to Xiaomi