How to transfer files from your old phone to the new Xiaomi: the complete guide

Buying a new smartphone is always euphoric, but it is inevitably followed by a phase of data migration that causes many stress. The owner of the device is often afraid of losing important contacts, photos or correspondence in messengers when switching to a gadget from Xiaomi. Fortunately, modern technology and the MIUI ecosystem offer many ways to clone the contents of an old drive to a new one in just a few clicks.

The file transfer process can vary depending on the operating system of your previous device, whether it is Android or iOS. It is important to understand that backup is a key step that should not be ignored, even if you use fast direct transfer methods. In this article, we will take a detailed look at all the tools available so that you can choose the most convenient and reliable option for your situation.

Before you start taking action, you need to prepare both devices, make sure that both smartphones are charged at least 50-60% of the battery, as the process of transferring large amounts of data can be energy intensive, and also check the availability of free space on the new Xiaomi, which should exceed the amount of information transferred.

⚠️ Warning: Do not interrupt the file transfer process even if the smartphone screen is out.Forced connection break may cause archives to be damaged or data to be partially lost.

Using the Mi Mover app for quick migration

The most effective and native way to transfer information for owners of Xiaomi equipment is the use of a pre-installed application Mi Mover. This tool is designed specifically for the brand ecosystem and allows you to transfer contacts, messages, calls, notes, voice recordings, applications, images, music, videos and document files. The main advantage of the method is to create a direct Wi-Fi connection between devices, which ensures high speed transfer without using Internet traffic.

To get started, run the app on a new smartphone, usually in the Tools or Services folder, and if you can't find it, just search the system by typing in the name of the utility. On the old device, the application can also be preinstalled, but if it is not, you need to download it. APK-file or find it in the app store by scanning QR-code that will appear on the screen of the new phone.

Once you start the program on both devices, select the appropriate roles: on the new phone, click “I am the recipient” and on the old phone, “I am the sender.” Next, the new smartphone will create an access point that you need to connect to from the old device via the Wi-Fi menu. Once you successfully pair, you will see the data selection interface.

The interface allows you to flexibly adjust filtering, so you can select specific file categories or tick only certain albums in the gallery, which is especially useful if you don't have to carry all the garbage accumulated over the years using the previous gadget.

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When you transmit a large number of photos (more than 10,000), the process can take considerable time, it is better to run it overnight and leave the phones lying next to the table, connected to the charger.

Transfer data through Google Account and cloud services

An alternative and highly reliable method is synchronization via Google account, which is ideal for those who want to restore the basic structure of the smartphone (contacts, calendar, notes) and the list of installed applications without using third-party software.

In the initial setup process or through the Settings menu → Accounts and syncs you can choose backups you created earlier on your old device.Google One stores data about passwords, Wi-Fi settings and even home screen layout if you upgrade from pure Android. However, it is worth considering that photos and videos take up space in cloud storage, the default limit of which is 15 GB.

For users who appreciate cross-platform, a great solution is to use cloud storage, such as Google Photos, Yandex.Disk or Dropbox. By installing the application on an old phone and enabling autoload, you are guaranteed to save the media library. On the new Xiaomi, it is enough to simply log in to the application, and all files will be available.

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The combination of methods gives the best result: use Mi Mover for heavy files and photos, and Google Account for recovery of contacts and passwords.

Features of the transition from iPhone (iOS) to Xiaomi

The transition from Apple to Android has long been considered a difficult process, but with the release of improved versions of Mi Mover and Google services, this task has become much easier. The main limitation is that you will not be able to transfer the purchased applications or games, because the App Store and Google Play stores are not compatible with each other, but personal data is successful.

To start working on the iPhone, you need to download the Mi Mover app from the App Store. The principle of operation is similar to working with Android devices: creating an access point and selecting files. The system allows you to transfer contacts, calendar events, photos and videos., videos can be transmitted longer due to the peculiarities of codecs and file formats in iOS.

The standard Mi Mover tools to restore the history of WhatsApp correspondence from iPhone to Android directly is often impossible due to Apple's security restrictions. This may require the use of the official "Data port to Android" function when initially configuring iPhone or third-party paid ulits.

⚠️ Note: Two-factor authentication in Apple ID You may need to enter the code that comes to your old phone. SIM-Card with number tied to Apple ID, active and installed in one of the phones during the process.

Manual transfer via computer and USB-cable

If wireless methods seem unstable or you plan to move hundreds of gigabytes of data, the most reliable option is the “old school” – using a computer, which gives you complete control over the file system and allows you to structure the data before downloading to a new smartphone.

Connect your old phone to your computer through USB-In the notification on the smartphone screen, select the mode of operation USB «File transfer” or MTP. A conductor window will open on your computer where you can copy folders. DCIM (Photos and videos), Download, Documents and others on hard drive.

Then plug in the new Xiaomi. It's important to distribute files correctly. Pictures should be put in the DCIM/Camera folder, music should be in Music, and documents should be in Documents, a structure that allows player apps and gallery to automatically index content.

Structure of folders for manual copying:


/DCIM/Camera – for camera and video




/Music - for audio files




/Download – for downloaded files




/Documents – for PDF, DOCX, etc.




/WhatsApp/Media – for messenger media files

It’s also convenient for cleaning up “digital noise”: While the files are on your computer, you can delete duplicates, blurred images, and unnecessary screenshots to avoid clogging the new device’s memory.

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Use it. USB-Port 3.0 (usually blue) on a computer for maximum copy speed. Ports 2.0 (black) can significantly increase the time of transferring large amounts of data.

Transfer of messages and history of messengers

The most sensitive part of migration for many users is to keep their correspondence history. Unlike SMS, which are easily copied by system means, messengers use their own backup mechanisms. For Telegram, the process is as simple as possible: just log into your account by phone number, and the entire history of correspondence (except secret chats) will be downloaded from the server automatically.

WhatsApp is more complicated. On Android, you have to back up your Google Drive on your old device through chat settings. When you install the app on a new Xiaomi and log in to the same Google account, the system will prompt you to restore the history. It's important that the Google account is the same.

Viber also requires local or cloud copying. Go to More → Settings → Account → Backup. Once you install the app on your new phone and confirm the number, Viber will find the backup file and prompt you to restore it.

• 📱 Telegram: Synchronization through the cloud, secret chats are not portable.
• 💬 WhatsApp: Requires a backup to Google Drive and login to the same account.
• 📞 Viber: Requires a backup file and knowledge of the password if it was installed.
• ✈️ Signal: Has a transfer function through QR-code inside the application settings.

⚠️ Note: When transferring WhatsApp, make sure the new device uses the same phone number. Changing the number requires a procedure to change the number within the app before creating a backup.

Frequent problems and ways to solve them

Despite the fact that processes are fine, users can encounter errors. One common problem is a connection break when using Mi Mover. This often happens if one of the devices is power-saving mode that aggressively shuts down the Wi-Fi module. It is recommended to temporarily turn off battery optimization for the carrier application.

Another problem is file format incompatibility: some specific note formats or voice recordings from old custom firmware may not be readable on the new MIUI or HyperOS shell, in which cases files are transferred, but they will require the installation of third-party player applications to open them.

If the process is stuck at a certain percentage, try restarting both devices and clearing the Mi Mover app cache.It's also worth checking if the receiving device's memory is full in real time, although the system usually warns you beforehand.

Final setup and optimization

After successfully transferring files, take your time to delete data from your old phone. Give yourself a couple of days to run-in a new device. Check if all contacts are in place, if photos are opened, if applications are working. Only once you have the data integrity, you can start cleaning the old gadget.

The new Xiaomi may require additional optimization after the migration, the system can index thousands of photos, which will temporarily increase battery consumption, and it is also worth checking the app updates in Google Play, as the ported versions may be outdated.

Now your smartphone is ready to go, and the right data portability ensures continuity of digital experience and allows you to focus on exploring new features of your gadget, rather than finding lost numbers or photos.

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Final check of all categories of data (contacts, photos, messengers) before resetting the old phone is a mandatory step that will protect against loss of information.