How to transfer information to Xiaomi: a complete guide with pictures and nuances

Transferring data to Xiaomi’s new smartphone is a challenge that every user faces when buying a device or resetting settings. POCO, nuances of information transfer via Mi Cloud, cable USB-C Or wireless protocols can raise questions, and in this article, we'll look at all the current ways, from standard functions. MIUI roundabouts.

The main problem with portability is data loss or incomplete synchronization, like contacts can be duplicated and photos can lose geolocation tags. We tested each method on devices from Xiaomi Mi 11 to Redmi Note 12 to identify pitfalls. Spoiler: the most reliable way depends on the volume of data and the model of the phone.

If you are switching from an iPhone or other Android device, the algorithm will be different.The article has separate sections for such cases.We will also explain why Bluetooth transmission is limited to 50MB on most Xiaomi models after the update. MIUI 14 – This information is not available in official documentation.

1. Data transfer via Mi Cloud: pros and constraints

The Mi Cloud is a standard solution for Xiaomi owners, and it automatically syncs contacts, notes, photos and even photos. SMS, But there are some nuances: first, free storage is limited to 5 GB (starting in 2023, POCO F5) Manual synchronization for individual data types.

To transfer information through Mi Cloud:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Turn on synchronization for the desired categories (contacts, gallery, records).
3. On the new Xiaomi, log in to the same account and wait for the download to complete.

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Note: If you use Google Photos for backup, disable autoloading to Mi Cloud to avoid duplicate photos. The simultaneous operation of two services can lead to chaos in the gallery.

The download speed depends on the Internet connection. When testing on Xiaomi 13 Pro 10 GB photos were downloaded about 40 minutes over Wi-Fi (speed 100 Mbps).

• 🔄 Is the firmware updated (Settings) → The phone. → Update MIUI).
• 📶 Is the phone connected to the network (Wi-Fi is preferable to mobile Internet).
• 🔒 Is your account blocked due to suspicious activity (e.g., region change).

2. Direct cable transmission: 3 times faster than the cloud

For large files (video in the 4K, Games, archives) cable is the best option. Xiaomi supports the function "Cloning data" (available on the Internet). MIUI 12 and later, which copies almost everything from wallpaper to Wi-Fi settings:

• ❌ Data from certain applications (such as WhatsApp or Viber) is not transferred).
• ❌ Original cable required USB-C (Cheap analogues may not support high-speed mode).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect both phones with cable via adapter USB-C → USB-C (or USB-A old-model).
2. On the new Xiaomi, select Get Data → Android.
3. On the old device, confirm the transfer (you may need to install Mi Mover from the Play Market).

Average transfer speed of 1.2 GB/min (tested on Redmi) K50 Xiaomi 12T). If the process is interrupted, try it:

Reconnect and reconnect the cable|

Reboot both phones|

Use a different cable (preferably a proprietary cable)|

Update MIUI both-device-->

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Note: If the old phone has data encryption enabled, Mi Mover may not see the files. In this case, first decrypt the device in Settings → Security → Encryption.

3. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct: When there is no cable

Wireless methods are convenient for transferring small files (up to 50 MB per session in a single session). MIUI 14+). For activation:

1. Turn on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct on both phones.
2. On the old device, select files → Share. → Bluetooth.
3. Confirm acceptance on the new Xiaomi.

The main disadvantages of the method:

• 🐢 Speed – 2-5 MB / s (10 times slower than the cable).
• 📱 Nana POCO M4 Pro and older may require additional Mi Share app.
• 🔋 High battery consumption (up to 15% per hour of continuous transmission).

Use Wi-Fi Direct to speed up the process (available in Settings) → Connections → Wi-Fi Direct: It can run at up to 10MB/s, but requires:

1. Connecting phones to a single Wi-Fi network (even without the internet).
2. Shutdowns VPN Firewalls (they block the local connection).

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If Bluetooth refuses to find the device, put both phones in Flight Mode for 10 seconds, then turn on Bluetooth only. This resets the connection cache.

4.Moving from iPhone to Xiaomi: bypassing Apple's restrictions

The transition from iOS to Android is always more difficult due to Apple's closed ecosystem. Xiaomi offers the official Mi Mover app for the iPhone, but it only works if the conditions are met:

• 📱 iPhone should be installed iOS 9.0 or later.
• 🔌 I need the original Lightning cable. → USB-C (adapter).
• 📶 Turn off iCloud Drive and Photo Stream in iPhone settings.

Transfer algorithm:

1. Install Mi Mover on your iPhone from the App Store.
2. Connect your phones with a cable and select on Xiaomi Get data → iPhone.
3. On the iPhone, confirm your device’s trust and select categories to transfer.

What is not going to happen with the Mi Mover:

• 🎵 Music purchased on iTunes (DRM-defence).
• 📅 Reminders from Calendar (events only).
• 💬 The history of iMessage and FaceTime.

Use workarounds for this data:

5 Third-party services: Google, SHAREit and alternatives

If the standard methods don't work, use third-party tools.

• 🌐 Google Account: syncs contacts, calendar, email and some settings. Included in Settings → Accounts. → Google.
• 📁 SHAREit or Xender: transfer files at up to 20 MB/s over Wi-Fi Direct. APK-file-play.
• ☁️ Dropbox/Yandex Disk: for backup of large files (up to) 2 TB).

For SHAREit:

1. Install the app on both phones.
2. On the old device, select Send, on the new one – Receive.
3. Connect to a single Wi-Fi network or use an access point.

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Note: Apps like SHAREit often request access to contacts and location. Check permissions on Google Play before installing them - some versions contain advertising modules.

To port applications and their data (for example, saves in games) use:

1. Helium (requires root on an old phone)
2. Titanium Backup (for experienced users only)
3. Built-in backup function in MIUI (Settings → Additionally. → Backup).

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To transfer these games (e.g., Genshin Impact or PUBG) You can use a Google Play or Facebook account link, which is more secure than copying your save files.

6. Computer transfer: for large archives

If you have a lot of data, like a collection of movies or projects, it's easier to use a computer as an intermediary, and any PC with Windows, macOS or Linux will do.

1. Connect your old phone to your computer through USB (Select the File Transfer Mode).
2. Copy the data into a folder on the PC.
3. Connect the new Xiaomi and transfer the files back.

Use:

• 🖥️ Total Commander or Far Manager (for batch copying).
• 🔗 Characteristic links (if you need to sync folders without duplication).
• 📦 Archivators (7-Zip, WinRAR) for compressing large files.

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Attention: On Xiaomi with MIUI 14 when connecting to macOS, you may need to install Android File Transfer. Windows 11 sometimes needs to manually install the driver MTP via Device Manager.

If you don't have a computer, use it. OTG-adapter:

1. Connect the flash drive to the old phone via OTG.
2. Copy data to the drive (use File Manager) MIUI).
3. Connect the flash drive to the new Xiaomi and transfer the files.

7. Features for older Xiaomi models (until 2019)

On devices like Xiaomi Mi 8 or Redmi Note 5 (c) MIUI 10–11) some functions may not be available, for example:

• 🔌 No built-in Mi Mover – requires installation from Play Market.
• ☁️ Mi Cloud is limited to 1GB of free space (instead of 5GB).
• 📶 Wi-Fi Direct is unstable (often interrupts the connection).

For such models we recommend:

1. Use Google Photos to transfer media files (unlimited storage for compressed photos).
2. Transmitting contacts through VCF-File (export/import to Contacts) → Settings → Imports/Exports).
3. For applications to use APK Extractor (extract.apk from an old phone).

If the old Xiaomi is worth it MIUI 9 or lower, before penosom update the firmware at least to MIUI 11. That will eliminate the errors with:

• 🔄 Synchronization of Mi Cloud (a contact duplication bug).
• 📎 Connection USB (mistake MTP).

8 What to do if the data is not transferred

If after all the manipulations some information is lost, check:

1. Application cache: sometimes data is stored in /Android/data/ (Available through a file manager with root rights).
2. Hidden folders: On Xiaomi, they can be in.nomedia or.thumbnails.
3. Cloud Copies: Check Google Drive, Yandex Drive, or Mail.ru Cloud – it may have been duplicated.

To recover deleted files:

• 🛠️ Use DiskDigger (requires root for deep scanning).
• 🔍 Check the basket at the Gallery MIUI (files are stored for 30 days).
• 📧 Write in support of Mi Cloud (if the data is lost after synchronization).

If the problem is in corrupted files (e.g., the video is not playing), try:

1. Reconvert them through VLC HandBrake.
2. Use online services like Online-Convert.

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On Xiaomi with Snapdragon chipset (for example, POCO X3 Pro) to recover data more efficiently use Qualcomm Flash Tool than universal utilities.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer