How to transfer all the information from Xiaomi to Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always an exciting moment, but transferring data from one device to another often turns into a headache. Contacts, photos, messages, apps and settings - how not to lose anything important? Fortunately, Xiaomi has several built-in tools for painless migration, as well as versatile methods that work even with outdated models.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to transfer data between Xiaomi smartphones, from the official Mi Mover app to manual transfer via computer. You’ll learn which method is the fastest, which saves the most data, and how to avoid typical errors (for example, losing chat history on WhatsApp or a transmission break halfway), and also what to do if the new phone does not see the old one over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

Whether you upgrade from the Redmi Note 8 to the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, or transfer data from the POCO X3 to the Redmi 13C, there's a solution for any pair of devices, and let's start with the easiest and most reliable way.

1. Mi Mover – official data transfer tool

Mi Mover is a Xiaomi-branded app that is installed by default on all of the brand's modern smartphones, and it allows you to transfer almost all data without loss and without a computer using direct Wi-Fi transmission.

• 📞 Contacts (including groups and notes)
• 📷 Photo and video (in original quality)
• 💬 Communications (SMS/MMS, but not messengers)
• 📥 Call logs
• 📁 Files and documents (from the Downloads folder)
• 🎵 Music and ringtones
• ⚙️ Some system settings (wallpaper, brightness, sound)

However, there are limitations: Mi Mover does not carry installed applications (only their data, if the application is already installed on the new phone), the history of chats in messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram), and passwords from Wi-Fi.

How to use Mi Mover:

1. On both phones, open Settings → About Phone → Data Transfer (Mi Mover).
2. Choose which device is giving data (“I’m an old phone”) and which one is receiving (“I’m a new phone”).
3. On your old phone, click Next and wait for generation QR-code.
4. Scan on your new phone. QR-code from the old device.
5. Confirm the connection on both phones and choose which data to carry.
6. Wait until the transfer is complete (it can take from 10 minutes to an hour depending on the amount of data).

⚠️ Warning: If the transmission is interrupted, do not start the process again - wait until Mi Mover suggests to resume the transfer from the cliff site.

Charge of both phones > 50% | Disable VPN and ad blockers | Connect to the same Wi-Fi network (not necessary, but speeds up the process) | Free up space on a new phone (must be at least 10% free space)

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2.Move over the Xiaomi cloud (Mi Cloud)

If Mi Mover doesn’t work for some reason (e.g., the old version of MIUI on one of the phones), you can use Mi Cloud storage, which is suitable for transferring contacts, notes, photos and some settings, but has a limited volume – only 5 GB is available for free.

The advantage of the cloud is that data can be moved in stages, not necessarily immediately after you buy a new phone, such as syncing contacts first and then photos, but 5GB is usually not enough for a full backup (including apps).

Instructions for transfer via Mi Cloud:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Turn on synchronization for the data you need (contacts, gallery, notes, etc.).
3. Wait for the download to be completed (you can check the progress in the Warehouse section).
4. On the new phone, log in to the same Xiaomi account and enable sync in the Mi Cloud.
5. Choose which data to download to the device.

Mi Mover|Mi Cloud| OTG| Computer | Another way

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3. Transmission via OTG cable (for older models)

If you have an older Xiaomi model (like Redmi) 4X or Mi A1), where there is no Mi Mover, or you want to transfer data without an Internet connection, you can use a cable OTG common USB-This method takes a little bit more effort, but it's reliable and works even with Android phones. 6-7.

You'll need:

• 🔌 Cable OTG (adapter USB-C or micro-USB on USB-A)
• 📱 Normal. USB-cable
• 💾 Flash drive or external drive (optional if there is not enough space)

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the cable. OTG to the new phone and to him an old phone USB-cable.
2. On your old phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode in the connection notification.
3. On the new phone, open File Manager – the old phone will appear as an external drive.
4. Copy the folders you want (DCIM for photos, Downloads for files, Pictures for screenshots) to your new phone.
5. To transfer contacts, export them to the.vcf file via Contacts → Settings → Export and copy it to a new phone.

⚠️ Note: When copying photos and videos through OTG Do not interrupt the process, it can damage files. If the phone overheats, pause on the phone. 5-10 minute.

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If the new phone doesn’t see the old one through OTG, try using a different cable or check if your model supports OTG-host (it’s turned off on some budget models).

4. Computer transfer (for full control)

If you need to selectively migrate data or back up before selling an old phone, the best way is to use a computer, which is the most flexible method: you can copy only the right folders, check files for viruses or compress them to save space.

The work will require:

• 💻 Computer with Windows, Mac or Linux
• 🔌 Two. USB-cable (or one if carried alternately)
• 📂 Backup software (optional, for example, Mi) PC Suite)

How to transfer data via PC:

1. Connect your old phone to your computer and select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy the necessary folders to the computer: DCIM — Downloads photos and videos – uploaded files WhatsApp/Databases — backups of WhatsApp chats Android/data — Application data (if necessary)

Turn off the old phone and connect the new one.

Transfer the copied files to the new phone to the appropriate folders.

.vcf

The advantage of this method is that you control each file, for example, you can check for duplicate photos before copying or delete unnecessary videos to save space, but the process takes longer, especially if there is a lot of data.

5. Transfer of applications and their data

Mi Mover and Mi Cloud don’t carry installed apps, only their data (if the app is already installed on a new phone), so you don’t need to install everything manually, use one of these methods:

• 📥 Google Play: Sign in to the same Google account on your new phone, open the Play Store → Library and click Set Everything.
• 🔄 Backup copy through ADB: For experienced users, you can create a full backup of applications with the adb backup command. -apk -all -f backup.ab and restore it to a new phone.
• 📦 Third-party apps: Titanium Backup (requires root) or Swift Backup (for unrooted Android 9 devices)+).

To port specific applications (e.g., progress games or instant messengers) use their built-in backup features:

• WhatsApp: Settings → Chat → Backup (save to Google Drive).
• Telegram: Chat data is synced to the cloud automatically.
• Viber: Settings → Account → Backup.

⚠️ Note: When restoring WhatsApp backup on a new phone, use the same phone number and Google account, otherwise the copy won’t pull up.

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The most reliable way to migrate applications is to sync through Google Play, but application data (such as saving in games) will have to be restored separately or reinstalled manually.

6. Transfer of data from phone to phone SD-card (for models with support)

If your new Xiaomi phone supports microSD cards (like the Redmi Note 12 or the Redmi Note) POCO M6 Pro, you can transfer some of the data to it to free up internal memory, but keep in mind that not all of the data can be moved to the data. SD-map:

• ✅ You can transfer: photos, videos, music, documents, some applications (if supported by Adoptable Storage).
• ❌ Cannot be transferred: system applications, messenger data, cache of most programs.

How to transfer data to SD-map:

1. Put it in. SD-Card to new phone and format it (if required).
2. Open File Manager and select files to transfer.
3. Press Highlight → Move it → SD-map.
4. For applications: Settings → Annexes → Select an application → Warehouse → Change. → SD-map.

Important: on phones with MIUI 13+ Adoptable Storage (Full Formatting) SD-The card as internal memory is disabled. The card will only be used as a removable storage device.

7. Solving problems in data transfer

Even with official tools, sometimes mistakes occur, and here are the most common problems and solutions.

If none of these methods worked, try alternative methods:

• 🌐 Google Photos: Upload photos to the cloud and then download them to your new phone.
• 📧 Email: Send yourself important files by mail (suitable for small volumes).
• 🔗 Third-party apps: Send Anywhere, Xender or SHAREit (working on Wi-Fi Direct).

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If after transfer on the new phone lost wallpaper or sound settings, check whether the synchronization of themes in Settings. → Theme → My subjects. → Synchronization.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer