The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting — especially when it comes to saving important correspondence. Bank messages, order confirmations, personal chats: losing them means losing some of your digital life. Fortunately, porting SMS between Android devices (including Redmi models, POCO and Xiaomi 14 flagship series) is possible in several ways, from standard tools to specialized utilities.
In this article, we will discuss all the current methods, taking into account the features of the MIUI firmware. You will learn how to transfer messages without losing formatting (including emojis and attachments), which applications guarantee 100% success, and why some methods may not work on Android 14 devices.
1. Built-in tools MIUI: transferring through Mi Mover
The most obvious way is to use Xiaomi’s proprietary solution: Mi Mover is a standard MIUI toolkit designed to migrate data between brand devices, and it supports not only SMS, but also contacts, photos, notes, and even some system settings.
To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:
- 📱 Make sure that both smartphones are installed MIUI 10 or newer (on Android 9)+). In older versions, the functionality may be limited.
- 🔗 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (required! Mobile Internet won't work).
- 🔄 On your old phone, open Settings. → The phone. → Data Transfer (Mi Mover).
- 📲 On the new Xiaomi, select the “I am a new user” option when you first turn on or find Settings. → Additionally. → Data portability.
Important: Mi Mover doesn’t always work correctly with other devices (like Samsung or Google Pixel).If your old smartphone isn’t from Xiaomi, skip this method and move on to the following sections.
2. Cloud Transfer via Mi Cloud
If both devices are linked to the same Mi Account, syncing SMS via Mi Cloud is the fastest solution, a method that is suitable for Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO owners, but requires pre-configuration.
Step instructions:
- On your old phone, go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
- Activate the slider next to the item "Messages" (if it is not, update the firmware).
- Wait for the synchronization to be completed (time depends on the number of SMS).
- On the new device, log in to the same Mi Account and enable message synchronization in the Mi Cloud.
⚠️ Note: In some regions (e.g. EU) synchronization function SMS Mi Cloud may be disabled due to local regulations!
Sign in to one Mi Account on both devices |
Check for the Messages item in Mi Cloud|
Connect to stable Wi-Fi|
Charge both phones at least 50% |
Disable VPN (can block synchronization)
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3.SMS Export to File and Import to Xiaomi
The universal method that works on any Android device is to save messages to a.xml or.csv file and then import them. This will require a third-party application, such as SMS Backup & Restore (available on Google Play).
Advantages of the method:
- 🔄 It works even between different brands (e.g. Samsung). → Xiaomi).
- 📁 It saves not only text, but also metadata (date, time, status "read/not read").
- 🔒 Ability to encrypt backup.
Step-by-step:
- Install Backup & Restore SMS on both devices.
- On an old phone, click “Create a Backup” and select the XML format (recommended).
- Save the file to Google Drive, Mi Cloud or a memory card.
- Transfer the file to the new Xiaomi and import it through the same app.
Critical: Android 10+ devices may require manual permissions for the app via ADB (instruction below in spoiler).
How to get permission through ADB?
4.Move over Google Messages (for Android 8+)
If you use Google Messages (formerly Android Messages) as your primary app SMS-The transfer is simplified to a couple of clicks, which is ideal for owners of Xiaomi on pure Android (for example, for example, for the users of the company, POCO F5 Xiaomi 13T global-fixed).
Algorithm of action:
- 📲 Install Google Messages on both devices (download in Play Market or via APKMirror).
- 🔄 On your old phone, open the app, go to Settings. → Backup and restoration.
- ☁️ Enable “Google Drive Backup” and wait until the process is complete.
- 📱 On the new Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account and restore data from the backup.
⚠️ Note: This method only transfers messages sent/received through Google Messages. MIUI, export first SMS in.xml (see section 3).
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Before transferring, check if the new Xiaomi has enabled the option “Spam filtering” in the message settings, which can block the recovery of mass SMS (for example, from banks or services).
5. Alternative applications: SHAREit, Xender, etc.
For those who prefer wireless without clouds, universal utilities like SHAREit, Xender or Send Anywhere are suitable. They transmit SMS directly over Wi-Fi Direct, which speeds up the process and eliminates the risk of data leakage.
Comparison of popular applications:
| Annex | Transmission speed | Support for SMS | Additional functions | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHAREit | Up to 20 Mb/s | Yes (through export to file) | Transfer of applications, photo, video | Advertising requires storage permits |
| Xender | Up to 10 Mb/s | Yes (via backup) | Cross-platform (iOS/Android) | Sometimes she loses formatting SMS |
| Send Anywhere | Up to 15 Mb/s | Yes (direct transmission) | Encryption, no size limit | A complex interface for beginners |
Instructions for SHAREit:
- Install the app on both devices.
- On your old phone, select Send → Files → find a folder with exported SMS (usually in /storage/emulated/0/SMSBackupRestore).
- On the new Xiaomi, click "Accept" and confirm the transfer.
- After transferring, import the file via SMS Backup & Restore.
Manual transfer through SIM-map (limited method)
The most archaic, but sometimes the only possible way is to copy messages to the Internet. SIM-It's got a lot of limitations:
- 📵 Only text is supported SMS (without MMS, emojis, investments).
- 📏 Memory volume SIM-The card usually does not exceed 250 messages.
- ⏳ The process is extremely slow (1 message at a time).
How to move:
- On your old phone, open the standard Messages app.
- Select SMS, click "More" → "Copy on SIM".
- Put it in. SIM To the new Xiaomi and import messages through Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Import with SIM.
⚠️ Attention: On Android devices 12+ and MIUI 13/14 copy-option SIM It can be hidden. To get it back, install the old Messages app from the APK (for example, 6.9.1 for MIUI 12).
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There are only two best ways to carry a large volume of SMS (thousands of messages): export via SMS Backup & Restore or synchronize via Mi Cloud, the remaining methods are either limited in scope or require manual processing.