How to Transfer All Data from One Xiaomi to Another: A Complete Guide

Why does the standard backup through Mi Cloud not always work?

You have bought a new Xiaomi 14 Ultra or Redmi Note 13 Pro+, But you're afraid of losing precious photos, Telegram chats, or saving from games when you migrate? Most users immediately try to use Mi Cloud — but face a 5GB limit, sync errors, or missing data. APK-third-party application files, settings for some system settings, or data from games without a cloud save.

Worse still, the old MIUI 12 and the new MIUI 15 can cause backup incompatibility on the new one, or you forget the password from your Mi Account tied to your old phone, and you have to look for workarounds, from manual file copying to ADB and third-party utilities, and this article covers all the current ways Xiaomi is moving data in 2026, including little-known chips for advanced users.

Method 1: Official Mi Mover Transfer (without a computer)

The easiest method for beginners is the built-in Mi Mover utility, which works on all smartphones with MIUI 9 and later. It transmits data directly over Wi-Fi Direct, without having to connect to the Internet or a computer. Importantly, both phones must be charged at least 50%, otherwise the process will stop.

How to start the transfer:

• 📱 On the new Xiaomi: go to Settings → The phone. → Transfer data (Mi Mover) and select "I receive data".
• 📲 On the old Xiaomi: in the same menu, click "I send data" and scan QR-screencode.
• 🔄 On an old phone, check the data categories for transfer: Contacts, Messages, Photos/Video, Applications (without their data!), etc.
• ⚡ Click "Transfer" and wait until it's done. Time depends on the amount of data (e.g. 30GB photos are copied). ~40 minutes).

Both phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (if Wi-Fi Direct is not working)

There is enough memory on the new phone (check in Settings → Memory)

VPNs and firewalls are disabled (they can block transmission)

The old phone is not unlocked or turned off during the process.-->

⚠️ Attention: Mi Mover is not tolerated:

• 🎮 Game savers (such as Genshin Impact or Honor of Kings)
• 🔐 Wi-Fi passwords and Google Smart Lock data
• 📁 Files in folders created by the user (for example, Download/My papers)
• 🛠️ Developer settings and hidden system parameters

Method 2: Complete backup via Mi Cloud (with nuances)

Mi Cloud is a cloud storage from Xiaomi that is integrated into MIUI. It allows you to back up almost all data, but there are critical limitations:

• 📉 Free rate - only 5 GB (this is the case) ~1000 photos in high resolution).
• 🔄 Backup is created only when connected to Wi-Fi and charging.
• ⏳ Recovery takes a long time (e.g. 20GB of data — ~3 hours).

How to make a backup right:

1. On the old Xiaomi: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Backup.
2. Click "Backup" and select categories. Be sure to tick: 📇 System settings (themes, sounds, wallpapers) 📞 Contacts and Call Log 💬 Communications (SMS/MMS) 📷 Gallery (photo and video)

Wait until the screen is closed (the backup will continue to work in the background).

new

Mi Account

Mi Cloud → Restore

1. disable battery optimization for the Mi Cloud app in the settings.

2. Energize the aircraft mode for 10 minutes, then repeat the backup.

3. Use mobile internet instead of Wi-Fi (sometimes helps with router problems).-->

Method 3: Manually copy files via OTG cable or computer

If you only need to transfer specific files (such as a document folder or music), it is easiest to use the file. USB-cable OTG-This is an adapter. This is a method that works when you have an adapter:

• 📁 You need to copy large files (>5GB that won’t fit into the Mi Cloud.
• 🔧 You want to choose which data to transfer (for example, only photos from the last year).
• 🚫 The new phone does not have a Mi Account or is blocked.

Instructions for copying via computer:

1. Connect the old Xiaomi to the PC via USB-In the notification curtain of the phone, select "File Transfer" mode" (MTP).
2. On your computer, open the phone folder (usually this is This Computer → [Xiaomi Model]).
3. Copy the necessary folders: DCIM - photo and video Download - downloaded MIUI files → Camera - screenshots of Android → data - data of some applications (root rights required)

new

Mi Mover (direct transmission)|Mi Cloud (cloud)|Cable/computer|App side (e.g. ShareIt)|Another option-->

⚠️ Note: When manually copied, it is not carried over:

• 📱 Applications and their data (only) APK-files, but they won’t work without installation).
• 🔑 System settings (wallpaper, sounds, screen brightness).
• 💌 SMS and call log (they are stored in a database that is not available without root).

💡

To port applications with data (for example, save games), you will need to use ADB backup or third-party utilities like Titanium Backup (root).

Method 4: Transfer through Google Account (for contacts, calendar and email)

If you use Google services, some of the data can be synced through your Google account, which is suitable for:

• 📇 Contacts (including groups and labels)
• 📅 Calendar and reminders
• 📧 Let's write Gmail and Google Keep Notes
• 📍 Selected places on Google Maps

How to set up synchronization:

1. On the old Xiaomi: Settings → Accounts → Google → [Your account] → Account Sync.
2. Turn on switches for all the categories you need (Contacts, Calendar, Gmail, etc.).
3. Click "Sync" and wait until it's finished.
4. On the new Xiaomi: Sign in to the same Google account and wait for automatic sync (can take up to 10 minutes).

⚠️ Note: If your old phone only stores your contacts in the device’s memory (not Google), you should export them first:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Press. ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Export to file.
3. Save the.vcf file to a memory card or internal memory, then transfer it to a new phone and import it.

Method 5: Data portability of games and applications (for advanced)

If you need to migrate game saves (e.g. Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile) or application data (e.g. WhatsApp, Viber), standard methods won't help. There are two options:

Option A: Use Helium (without root)

Helium is a data backup application with no superuser rights, and it doesn't work with all games, but it supports most popular messaging apps and utilities.

1. Install Helium on both phones from Google Play.
2. On the old Xiaomi: launch Helium, select backup apps (like WhatsApp) and save a backup to your memory card.
3. Transfer the backup file (with the.carbon extension) to the new phone.
4. On the new Xiaomi: Install the same apps, then in Helium, select “Restore and Sync” and specify the path to the backup file.

Option B: ADB Backup (for tech-savvy)

ADB (Android Debug Bridge) allows you to create a full backup of all these applications, including saving games.

Instructions:

1. Install ADB on PC (download from https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools).


2. On your phone, turn on USB Debugging (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times click on the build number → return to Additional → For Developers).




3. Connect the phone to the PC and execute the command:




adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab




4. On the phone, confirm the creation of a backup (you can set a password).




5. To recover on a new phone:




adb restore backup.ab

Method 6: Transfer through third-party applications (ShareIt, Xender, Send Anywhere)

If you don't like the official methods, you can use third-party utilities to transfer files, they work over Wi-Fi Direct and often faster than Mi Mover.

• 📲 ShareIt supports file transfers up to 200 MB/s, but contains advertising.
• 🔄 Xender – no file size restrictions, there is a function of cloning applications.
• 🌐 Send Anywhere – allows you to send files over the Internet (generates 6-digit code).
• 📎 Files by Google – built-in Shared Access feature for transfer without installing additional apps.

How to transfer data to Send Anywhere:

1. Install the app on both phones.
2. On the old Xiaomi: select files to send and click "Send." A 6-digit code is generated.
3. On the new Xiaomi: enter this code in the “Get” field.
4. Wait for the transfer to be completed (speed depends on Wi-Fi).

⚠️ Note: The Appendix does not carry:

• 📱 System settings and wallpaper.
• 🔑 Application data (for example, correspondence in Telegram without a backup).
• 🔧 APK-files (only user files: photos, videos, documents).

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even when following instructions, users often encounter problems, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

🔹 Tip: If notifications do not work on the new Xiaomi after the transfer or the battery goes down quickly, reset your network settings:

1. Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Resetting network settings.
2. Reboot the phone.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions