How to Flip Everything From Phone to Phone by Xiaomi: The Complete 2026 Guide

Introduction: Why Data Transfers to Xiaomi Need a Special Approach

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always an exciting moment, but transferring data from an old device can turn into a real quest. Unlike the iPhone, where the Apple ecosystem strictly controls the migration process, or Samsung with a proprietary Smart Switch, Xiaomi has its own nuances. The main problem is that even between two devices of the same brand, standard solutions do not always work due to differences in MIUI versions, regional firmware or hardware limitations.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to transfer data — from the official Mi Mover to little-known life hacks using ADB. Particular attention will be paid to the problem of transferring applications with data storage (which often does not work through the cloud) and the nuances of transferring between devices with different versions of Android. If you move from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra or even from another brand, here you will find working solutions.

1.Official method: Mi Mover - fast, but with limitations

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary data migration tool pre-installed on all devices with MIUI 9 and up, and works on a point-to-point basis via Wi-Fi Direct, which should theoretically guarantee high speeds, but in practice users face a number of challenges:

• 🔄 Version incompatibility: if on an old phone MIUI 12, and on the new one — MIUI 14, may require firmware updates before transfer.
• 📱 Model Limitation: Not All Devices POCO Black Shark supports Mi Mover from the box.
• 📁 Selective transfer: applications are transmitted without data (for example, saving in games or settings of messengers will have to be restored separately).

To start Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

1. On the new Xiaomi phone, select Data Transfer when you first turn on (or find the Mi Mover app in the menu).
2. On your old phone, open Settings → About Phone → Data Transfer (the path may vary depending on the version of MIUI).
3. Scan it. QR-code from a new device or select a manual connection via Wi-Fi Direct.
4. Select data types for transfer (contacts, messages, photos, videos) and confirm the start of the process.

Charge both phones at least to the 50%|Connect to one Wi-Fi network (if the manual connection does not work)|Release. 10-15% memory on the new device|Shut down. VPN firewalls|Check the compatibility of versions MIUI-->

The speed of transmission depends on the amount of data: for 30 GB of photos and video, the process can take 1.5-2 hours. The critical nuance is that if the transmission is interrupted, you can not resume it from the same place, you will have to start again.

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If Mi Mover can't see the old device, try rebooting both phones and turning on the plane mode for 30 seconds, often resetting Wi-Fi Direct conflicts.

Xiaomi Cloud Transfer: Reliable, but not for all data

Xiaomi Cloud is an alternative to Mi Mover, which works even if the devices are in different countries, but there are serious limitations to this method:

Instructions for transfer through the cloud:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud and enable synchronization for the desired data categories.
2. Wait until the download is complete (it can take several hours with a large amount of photos).
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Xiaomi account and enable sync in the Mi Cloud.
4. Go to Settings → About Phone → Data Recovery and select backup from the cloud.

⚠️ Note: If you used your Google account to sync contacts, rather than Xiaomi Cloud, then when you restore them through the Xiaomi cloud, you may duplicate your contacts. VCF via Contact → Management → Exports.

Cable transfer: maximum speed, but not for all models

Use of the USB-cable (or adapter) OTG) — It's one of the fastest transfers, but it needs preparation, and the main advantage is that it's up to 480 Mbps (USB 2.0 or 5 Gbit/s (USB 3.0), which is 5-10 times faster than Wi-Fi:

• 🔌 Type of connector: new Xiaomi models (for example, 13T Pros have only USB-C, a old (e.g. Redmi) 5A) — MicroUSB. It'll require an adapter.
• 📱 Transmission mode: Some devices need to manually enable Media Device mode (MTP) developer-setting.
• 🔒 Data Protection: Applications and their Data (/data/data/) Not copied without root rights.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your new one OTG-cable USB-C — USB-C).
2. On the old phone, select File Transfer (or MTP) in the notification that appears.
3. On the new phone, open Explorer (or Files) and find the connected device in the Devices section.
4. Copy the folders you want (DCIM for photos, Download for downloads, Pictures for screenshots) to your new device.

To speed up the process, use a multithreaded Explorer (such as Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer) that allows you to copy multiple folders at once.

4.Move over Google Account: Universal, but not completely

If you use Google services (Gmail, Contacts, Drive), some of the data can be transferred through your Google account.

• 📇 Contacts (synchronized automatically when you add an account).
• 📅 Calendar and reminders.
• 📎 Notes from Google Keep.
• 📱 Some app settings (such as Chrome or Gmail).

How to set up synchronization:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Accounts → Google and enable sync for all categories.
2. Wait for the sync to complete (check in Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync).
3. On the new phone, add the same Google account and enable sync.
4. For photos and videos, use Google Photos: turn on backup on your old phone, and on the new one, wait for the download.

⚠️ Attention: Google Photos compresses photos and videos for free storage (High quality) and you will need a paid subscription or manual cable transfer to keep the original resolution.

The main disadvantage of this method is not tolerated:

• 📱 Apps and their data (except those that support backup in Google Drive).
• 📞 Log of calls.
• 📄 Local files outside folders DCIM, Pictures, Download.

5. Alternative methods: for experienced users

If standard methods don’t work (for example, when migrating from iPhone to Xiaomi or between devices with very different versions of Android), you can use advanced tools:

5.1 ADB (Android Debug Bridge) – for full backup

The ADB tool allows you to back up your old phone and restore it to a new one, the only way to transfer all application data (including game saves) without root rights, but it requires command line skills.

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


adb restore backup.ab

Limitations:

• ⚙️ On new versions of Android (11)+) Adb backup can be disabled by the manufacturer.
• 🔒 Some applications (such as banking) block backup of their data.

5.2 Third-party applications

For simplified transfer, you can use:

• 📲 Clone Phone (from Xiaomi) – Mi Mover alternative with cross-platform transmission support.
• 📲 Send Anywhere – Transfer files via P2P-connection without volume restrictions.
• 📲 Samsung Smart Switch – despite the name, works with Xiaomi (but not all models are supported).

When choosing a third-party software, pay attention to:

• 🔒 Security: The application must only request the necessary permissions (e.g. access to storage, but not to the storage facility). SMS).
• 📶 Speed: Some programs limit the speed of transfer in the free version.
• 📱 Compatibility: Check user reviews of your Xiaomi model.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even when following the instructions, users encounter common errors.

If none of these methods worked, try a combination approach:

1. Contacts and calendars through Google Account.
2. Photos/video via cable or Google Photos.
3. Applications – manually installing APKs from a backup (e.g. via APK Extractor).
4. System settings via Mi Cloud (if available).

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The most reliable way is a combination of cloud (for contacts and settings) + cable (for photo and video) + It takes longer, but it guarantees that all data will be transferred.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions