How to transfer data from one Xiaomi phone to another: the complete guide

Introduction: Why Standard Methods Don't Always Work

The transition to Xiaomi’s new smartphone is a joyous but often overshadowed by data portability issues. Even with MIUI’s built-in tools, users are faced with lost contacts, broken photos or apps that refuse to sync, all in the nuances of different firmware versions (MIUI 14 vs MIUI 15), cloud service limitations or a banal lack of space on the device.

This article will not just list the ways to transfer, but will explain which method to choose depending on the amount of data, the phone model (Redmi Note 12 vs Xiaomi 14 Pro) and even the speed of your Internet. For example, did you know that when using the Mi Mover over Wi-Fi Direct, the transfer speed can drop to 2 MB / s if the old phone is powered on? and the Xiaomi Cloud stores only 5 GB of data for free – this is enough for contacts and notes.

We tested all the current methods on devices from 2022 to 2026 and found critical errors that are not in the official instructions, for example, when transferring via a USB-C cable to USB-C, some Redmi models require debugging over USB, otherwise the program simply “cannot see” the new phone.

1.The official way: Mi Mover by Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a native tool for data migration between Xiaomi devices, pre-installed on all smartphones with MIUI 9 and newer, but it doesn’t work perfectly. The main plus is that it transfers almost everything from SMS to call history. Minus doesn’t support some third-party applications (such as data from Telegram or banking programs).

How to use:

• 📱 Install Mi Mover on both phones (if it is not on the menu).
• 🔗 Connect devices to a single Wi-Fi network or use Wi-Fi Direct (faster but less stable).
• 📤 On the old phone, select the role of "Sender", on the new one - "Receiver".
• 🔍 Confirm the pairing code (must match on both screens).
• ✅ Select data types to transfer and wait until completion.

The transmission speed depends on the volume:

⚠️ Note: If the new phone is installed MIUI 15, and the old one — MIUI 12, Mi Mover may not be able to move the screen settings (images, widgets) This is a well-known bug that Xiaomi hasn't fixed until now.

2.Moving through Xiaomi Cloud: Pros and pitfalls

Xiaomi Cloud is convenient for backup, but has strict restrictions:

• 📦 Free only 5 GB (for the photo in the original quality of this catastrophically little).
• 🔄 Contact and note sync only works if both phones share the same Mi Account.
• ⏳ Downloading 10GB of data over a mobile network can take more than 5 hours (and eat all traffic).

Step-by-step:

1. On the old phone: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Xiaomi Cloud → Backup.
2. Select the data for backup (contacts, SMS, applications) and click "Create backup".
3. On the new phone: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Xiaomi Cloud → Restore from backup.
4. Select the last copy and wait until it is completed.

⚠️ Note: If you delete a backup from the cloud immediately after the transfer, it will disappear forever - you can not restore it!

Make sure there is enough space on your account

Connect both phones to charging

Disable the traffic saving mode

Check the stability of the Internet connection

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3. USB cable: the fastest, but most capricious way

Transferring data via a USB-C-USB-C cable (or USB-A with an adapter) should theoretically be the fastest, but in practice users encounter errors such as "Device not recognized" or "Mi Mover can't see the phone", the reason is the developer's settings.

How to transfer data over the cable without failure:

1. On Old Phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times to turn on Developer Mode) Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging over USB (On)
2. Connect your phones with a cable (use the original Xiaomi cable – cheap ones often don’t support data transfer).
3. On the new phone, launch Mi Mover and select Receiver.
4. On the old phone, allow access to the data in the window that appears.

The transmission speed can reach 40-60 Mb/s, but only if:

• 🔌 Cable is used. USB 3.0 or higher.
• 🔋 Both phones are over 50% charged (low charge speed drops).
• 📵 The modem/access point mode is disabled on the phones.

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If the Mi Mover is 99% over the cable, don’t turn off the devices! wait 10-15 minutes – often the process ends on its own.

4.Google Account: Universal but incomplete transfer

If you used Google on your old phone, you can transfer some of your data through your account, which is suitable for:

• 📇 Contacts (Synced automatically).
• 📅 Calendar and reminders.
• 📎 Some settings (Wi-Fi passwords, wallpaper).

What's not going to happen:

• 📱 Applications and their data (for example, saves in games).
• 📸 Photos and videos (only if they were uploaded to Google Photos separately).
• 💬 SMS call history.

Instructions:

1. On your old phone: Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync (include all items).
2. On the new phone, when you first turn on, select “Copy Data” and log in to the same Google account.
3. Select a backup from your old phone (if you have one).

⚠️ If the old phone was enabled mode "For developers" with disabled synchronization, the data in Google Account may not be saved for months!

5. Alternative methods: for advanced users

If standard methods do not work (for example, on phones with custom firmware or a damaged system), you can use:

5.1. ADB (Android Debug Bridge)

A tool to fully copy /data partitions (including application settings) requires PC and command line knowledge.

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


adb restore backup.ab

Disadvantages: Not all apps support backup via ADB (like WhatsApp or banking programs).

5.2 Third-party applications

Popular options:

• 📲 Clone Phone (from Huawei, but it also works on Xiaomi).
• 🔄 Samsung Smart Switch (Yes, It Brings Data to Xiaomi).
• ☁️ Send Anywhere (Wi-Fi transmission without volume restrictions).

Warning: Some apps (like SHAREit) install adware on both phones, and check Google Play reviews for the past 2-3 months before using it.

6. Transfer of specific types of data

Not all data is equally well-transferred. Let's look at the nuances for each type.

6.1 Photo and video

The best ways to do this are:

• ☁️ Google Photos (unlimited storage for compressed photos, originals - paid).
• 📁 Transfer through cable to folder DCIM/Camera new phone.

Important: if the photo is stored on SD-Just move it to a new phone – Xiaomi will recognize it automatically.

6.2 Applications and their data

Only Mi Mover and TiBackup (from Google Play) carry app data (such as saves in games).

• 🚫 Banking applications (SberBank, Tinkoff) are not portable due to security.
• 🔄 WhatsApp and Telegram should be reserved separately (in chat settings).

SMS and call history

The best use is:

• ☁️ Xiaomi Cloud (if there are few messages).
• 📄 Annex SMS Backup & Restore (Saves in the XML-file).

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To transfer data from phone to phone Xiaomi optimally combine methods: contacts and calendar – through Google, photos – cable, applications – through Mi Mover.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even following the instructions, users make mistakes that lead to data loss.

1. There's not enough space on your new phone. Before the perenosom, check the space available in Settings → Storage. If less than 10% of the data you're transferring, delete the files you don't need.
2. Different Mi/Google accounts. If you have different accounts on your phones, cloud sync won't work.
3. If someone calls an old phone during a Wi-Fi Direct transfer, the connection will break.
4. An outdated version MIUI. On the phones with MIUI 11 and older Mi Mover may not work – an update is required.

Tip: Before perenosom, back up your PC or external drive.

1. Connect your old phone to your computer.
2. Copy DCIM, Downloads and Pictures folders into a separate directory.
3. For SMS backup, use SMS Backup & Restore.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions