How to Transfer Data from One Xiaomi Phone to Another: A Complete 2026 Guide

Why data transfer between Xiaomi smartphones requires a special approach

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always an exciting moment, but many users face the challenge of how to transfer all the important data from an old device without losing any photo, contact, or note. MIUI offers unique tools for migration, but their proper use requires knowledge of nuances.

The challenge is a variety of methods, from Mi Mover’s proprietary application to classic cloud or cable methods, each with its own speed, data volume, and compatibility limitations. MIUI. For example, the owners of the Redmi Note 12 and POCO X5 The wireless transmission may be slower than the flagship Xiaomi 13 because of different chipsets, and users of older models (for example, Redmi 5) will not find in them built-in Mi Mover.

In this article, we will look at all the current ways to transfer data between Xiaomi smartphones in 2026, including hidden features that are not mentioned in the official instructions, learn how to avoid typical errors (for example, a transfer break of 99%) and which file formats are supported by each method.

1. Mi Mover: The Official Way From Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a proprietary solution for data migration, preinstalled on all modern smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and other mobile devices. POCO (starting MIUI (9) It allows the transfer of:

• 📞 Contacts (including call history)
• 📷 Photos and videos (without loss of quality)
• 🎵 Music and audio files
• 📄 Documents (PDF, DOC, XLS etc.)
• 📱 Annexes (APK-file + data-data)
• 🔧 System settings (wallpaper, sound circuits, Wi-Fi networks)

The main advantage of Mi Mover is to preserve the structure of folders and metadata files (for example, the date of the photo capture).

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

1. On both phones, open Settings → About Phone → Mi Mover (or find the app through search).
2. Select the device role: "Sender" (old phone) or "Receiver" (new).
3. On an old phone, tick the data categories for transfer.
4. Confirm the connection through QR-code PIN (will automatically appear).
5. Wait until the process is complete (don’t interrupt the connection!).

⚠️ Warning: If the transmission is 99 percent down, check if the new phone is power-saving.

Charging both phones > 50%|Shut down. VPN both-device|Make sure there is enough memory on your new phone|Turn off "Do not disturb" mode"|Connect to a single Wi-Fi network (for wireless use)

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2. Transmission via cable USB (OTG)

If wireless seems slow or unstable, direct cable connectivity is a reliable alternative. USB Type-C or support OTG (for example, Xiaomi 12T, Redmi Note 11 Pro+). For older models with Micro-USB (e.g. Redmi) 4X) will require an adapter.

Advantages of the cable method:

• 🚀 Transfer speeds 3-5 times faster than Wi-Fi.
• 🔒 No risk of communication interruption due to interference.
• 📁 You can selectively copy files manually.

For data transmission, you will need:

• Cable USB-C → USB-C (or adapter for Micro-USB).
• adapter OTG (If one of the phones does not support the host mode).
• File Manager (e.g., Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer)

Instructions:

1. Connect your phones with a cable. On the screen of the old device, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. On your new phone, open the file manager and find the connected device in the Devices or USB section.
3. Copy the folders you want (DCIM for photos, Download for downloads, etc.) to your new phone.
4. To transfer contacts, export them to the.vcf file via Contacts → Settings → Import / Export.

⚠️ Note: Not all Xiaomi models support the mode USB OTG "out of the box. For example, on Redmi. 9A You may need to manually enable it through Settings. → Additionally. → OTG.

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If the phone doesn’t recognize the connected device, try using a charging cable from another manufacturer (such as Samsung).Some cheap Xiaomi cables don’t support data transfer, only charging.

3. Cloud services: Mi Cloud, Google Drive and others

Cloud storage is convenient because it allows you to transfer data without having to connect your phones directly, and this is true if the devices are in different places or you don't have a cable on hand.

Mi Cloud (Official Xiaomi Cloud)

Mi Cloud integrated into ecosystem MIUI and automatically synchronize:

• 📞 Contacts, SMS call history.
• 📷 Photo and video (in original quality at the paid rate).
• 📅 Notes and reminders.

How to transfer data:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Turn on synchronization for the desired categories.
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Xiaomi account and wait for the sync to complete.

Limitations:

• Free rate - only 5 GB (this is the case) ~1000 photos of high quality).
• Video in the video 4K Take up a lot of space (1 minute) = ~400MB).
• Some apps (like WhatsApp) are not synced.

3.2. Google Drive

Google Drive is suitable for transferring data between Xiaomi and other Android devices.

• 🔄 Cross-platform (works even with iPhone).
• 📂 Ability to selectively restore files.
• 🎁 15 GB free (vs. 5 GB of Mi Cloud).

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, install Google Photos (for media files) and Google Contacts.
2. Enable autoload photos and export contacts to your Google account.
3. On the new phone, log in to the same account and wait for synchronization.

Alternative Clouds (Yandex Disk, Dropbox)

These services are suitable if you already use them, for example, Yandex Drive gives 10 GB for free, and Dropbox is convenient for transferring large files (up to 2 GB per download), the main disadvantage is manual download / download files, which takes time.

Mi Cloud|Google Drive|Yandex Disc.|Dropbox|iCloud|I don't use clouds.-->

4. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct: When there are no other options

If you don’t have a cable on hand and the cloud doesn’t fit (for example, due to slow internet), you can use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct. These methods are suitable for transferring small files (up to 1-2 GB), as the speed is limited:

• 📶 Bluetooth 5.0: Up to 2 MB/s (on Xiaomi 13 or up to 2 MB/s) POCO F5).
• 📶 Bluetooth 4.2: Up to 1 MB/s (Redmi Note 10).
• 📶 Wi-Fi Direct: Up to 10MB/s but requires customization.

How to transfer files via Bluetooth:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on both phones (Settings → Bluetooth).
2. Connect devices (click on the name of the second phone in the list of available).
3. Select files in Mi File Manager, click Share → Bluetooth.
4. Take the files on the second phone.

For Wi-Fi Direct:

1. Activate mode on both phones (Settings) → Wi-Fi → Wi-Fi Direct).
2. Connect to the network created by the first phone.
3. Use a file manager to transfer (e.g. Xender or Send Anywhere).

⚠️ Note: When transmitting via Bluetooth, do not move far from the phones - the connection is cut off at a distance of more than 10 meters).

5. Transfer of applications and their data

One of the most difficult aspects of migration is the preservation of application data (for example, progress in games, WhatsApp or Telegram settings). APK-Files, but not user data. Solutions:

Built-in backup functions

Some applications support their own backup:

• 💬 WhatsApp: Settings → chat → Backup (saves history in Google Drive).
• 📱 Telegram: Exporting data through Settings → Additionally. → Export of data.
• 🎮 Games: Many titles (such as Genshin Impact) are linked to a miHoYo or Google Play account.

5.2. Titanium backup (for advanced users)

Titanium Backup allows you to save data from any application, including system ones, but this method is only suitable for advanced users, because:

• ⚠️ Risk of damage to the system in case of incorrect recovery.
• ⚠️ Not all apps are properly restored on the new version of Android.

5.3 Transfer through APK + OBB

For games with large data files (such as Call of Duty Mobile):

1. Copy. APK-game file (for example, through APK Extractor).
2. Find the folder. Android/obb On your old phone and copy it to a new one.
3. Install. APK And check the game.

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Most applications (VK, Instagram, banking) do not require manual data transfer – they are tied to the account and synced automatically when you first log in.

6. Transfer data from the old Xiaomi to the new iPhone (or vice versa)

If you’re switching from Xiaomi to iPhone (or vice versa), standard methods like Mi Mover won’t work.

Appendix "Switching to iOS" (from Apple)

The official solution for migrating from Android to iPhone:

• 📞 Transfers contacts, message history, photos, videos, bookmarks.
• 🚫 Does not support apps (only some data, such as WhatsApp).
• ⚠️ It only works when you first set up your iPhone.

6.2 Cloud services (Google Drive, iCloud)

Universal way:

1. Download data to Google Drive from the old Xiaomi.
2. On your iPhone, install the Google Drive app and download files.
3. For contacts, use synchronization through your Google account (Settings) → Contacts → Accounts).

6.3 PC as an intermediary

If the cloud doesn't fit:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your computer and copy the files.
2. Connect your iPhone and transfer data via iTunes or Finder.

7. Frequent errors and their solutions

Even when following the instructions, users face problems, and consider typical scenarios and ways to fix them:

If none of these methods worked, try:

• 🔄 Reboot both phones before trying again.
• 📱 Reset network settings (Settings) → SIM-maps and networks → Resetting the network).
• 🔧 Update Mi Mover via Google Play (sometimes pre-installed version becomes obsolete).

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If you transfer data to a phone with another regional firmware (e.g. global to Chinese), some applications (e.g. Google Services) may not work, which requires unlocking the bootloader and firmware on the correct version.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions