How to transfer your Xiaomi account from one phone to another: 5 proven ways

Why you need data migration between Xiaomi phones

Changing a smartphone is always an exciting process, especially when it comes to moving within the ecosystem of a single brand. Xiaomi owners have the advantage of offering several built-in tools for painless data transfer, including accounts, apps, photos and even system settings, but not all users know how to use these features correctly so as not to lose important information.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 working ways to transfer your account and data between Xiaomi phones, from classic backups through Mi Cloud to OTG cable and third-party apps, and focus on the nuances that are often overlooked: for example, why some apps don’t automatically port, how to avoid sync errors, and what to do if a new phone can’t see the old one through Mi Mover.

If you just purchased a new Redmi Note 13 Pro+ or POCO X6, but are afraid that contacts, messages or saves in games will be lost, this guide will help avoid typical problems.

Method 1: Mi Cloud Transfer is the Most Reliable Method

The Mi Cloud cloud storage is Xiaomi’s official service that allows you to sync data between devices, and the advantage of the method is that you don’t need physical access to your old phone: just remember the username and password from your Mi Account. However, there are limitations: the free tariff provides only 5 GB, which may not be enough for a full backup.

To transfer data through Mi Cloud:

• 📱 On your old phone: Open Settings → Mi Account. → Mi Cloud and enable sync for the desired categories (contacts, notes, calendar, photos).
• ☁️ Wait for the data to be uploaded to the cloud (time depends on internet speed).
• 🆕 On the new phone: log in to the same Mi Account and enable sync in Mi Cloud. Data will start to load automatically.

Important: Some apps (like WhatsApp or banking) don’t sync through the Mi Cloud, and they will require a separate backup.

Method 2: Using Mi Mover to transfer quickly over Wi-Fi

Mi Mover is a built-in app on Xiaomi smartphones that allows you to transfer data directly between devices over Wi-Fi Direct. This method is suitable if both phones are nearby and you want to transfer not only accounts, but also apps, photos, videos and even system settings.

Instructions for using Mi Mover:

1. On both phones, open the Mi Mover app (if you don’t have one, download from Google Play).
2. On the old phone, choose I am the sender, on the new phone, I am the receiver.
3. Scan it. QR-code from a new phone on an old one (or connect manually via Wi-Fi).
4. Select data categories for transfer and confirm the start of transfer.

It can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour depending on the amount of data, and if the transmission is interrupted, try connecting both phones to the same Wi-Fi network instead of Wi-Fi Direct, which sometimes solves the problem.

Charge both phones to at least 50%|Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network|Close the background applications|Make room on your new phone-->

Method 3: Transfer over OTG cable for large data volumes

If you have a lot of photos, videos or heavy apps, it can take too long to transfer over Wi-Fi, and the OTG cable (or USB-C to USB-C adapter for new models) will help, which is faster and more reliable, but requires an additional accessory.

How to transfer data through the cable:

• 🔌 Connect your old phone to your new phone using a cable OTG.
• 📁 On the new phone, select File Transfer Mode (MTP).
• 📂 Open the file manager (e.g. Files by Google) and copy the folders you want (DCIM For photos, downloads, etc.).
• 🔄 To transfer applications, use the backup through Settings → Annexes → Backup.

⚠️ Note: Not all apps can be transferred over cable, for example, WhatsApp requires a separate backup in Google Drive, and some games (such as Genshin Impact) are tied to an account and not saved locally.

Method 4: Backup to a computer - for full control

If you prefer to have a full copy of your data on your hard drive, you can use your computer as an intermediary, which is a way to transfer all the data, including hidden files and settings, but takes longer.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your computer via USB and select File Transfer mode.
2. Copy all important folders (DCIM, Pictures, Music, etc.) on your PC.
3. For backup applications, use ADB (developer rights required): adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab
4. Connect the new phone and transfer the files back.

⚠️ Attention: Backup through ADB does not restore data of some applications (for example, Telegram or Viber), as they encrypt local files.

💡

If you are transferring data to a phone with a different version of Android (for example, from the old MIUI 12 to the new MIUI 14), after you restore the backup, reset the settings on the new device.

Method 5: Third-party applications - an alternative for non-standard cases

If Xiaomi’s built-in tools don’t work (for example, due to different versions of MIUI or corrupted system files), you can use third-party apps.

• 📲 ShareIt – fast file transfer over Wi-Fi.
• 🔄 Clone Phone (from Huawei, but it also works on Xiaomi) – transfer contacts, messages, photos.
• 📂 Google Files – for selectively copying files.

The advantage of third-party apps is that they often support cross-platform portability (e.g., from Xiaomi to Samsung), but beware: some programs request unnecessary permissions or display ads.

How to choose an application:

• For photos and videos – Google Photos (automatic synchronization).
• For contacts, export to.vcf via Google Contacts.
• For messages - SMS Backup & Restore.

Typical errors and their solutions

Even when using official tools, users often encounter problems, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to fix them:

1.Mi Cloud does not sync data

• Check if there is enough space in the cloud (free only 5GB).
• Make sure your phone is syncing for the right categories.
• Update the Mi Cloud app to Google Play.

2.Mi Mover is getting stuck at 99%

• Restart the data transmission.
• Turn off battery saving for the Mi Mover app.
• If it doesn’t help, transfer data in parts (for example, first photo, then applications).

3.Appendices are not restored after the transfer

• Check if the app supports backup (for example, WhatsApp requires a separate backup).
• Make sure there is enough space on the new phone to install apps.
• Update the Google Play Store and try again.

⚠️ Note: If you transfer data from a phone based on Android 10 or older to a device with Android 13+, Some apps may not be running because of security changes, and you may need to reinstall them from Google Play.

💡

Before transferring data, always check the MIUI version on both phones. If the difference is greater than 2 versions (e.g. MIUI 12 → MIUI 14), it is better to use a cloud backup or a computer, as direct transmission can cause errors.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions