Smartphone change without loss: why data transfer to Xiaomi requires attention
The transition to the new Xiaomi is not only a joy of fresh technology, but also a headache with data transfer. Even if you carefully saved photos in the cloud or synchronized contacts with Google Account, some information — for example, the history of messages in messengers or app settings — may remain on the old device.
In this article, we will look at all the current ways to migrate data to Xiaomi in 2026, from the official Mi Mover tool to manual methods via cable or cloud services. We will focus on the problems with transferring WhatsApp between iOS and Android, as this is one of the most frequent requests of users, and you will learn how to avoid errors that cause data to be lost or duplicated.
It doesn’t matter if you’re changing the Redmi Note 12 to the Xiaomi 14 Ultra or switching from the iPhone 13 to the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. POCO F6 — The instructions below are suitable for any model MIUI (The key is to prepare both devices correctly and choose the best method depending on the volume of data and file types.
1. Preparation of telephones before data transfer
Before you start the transfer, make sure that both smartphones are ready for the procedure.Neglecting this step often leads to failures, especially if it is a large amount of data (for example, 100).+ GB photos and videos. Here's what you need to do:
- 🔋 Charge both phones to at least 50% (optimum 80%) and transfer data over cable or Wi-Fi consumes the battery faster than you think.
- 📶 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (if you use wireless methods), and the network should be stable - public access points (for example, in a cafe) will not work.
- 🗃️ Free up space on the new Xiaomi. If the old phone is 64 GB and the new one is only 32 GB free, the transfer will be interrupted in the middle.
- 🔑 Make sure your old phone has a screen lock turned off (or you know the password).Some methods require unlocking the device in the process.
⚠️ Note: If you are transferring data from your iPhone, turn off Find iPhone in Apple’s settings ID. Otherwise, Mi Mover will not be able to access the files.
Also check the firmware versions:
- Xiaomi should be installed MIUI 12 or later (for stable operation of the Mi Mover).
- On Android devices (such as Samsung or Realme) – Android 8.0+.
- On iPhone - iOS 12+.
If your new Xiaomi is not activated, don’t rush to sign in to your Mi Account or Google Account. Some transfer methods (such as Mi Mover) work better at the first setup stage.
2.Official method: transfer via Mi Mover
Mi Mover is a proprietary application from Xiaomi that allows you to transfer most data from one smartphone to another via Wi-Fi Direct (without connecting to the router).
- 📞 Contacts (including groups and contact notes)
- 💬 Communications (SMS and MMS, but not messengers)
- 📷 Photo and video (in original quality)
- 🎵 Music and audio files
- 📁 Documents (PDF, Word, Excel, etc.)
- 📱 System settings (wallpaper, sounds, labels)
However, there are limitations:
Applications and their data (for example, saves in games or chat history in Telegram) are not transferred.
- It does not work with some Huawei models due to restrictions. EMUI.
- On the iPhone, only photos, videos and contacts are transferred (messages and applications are not).
Step-by-step instructions for Mi Mover
1. Install Mi Mover on both phones:
- On Xiaomi, the app is preinstalled (find it through the menu search).
- On Android download from Google Play.
- Download the iPhone from the App Store.
2. Run the application on both devices and select the roles:
On the old phone: "I'm a sender."
On the new Xiaomi: “I’m a receiver.”
3: The new Xiaomi will appear QR-Scan it with an old phone.
4. Select data types to transfer and confirm the beginning of the process. Do not interrupt the connection or block the screens!
Battery charge >50% on both phones|
Both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (or Wi-Fi Direct enabled)|
On iPhone disabled Find iPhone"|
Xiaomi has enough free space|
Mi Mover app updated to latest version
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⚠️ Warning: If the transfer is stuck in the Preparation phase, restart both phones and try again. VPN or change Wi-Fi network to 5 GHz (if the router supports the).
The speed of the transfer depends on the amount of data:
- 1-5 GB: ~5-10 minutes.
- 10 GB-50 GB: ~20-40 minutes.
- 50+ GB: It can take more than an hour (best to use cable).
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Mi Mover is the most versatile way, but more tools will be needed to transfer messengers (WhatsApp, Viber) and applications.
3.Moving from Android to Xiaomi via Google Account
If you used a Google Account on an old phone, most of the data is already synced to the cloud.
- 📞 Contacts (if saved in Google Contacts)
- 📅 Calendars (Google Calendar)
- 📷 Photos and videos (if you have autoloaded in Google Photos)
- 📝 Notes (Google Keep)
- 🎮 Some application data (if they support backup in Google Drive)
How to Recover Data from Google on Xiaomi
1. When you first enable Xiaomi, select “Restore from backup” and log in to your Google Account.
2.If the phone is already set up, go to: Settings → Accounts and synchronization → Google → [your account] → Synchronization of the account.
3. Enable synchronization for the desired categories (contacts, calendars, etc.).
4. For photos and videos, open the Google Photos app and wait for the media files to download.
| Type of data | Synced? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts | ✅ Yes. | Only if you have Google Contacts saved, not in your phone’s memory |
| Messages (SMS) | ❌ No. | Third-party software is required (e.g. SMS Backup & Restore) |
| Photo/video | ✅ Yes. | Provided you autoload photos to Google (quality "Original" or "High") |
| Annexes | ⚠️ Partially. | Restore from Google Play, but without data (e.g. game progress) |
| ❌ No. | A separate backup is required via Google Drive (see Section 5) |
The main advantage of this method is that you don't have to connect your phones to each other, and the disadvantage is that not all data is automatically restored, and the amount of free storage in Google Drive is limited to 15 GB.
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If you have a lot of photos but not enough space in Google Photos, switch to the original quality tariff (15 GB free) and return to High quality after transfer (unlimited for compressed photos).
4.Moving from iPhone to Xiaomi: features and workarounds
The transition from iOS to Android is always more difficult because of Apple's closed ecosystem.
Backup format: iCloud is not compatible with Android.
Messengers: The history of iMessage and WhatsApp is not carried over in standard ways.
Apps: App Store purchases do not go to Google Play.
However, there are working solutions:
Method 1: Transfer over Mi Mover (limited)
As mentioned earlier, Mi Mover supports porting from iPhone, but only:
Photos and videos (in original quality)
Contacts (if synced with iCloud)
- Calendars (via iCloud).
For this:
1. On your iPhone, turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
2.In Mi Mover on Xiaomi, select "iPhone" as the source.
3. On the iPhone, confirm trust in the device (a notification will appear).
4. Select the data for transfer and wait for completion.
Method 2: Transfer WhatsApp from iPhone to Xiaomi
This is the only reliable way to transfer WhatsApp chat history between iOS and Android without loss.
- 💻 Computer (Windows or Mac)
- 📱 Lightning cable and USB-C/Type-C
- 🔧 Move to iOS (from Apple) and WhatsApp latest version
Instructions:
1. On iPhone, make a WhatsApp backup in iCloud (Whatsapp Settings) → chat → Backup copy).
2. Install the Move to iOS app on Xiaomi (yes, it works the other way around!).
3. Follow the instructions of the program by selecting the transfer "Other data".
4. Once completed, install WhatsApp on Xiaomi and restore chats from the local backup (the file will be in the folder). /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases).
⚠️ Warning: If you have two-factor authentication on WhatsApp, disable it before porting it! otherwise chat history won't recover.
Why is WhatsApp’s standard backup not working through Google Drive?
5. Data transfer via cable (OTG adapter)
If you don’t have stable Wi-Fi or need to move 100+ GB of data, the best way to do that is to connect directly to the cable:
- 🔌 OTG-cable (if the old phone is Android with a USB-C or micro-USB).
- 🔌 Lightning adapter → USB-C (If you have an old phone, iPhone).
- 💾 A flash drive (optional if you want to use it as an intermediary).
Instructions for Android → Xiaomi
1. Connect your old phone to Xiaomi via OTG-cable.
2.A notice will appear on Xiaomi "USB-The drive is plugged in. Press it.
3. Select File Transfer on your old phone.
4. Open Explorer on Xiaomi and copy the files you need from the memory of your old phone.
Instructions for iPhone → Xiaomi
1. Connect your iPhone to your computer and copy your photos/video via iTunes or Windows.
2. Connect Xiaomi to your computer and transfer files to the folder DCIM download.
3.For music, use iTunes (export songs to the music) MP3 And move it to Xiaomi).
Advantages of the method:
- ⚡ Maximum speed (up to 40 MB/s when used) USB 3.0).
- 🔒 Security (data is not transmitted via the Internet).
- 📁 Selective transfer (you can select only the necessary folders).
Disadvantages:
- ❌ Applications and their data are not portable.
- ❌ Additional equipment (cables/adapters) is required).
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Cable is the best choice for transporting large volumes (video to the Internet) 4K, RAW-For everything else, you can use Mi Mover or the cloud.
6. Transfer of applications and their data
The hardest part is migrating installed applications and their data (e.g. saving in games, settings in Telegram or Viber), but there is no universal solution, but there are several working methods:
Method 1: Backup through Google Drive
Some apps (e.g. Telegram, Viber, Spotify) sync data to the cloud automatically.
1. Go to Settings. → Google → Backup on an old phone.
2. Enable "Google Drive Backup" and wait until completed.
3.When setting up Xiaomi, select recovery from the backup.
Method 2: Manual transfer of application files
Some apps store data in folders on the phone, like:
- WhatsApp: /sdcard/WhatsApp/
- Kivy (banking applications): /sdcard/Android/data/ru.kivy.app/
- Games (e.g. Genshin Impact): /sdcard/Android/obb/
Copy these folders to the new Xiaomi in the same directories. Importantly, the path should be the same!
Method 3: Backup applications (Titanium Backup, Swift Backup)
Titanium Backup is suitable for rooted phones, but on most modern Xiaomi root access is blocked. Alternatively, Swift Backup (works without root on some firmware).
Instructions:
1. Install Swift Backup on your old phone.
2. Create a backup of the desired applications (select "Data" + APK").
3. Transfer the backup file to Xiaomi and restore through the same app.
⚠️ Note: Some applications (e.g. banking or with) DRM-They block data transfer for security reasons, and then you have to reconfigure it.
7. Data transfer between two Xiaomis: fast methods
If you change one Xiaomi to another, the process is simplified with built-in tools. MIUI. Here are the most effective ways:
Method 1: Cloning with Mi Account
1.On the old Xiaomi go to Settings → Mi Account. → Cloud. → Backup.
2. Create a full backup (select all categories).
3.On the new Xiaomi, log in to the same Mi Account and recover data from the cloud.
Method 2: Direct Wi-Fi (Mi Share)
1. On both phones, turn on Mi Share (Settings) → Connection and sharing → Mi Share).
2. On the old phone, select files to send and click "Send."
3. On the new Xiaomi, accept the files.
The advantage of this method is to preserve the folder structure (for example, the photos will remain in the album "Camera", and not merge into one pile).
Method 3: Transfer through a computer (Xiaomi) PC Suite)
For Windows users there is an official utility Xiaomi PC Suite:
1. Download the program from the official website.
2. Connect both phones to the PC.
3. Select “Backup” for the old Xiaomi, then “Restore” for the new one.
| Method | Speed. | Supported data | Need the Internet? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Account (cloud) | Medium (~10 MB/s) | Contacts, messages, photos, applications | ✅ Yes. |
| Mi Share (Wi-Fi) | Tall (~20 MB/s) | Photos, videos, documents | ❌ No. |
| Xiaomi PC Suite | Maximum (~40 MB/s) | All data (including system settings) | ❌ No. |
8. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them
Even when you follow instructions, users have problems. TOP-5 mistakes and their solutions:
1 Mi Mover doesn't see old phone
Reasons:
Different versions of Mi Mover (update on both phones)
- Blocking the connection with a firewall or VPN.
The iPhone has not confirmed trust in the device.
Decision:
Restart the app and Wi-Fi on both phones.
- On iPhone go to Settings → Mainstream → Reset → Reset the network settings.
Try connecting via the hotspot (turn it on Xiaomi and plug in the old phone).
2. Messages are not carried (SMS)
Mi Mover does not support transfer SMS Some models (such as Samsung with One) UI).
Solution: Use third-party applications:
- SMS Backup & Restore (Saves) SMS into XML And it's restoring it to a new phone).
Super Backup & Restore (also supports call logs)
3.Photos moved but not displayed in gallery
Reason: Files are copied to the wrong folder or the gallery has not scanned new media.
Decision:
- Move the photo to the folder. DCIM/Camera.
In the gallery, click "Update" or restart the application.
Install Google Photos – it will automatically find all media files.
4.Applications installed, but data not recovered
Reason: Most apps don’t save data in Google Drive’s backup.
Decision:
Check if the app supports cloud sync (like Spotify or Netflix).
For games, use your Google Play Games or Facebook account to save progress.
- If the application is local (for example, 1Password), export data manually.
5.The transfer is interrupted in the middle
Reasons:
- The battery on one of the phones is dead.
- Unstable Wi-Fi connection.
There is not enough space on the new Xiaomi.
Decision:
- Connect both phones to charge.
- Switch to 5GHz Wi-Fi (if the router supports).
Free up space on your new phone (delete unnecessary files or transfer them to a memory card).
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If the transfer is constantly failing, break the data into pieces, for example, first transfer the photo, then the video, and then the documents.