How to Transfer Data from Android to Xiaomi: A Complete 2026 Guide

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always an exciting event, but transferring data from an old device can turn into a real headache, especially if you are afraid of losing important contacts, photos or app settings. Fortunately, the manufacturer has its own tools for migration, and Android offers universal solutions that work on any device.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 working ways to migrate data, from the official Mi Mover app to cloud services and manual copying via PCs, how to save SMS, call history, Wi-Fi passwords and even game progress, and how Xiaomi’s methods differ from standard Google solutions and when to use each of them.

Whether you’re upgrading from the Redmi Note 10 to the Xiaomi 14 Ultra or switching from the Samsung Galaxy to the POCO X6 Pro, the instructions below are suitable for any combination, the main thing is to prepare both devices in advance and choose the best way depending on the amount of data.

1.The official way: Mi Mover by Xiaomi

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s signature app, which is installed by default on all new smartphones of the brand, and allows you to transfer almost everything from contacts to system settings, without having to connect to a PC or the cloud, even if your old phone is not Xiaomi (but it should be on Android 5.0+).

How it works:

• 📱 Direct communication between devices via Wi-Fi Direct (without router).
• 🔄 Data is transmitted in a compressed form, which speeds up the process.
• 🔒 Encryption is supported so that no one intercepts your files.
• ⚡ The speed depends on the model, but on average takes 10–30 minutes.

Step-by-step:

1. On the new Xiaomi, select Data Transfer when you first enable (or find Mi Mover in the app menu).
2. On your old phone, install Mi Mover from Google Play (if not).
3. Open the app on both devices and choose which one gives data and which one receives.
4. Scan it. QR-code from the new smartphone old (or enter) PIN-manually).
5. Select data types to transfer (contacts, messages, photos, etc.) and confirm the beginning.

Battery charge on both phones >50%|Free space on the new Xiaomi (at least 20% more data portable)|Disabled. VPN firewalls|Both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (if Wi-Fi Direct is not working)-->

⚠️ Note: If your old phone has custom firmware (like LineageOS), Mi Mover may not recognize some system data.

2. Transfer through Google Account (universal method)

If you’ve used Google on an old phone, most of the data is already synced to the cloud, which is a way to transfer to Xiaomi from any Android device, including Samsung, Huawei or OnePlus.

What can be transferred through Google Account:

How to transfer data:

1. On your old phone, check that sync is enabled: Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync.
2. On the new Xiaomi, when setting up, select Restore from a backup and log in to the same Google Account.
3. Select the latest backup (if there are several).
4. Wait for the data download to be completed (it can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour depending on the internet speed).

💡

If some apps don’t show up after recovery, check the Installed in Google Play section — there’ll be a list of all previously installed programs. Click Update All to restore them.

3. Use of OTG cable or adapter (for large volumes)

If you have tens of gigabytes of photos, videos or music, and the Internet connection is unstable, the best option is a direct connection via cable.

• 🔌 OTG-Adapter (if the new Xiaomi does not have a connector) USB-C or microUSB).
• 📱 Cable to connect an old phone (for example, USB-C — USB-C or microUSB — USB-C).
• 🔋 Charger (in case the battery runs out during the process).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your new Xiaomi via cable (use it if necessary) OTG-adapter).
2. On the screen of the new smartphone will appear notification USB-The drive is plugged in.
3. Select File Transfer (or MTP in the developer settings).
4. Open Explorer on the new Xiaomi and copy the folders you need (DCIM for photos, Download for downloads, etc.).

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi) 9A or POCO M3) They don't support the regime. OTG "Out of the box. To activate it, you need to go to Settings. → Additionally. → Regime. OTG and switch on.

4.Cloud Services: Google Drive, Mi Cloud and Alternatives

If you don’t have cable or prefer wireless solutions, cloud storage is a great option. Xiaomi offers its Mi Cloud service, but it’s limited to 5GB of free space. For larger volumes, it’s better to use Google Drive (15GB) or Yandex Drive (10GB).

Comparison of cloud services for data transfer:

* When using a Premium account.

Instructions for Google Drive:

1. On your old phone, install Google Drive and log in to your account.
2. Click + → Download and select files/folders to transfer.
3. On the new Xiaomi, open Google Drive, find uploaded files and download them.
4. For contacts and calendar, simply sync with the same Google Account.

Google Drive|Mi Cloud|Yandex Disc.|iCloud|Other|Not using.-->

5. Transfer over PC (for full control of files)

If you only need to selectively copy certain files or you don't trust the clouds, the most reliable way is to use a computer, which is also the only option if your old phone doesn't turn on, but its internal memory can be connected via Fastboot or Recovery.

What you need:

• 💻 Computer with Windows, macOS or Linux.
• 🔌 Cables for connecting both phones (preferably original).
• 📁 File management software (e.g. Total Commander or standard Explorer).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your PC and select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy the desired folders (DCIM, Pictures, Download, etc.) to the hard drive of the computer.
3. Turn off your old phone and connect a new Xiaomi.
4. Transfer the copied files to the new smartphone to the appropriate folders.
5. To transfer SMS and call logs, use programs like SMS Backup & Restore (save backup to your PC, then restore to Xiaomi).

💡

Transferring over a PC is the only way to save folder structure and file metadata (date of creation, tags, etc.) that are often lost in cloud sync.

6. Transfer of applications and their data (including games)

Standard methods like Mi Mover or Google Accounts carry a list of apps, but not their internal data, such as games that have to start from scratch, and instant messengers that have to log in again, and to avoid this, there are several solutions:

Methods of transferring data applications:

• 🎮 Google Play Games: Some games (like Genshin Impact or Clash of Clans) sync progress through a Google Play or Facebook account.
• 📱 Backup through ADB: for power users. Requires debugging by USB and commands: adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab Then restore to the new Xiaomi: adb restore backup.ab
• ☁️ Cloud Backups: Some apps (like WhatsApp or Viber) allow you to back up to Google Drive or a memory card.

⚠️ Note: Data transfer through ADB If you see the adb error: unable to open backup file, try unlocking the bootloader through the Mi Unlock Tool (but this will reset all data on the new phone!).

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

Even if you follow the instructions correctly, you can have difficulties, and here are the most common ones and ways to eliminate them:

If none of these things worked, try resetting the new Xiaomi to factory settings and repeating the data port from the start, sometimes due to a conflict with previously installed apps.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions