How to transfer data from Android to Xiaomi smartphone: the full guide 2026

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but transferring data from an old Android device can seem like a daunting task, especially when it comes to saving not only photos and contacts, but also messages, notes, call history or even app settings. Fortunately, owners of Xiaomi devices have several reliable ways to migrate, from the Mi Mover brand solution to universal tools like Google Account or Samsung Smart Switch.

In this article, we will analyze all current methods of data transfer, their pros and cons, and give specific recommendations for different scenarios. For example, you’ll learn how to get around file transfer limits, what to do if Xiaomi can’t see an older device, and why it’s sometimes better to use cloud services instead of a direct cable connection. We will pay special attention to the nuances of working with Redmi models, POCO and flagships of the Xiaomi series 13/14, where the process may differ.

Before you start porting, make sure both devices are fully charged (at least 50%) and the new Xiaomi has the latest MIUI installed.This minimizes the risk of failure. Also prepare a USB-C/USB-A cable (or adapter if needed) - this will be needed for most methods.

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1.Mi Mover proprietary tool: fast transfer without cloud

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s official app, specifically designed to migrate data between devices, and it supports transferring contacts, messages (including SMS and WhatsApp chats), photos, videos, music, apps (with their data), and even some system settings, with the main advantage of working without the Internet on a direct Wi-Fi connection between phones.

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

1. On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select the option to Transfer data from the settings menu. If the phone is already configured, find the Mi Mover app in the list of installed ones.
2. On your old device, download Mi Mover from Google Play (if it is not by default).
3. Run the app on both phones and select which device is the Sender and which is the Recipient.
4. Scan the QR- code from the screen of the new Xiaomi with an old phone to set up the connection.
5. Select data types to transfer and confirm the start of the process.

The speed of transfer depends on the amount of data, but on average 10 GB of information is transferred in 15-20 minutes. Importantly, if the old phone has MIUI installed, some data (for example, the themes of registration) may not be transferred to devices with a different shell (for example, Samsung One UI or pure Android).

Both devices are connected to charging or have ≥50% battery |

The new Xiaomi has enough free space (at least 20% more data portable)|

VPN and power saving modes disabled |

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled on both phones-->

⚠️ Warning: If the Mi Mover fails to connect when you connect, try restarting the app on both devices and rescanning the QR- code. On some Samsung or Huawei models, you may need to temporarily disable the firewall in your security settings.

Advantages of Mi Mover:

• 🔹 Unlimited transfer – there are no limits on the amount of data (unlike cloud services).
• 🔹 Store folder structure – photos and files remain in the original albums.
• 🔹 Application support – not only APK, but also their data (e.g., saves in games) are ported.

Disadvantages:

• ⚠️ Doesn't work with iPhones -- only between Android devices.
• ⚠️ Some custom firmware may not recognize models from other brands.

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2.Move over Google Account: Universal Method

If you use Google, most of your data is already synced to the cloud automatically, a way that can be used to transfer contacts, calendars, Google Keep, photos, and app settings, and the main advantage is that you don’t have to connect your phones to each other, just log in to the new Xiaomi under the same account.

To transfer data through Google Account:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Accounts → Google and make sure that sync is enabled for the right categories (contacts, calendar, drive, etc.).
2. On the new Xiaomi, when you first start, select the Restore from backup option and log in under the same Google account.
3. Select the latest backup (the date of creation can be seen in the list).
4. Wait for the recovery to be completed – the process can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour depending on the internet speed.

Important: Google backups do not include SMS messages, call history, or some apps (like WhatsApp or Viber) that will require separate solutions.

⚠️ Warning: If your old phone used a Mi Account to sync notes or calendar entries, that data will not be transferred to Google. It must be exported separately through Settings → Mi Account → Sync.

Advantages of the method:

• 🌐 Works on any device, including iPhone (partially).
• 🔄 Automatic synchronization – data is always up to date.
• 📱 No need to physically connect your phone.

Disadvantages:

• ☁️ Limited cloud storage (15GB free)
• ⏳ Slow recovery rate in poor internet.

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3.Use of OTG cable or adapter: Direct file sharing

If you don’t have Wi-Fi or prefer a physical connection, you can transfer data using an OTG cable (or USB-C to USB-A adapter), a method that is suitable for transferring large files — photos, videos, music or documents. The main condition is that the new Xiaomi should support OTG (virtually all models after 2018 can do this).

Instructions for transfer via OTG:

1. Connect. OTG-adapter to the new Xiaomi.
2. Connect your old device to an adapter via a standard cable (such as USB-A to Micro-USB or USB-C).
3. The new phone will open a notification “USB- device connected” – click on it and select Transfer Files (or File Manager).
4. In the file manager (MIUI File Manager), find the folders of the old phone (usually Internal Storage) and copy the necessary data to the memory of the new Xiaomi.

To speed up the process, it is recommended to transfer files in folders, rather than one at a time.

• 📁 DCIM — photo and video.
• 📁 Downloads are downloaded files.
• 📁 WhatsApp/Media — Media files from chat rooms.

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If the new Xiaomi doesn’t recognize an old device through OTG, try using a file manager from third-party developers like Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer, which often work better with different data protocols.

Advantages of OTG- cable:

• 🚀 Maximum speeds are up to 480 Mbps (USB 2.0) or 5-10 Gbps (USB 3.0).
• 🔌 No need for internet or additional applications.
• 📂 Suitable for transferring files of any type and size.

Disadvantages:

• ⚠️ Applications, SMS or system settings are not portable.
• ⚠️ You need to manually search and copy files.

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4. Cloud services: Dropbox, Yandex Drive, OneDrive

If you have slow or no cable, you can use cloud storage, which is universal and works even between different brands, for example, Yandex Disk offers 10 GB of free space, and Dropbox offers 2 GB (with the option of expansion), the main thing is to make sure that both phones have the same application.

How to move data through the cloud:

1. On an old phone, upload files to the cloud (for example, through the Yandex Drive app).
2. On the new Xiaomi, log in to the same service and download files.

To automate the process, you can use the Autoboot function in Google Photos or Yandex Drive:

• 📸 Google Photos – automatically uploads all photos and videos in original quality (if there is enough space).
• 📁 Yandex Drive – allows you to selectively download folders, for example, only Camera or WhatsApp.

Comparison of popular cloud services:

⚠️ Warning: When downloading a lot of data (e.g., 20+GB photos) over the mobile Internet, monitor traffic — some operators may block transmission after exceeding the limit.

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5.SMS portability, call history and WhatsApp

Standard methods like Mi Mover or Google Account don't always work well with porting messages and calling history, and you'll need specialized tools to do that.

For SMS and call history:

• 📱 The SMS Backup & Restore app backs up.xml messages and restores them to the new device, supports MMS and attachments.
• Samsung’s 🔄 Smart Switch – despite the name, it works with Xiaomi (you need to download APK from the official website).

For WhatsApp:

1. On your old phone, open WhatsApp, go to Settings → Chat → Backup and create a backup in Google Drive.
2. Install WhatsApp on the new Xiaomi, log in under the same number and restore chats from the backup.

The critical nuance is that WhatsApp backup is tied to a Google account and phone number. If you change the number, the chats won't recover!

To transfer Viber or Telegram, use the built-in export functions:

• 💬 Viber: Settings → Account → Backup (saves history to SD- card or cloud).
• 📌 Telegram: Settings → Data and memory → Export chat history (file.json or.html).

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6. Transfer of applications and their data

You can transfer the apps themselves (.apk files) through Mi Mover or manually (for example, using APK Extractor), but it is much more difficult to save their data - for example, game progress, settings or cache.

Method 1: Backup through ADB (for advanced users)

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

This command creates a complete backup of all applications and their data into a backup.ab file to recover:

adb restore backup.ab

Method 2: Backup applications

• The 📦 Titanium Backup (requires root) is the most powerful solution, but it’s challenging for beginners.
• 🔄 Swift Backup – works without root on some firmware.
• ☁️ Helium – creates backups to the cloud (supports Google Drive and Dropbox).

For most users, the best option is to use built-in application synchronization functions, such as:

• 🎮 Games: Link to a Google Play Games account or social media (Facebook, VK).
• 📊 Note-taking applications: export data to.csv or.txt (e.g. ColorNote or Evernote).

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If the app supports cloud sync (e.g., Spotify, Netflix, Trello), log in to the new device under the same account – all data will be automatically downloaded.

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7. Frequent errors and their solutions

Even if you follow the instructions, you can have problems, and let's look at the typical mistakes and how to fix them.

Problem 1: Mi Mover can't see old device

• ✅ Make sure that both phones are turned off VPN and power saving mode.
• ✅ Restart Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both devices.
• ✅ Check if your old device supports Wi-Fi Direct (some Huawei or Meizu have this feature disabled by default).

Problem 2: There is not enough space for the new Xiaomi

• ✅ Delete unnecessary files through Settings → Storage → Cleanup.
• ✅ Move some of the data to the SD- card (if the model supports memory expansion).
• ✅ Use the cloud for temporary storage (e.g. upload photos to Google Photos and delete them from your device after transfer).

Problem 3: Apps are not being restored from Google Account

• ✅ Check if the Auto Update option is enabled in Google Play.
• ✅ Make sure that the new Xiaomi is tied to the same Google account.
• ✅ Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management and manually update the programs you need.

Problem 4: WhatsApp is not restoring chats

• ✅ Make sure the backup is created under the same phone number.
• ✅ Check if there is enough space in Google Drive (the WhatsApp backup can weigh 10+GB).
• ✅ If you use Mi Mover, select the option to Manually Move WhatsApp.

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FAQ: Answers to popular questions