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

Why migrating data to Xiaomi POCO requires a special approach

The switch to a new Xiaomi POCO smartphone is always exciting, but transferring data from an old Android device can become a headache if you don’t know the nuances. Unlike other brands, POCO smartphones (even those with a HyperOS or MIUI shell) have unique limitations: for example, not all models support Mi Mover, Xiaomi’s proprietary tool for migration. And standard solutions like Google Account or Samsung’s Smart Switch often work with errors due to customized firmware.

Another trap is different versions of Android. If your old smartphone runs Android 10 and the new POCO X6 Pro runs Android 14, direct transmission via cable can be blocked due to incompatibility of the MTP or PTP protocols. In this article, we will discuss 7 working methods for data transfer, including workarounds for problem cases, taking into account the specifics of POCO (from budget POCO M6 to flagship POCO F6).

Method 1: Mi Mover – official Xiaomi tool (with limitations)

Mi Mover is an integrated data portability application that Xiaomi has positioned as a one-stop solution, but it has some critical nuances for the POCO lineup:

• 🔹 It only works on devices with MIUI 12+ or HyperOS. on old firmware (for example, POCO F1 s MIUI (11) will have to be updated.
• 🔹 Does not support the transfer of applications and their data (only contacts, photos, videos, messages).
• 🔹 Can block transmission if the old phone has Android 8.0 or lower.

How to use:

1. On both phones, install Mi Mover (you can download from Google Play or APKMirror if the app is not available in your country).
2. On the old phone, select I am the sender, on the new POCO, I am the receiver.
3. Scan it. QR-code from the screen of the new device or connect via the Wi-Fi access point (Hotspot mode).
4. Select data types to transfer and wait until the process is completed (the process can take up to 30 minutes for 50 GB of data).

⚠️ Warning: If Mi Mover is stuck in the Preparation stage, check if the transmission is blocked by an antivirus (e.g. Avast or Kaspersky.

Turn off VPN on both devices | Charge phones to at least 50% | Make sure there is enough space on POCO (minus 10% of the data portable) | Turn off power saving mode-->

Method 2: Google Account is universal but incomplete

Syncing through a Google account is the most reliable way to transfer contacts, calendars, notes and some settings, but there are serious limitations to this method:

• 📱 Not tolerated. SMS/MMS (Only if you use third-party applications like SMS Backup & Restore).
• 📸 Photos and videos are synced in low resolution (the “Original Quality” option in Google Photos takes place in the cloud).
• 🎮 Applications are transferred only as a list to install (game and instant messenger data are lost).

Step-by-step:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Accounts → Google and enable sync for all categories.
2. On the new POCO, add the same Google account and wait for automatic sync (it can take up to an hour).
3. For photos and videos, use Google Photos: on the old phone, turn on autoload, on the new one - download the archive through Settings → Storage Management.

Google Account|Mi Mover| OTG| Third-party applications (e.g. ShareIt)|Another way-->

Method 3: OTG + adapter for large data

If you need to move tens of gigabytes (like a RAW photo collection or 4K video), the fastest way is to connect directly via cable.

• 🔌 OTG-Adapter (e.g., Xiaomi Type-C to) USB universal USB-C to USB-A).
• 📱 Old phone with support USB Mass Storage (New Android may require Developer Mode to be enabled).
• 🖥️ File Manager (built-in in the MIUI/HyperOS Or Solid Explorer).

Instructions:

1. Connect. OTG-adapter POCO, And he's got a cable from an old phone.
2. On your old phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode (in the Connection Notice).
3. Nana POCO Open the file manager, find the connected device, and copy the data to the Internal Storage folder or to the file manager. SD-map.

⚠️ Note: On some models POCO (for example, POCO X5 Pro) when copying large files (>4 GB) may result in a "file too big" error, so you can either break the archives down or use them. ZIP volume-disaggregated.

💡

If the file manager can’t see the connected phone, try restarting both devices or using another one. OTG-Adapter (some cheap models do not support high-speed mode) USB 3.0).

Method 4: Third-party applications – when nothing works

If the standard methods didn't work, we'll have specialized tools to help, and we've tested 5 popular apps and selected the best ones for POCO:

Recommendations for use:

• 📲 For data applications (such as saving to Genshin Impact or chats in Telegram), use CLONEit or Titanium Backup (the latter requires root rights).
• 📎 For large files (>50GB is better than Send Anywhere – it creates a temporary cloud with no speed limits.
• 🔄 If the transmission is interrupted, try connecting via a hotspot instead of Wi-Fi Direct.

Method 5: Computer Transfer – Reliable but Long Term

If you have a PC or Mac, this method guarantees 100% control over the process.

• 💻 Windows computer 10/11 macOS.
• 🔌 Two. USB-cables (preferably original to avoid problems with the MTP-driver).
• 📁 File Manager (Total Commander, Finder or Windows Explorer).

Algorithm of action:

1. Connect your old phone to your PC and copy all the data to a separate folder (e.g, D:\POCO_Transfer).
2. Turn off the old phone, plug in POCO and transfer the data back.
3. For contacts and SMS, export them in.vcf and.xml formats respectively (via apps like Super Backup).

⚠️ Note: On a Mac to work with MTP If the program can't see the phone, restart both devices and check if the mode is on File Transfer on the smartphone.

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Transferring over a PC is the only way to guarantee the structure of folders and metadata files (for example, the date of creation of a photo).

Method 6: Cloud Storage – for Backup

If you have slow Internet or little space on your devices, cloud services are the lifeline. POCO:

• 🌥️ Google Drive – 15 GB free, Android integration.
• 🌥️ Mi Cloud – 5GB free, optimized for Xiaomi (but may not work on unofficial firmware).
• 🌥️ Yandex Disk – 10 GB free, high speed in Russia.

How to transfer data:

1. On an old phone, upload files to the cloud through the official app.
2. On POCO, download files back (for example, through Mi Cloud in Settings → Mi Account → Cloud).
3. To automate, use FolderSync (sets synchronization on a schedule).

The download/download speed depends on your ISP.

• 📶 Connect to 5 GHz Wi-Fi (not 2.4 GHz).
• 🕒 Download files at night when the network load is minimal.
• 🔗 Use compression in ZIP for packet loading (for example, through RAR for Android).

Method 7: ADB (for advanced users)

If you're familiar with the command line, ADB (Android Debug Bridge) will allow you to move data with maximum control.

• 🔧 You need to change the system settings (for example, APN network parameters).
• 📦 You need to copy hidden files (for example,.nomedia or application configs).
• 🚫 Standard methods are blocked (for example, on phones with custom firmware).

Instructions:

1. Install ADB Tools on PC (download from the official website).
2. On both phones, turn on Developer Mode (7 times tap on the Assembly Number in Settings) → About the phone, and let me debug you. USB.
3. Connect your old phone and run the command to create a backup: adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab
4. Connect POCO and restore data: adb restore backup.ab

⚠️ Attention: Adb teams backup/restore Do not work with data from some applications (such as WhatsApp or Viber) and use the built-in export/import features for them.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even when following the instructions, POCO users face typical problems, and here's how to solve them:

If nothing helps:

• 🔄 Reboot both phones and try again.
• 📞 Contact Xiaomi Support via Settings → The phone. → Feedback (specify models of both devices).
• 🛠️ For complex cases (for example, transferring from an iPhone or a phone with a damaged screen), contact the service center.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions