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

Switching to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always an exciting moment, especially when it comes to saving all the important data from an old device. Many users mistakenly believe that it requires complex programs or cables, but in fact Google Play offers built-in tools that simplify the process to a few clicks. In this article, we will discuss how to transfer contacts, photos, applications and even Wi-Fi settings from one Android device to Xiaomi without losing data and unnecessary hassle.

The main advantage of the method through Google Play is versatility: it works independently of the model of your old smartphone (whether it is Samsung, Huawei or another brand) and the new Xiaomi (from Redmi Note 12 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra), without having to connect devices to each other physically – a fairly stable Internet connection. However, there are nuances that you should know about in advance: for example, not all types of data are synchronized automatically, and some applications may require additional configuration.

If you've never used Google's backup before, don't worry: we'll take a look at every step, from preparing your old phone to recovering data on the new Xiaomi, and you'll learn what alternative portability options exist and where they might be more useful, and start with the most important thing: preparation.

1. Preparing an old Android device for data transfer

Before you start the transfer, you need to make sure that all the important data on the old smartphone is uploaded to the Google cloud, which is critical: if you skip it, some of the information may be lost, starting with checking your account and sync settings.

Open your old phone settings and go to Accounts and Sync (on some devices it may be called Accounts or Google).

• 🔹 You are logged in to the same Google account you plan to use on Xiaomi. If not, add it or log in.
• 🔹 Synchronization is enabled for all the necessary services: Contacts, Calendar, Google Photos, Gmail and others. Sliders must be active (usually green).
• 🔹 Google Drive's cloud storage has enough free space.The free rate provides 15GB, but if you have a lot of photos or videos, it might be worth clearing unnecessary files or purchasing extra space.

Pay special attention to Google Photos: this application does not sync all media files by default. Go to it, click on the avatar in the upper right corner and select Settings Photo → Backup and synchronization:

• 📸 Backup (included).
• 📂 Download quality – choose Original if you want to keep your original photo and video resolution (takes more space), or High quality for compression without losing visual details.
• 📱 Download over mobile – disable if you have limited traffic, otherwise backup will consume the internet.

⚠️ Note: If an old phone has apps that don’t support cloud sync (such as some banking programs or games), your data will have to be manually transferred. You can use Mi Mover (built-in solution from Xiaomi) or third-party utilities like Send Anywhere.

The final step is forced synchronization. Sometimes the data is not updated automatically in the cloud. To avoid problems, open your Google account settings, find your profile, and click Sync now. Wait for the process to be completed (may take minutes to an hour depending on the amount of data).

2. Set up a new Xiaomi smartphone for data recovery

Now that all the data is safely stored in the cloud, you can start setting up the new Xiaomi, and it is important not to miss the recovery phase when you first turn on – the slotr will require resetting the device to factory settings.

Turn on your new smartphone and follow the configuration wizard's instructions until the system prompts you to restore data, usually after you connect to Wi-Fi. Select the option to Copy Data or Restore from Backup (the wording may vary depending on the version). MIUI). Next:

1. Choose Google Backup (not to be confused with Mi Cloud – it’s a Xiaomi cloud that doesn’t contain data from old Android).
2. Sign in with the same Google account that was used on your old phone.
3. Wait for the system to scan the available backups. Choose the latest one by date.
4. Check the boxes for the types of data you want to restore: contacts, applications, SMS, Wi-Fi settings, etc.

The recovery process can take anywhere from 10 minutes to a few hours, depending on the amount of data and the speed of the Internet.

• 📶 Do not turn off Wi-Fi and do not put your phone in flight mode.
• 🔋 Make sure your battery is at least 50% charged to avoid interruption.
• 🚫 Do not install new applications or update the system until the recovery is complete.

Once the process is complete, the smartphone will restart. Now you can start checking the data transferred. Open Contacts, Gallery and Wi-Fi settings to make sure everything is in place. If there is no data, don't panic, you can manually restore it (we'll talk about it later).

Contacts in the phone book

Photos and videos in Google Photos

Installed applications in the menu

Wi-Fi settings (are passwords saved?)

SMS messages (if transferred)

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3. Transfer applications and their data through Google Play

Recovering apps through Google Play is one of the most convenient ways, but it has limitations. The system automatically installs only those programs that were downloaded from the official store. APK-files (e.g., through Aptoide or manual download) will have to be transferred separately.

To restore applications:

1. Open the Google Play Store on the new Xiaomi.
2. Click on the profile icon in the top right corner and select App and Device Management.
3. Go to the Control tab. → Not installed. This will show all the apps that were on the old phone but not yet installed on the new one.
4. Click Install All or select the desired programs manually.

However, data within applications (such as game progress, messenger settings, or saved passwords) are not always automatically restored, depending on whether the application itself supports cloud synchronization, such as:

• 🎮 Games: Most modern games (such as Genshin Impact or Clash of Clans) are linked to a Google Play Games account or social networks. Once you install the game on a new phone, just log in to the same account, and the progress will be automatically picked up.
• 💬 Messengers: WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber sync chats through their cloud services. WhatsApp will require additional backup on Google Drive (settings) → chat → backup).
• 🔐 Passwords: If you have used Google Smart Lock or Bitwarden, the data will automatically be pulled up after you log in to your account.

⚠️ Note: Some applications (e.g., banking or enterprise) may block work on a new device due to being linked to a specific phone, in which case you will have to contact the service to unlock it.

If the app has not recovered data, try the following steps:

1. Remove the application and install it again.
2. Check the sync settings within the program (usually under Account or Settings).
3. Contact the developer support – some applications require manual data migration.

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If the new Xiaomi doesn’t have enough space to install all the apps, clear the cache in the settings (Settings) → Annexes → Clear the cache) or transfer some programs to the memory card (if the model supports the cache).

4. Alternative ways to transfer data to Xiaomi

While Google Play is reliable, it doesn’t always cover all your needs, for example, if you have slow internet or want to migrate data that isn’t synced to the cloud (such as files in internal memory or settings for some apps), you should consider alternative options.

One of the easiest ways is to use Xiaomi’s built-in tool called Mi Mover, which is pre-installed on all new Xiaomi smartphones and allows you to transfer data directly over Wi-Fi without cloud intermediaries.

1. Install Mi Mover on your old phone from Google Play (if it’s not there).
2. Open the app on both devices.
3. On the new Xiaomi, select I am a new user, and on the old one, I am sending data.
4. Scan it. QR-code from the screen of a new phone with an old device.
5. Select data types to transfer (contacts, messages, photos, apps) and confirm the start of the process.

Advantages of Mi Mover:

• 🚀 Faster cloud transfer (data is transferred directly between devices).
• 📁 Supports transfer of files from internal memory (music, documents, downloads).
• 🔄 You can choose which data to transfer (unlike the cloud, where everything is restored at once).

Another popular method is to use third-party apps like Send Anywhere, SHAREit or Xender, which work on the same principle as the Mi Mover, but support cross-platform portability (for example, from the iPhone to Xiaomi).

If you choose a third-party app, look for reviews and ratings on Google Play – some programs may contain ads or collect redundant data. APK-Files (this is useful for installing programs that are not in the official store).

5. Frequent problems and their solutions in data transfer

Even with the right preparation, data portability can be difficult, and let's look at some of the most common problems and ways to solve them.

Problem 1: The new Xiaomi is not reconnecting.

Decision:

• Check if your contacts are synced in your Google account (settings) → accounts → Google → synchronization).
• Make sure your contacts are saved in your Google account, not in your phone’s memory or SIM-Open the contact card for that. → Settings → Manage your contacts and see where they are stored.
• If the contacts were on SIM-export them to a.vcf file and import them to a new phone.

Problem 2: Applications are installed but not opened or are error-proof.

Decision:

• Check the app’s compatibility with the Android version on your Xiaomi (settings) → phone-wise → Android).
• Clear the app cache: Settings → Annexes → Select a program → Clear the cache.
• If the application requires a license (for example, paid programs), log in to the same Google account from which it was purchased.

Problem 3: Google Photos are not displayed in the Xiaomi Gallery.

Decision:

• Open Google Photos and wait for the sync to complete (the cloud icon in the upper right corner should disappear).
• In Google Photos settings, turn on the option to Show devices (settings) → display).
• If the photos are still not visible, try to manually download them to the device: select the desired files. → Save it to the device.

Problem 4: Not tolerated SMS-message.

Decision:

• Make sure that the backup is SMS included in Google settings (on old phone: settings) → Google → backup → copy SMS).
• If messages are not restored, use third-party apps like SMS Backup & Restore (available on Google Play).

⚠️ Warning: If after transferring data, the Xiaomi smartphone began to slow down, check if the memory is cache. → Memory. → Clear and delete unnecessary files. You can also disable animations in the developer settings (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 times) → Developer settings → Scale of animation → turn off.).

6.Optimize the new Xiaomi after data transfer

After a successful data transfer, it is important to properly configure the new smartphone so that it works quickly and without failure, starting with cleaning up unnecessary files and optimizing memory.

The first thing you should do is check the occupied space. Go to Settings. → Memory. Here you'll see what exactly takes up space: apps, media files, cache, or system data. If less than 10 percent of the total is free, it's recommended:

• 🧹 Remove the application cache (can be done en masse through Settings) → Memory. → Clear the cache).
• 📂 Move photos and videos to the cloud (e.g. Google Photos) and delete local copies.
• 🎵 Remove unused apps or games (it is convenient to use Settings for this purpose). → Annexes → Size to sort by volume).

Next, you need to set up autosynchronization so that the data is always up to date.

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Synchronization.
2. Select your Google account.
3. Turn on automatic sync for all the services you need (contacts, calendar, Gmail, etc.).
4. Set the sync interval in Google Photos (daily or only over Wi-Fi to save traffic).

For advanced users, it will be useful to activate the developer mode and disable unnecessary background processes, which will save battery power and speed up the system.

1. Go to Settings. → The phone. → Version. MIUI Click on it 7 times until you become a developer!.
2. Go back to the basic settings and open a new section of Developer Settings.
3. Disable or limit background activity for unnecessary applications (Limit background processes).
4. Enable the option to Do Not Save Actions to speed up multitasking.

Finally, don’t forget to upgrade to the latest version. MIUI. To do this, go to the Settings. → Update system and click Check Updates.New versions often contain bug fixes and optimizations that will improve performance.

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Regularly cleaning the cache and turning off unnecessary background activity can increase battery life by 15-20% and speed up the smartphone.

7.Security of data: how to protect information during transfer

Transferring data from one device to another always carries risks of personal information leakage, especially if you use third-party applications or public Wi-Fi networks, here are some tips on how to protect your data:

1. Use secure networks. Avoid transferring data over public Wi-Fi (e.g., at cafes or airports). VPN (So, for example, ProtonVPN or NordVPN, both of these devices, and that's going to encrypt the information that's being transmitted.

2. Check application permissions. If you use third-party portability utilities (e.g., SHAREit), check before installing what permissions they request. For example, access to Contacts or Messages should be alarming – such applications may collect unnecessary data.

3 Encrypt backups. You can turn backup encryption on Google Drive settings.

1. Open Google Drive on your computer or phone.
2. Go to Settings. → Management of backup copies.
3. Enable the option of Encrypting backup and set a strong password.

4. Delete the data from the old phone. After a successful transfer, remember to erase personal information from the old device, especially if you plan to sell or give it away.

• Make reset to factory settings: Settings → Additionally. → Resetting settings.
• If the phone had a memory card, format it or remove it before resetting.
• Remove your Google account from your device (settings) → accounts → login).

5. Set up two-factor authentication. After transferring data to the new Xiaomi, turn on 2FA This will protect your data even if someone accesses your password. → Security → Two-step authentication.

⚠️ Note: If you are transferring data from a phone that has been stolen or lost, first lock it through Find My Device (google.com/android/find). This will prevent unauthorized access to your data.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions