How to Transfer Data from One Xiaomi to Another: A Complete Guide

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but data porting often becomes a headache. Contacts, photos, messages, app settings all need to be saved to keep things from scratch. Fortunately, MIUI device owners have several reliable ways to migrate, from embedded tools to cloud services.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods of data transfer between Xiaomi smartphones, including the official Mi Mover app, synchronization via Mi Account, backup in Google Drive, manual cable transfer and even the use of third-party utilities. MIUI (from 12 before 14) and models - from budget Redmi to flagship Xiaomi 13/14.

Spoiler: The fastest way is to use Mi Mover over Wi-Fi, but it doesn't always copy all the data, and if you're interested in messaging or game progress, you'll have to combine methods. Now, to the details!

1. Official method: Mi Mover (without cable and computer)

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary tool for migrating data between devices to MIUI. It is pre-installed on all modern smartphones of the brand and works on Wi-Fi Direct, that is, without connecting to the router. The main advantage is the transfer of almost all data, including:

• 📞 Contacts and call log
• 📸 Photos and videos (including Google Photos albums)
• 💬 Communications (SMS/MMS, But not always messengers)
• 🎵 Music and downloads
• ⚙️ System settings (wallpaper, sounds, Wi-Fi networks)
• 📱 Installed applications (without data, unless otherwise indicated)

How it works:

1. On an old smartphone, open Mi Mover (you can find it in the menu or through search).
2. Select the option "I am the sender".
3. On the new device, run the same app and tap "I am the recipient."
4. Scan it. QR-The code from the screen of the new phone is old (or enter) PIN-manually).
5. Select the data to transfer and confirm the start of the process.

The transfer time depends on the amount of data, for example, 10 GB of photos and videos will be transmitted in 15 to 30 minutes, and it is important that both phones must be charged at least 50%, otherwise the process may interrupt.

⚠️ Warning: If the new smartphone already has data, Mi Mover will prompt you to erase it before transferring it!

Sync through Mi Account (Xiaomi Cloud)

If you have a Mi Account, you can sync your key data in advance so that it automatically loads onto your new smartphone, a method that is convenient for contacts, notes, calendars and some settings, but not for large files (photos, videos).

What's synchronizing:

• 📇 Contacts and teams
• 📝 Notes (Mi Notes)
• 🗓️ Calendar
• 🔄 Browser settings (Mi Browser)
• 📁 Some files from Download (if option is enabled)

How to turn on synchronization:

1. Open the Settings. → Mi Account.
2. Slip on your profile and select "Synchronization".
3. Activate the switches in front of the desired categories.
4. On the new phone, log in to the same account – the data will be downloaded automatically.

Limitations: Free Mi Accounts only offer 5GB of cloud storage, not enough for photos and videos, but for contacts and notes, quite. If you need more space, you'll have to buy a premium subscription (from 100+). ₽/month).

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Before transferring, check if your Mi Account is linked to another region (e.g. China), in which case the sync may not work properly.

3. backup in Google Drive (universal method)

If you use Google services, porting over Google Drive is one of the most reliable options, and it works on any Android device, including Xiaomi, and allows you to save:

• 📱 List of applications and some of their data (e.g. game progress, if supported)
• 📞 Contacts (if saved in Google Contacts)
• 🗓️ Calendar and tasks
• 📁 Photos and videos (if you have autoloaded in Google Photos)
• 🔑 Passwords from Google Smart Lock

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Google → Backup.
2. Enable the option “Backup in Google Drive” and select an account.
3. Tap "Create a backup now" and wait until it's finished.
4. On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select “Recover Data” and log in to the same Google account.

Important: Google Drive provides 15GB for free, but if you have a lot of high-resolution photos, there may not be enough space, in which case either clear the cloud of unnecessary files or use Mi Mover for big data.

4. OTG Cable Transfer (for files and media)

If you only need to transfer photos, videos, music or documents, the easiest way to do this is to use an OTG cable (or USB-C → USB-A adapter if the ports are different), which doesn’t require internet and works even on older Xiaomi models.

What you need:

• 🔌 Cable OTG (adapter)
• 📱 Two smartphones (old and new)
• 🔋 Charging at least 30% on both devices

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the OTG cable to your new smartphone.
2. Connect the second end of the cable to the old phone.
3. A notification will appear on the new device "USB-It's connected. Put it on.
4. Select "File Transfer" (MTP).
5. Open Explorer on a new phone and a folder with the old device will appear.
6. Copy the files you want (usually they are in DCIM, Downloads, Pictures).

The advantage of this method is that you control which files are transferred, and the disadvantage is that you don't copy the applications and their data in this way.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 and later) block access to system folders through the OTG. If you can’t see files, use Mi Mover or Google Photos.

Charging both phones >30%| OTG cable compatible with ports | On the new phone enough memory | Important files not hidden (check in the conductor settings) | Power saving mode turned off-->

5. Transfer of messages and data of applications (additional methods)

Standard methods (Mi Mover, Google Drive) do not always copy messages in messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber) or game progress.

For WhatsApp:

1. On your old phone, open WhatsApp. → ⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup copy.
2. Back up your Google Drive account (make sure you have the right account).
3. On the new phone, install WhatsApp, log in to the same account and restore chats.

For Telegram: Messages are synchronized automatically through the cloud, but local files (downloaded media) need to be transferred manually through Telegram → Settings → Data and memory → Telegram folder.

For games: If the game supports Google Play Games or Mi Account, progress is synced automatically. For others, use Helium (requires root) or Swift Backup.

6. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

Even with detailed instructions, users face problems.-5 mistakes and their solutions:

1. Mi Mover won't find the device: Check if Wi-Fi Direct is on on both phones (Settings → Connections → Wi-Fi Direct). If it doesn't work, restart both devices.
2. Lack of space on new phone: Clear cache before transfer (Settings) → Warehouse → Clear the cache) or transfer the files to SD-card (if supported).
3. Apps not recovered: Mi Mover only transfers APK-Files, but not data. Use Google Play Games or Mi Account to restore progress in games.
4. Photos and videos won’t open: If files are corrupted, try re-transferring them or use Google Photos for cloud sync.
5. The new phone freezes after transfer: Reset it to factory settings (Settings → About Phone → Resetting) and repeat the transfer by selecting only the necessary data.

Critical information: If you migrate data from Xiaomi to a model with a different firmware (e.g., from global MIUI to Chinese), some applications may not work. Before migrating, check compatibility in the region settings (Settings → Additional → Region).

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Always check the MIUI version on both phones before transferring. If the difference is greater than 2 versions (e.g. MIUI 12 → MIUI 14), first update the old device to the latest firmware.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions