How to transfer data from Xiaomi to another phone: 5 proven ways

The transition to a new smartphone is always exciting – especially when it comes to saving valuable data from the old Xiaomi. Photos from the last trip, correspondence in Telegram for 5 years, saved passwords from accounts and even the history of calls – all this can be lost if you approach the transfer process without preparation. Fortunately, Xiaomi device owners have several reliable ways to migrate, from built-in tools to the best of their ability. MIUI Up to Universal Cloud Services.

In this article, we will discuss 5 Current methods of data transfer – from the fastest (using cable) OTG) To the most universal (via Google Account or iCloud to switch to iPhone). MIUI 14/15, You can also learn how to avoid common errors, such as why messages from the data are sometimes not copied. SMS Why the photo loses its original quality.

1. Preparing Xiaomi phone for data transfer

Before you start migrating, you need to follow 3 critical steps on the old Xiaomi – skipping them can lead to loss of data or failures in the process.

First, update. MIUI in the old builds (for example, in the latest version, MIUI 12 and below) no support for modern data transfer protocols, which can result in an error transfer via Mi Mover or Google Drive. → The phone. → Updating the system.

Second, clear the app cache, especially if you plan to move data over the cloud, and a cluttered cache can increase the size of your backup by many times. → Annexes → Application management, select system utilities (such as Contacts or Gallery) and click Clear cache.

• 📱 Update. MIUI — Minimum supported version for seamless transfer: MIUI 13.
• 🧹 Clear the cache in the applications Contacts, Messages, Gallery.
• 🔋 Charge both phones to at least 50% – transfer can take up to 1-2 hours.
• 📡 Connect to Wi-Fi (if you use the cloud) – mobile internet is not suitable due to traffic restrictions.

⚠️ Note: If your Xiaomi has enabled Application Protection (Settings) → Privacy, disable it before transferring, otherwise some data (such as call history) may not be copied.

Charging both phones > 50%|Updated. MIUI last-minute|Cleared cache in key applications|Application protection disabled|Connecting to stable Wi-Fi (for cloud-based ways)-->

2. Method 1: Transfer over Mi Mover (official Xiaomi tool)

Mi Mover is built into the MIUI A point-to-point (no cloud) data migration application that supports almost all types of data transfer, including:

• 📞 Contacts and call history;
• 💬 Communications (SMS/MMS) and multimedia from correspondence;
• 📸 Photos and videos (including Xiaomi Gallery albums);
• 🎵 Audio files and melodies;
• 📁 Documents from Download and Documents folders;
• ⚙️ System settings (wallpaper, brightness, sound profiles).

However, the Mi Mover has some limitations:

1. Both phones should be on MIUI (Not suitable for transferring to iPhones or smartphones of other brands).
2. The new device must have a clean system (no user data) If the phone has already been used, reset via Settings. → Additionally. → Recovery and discharge.
3. The transfer takes from 20 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on the volume of data.

Step-by-step:

1. On both phones, open the Mi Mover app (if you don’t have one, download from Google Play).
2. On the old Xiaomi, choose I am the sender, on the new one, I am the receiver.
3. Connect your phones via Wi-Fi Direct (automatically) or USB-cable (needs adapter) OTG new phone).
4. On an old phone, tick the data types to transfer and click Start.
5. Wait until the process is complete. Don't interrupt the connection, which can cause some files to be lost.

Method 3: Transfer through Google Account (universal method)

This method is suitable for transferring data from Xiaomi to any Android smartphone, including devices from other brands (Samsung, Realme, OnePlus, etc.). The main advantage is that you do not need to connect phones to each other, a fairly stable Internet.

However, the method has limitations:

• 🚫 No resumption of settings. MIUI (wallpaper, sounds, system parameters).
• 🚫 SMS/MMS Call history may not be copied (depending on the Android version).
• 🚫 Applications are only portable as a list for installation (no data is stored inside them).

How to transfer data via Google:

1. On the old Xiaomi, open Settings → Google → Backup.
2. Enable the option to Backup in Google Drive and click Create Backup Now.
3. Wait until the process is complete (it can take from a few minutes to an hour).
4. On the new phone, when you first turn on, select Copy Data from your old device and log in to the same Google Account.
5. Select a backup and wait for the recovery.

⚠️ Note: If your new phone has already set up a Google Account, reset to factory settings before you restore the data.

Mi Mover (official Xiaomi software)|Google Account|Cable OTG hand-and-hand|Cloud services (Dropbox, Yandex Disk)|Another way.-->

4. Method 3: Transfer to iPhone (from Xiaomi to iOS)

The transition from Xiaomi to iPhone requires a special approach, because Apple uses a closed ecosystem. Fortunately, the company has an official Move to iOS app that automates the process, but it only works when the iPhone is first turned on — if the device is already configured, you have to reset it to factory settings.

What to do with Move to iOS:

• 📞 Contacts, call history;
• 💬 Communications (only) SMS, without MMS and multimedia);
• 📸 Photo and video (in compressed quality);
• 📍 Browser bookmarks;
• 📧 Email accounts;
• 🎵 Playlists (without audio files themselves).

What's NOT tolerable:

• 🚫 Apps (must be installed manually from the App Store);
• 🚫 Music and video (except those stored in the Gallery);
• 🚫 Settings MIUI;
• 🚫 Data from some messengers (e.g. Telegram or WhatsApp) require separate export).

Step-by-step:

1. On iPhone, when you first turn on, select Set up manually → Transfer data from Android.
2. On Xiaomi, download Move to iOS from Google Play.
3. Launch the app on Xiaomi and follow the instructions by entering the code from your iPhone.
4. Select the data to transfer and wait until it is completed (it can take up to 30 minutes).
5. After completion, the iPhone will offer to install compatible versions of apps from the App Store.

💡

If Move to iOS is constantly interrupted, try turning off Traffic Savings in Xiaomi settings and connect to Wi-Fi at 5GHz. Also make sure that there is enough free space on the iPhone (at least 20% more than the data being carried).

5. Method 4: Manual transfer via OTG cable or computer

If you only need to transfer individual files (such as photos, documents, or music), the most reliable way to do this is to use the data. USB-cable and computer OTG. This method is suitable for any combination of devices, including porting to an iPhone, Mac, or even Windows-PC.

Important: To fully access Xiaomi files, you need to enable File Transfer Mode (MTP). For that:

1. Connect your phone to your computer via USB.
2. On the drop-down menu USB-connect select File Transfer (if the menu does not appear, check the developer settings: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 times) → For developers → Configuration USB default → MTP).

Instructions for transfer via computer:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your PC and copy the files you want (usually in folders). DCIM, Download, Pictures).
2. Turn off the old phone and connect the new one.
3. Transfer files to the new device to the appropriate folders.

Instructions for transfer via OTG (without computer):

1. Buy it. OTG-Adapter (e.g. Xiaomi) USB-C to USB-A).
2. Connect a flash drive or second phone to Xiaomi via an adapter.
3. Use Files (Files) to copy data.

💡

Manual cable transfer is the only way to guarantee the original quality of photos and videos, as cloud services often compress files.

6. Method 5: Transfer over cloud services (Yandex Drive, Dropbox, Telegram)

If you don't have a cable or a computer, you can use cloud storage, which is convenient for carrying small amounts of data (up to 10-15 GB), since most services have limited free rates.

The best services for transfer:

• 📁 Yandex Disk – 10 GB free, high download speed in Russia.
• 📁 Google Drive – 15 GB free, Android integration.
• 📁 Dropbox – 2GB free, but user-friendly.
• 📁 Telegram – unlimited for files up to 2 GB (via Save Messages).

How to transfer data through Yandex Drive:

1. On Xiaomi, install the Yandex Disk app.
2. Upload the files to the cloud (you can select the Autoupload folder for photos).
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Yandex account and download files.

How to transfer via Telegram:

1. Open the Save Messages chat on Xiaomi.
2. Send yourself files (you can in packs of 1.5 GB).
3. On the new phone, download them from the same chat.

⚠️ Note: When uploading a photo to Google Photos or Yandex Drive, compression can be enabled in the default settings. To maintain original quality, select Original Quality (in Google Photos) or Do Not Compress (in Yandex Drive).

7. Transfer specific data: messages, WhatsApp, settings MIUI

Some types of data require a separate approach because they are not carried by standard methods. Let's look at the most complicated cases.

1. Transfer SMS call history

For backups SMS fitting SMS Backup & Restore:

1. Install it on Xiaomi from Google Play.
2. Create a backup and save the file to Google Drive or flash drive.
3. On the new phone, install the same app and restore the data.

2. Transfer of WhatsApp correspondence

WhatsApp allows you to transfer chats only between devices on one OS (Android)→Android or iOS→iOS. For that purpose:

1. On Xiaomi, open WhatsApp → Settings → Chat → Backup.
2. Create a backup in Google Drive.
3. On the new phone, install WhatsApp, log in to the same account and restore chats.

3. Transfer of settings MIUI

Theme, wallpaper and system settings are not transferred through standard tools to save them:

• Take screenshots of the screen with settings (for example, Settings) → Lock screen).
• Save themes from Themes to My Themes (they are linked to your Xiaomi account).
• Export the Quick Command settings (if you use) through Settings → Additionally. → Fast teams.

8. Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even when following instructions, users often encounter problems, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

Additional advice:

• 🔄 If the transfer is interrupted, do not start the process again – wait until the system itself offers to continue.
• 📶 Use 5GHz Wi-Fi instead of 2.4GHz to speed up – this reduces the risk of connection breakdown.
• 🔌 If you transfer data through a cable, use the original USB-cable – cheap analogues may not provide stable transmission.

💡

If contacts are not displayed on the new phone after transfer, check if sync is included in Settings. → Accounts. → Google → Contact synchronization, sometimes it shuts down automatically after recovery.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions