How to Move Data from Lenovo to Xiaomi: A Complete Guide to 2026

Switching from a Lenovo smartphone to a Xiaomi device is not just about changing your brand, it's also about migrating all your data, from contacts and photos to your phone history and app settings, which many users fear is difficult or risky, but modern tools make data transfer almost automatic, if you know which method to choose.

In this article, we will look at 5 working ways to transfer information from Lenovo to Xiaomi, compare them in speed, reliability and limitations, and give step-by-step instructions for each, and focus on the hidden nuances that are not covered in standard manuals — for example, how to avoid loss of quality photos or why some messages may not be transferred. If you have already tried to do it yourself and encountered errors, here you will find solutions.

⚠️ Before you start the transfer, check that Xiaomi has the latest version installed. MIUI (Outdated firmware may not support some migration methods, especially wireless ones.

1.The official way: Mi Mover by Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a proprietary application from Xiaomi, designed for wireless data transfer from Android devices, it is pre-installed on all new smartphones of the brand and supports most Lenovo models (except the oldest on Android 5.0 and below).

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 Wireless transmission – no cables or computer needed.
• 📁 Wide range of data: contacts, SMS, Photos, videos, music, calendars, notes, and even some system application settings.
• 🛡️ Without loss of quality – files are transferred in the original resolution.

How to use:

1. On Xiaomi, open Settings → About Phone → Data Transfer (Mi Mover).
2. Download Mi Mover from Google Play (if it is not available in Lenovo).
3. Run the app on both devices and select “I’m the sender” on Lenovo and “I’m the recipient” on Xiaomi.
4. Scan it. QR-code from the Xiaomi screen on Lenovo or connect via Wi-Fi Direct.
5. Select data types to transfer and wait for completion (time depends on volume).

⚠️ Note: if Lenovo is running Android 11+, Mi Mover may request permission to access Notices without which some data (such as call history) will not be transferred.

Charging both phones > 50%|Disabled. VPN firewalls|Both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.|Xiaomi has enough free memory (at least 20% more data portable)|Google account sync on Lenovo disabled (to avoid duplication of contacts)-->

2. Move through Google Account (for contacts, calendars and mail)

If you only need to migrate contacts, calendar events and email, Google sync is the easiest and most versatile way to do it, and it works on any Android device, regardless of brand, and doesn’t require any additional apps.

Instructions:

1. On Lenovo, go to Settings → Accounts → Google and enable sync for Contacts, Calendar and Gmail.
2. Wait for the synchronization to complete (check in the top notification bar).
3. On Xiaomi, add the same Google account to Settings → Accounts and enable sync.
4. In 5-10 minutes, the data will appear on the new device.

⚠️ Note: If your contacts are not stored in Google but in the Local Phone Book on Lenovo, they must be exported first:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Press. ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Export to.vcf file.
3. Send the resulting file to Xiaomi (e.g. via email) and import it.

Critical detail: If Xiaomi has enabled the Connection feature (Settings → Sync → Contacts) duplicates from different accounts (Google, SIM, Mi Account) will be automatically merged.

Mi Mover|Google account|OTG|PC Cable and cloud services|Another way-->

3. Transfer files (photos, videos, music) via OTG cable

If you do not have access to Wi-Fi or the data volume exceeds 10 GB, direct connection via the Internet is possible. OTG-This is the fastest solution, and it's a method that can be used to transfer files of any kind: original photos, video. 4K, documents and even backup copies of applications.

What you need:

• 🔌 OTG-adapter USB-C or micro-USB on USB-A, depending on the connectors of your devices).
• 📁 File Manager on both phones (e.g. Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Lenovo to Xiaomi via the OTG-Adapter. On Lenovo screen, select "File Transfer" mode" (MTP).
2. On Xiaomi, open the file manager – in the Devices section, the Lenovo internal memory folder will appear.
3. Copy the files you want (usually in DCIM, Pictures, Download) to Xiaomi memory.
4. To speed up the process, use the Cut feature instead of Copy (if files are not needed on your old phone).

⚠️ Note: if Lenovo has memory encryption enabled, OTG-The connection may not work. In this case, first decrypt the device in Settings. → Security → Encryption.

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If OTG-The cable is not recognized, try connecting the devices in reverse order: first OTG You can also check if the antivirus is blocking access (for example, Avast or 360 Security).

4. Transfer applications and their data (including games)

Move it yourself. APK-There are not enough application files, you need to save their data (for example, progress in games, settings of messengers:

Method 1: Backup with Mi Account

If Lenovo has a MIUI shell installed (for example, on Lenovo ZUK models), you can use Mi Cloud:

1. Register the same Mi Account on both devices.
2. On Lenovo, go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Backup and create a backup.
3. On Xiaomi, recover data from the same backup.

Method 2: Swift Backup (for root users)

If you have root access on Lenovo, use Swift Backup:

• ⚙️ Create a backup of apps and their data on Lenovo.
• 📤 Transfer the backup file to Xiaomi (via the OTG cloud).
• 🔄 Restore data on a new device.

⚠️ Note: some applications (e.g. banking or with) DRM-They block the data transfer, and then you have to log in again.

5. Transfer over PC (for large amounts of data)

If you need to move tens of gigabytes of data (like a collection of movies or projects), the best option is to use a computer as an intermediary, which is also useful if Lenovo has a corrupt file system and direct transfer is impossible.

Instructions for Windows:

1. Connect Lenovo to your PC via USB-cable and select the "File Transfer" mode".
2. Copy all the necessary folders (DCIM, Downloads, Movies, etc.) to the hard drive of the computer.
3. Disable Lenovo, connect Xiaomi and transfer files back.

For macOS, you will need to install Android File Transfer.

⚠️ Note: if you are using Xiaomi file system F2FS (instead ext4), Some files with long names may not be copied, in which case rename them before transferring them.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

Even when following instructions, users often face problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:

• 🚫 Mi Mover can't find the device: Check that both phones have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on. Reboot both devices. If you use them, VPN, Turn it off.
• 📵 Contacts duplicate: Before transferring, disable Google sync on Lenovo. on Xiaomi, delete duplicates in Contacts → Management → Connecting contacts.
• 📸 Photos are transferred in low quality: Use OTG-cable or PC to transfer originals. In Google Photos settings, check that "Original Quality" is enabled".

⚠️ Note: if some features (such as fingerprint or other features) have stopped working after the transfer to Xiaomi NFC), Reset the settings in the settings → Additionally. → Recovery and reset: This is due to a conflict of system files from different manufacturers.

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If the data transfer is interrupted in the middle, don't panic. Most methods (except Mi Mover) support resumption. Just repeat the process from the same stage - no duplicates will be created.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions