How to transfer data from your old phone to your new Xiaomi

Buying a new smartphone series Redmi or flagship Xiaomi is always accompanied by a pleasant excitement, but the owner faces the inevitable task: how quickly and without loss to move all the accumulated information? the process of migrating data from one device to another has become much easier in recent years thanks to the built-in tools of the Android ecosystem and the company’s own developments. The right approach will allow you to start using the gadget in just 15-20 minutes, preserving the usual folder structure, passwords and correspondence history.

There are several proven synchronization methods, each with its own advantages depending on the condition of the old device. If you move from another Android smartphone, the process will go as smoothly as possible thanks to native transmission protocols. iPhone owners also do not need to worry, since the algorithms of working with iOS are honed to the smallest detail.

In this article, we will take a look at all the available methods, including using a specialized Mi Mover application, cloud sync via Google and manual copying. We will look at the nuances of WhatsApp portability, system settings and even the layout of icons on the desktop. Understanding these mechanisms will help you avoid the typical mistakes that users encounter when first configuring a new device.

Preparation of devices before the migration

Before you start any transfer tools, you need to make sure that both devices are ready for intensive work. Battery charge on both smartphones should be at least 50-60%, as the process of transferring a large amount of data can take from 20 minutes to several hours and actively consume energy. It is also critical to check the availability of free space on the receiving device: the amount of available memory should exceed the size of the data you plan to copy from the old phone.

Remove temporary files and cache on your old device to avoid overloading your new smartphone with digital trash, which will speed up the data analysis process and reduce transmission time. Make sure both devices are Wi-Fi enabled, even if you plan to use a direct connection, as some system checks require a network connection to verify accounts.

Special attention should be paid to updating the operating system on a new device to the current version of MIUI or HyperOS. The manufacturer often releases patches that improve the stability of wireless communication modules, which directly affects the speed of copying files. If the old phone has an extremely ancient version of Android, some modern applications may not display correctly after the transfer, so it is advisable to update it too.

Using the Mi Mover app for fast transfer

The most effective and recommended way is to use the Mi Mover app, which is pre-installed on all modern Xiaomi smartphones. This tool creates a secure local area network between devices, which allows you to transfer data at high speed without using Internet traffic.

To get started, run the app on both devices. On the new Xiaomi phone, select Receiver and on the old one, Sender. QR-code or find the device in the list of available Wi-Fi networks. Once the connection is established, you will be asked to select the types of data to copy: contacts, messages, call logs, applications, photos, music and videos.

Importantly, Mi Mover can even carry system settings and widget layouts if both devices are running MIUI shells. When ported from other Android brands, the functionality can only be limited to user data. Once the process is complete, the new device will automatically install all apps from Google Play using saved packet lists.

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When transferring from your iPhone via Mi Mover, make sure the lock screen on iOS is not activated during the process, otherwise the connection may break.

Synchronization through Google Account and Cloud Services

An alternative and reliable method is to use Google’s cloud sync capabilities, ideal for those who want to keep contacts, calendar, notes and Chrome history up to date all the time. When you first turn on the new Xiaomi, you will be prompted to enter your Google account details, after which the system will automatically start the background loading of stored data.

Contacts and calendar events sync almost instantly. Google Photos is the best way to save photos and videos. If your old device has Autoupload and Sync enabled, all your media files are already in the cloud. Just install the app on your new phone and log in to the same account1unt to access the entire gallery.

It is worth considering that this method requires a stable and fairly fast connection to the Internet, especially if the volume of your gallery is large. Free space of 15 GB may not be enough, and then you will either have to buy additional space or selectively synchronize only important folders.

Transferring data from iPhone (iOS) to Xiaomi

The transition from the Apple ecosystem to Android was once a complicated process, but it's now highly automated. The Mi Mover app has an iOS version that you can download from the App Store. The way it works is the same: you create a hotspot on Xiaomi and connect your iPhone to it. However, the list of data available for porting will be different from Android devices because of iOS security limitations.

With iOS, you can successfully transfer contacts, photos, videos and calendar events. iMessage messages and apps themselves cannot be transferred, because they have different architectures and are not compatible between operating systems. For instant messengers like WhatsApp, there is a separate export function inside the application itself that allows you to back up chats and transfer them to Android, but this requires a separate careful setup.

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When you switch from iOS to Android, you will have to re-install apps from Google Play, as.ipa files are not compatible with Android. Paid subscriptions within apps may not be automatically migrated.

Two-factor authentication is a special focus. If you used your phone number for confirmation codes, there won't be any problems. But if the codes were generated through the Google Authenticator app on your iPhone, remember to export the codes or manually transfer them before resetting your old device, otherwise you may lose access to important accounts. Also make sure you know the Apple ID password to untie your device from Find iPhone.

Manual copying of files through a computer

For users who are used to having full control of the file system, or if you need to transfer terabytes of data, the best option is to use a PC. USB-And you can use it as a normal external drive, and this method avoids compression of the quality of the photos and allows you to structure the files as you want.

Copy DCIM, Download, Documents, and other important directories from your old device to your computer’s hard drive. Then connect the new Xiaomi and transfer the data to the appropriate folders, a technique that is especially useful for transferring heavy video files, document archives, and music that aren’t always properly handled by cloud services or wireless protocols.

When you manually copy, it's important to keep folders structured, especially for media files, so that the new phone gallery indexes them correctly. DCIM/Camera, Download, and it's in Download, and it's going to make sure that the content is displayed correctly in standard viewer apps.

Transfer of WhatsApp messages and messengers

Special attention should be paid to the migration of the history of correspondence in messengers, as it is often the most important part of the data for the user. WhatsApp for Android has a built-in function to create a local backup or copy on Google Drive. When you install WhatsApp on a new phone, the system will automatically detect the backup and prompt to restore chats.

However, if you change platforms (e.g. from iPhone to Android or vice versa), standard methods may not work. In such cases, Xiaomi offers a special tool when you initially set up the system or through the Mi Mover app, which can convert and transfer the WhatsApp database. For Telegram, correspondence is stored on servers, so just enter a phone number, and all chats will appear automatically.

Remember to also transfer access key files for banking applications. Some banks require re-association of the device even if the application has been copied. For security reasons, biometrics (fingerprints, face) are never transferred and must be registered on the new device again.

Frequent problems and their solution

Users may encounter various technical difficulties during migration, and often interrupting Wi-Fi Direct connections becomes a problem, especially if one of the devices has energy-saving settings that aggressively disable communication modules, in which case it is recommended to turn off energy saving mode during transfer and allow the Mi Mover application to run in the background without restrictions.

Another common problem is the incompatibility of Android versions: If the old phone has a very old version of the system (for example, Android 5 or 6), and the new one has Android 13 or 14, some applications may simply not install or launch, in which case you will have to search for updated versions of programs manually or search for their counterparts in the app store.

⚠️ Warning: Never force the transfer of data to be interrupted by turning off the screen or closing the application, which can damage database files and cause the loss of some information that will be extremely difficult to recover.

If the contacts are not displayed correctly after transfer (for example, all numbers are written in one line or without names), check the source of imports in the Contacts app. SIM-Maps, and names are from Google, and they are not automatically linked. In the contact settings, select the option "Combine duplicates" or manually specify the correct account to display.

Completion of setup and data verification

Once the copying process is complete, take your time to delete data from your old device. Do a thorough review of your new smartphone. Check if all photos are in the gallery, open some documents, make sure that calls and messages are displayed correctly. Pay special attention to social media logins and banking applications - often re-authorization is required.

Backup your new device to record the current state of the system, which will create a restore point in case there were errors during the initial setup, and now your new Xiaomi is fully ready to go, filled with familiar content and customized to your needs.

⚠️ Warning: The old phone should not be immediately reset to factory settings. leave it on and connected to Wi-Fi for a couple of days to make sure all data is indeed ported and nothing important is missed.

Only after you have a full confidence in the successful migration can you start cleaning the old gadget for sale or transfer to another user, remember that high-quality data transfer is the key to comfortable use of new technology from the first minutes.