How to transfer data from Xiaomi to POCO: 5 proven ways

Contents

• Why Xiaomi and POCO need a special approach
• Preparation of devices: what to do before transfer
• Method 1: Mi Mover is the official tool from Xiaomi
• Method 2: Sync through Google account (for contacts and calendar)
• Method 3: Manually transfer files over cable or cloud
• Method 4: Transfer applications and their data (including games)
• Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
• Frequent questions about data transfer

Shifting data from Xiaomi’s old smartphone to the new POCO seems like a simple task — not yet nuanced. Although both brands share the same ecosystem, differences in firmware (MIUI vs MIUI for POCO) and hardware features can make it harder, such as some POCO models that do not support Mi Mover over Wi-Fi Direct, and cable transfers require additional drivers.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to transfer data, from official tools to manual methods, and how to avoid file loss or crashes in the process, especially focusing on porting applications with saving progress (relevant to games) and system settings, which are often “lost” during standard synchronization.

Why Xiaomi and POCO need a special approach

At first glance, POCO is the same Xiaomi, but with a different logo.

• 📱 Different versions MIUI: POCO It often uses lightweight firmware with stripped-down features (e.g., no Second Space or some design themes) and this affects the compatibility of portability tools.
• 🔌 Wi-Fi Direct Limitations: Some Models POCO (for example, POCO X5 Pro) do not support direct data transmission via Mi Mover without cable.
• 🔒 Lockdown OEM: New ones. POCO By default, the unlock unlock lock of the bootloader is enabled, which can prevent manual transfer through ADB.
• 📁 Different folder structures: B POCO folder DCIM/Camera It may have a different location, which causes the photos to be “lost” when automatically transferred.

Besides, POCO F5 and newer use the file system F2FS instead Ext4, which can cause problems when copying large files (for example, video in the 4K) So it's important to check the version before you move it. MIUI on both devices and, if necessary, update the firmware.

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If your POCO doesn’t see Xiaomi through Mi Mover, try enabling developer mode and activating the USB Debugging option in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times).

Preparation of devices: what to do before transfer

Regardless of the transfer method you choose, follow these steps on both smartphones:

Charge both devices to a minimum of 50%|Update. MIUI to the latest version, especially on POCO)|Clear the cache in Settings → Memory. → Cleanup|Turn it off. VPN firewalls|Create a backup on Xiaomi through Settings → Additionally. → Backup-->

Pay special attention to the memory:

• 📲 On Xiaomi: check the free space in the Settings section → If less than 10%, delete unnecessary files.
• 🆕 Nana POCO: format your memory card (if used), as the file system may conflict with the old one.

If you plan to transfer data via cable, install Mi PC Suite drivers on POCO (you can download from the official website). For POCO models based on Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (for example, POCO F5 Pro), you may need an additional Qualcomm QDLoader driver.

⚠️ Note: If data encryption is enabled on Xiaomi (Settings) → Lockdown and protection → Encryption, cable transfer will be impossible without first decrypting!

Method 1: Mi Mover is the official tool from Xiaomi

Mi Mover is the easiest solution for transferring data between Xiaomi/POCO devices, but it doesn’t always work smoothly.

1. On both phones, install Mi Mover from the Mi App Store (not from Google Play!).
2. On Xiaomi (old phone), select “I am the sender” and on POCO, “I am the recipient.”
3. Connect devices via Wi-Fi Direct or OTG cable (recommended for large amounts of data).
4. On Xiaomi, select data to transfer: contacts, messages, photos, videos or applications.
5. Confirm the transfer on both devices and wait until it is completed.

The speed of transfer depends on the method:

If the Mi Mover is suspended during the connection stage:

• 🔄 Reboot both devices and try again.
• 📶 Switch from Wi-Fi Direct to cable (or vice versa).
• 🔧 Nana POCO Turn off Adaptive Brightness in screen settings – this sometimes interferes with data transmission.

Method 2: Sync through Google account (for contacts and calendar)

This method is suitable for transferring contacts, calendars, notes and certain settings, it does not require additional programs, but has limitations:

• ✅ It works on all models. POCO.
• ❌ I can't stand it. SMS, photos, applications.
• ⚠️ It requires a stable Internet connection (better than Wi-Fi).

Instructions:

1. On Xiaomi, go to Settings → Google Accounts → Sync and enable sync for Contacts, Calendar and Google Drive.
2. Wait for the sync to complete (check in Settings → Google Accounts → Account Management → Data and Personalization).
3. On POCO, add the same Google account and enable sync.
4. Contacts and calendars will automatically appear. For other data (photos, documents), use Google Photos or Google Drive.

For transfer SMS and call logs use the app SMS Backup & Restore (available on Google Play) XML-file that can then be restored to POCO.

⚠️ Note: If Xiaomi used Mi Account for backup, the data is not synced with Google automatically. → Mi Account. → Cloud. → Export of data.

Method 3: Manually transfer files over cable or cloud

If Mi Mover doesn’t work or you need to transfer sample files (for example, only photos from the last year), use manual methods:

Option 1: via USB cable (fastest)

1. Connect Xiaomi to your computer in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy the folders you need (DCIM, Downloads, Pictures) on your PC.
3. Connect POCO and paste the files into the appropriate folders.

Option 2: Through the cloud (Google Drive, Mi Cloud, Telegram)

• 📁 For photos and videos, it is convenient to use Google Photos (unlimited storage for compressed files).
• 📄 For documents, Mi Cloud (10 GB for free) or Telegram (you can send files up to 2 GB to Save Messages) is suitable»).
• 🎵 For music, use YouTube Music or SoundCloud (download tracks to the cloud).

Advantages of manual transfer:

• ✅ Full control of files (you can choose what to copy).
• ✅ It works even if the devices can’t see each other.
• ✅ You can transfer data in parts (for example, today’s photos, tomorrow’s music).

Disadvantages:

• ❌ It takes more time.
• ❌ Requires an additional device (PC or cloud).

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If you transfer your photo over the cable, check the DCIM/.thumbnails folder – you can not copy it, as it contains only thumbnails that POCO will create automatically.

Method 4: Transfer applications and their data (including games)

Transfer of the applications themselves (APK-Files are half the story. The key is to save the application data (e.g., game progress, messaging settings). There are several methods to do that:

Method 1: Titanum Backup (requires ROOT)

If you have root access on Xiaomi:

1. Install Titanium Backup from 4PDA.
2. Back up your desired applications (“Backup/Restore” → “Backup Action” → “Backup All User Applications”).
3. Move the Titanium Backup folder to POCO.
4. Install Titanium Backup on POCO and recover the data.

Method 2: Through ADB (no ROOT, but more difficult)

To transfer these applications without root:

adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab


adb restore backup.ab

Commands are executed via ADB on PC. Note that some applications (e.g. banking) block backups through ADB.

Method 3: Synchronize through application accounts

Many applications support their own synchronization:

• 🎮 Games: Link a Google Play Games account or social network (Facebook, VK).
• 💬 Messengers: Telegram and WhatsApp have built-in backup to the cloud.
• 📅 Social networks: Instagram or TikTok can save data through Settings → Account. → Backup copy.

⚠️ Note: When transferring these games through Google Play Games, make sure that you are on the POCO The game is the same version as Xiaomi, otherwise the progress may not recover!

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even when following instructions, users face problems, and here are some of the most common solutions.

Another common problem is loss of image quality when moving through the cloud.

• 📸 In Google Photos, select “Original Quality” (requires a storage fee of over 15 GB).
• 🖼️ Use the format to transfer via cable PNG instead JPEG (It is important to maintain transparency).

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If you lose your wallpaper or themes after transferring to POCO, install the POCO Launcher app from Google Play and re-apply the settings.

Frequent questions about data transfer