How to transfer data from your phone to your Xiaomi phone: all the ways 2026

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but data porting often becomes a headache. Even if both devices run on Android, the nuances of MIUI firmware can complicate the process. In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to migrate data between Xiaomi phones, from standard tools to little-known life hacks that will save you hours of time.

You will learn how to migrate not only contacts and photos, but also SMS/MMS, call histories, notes, app settings and even game data. Special attention will be paid to the problems with data transfer between devices on different versions of MIUI (for example, from MIUI 12 to HyperOS), and also tell you how to circumvent the limits on the amount of transferred files. All instructions are relevant for models 2020-2026, including Redmi Note 13 Pro+, Xiaomi 14 Ultra and POCO F6.

1.Official method: Mi Mover (built-in Xiaomi app)

Mi Mover is a Xiaomi proprietary tool that is pre-installed on all of the brand’s smartphones, allowing you to move data over Wi-Fi Direct without using the cloud or cable, and the main advantage is that it supports all types of data, including:

• 📱 Contacts (including groups and tags)
• 📷 Photo and video (in original quality)
• 💬 SMS/MMS call history
• 📝 Notes and calendar
• 🎮 Game data (if the game supports backup)
• ⚙️ System settings (Wi-Fi, wallpaper, sound profiles)

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Data Transfer (Mi Mover).
2. On the new phone, when you first turn on, select the “Data Portability” option or find Mi Mover in the settings menu.
3. On the old device, click “I am the sender” and on the new one, “I am the receiver.”
4. Scan it. QR-code from a new phone or connect via Wi-Fi Direct.
5. Select data types to transfer and confirm the start of the process.

Charge both phones at least 50% | Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network (or use a mobile hotspot) | Free up space on a new phone (minimum 20% of the data portable) | Disable VPNs and firewalls | Close all background apps-->

Mi Mover copies data in the background, but there are nuances:

• ⚡ Speed depends on the amount of data, for example, 50 GB of photos can be transmitted for up to 2-3 hours.
• 🔌 If the battery runs below 15%, the process will be interrupted.
• 📱 On some models (e.g. Redmi) 10C) Mi Mover updates are required to the latest version.

⚠️ Note: If the new phone is HyperOS installed, and the old one — MIUI 14 or lower, upgrade your old device to the latest available firmware version before transferring. Otherwise, some of the data (such as notes) may not be copied.

2. Transfer through Google Account (for contacts, calendar and part of applications)

If you use Google, this method allows you to migrate contacts, calendar, mail and some of the app settings without additional software, the main advantage is that the data is synchronized automatically and can be restored on any Android device.

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Make sure that sync is enabled for Contacts, Calendar and Gmail.
3. On the new phone, when you set up, select “Restore from backup” and log in to the same Google account.
4. Select the latest backup (usually created automatically when synchronized).

What can be transferred:

This is a good method if you only need to migrate the basic data, and combine it with other methods to migrate fully.

Mi Mover (built-in application)|Google Account|OTG/adapter Cable |Google Drive, Mi Cloud |SHAREit, Xender |Another way-->

OTG Cable or Adapter: Quickly Transfer Large Files

If you have an OTG cable (or USB-C to USB-C adapter), you can connect your old phone to your new one as an external drive and copy files manually.

• 🎵 Music and playlists (including metadata)
• 📁 Documents (PDF, Word, Excel)
• 🎮 Game files (such as Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile)
• 📂 Backup copies of applications (if saved in a folder on your device)

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the OTG cable to the new phone and the old phone to the cable.
2. On your old phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode in the connection notification.
3. On the new phone, open Explorer (or any application for working with files).
4. Find the folder of the old phone (usually displayed as an external drive) and copy the files you want to keep in the memory of the new device.

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Maximum speed (up to 480 Mbit / s at USB 3.0).
• 🔒 Security – data is not transmitted via the Internet.
• 📁 You can selectively copy only the right folders.

⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi models (e.g, POCO X5 Pro) when connected through OTG You may need to unblock the debugging USB In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (7 times press) → Additional settings → Developer parameters.

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If you don’t have an OTG cable, you can use your computer as an intermediary: copy files from your old phone to your PC and then to your new one.

4. Cloud services: Google Drive, Mi Cloud and others

Cloud storage is handy if you have slow Wi-Fi or want to keep a data backup. Xiaomi offers its own Mi Cloud service, but it has a 5GB limit for free accounts.The alternative is Google Drive (15GB free) or Yandex Drive.

Comparison of cloud services for data transfer:

How to transfer data through Mi Cloud:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Mi Cloud.
2. Turn on synchronization for the desired types of data (contacts, SMS, photos, etc.).
3. Wait for the download to be completed (time depends on the amount of data).
4. On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and enable synchronization.

For Google Drive:

1. Install Google Drive on both phones.
2. On your old phone, back up to Settings → System → Backup → Backup to Google Drive.
3. On the new phone, restore the data from this copy when you set up.

5 Third-party applications: SHAREit, Xender, Send Anywhere

If Xiaomi’s built-in tools don’t fit, you can use third-party data apps that run over Wi-Fi Direct or the cloud, often supporting cross-platform portability (e.g. from Android to iOS).

Top.-3 data-transfer applications:

• 📲 SHAREit – Up to 20MB/s, supports games and large files.
• ⚡ Xender – No volume limits, works without the Internet.
• 🌐 Send Anywhere – 6-digit code generation for fast transfer.

How to use Xender:

1. Install Xender on both phones from Google Play.
2. On the old phone, select “Send” and on the new one, “Get”.
3. Connect to a single Wi-Fi network or create an access point.
4. Select files to transfer and confirm acceptance on the new device.

Advantages of third-party applications:

• 🔥 High speed (up to 50 MB/s in ideal conditions).
• 📱 Support for older Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi) 4X).
• 🎯 Selective transferability (e.g., music only or contacts only).

⚠️ Note: Some apps (e.g. SHAREit) may request access to Contacts, Messages, and Locations. Check Google Play permissions and user reviews before installing them – there were cases of data leakage through these services in 2023.

6. Transfer data from phone to phone Xiaomi via computer

If you have a PC or a laptop, you can use it as a data porter, which is suitable for large volumes (e.g. 100+GB of photos and videos) or if other methods do not work.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 🔌 Two. USB-cables (preferably original).
• 📂 Enough free space on the hard disk.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your computer and select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy the folders you need (DCIM for photos, Download for downloads, etc.) to your computer.
3. Turn off the old phone and connect the new one.
4. Transfer the copied files to the new device.
5. For contacts and SMS Use export/import through VCF and XML-files (can be made through the Contacts app) and SMS Backup & Restore).

Advantages of the method:

• 🔐 Maximum reliability – data is not lost when communication is broken.
• 📊 You can sort and edit files before transferring them.
• 🛠️ Suitable for damaged phones (if the screen is not working, but USB-ported).

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Transferring over a computer is the only reliable way if the phones have different versions of Android (such as Android 10 and Android 14), and other methods are not compatible.

Solving problems in data transfer

Even with official tools, there can be errors, and let's look at the most common problems and ways to solve them:

If none of these methods worked, try:

• 🔄 Reset network settings on both phones (Settings) → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Resetting network settings).
• 📱 Update your firmware to the latest version (especially if you have a new version) MIUI 12 or lower).
• 🛠️ Use Recovery mode for manual transfer (power users only).

FAQ: Frequent questions about data portability to Xiaomi