How to Transfer Data from the Old Xiaomi to the New: The Complete 2026 Guide

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but the process of data transfer often raises more questions than the choice of model. Even if both devices are running MIUI, the nuances of firmware versions, differences in hardware platforms (Snapdragon vs MediaTek) or the features of the Mi Account can turn a simple procedure into a multi-hour quest.

We will look at all the current methods – from the Mi Mover branded tool to manual transfer through the cloud, and also analyze specific cases: What to do when your old phone doesn't turn on, how to save your app data without rooting, and why Google Photos is sometimes more reliable than Xiaomi's native services. MIUI (like the old one. MIUI 12 for new MIUI 15) where standard tools may not work properly.

1.Preparation for transfer: what to do before the beginning

Before you start migrating, take a few critical steps to save time and prevent data loss. Start by checking the space available on both devices: if the new Xiaomi has less than 10% of free memory, the system can interrupt the transfer in the middle.

• 🔋 Battery charge on both phones higher 50% — process may take up to 1-2 clocks with a lot of data.
• 🌐 Both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (for Mi Mover and cloud services).
• 📱 On the old phone, traffic savings are disabled (Settings) → Connections → Saving traffic) and optimizing battery for system applications.
• 🔒 You remember the password from Mi Account – without it you can not restore backup copies of Mi Cloud.

If you are migrating data from Xiaomi to a HyperOS model (such as Xiaomi 14 or Redmi Note 13 Pro+), note that some MIUI settings may not migrate correctly, in which case it is better to use a combined method: transfer the main data through Mi Mover, and the application settings manually.

⚠️ Note: If the old phone has data encryption enabled (Settings) → Additionally. → Encryption and accounts, disable it in advance. Otherwise, Mi Mover may not see some files, especially multimedia.

2. Method 1: Mi Mover is the official tool of Xiaomi

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary solution for wirelessly transferring data between devices to MIUI/HyperOS. It supports contact, message, photo, video, apps (including their data), notes and even some system settings.

• 📴 It only works between Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO (Not suitable for other brands).
• 🔄 Demands. MIUI 9 and newer – on very old models (for example, Redmi) 4X) may be absent.
• 🚫 Does not transfer data of certain applications (for example, WhatsApp or banking programs).

Step-by-step:

1. On the new phone, when you first turn on, select Data Transfer (or find Mi Mover in Settings → About Phone → Data Transfer).
2. On an old phone, open Mi Mover (download from Play Market if not available) and select I sender.
3. Scan it. QR-code from a new device or connect via a Direct Wi-Fi connection.
4. Select data types for transfer (we recommend unchecking the Application if they take up a lot of space – they are easier to install again).
5. Confirm the transfer and wait until the process is completed (don’t interrupt!).

⚠️ Note: If Mi Mover is stuck in the Preparation phase, try to disable it. VPN, Reboot both phones and repeat the process. If the problem persists, use alternative methods (see sections below).

Turn off battery savings on both phones|Close all background applications|Connect to charging|Check the space available (minimum 20% on the new phone)|Disable the firewall/antivirus-->

Method 3: Transfer over Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

Mi Cloud is a cloud storage device from Xiaomi that allows you to back up your old phone and restore it to a new one, and the main advantage of the method is that you don't need to physically connect your devices.

• 📁 Free tariff provides only 5 GB – for transferring photos and videos this is not enough.
• ⏳ The process can take several hours with a large amount of data.
• 🔐 Requires a link to one Mi Account on both phones.

How to transfer data through Mi Cloud:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Turn on sync for the desired categories (contacts, notes, photos, etc.).
3. To create a full backup, select Backup and click Create Backup.
4. On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and restore the data from the backup (Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Restore).

If you use Mi Cloud to transfer photos, note that they will be saved in compressed format (up to 16 MP quality). For original files, it is better to use Google Photos (see next section) or manually transfer via cable.

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Before you back up in Mi Cloud, clear the app cache (Settings → Apps → Clear cache) and this will reduce the backup size and speed up the process.

4. Method 3: Google Account and Google Photos – a universal solution

If you don't want to depend on the Xiaomi ecosystem, the most reliable way is to use Google services, which is especially true if you plan to switch to a smartphone from another brand in the future: Google Account syncs contacts, calendars, email and some settings, and Google Photos syncs multimedia.

Transfer of contacts and settings:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Accounts → Google.
2. Make sure that sync is enabled for Contacts, Calendar and Gmail.
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Google account – the data is synced automatically.

Porting photos and videos via Google Photos:

• 📸 Install Google Photos on your old phone and enable Backup and Sync.
• 🌐 Choose Quality Original (if it is important to keep resolution) or High (free but compressed).
• 📱 On your new phone, install Google Photos and wait for media files to download.

The advantage of this method is cross-platform: your data will be available not only on Xiaomi, but also on iPhone, Windows or any other device. However, note that Google Photos from 2021 limits free storage to 15 GB (together with Gmail and Google Drive).

5. Method 4: Transfer over an OTG cable or computer

If you don't have Wi-Fi or you have more than 100GB of data, the most reliable way to do this is to manually transfer it over the cable.

• 🔌 OTG-adapter (if the new phone supports flash drive connection) or USB-plug-in.
• 💻 Computer with Windows/Mac (large-scale).
• 📁 External drive (flash drive or flash drive) HDD) transposition OTG.

Instructions for transfer via computer:

1. Connect your old phone to your PC via USB and enable File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy the folders you need (DCIM for photos, Downloads for downloads, WhatsApp for chats) to your computer.
3. Disable the old phone, connect the new one and transfer the files back.
4. For applications: copy APK-file /data/app (Require root rights or reinstall them from the Play Market.

For transfer through OTG-adapter:

1. Connect the flash drive to an old phone and copy the data to it.
2. Turn off the flash drive and connect to a new phone.
3. Transfer files to internal memory (use Xiaomi’s File Manager or Solid Explorer).

⚠️ Note: When transferring via computer, do not copy the entire Android folder, which can lead to conflicts in these applications. Android/obb).

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Cable transfer is the most reliable method for large data volumes (100+GB), but requires more time and attention to detail.

6. Method 5: Transferring data to WhatsApp and other messengers

Messages from WhatsApp, Telegram or Viber are not carried over Mi Mover or Mi Cloud, but need separate solutions:

For WhatsApp:

• 💬 Back up chats on your old phone: WhatsApp Settings → chat → Backup copy.
• 📱 Install WhatsApp on a new phone and sign in to the same account.
• 🔄 When a request appears, restore the chats from the backup copy (it should be stored in the backup). /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases).

For Telegram:

• ☁️ All chats and media files are automatically synced to the Telegram cloud.
• 📁 For local files (uploaded to "Saved Messages"), copy the folder /Telegram/Telegram Images by hand.

For Viber:

• 🔄 Create a backup: Settings → Account. → Backup copy.
• 📎 Transfer the backup file to your new phone (via cable or cloud).
• 📱 Install Viber and recover data from the file.

Important: WhatsApp is tied to a phone number, so make sure before a penosom SIM-If you change the number, use the Change number function in WhatsApp settings.

7 Problem Solving: What to Do If Transfer Fails

Even if you follow the instructions, you can get errors, and let's look at the typical scenarios and how to solve them.

If none of these methods work, try alternative tools:

• 📲 Clone Phone (from Xiaomi) – the analogue of Mi Mover for older models.
• 🔗 Send Anywhere – a cross-platform application for transferring files over Wi-Fi.
• 💾 Titanium Backup (requires root) – for full backup of data applications.

⚠️ Note: If your old phone doesn’t turn on, but the data on it is critical, contact the Xiaomi service center to extract information from memory.

8.Optimize the new phone after the transfer

After the successful data transfer, it is recommended to follow several steps to optimize the work of the new Xiaomi:

• 🧹 Clear the cache of system applications: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Clear the cache.
• 🔄 Update all apps through the Play Market (even if they’ve moved over the Mi Mover).
• 📊 Check battery settings: disable optimization for frequently used applications (Settings) → Battery → Optimizing the battery).
• 🔒 Set up fingerprint/face unlock and enable Find Device in Mi Account.

If you’ve migrated data from your phone to HyperOS (like Xiaomi 14), look for new features:

• 🎨 Dark Theme 2.0 – Supports adaptive colors for apps.
• 🔋 Smart battery – analyzes usage habits to optimize consumption.
• 🔒 Privacy – advanced settings for accessing the microphone/camera.

We also recommend checking Settings → Special features and configuring:

• 👁️ Color mode (if you have vision problems).
• 🔊 Monosound (for users with hearing impairments).
• 📱 Gestures – set up swipes for easy navigation.

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After transferring the data, be sure to check the privacy settings on the new phone. MIUI/HyperOS may enable data collection by default to analyze the system.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data portability to Xiaomi