How to transfer data from Xiaomi to Xiaomi via Google: a complete guide

Switching to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but transferring data from an old device can turn into a real headache if you do not know the proven ways. Using a Google account for migration is one of the most reliable and versatile methods that works on all Redmi, POCO and Mi models, regardless of the version of MIUI. Unlike proprietary tools like Mi Mover, synchronization through Google does not require physical connection of devices and allows you to recover data even after resets.

In this article, we’ll look at not only the basic steps to migrate contacts, photos and apps, but also the nuances that the manufacturer often fails to keep silent, such as why some data may not sync automatically, how to avoid duplicate files, and what to do if the new Xiaomi “can’t see” the backup, and how to optimize the process so you don’t spend hours waiting for gigabytes of information to load.

Why Google is the best way to move data to Xiaomi

Syncing through a Google account has several key advantages over alternative methods (e.g. Mi Mover or cable connection):

• 🔄 Cross-platform: Works not only between Xiaomi devices, but also when switching from Samsung, Huawei or even iPhone (with limitations).
• ☁️ Cloud Storage: Data is stored on Google servers, not dependent on the health of an old phone.
• 🔒 Security: Data encryption and two-factor authentication (if enabled).
• 📱 Automation: after setting up the new Xiaomi will offer to restore data when you first turn on.

There are pitfalls, however, such as Google Photos compressing images when downloading free (high quality), and backups of SMS and call logs may not be restored on some MIUI firmware. It’s also worth considering that a full port requires a stable Wi-Fi connection – mobile internet may not be able to handle the amount of data.

Preparing the old Xiaomi for data transfer

Before synchronizing, you need to make sure that the old device is ready for data transfer, and skipping this step can lead to loss of information or errors in recovery.

Update MIUI to the latest version

Make sure there is enough space on your Google account (at least 15GB for a full copy)

Connect to Wi-Fi (not mobile internet!)

Enable sync for all Google services

Charge your phone at least 50%

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First, check if your phone has a Google account attached to it. To do this, go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google. If you don’t have an account, add it using the same email you plan to use on your new device. Note that if the old Xiaomi had multiple Google accounts, the data from each will be synced separately.

Turn on sync for all critical services:

• 📇 Contacts (automatically saved in Google Contacts).
• 📅 Calendar (events and reminders).
• 📎 Google Drive (Documents, tables, presentations).
• 📸 Google Photos (Photos and Videos).
• 📱 Backup of the device (settings, SMS, call log - optionally).

⚠️ Note: If your old phone has Traffic Saving or Background Limitation for Google apps enabled, sync may be interrupted. → Battery and productivity → Application power management.

Create a backup copy through Google Drive

To fully port settings, SMS and call logs, you need to back up your device in Google Drive, a step that is often skipped, but without it, you can’t restore, for example, your message history or Wi-Fi settings.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → System → Backup.
2. Click Backup in Google Drive.
3. Select a Google account (if there are more than one).
4. Activate the switch Backup of application data.
5. Click Create a copy now.

It can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour, depending on the amount of data you have, and after you've finished, check that the copy has appeared on your Google Drive (Backups). If you don't make a copy, try:

• 🔄 Reboot the phone.
• 📶 Connect to another Wi-Fi network.
• 🗑️ Clear the Google Drive cache in Settings → Annexes → Application management → Google Drive → Warehouse.

Transfer photos and videos via Google Photos

Google Photos is the most convenient way to transfer media files, but there are nuances with the quality and storage volume. By default, the app offers two download options:

To avoid loss of quality:

1. Open Google Photos on the old Xiaomi.
2. Click on profile avatar → Photo settings → Backup and synchronization.
3. Select the original quality (if the space in the Disk allows).
4. Enable the option of backup via Wi-Fi.
5. Wait for the download to complete (you can check the progress in the section Library → Utilities → Backup Progress).

⚠️ Note: If your old phone has photos stored on an SD card, Google Photos doesn't download them by default. To enable card backup, go to Settings → Backup of the device → Folders from the device and manually select the desired folders.

Set up a new Xiaomi to recover data

When all the data from the old phone is uploaded to the cloud, you can start setting up the new Xiaomi, and the main thing here is not to miss the recovery step on the first turn on, otherwise you will have to reset the device to factory settings.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on the new Xiaomi and select the language.
2. At the Data Copy stage, select Restore from backup.
3. Log in to the same Google account used on your old phone.
4. Select the latest backup from the list (check the date of creation!).
5. Check the data types for recovery (contacts, applications, settings, etc.).
6. Confirm the recovery and wait for completion.

If you missed this step when you first turned on, you can restore the data later:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Select your account and click Sync.
3. To restore the backup, reset your phone to factory settings (Settings → About Phone → Resetting) and repeat the setup process from scratch.

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If the new Xiaomi doesn’t see a backup, check that both devices are using the same version of MIUI (or Android).

Transfer of applications and their data

Synchronization through Google restores the list of installed applications, but not always their data, for example, progress in games, settings messengers or saved passwords in the browser may not be transferred.

• 🎮 Games: Use a link to your Google Play Games account or social media (Facebook, VK).
• 💬 Messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram): back up chats manually (on WhatsApp this is Settings) → chat → Backup copy).
• 🔐 Passwords: Export them from Google Password Manager or use third-party managers (1Password, Bitwarden).
• 📁 Application files: copy folders /Android/data/ and /Android/obb/ manually (via cable or cloud).

To transfer the applications themselves (APK-Files can be used for Google Play:

1. On your new phone, open the Play Store.
2. Click on the profile avatar → Apps and devices management.
3. Go to the Installed tab and select Not Installed.
4. Mark the desired applications and click Install.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even with the right setup, syncing through Google can go wrong, and let’s look at the common mistakes and how to fix them.

If after recovery on the new phone appeared duplicate contacts or photos, delete them using the built-in tools:

• For contacts: open Google Contacts → Duplicates → Combine.
• For photos: in Google Photos, click on three dots → Utilities → Clean.

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If the new Xiaomi has started to slow down after the data transfer, check if unnecessary data (such as app cache or old backups) are synchronized.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions