How to transfer data from an old phone to Xiaomi 10 Pro: 5 proven ways

The transition to a new smartphone is always an exciting moment, especially if we are talking about a flagship like Xiaomi 10 Pro with its advanced camera, AMOLED-It's a display and powerful Snapdragon 865 processor, but the joy of updating the gadget is often overshadowed by the need to transfer data: photos, contacts, messages and even app settings. Many users lose hours trying to manually copy files or restore backups, and some even face the loss of important information.

This article will help avoid common mistakes. We will analyze all the current ways to transfer data to the Xiaomi 10 Pro, from the official Mi Mover tool to manual copying via PC, and also tell you how to save the MIUI settings, which often “fly” when changing devices, and pay special attention to the nuances of working with Android 12/13 and the MIUI 14 proprietary shell, since they determine the available portability options.

Important: if your old phone is not Xiaomi, some methods (like Mi Mover) may not be available, and then you'll need universal solutions like Google Account or direct cable, and if you're switching from an iPhone, we'll separately look at how to circumvent Apple's restrictions and even migrate your call history.

1.Official method: Mi Mover - fast and lossless

Mi Mover is a proprietary application from Xiaomi that is designed specifically for data migration between the brand’s devices. It supports the transfer of almost everything from contacts and SMS to installed applications (including their data) and even MIUI settings. The main advantage is that the structure of folders and file metadata (for example, the date of the creation of a photo), which is rare for third-party utilities.

To use the Mi Mover, both phones must be running MIUI 9 or later. On the Xiaomi 10 Pro, the app is preinstalled (see the Tools folder), and on the old device, it can be downloaded from Google Play or the Mi App Store, which takes 10 to 40 minutes depending on the amount of data.

• 📱 Step 1. Open Mi Mover on both phones. On the old one, select I am the sender; on the new one, select I am the receiver.
• 🔗 Step 2: Connect devices to one Wi-Fi Direct network (created automatically) or via a hot spot.
• 📁 Step 3: Check the data categories on the old phone to transfer (you can choose all or only the right one).
• ⚡ Step 4: Confirm the start of transmission. Do not interrupt the connection until you see a message of successful completion.

⚠️ Note: If your old phone has data encryption enabled (for example, through File-Based Encryption in Android 10)+), Mi Mover may not see some files, in which case, before transferring, temporarily disable encryption in the security settings.

Charging the battery of both phones > 50%|Free space on Xiaomi 10 Pro (at least 20% more data portable)|Disabled. VPN firewalls|Both devices are connected to charging (recommended)-->

2. Transfer through Google Account: universal, but with limitations

If your old phone is not Xiaomi (like Samsung, Huawei, or even iPhone), the most reliable way to transfer is sync with Google Account.

• 📇 Contacts (from Google Contacts)
• 📅 Calendars and reminders
• 📧 Posts and Notes (Google Keep)
• 📸 Photos and videos (if you have autoloaded in Google Photos)
• 🎮 Data from some games (via Google Play Games)

But there are nuances:

1. SMS and call history are not automatically synced, but need a separate application (e.g. SMS Backup & Restore).
2. Apps will recover, but their data (for example, save in games or settings messengers) – only if the developer supports Google Drive Backup.
3. Files (documents, music) are not portable, they will have to be copied separately.

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Accounts → Google and enable sync for all the right categories.
2. On Xiaomi 10 Pro, when you first turn on, select Copy Data from your old device and log in to the same Google Account.
3. Wait for the recovery to be completed (may take up to an hour if you have a lot of data).

💡

If contacts are not restored after the transfer, check if they are hidden in Google Contacts. Go to contacts.google.com, select More → Restore contacts and specify the date before the change of phone.

Direct cable connection: for large data volumes

If you have tens of gigabytes of photos, videos or other files, direct cable transfer will be faster and more reliable than wireless methods.

• 🔌 OTG-cable USB-C → USB-A, If you have an old microUSB phone).
• 📱 Old phone with support USB Mass Storage or MTP (most Android devices).
• 🔋 Charging for both devices (transfer can drain the battery).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to Xiaomi 10 Pro via OTG-The new device will display a notification on the screen. USB-plug-in.
2. Open Explorer (or Files) on Xiaomi 10 Pro, go to the section USB-device.
3. Copy the right folders (DCIM for photos, downloads, etc.) to internal memory or SD-map.
4. To port apps, use the APK Extractor (on your old phone) and manually install the APK on your new phone.

⚠️ Note: If you are porting data from an iPhone, the cable connection will not work due to Apple's restrictions. instead use iTunes (for backup) + Backup conversion software (e.g., iMazing or AnyTrans) or cloud services like Google Drive.

4.Move over PC: for advanced users

If you have a computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux), transferring data through it gives you maximum control over the process.

• 🖥️ File filtering before copying (e.g., leave only photos from the last year).
• 🔄 Convert formats are required (e.g, HEIC iPhone-to-phone JPEG).
• 🔒 You need to create an archive copy on the hard disk.

Instructions for Windows:

1. Connect your old phone to your PC via USB, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy the desired folders (DCIM, Pictures, Downloads, etc.) to the hard drive.
3. Connect Xiaomi 10 Pro, drag and drop files into internal memory or on the phone SD-map.
4. To transfer contacts, export them to a.vcf file via Google Contacts or Contacts on your phone, then import them on a new device.

Macs require Android File Transfer (download from official website). If files are not displayed, check your settings. USB-debugging in Settings → The phone. → Build number (tap 7 times to activate developer mode).

5. Cloud services: Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive

If you have slow Internet or little space on your phone, cloud services are a lifeline, and they allow you to move data in stages without having to physically connect your devices.

The following steps are provided for Google Drive:

1. On your old phone, install Google Drive and log in to your account.
2. Click + → Download and select files to transfer.
3. On Xiaomi 10 Pro, open Google Drive, find uploaded files and download them.
4. To automatically upload photos, turn on backup in Google Photos.

⚠️ Note: If you are transferring data through Mi Cloud, please note that the servers are located in China, so download speeds may be slow. VPN servers in Asia (e.g. Hong Kong or Singapore).

Mi Mover|Google Account|Direct cable connection|Through the PC.|Cloud services-->

6. Portability of applications and their data: how not to lose progress in games

One of the hardest things about changing phones is moving apps and data, like in games like Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile, it's important to keep progress, and in instant messengers, it's important to keep your correspondence history.

• 🎮 Games: Most modern games are linked to Google Play Games, Facebook or your own account (e.g. miHoYo for Genshin Impact.
• 💬 Messengers: WhatsApp: Create a backup in Settings → chat → Backup and restore it on your new phone. Telegram: All data synced through the cloud automatically. Viber: Backup is created in Settings → Account. → Backup copy.
• 📱 System applications: Settings MIUI (Themes, gestures, sounds can only be transferred via Mi Mover or Mi Cloud.

For manual transfer of application data:

1. Use App Cloner or Swift Backup (root rights required).
2. Copy /data/data/{name packet application} (root or ADB required).
3. Install the app on your new phone and restore the data.

💡

If the app doesn’t recover data after the transfer, check if it supports backup via Google Drive.A list of such apps can be found in Settings → Google → Backup → Application Data.

7.Moving from iPhone to Xiaomi 10 Pro: bypassing Apple's restrictions

The transition from iPhone to Android is always fraught with difficulties due to Apple's closed ecosystem, but even here there are solutions:

• 📱 Step 1. On your iPhone, turn off iMessage (Settings) → Communications → iMessage, otherwise SMS They won't come to the new phone.
• 🔗 Step 2. Use Google Drive to port contacts, calendars and photos: Install Google Drive on your iPhone. Sign in and select Backup. On Xiaomi 10 Pro, restore data when you first turn on.
• 🎵 Step 3: Use Apple Music for Android to transfer music or copy tracks via iTunes to your PC and then to your new phone.
• 📸 Step 4: Photo in format HEIC convert JPEG via Google Photos (settings) → Retention of copies).