Buying a new Xiaomi smartphone is always a joy, but it is often overshadowed by the need to transfer data. The largest piece of information on any device is the media library. Hundreds and thousands of images taken over the years take up gigabytes of memory, and you don’t want to lose them at all. Fortunately, the Android ecosystem offers many tools for migration, and Xiaomi owners have even more opportunities here thanks to branded utilities.
In this article, we’ll look at all the current methods, from cloud services to direct cable transmission, learn how to use the built-in Mi Mover, which is often ignored by beginners, and look at standard Google tools and third-party applications. It’s important to choose the way that will suit your situation: memory capacity, the presence of a Wi-Fi router or mobile Internet speed.
Don’t be afraid of the transfer process. Modern technology allows you to copy tens of gigabytes of photos in minutes without losing quality. We will look at the nuances of each method so that you can avoid typical errors such as interruption of connection or duplication of files. Xiaomi made sure that the transition from any other Android smartphone (Samsung, Honor, Realme) was as painless as possible.
Using the Mi Mover app: Xiaomi’s native way
The most efficient and quick way to transfer data between Xiaomi smartphones and any other Android device is to use the Mi Mover app, which is pre-installed on all modern Redmi, POCO and Xiaomi models, but it can also be downloaded from Google Play to an old phone, the main advantage of the method is that it transfers over a local Wi-Fi channel, without consuming Internet traffic and providing high speed.
To get started, you need to run the app on both devices. On the new Xiaomi smartphone, select the role of “I’m a recipient” and on the old device, choose the role of “I’m a sender”. QR-Once you've established the connection, the interface will suggest you select data categories, and the critical thing here is not just to click "Select All," but to go to Images and make sure that the folders you want are selected, including: DCIM/Camera, Screenshots and messenger folders.
☑️ Preparation for transfer via Mi Mover
The copying process can take time if you have a lot of high-resolution photos, at which time the screens of the devices may go out, but you should not interrupt the connection. Mi Mover automatically checks the integrity of the files after transfer. RAW-file 4K, The speed may be lower than theoretical, but the stability of the connection will remain high.
⚠️ Warning: While Mi Mover is running, don’t switch to other apps or block smartphone screens.This can break the Wi-Fi Direct connection and the process will have to start over.
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If the process is 99% frozen, try to turn off mobile internet on both devices, leaving only the Wi-Fi module active for local transmission.
Sync through Google Photos and Cloud Services
Cloud technology has become the de facto standard for backups. Google Photos is integrated into Android and is one of the most reliable ways to transfer. The essence of the method is simple: on an old phone, sync is turned on, photos are uploaded to the cloud, and on the new Xiaomi, you just need to log into the same account so that the library appears automatically.
However, this method has its own peculiarities: a free Google account provides 15 GB of space, which may not be enough for a full copy of the gallery. In the settings of Google Photos, you can choose the quality of "Saving space" (compressed photos) or "Original" (takes up a quota). For Google One subscription holders or Xiaomi Cloud users, this method becomes the preferred way, since it allows you not only to transfer, but also to keep the archive secure forever.
The setup process on the new device takes minutes. Once you log in to your Google account in Settings → Accounts and Sync, the system will prompt you to restore the data. Photos will appear in the gallery as you download, which is ideal if your old phone is already sold or broken, but access to the account is saved.
| Parameter | Google Photo | Xiaomi Cloud | Local Wi-Fi (Mi Mover) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed. | Depends on the Internet. | Depends on the Internet. | Very high. |
| Traffic. | Spent. | Spent. | No spending. |
| Data volume | 15GB limit (free) | 5GB (free) | No restrictions. |
| Quality. | Compression or Original | Original | Full original |
Wired connection: USB-cable
A classic method that never fails in the absence of stable Wi-Fi. To implement it, you will need a computer (Windows or macOS) and a serviceable one. USB-This method gives you full control over the file system and allows you to structure folders before downloading to the new Xiaomi.
Connect your old smartphone to your PC and select the USB File Transfer (MTP) mode. The computer will open a Explorer window. Find the DCIM folder, then the Camera, which is where most of the images are stored. Copy this folder to your computer's hard drive. Then connect the new Xiaomi, wait for it to be determined by the system, and transfer the stored data to the same directory.
It's important to consider the file system. If you're using a Mac, you'll need an Android File Transfer or OpenMTP app, because macOS doesn't see an Android device natively, and when wired, the phone can get hot, which is normal for a process of actively writing large amounts of data.
⚠️ Attention: Never take out USB-This can cause damage to the file system and loss of some of the photos that are marked as "broken».
Transfer via Bluetooth and Nearby Share
While Bluetooth is considered a slow transfer method, Google’s Nearby Share technology is a game-changer: It uses Bluetooth to detect devices and shake hands, but it does the data itself via high-speed Wi-Fi Direct, which allows you to transfer photos between any Android smartphone without installing additional applications.
To take advantage of this method, both phones must have Bluetooth and geolocation enabled. In the gallery of the old phone, select the desired pictures, click the Share button and select the Xiaomi device from the list of gadgets that have appeared. The new device will request confirmation of acceptance.
This is ideal for quickly transferring a small selection of photos (e.g., 50-100 pieces) right at the time of a conversation or meeting, and is less convenient for migrating thousands of photos because of the need for constant confirmation and the lack of the ability to select the entire gallery with a single button, as in Mi Mover.
Why does Nearby Share sometimes fail to find devices?
Solving Common Problems in Transfer
Even with automated systems, there may be disruptions, and most often users are faced with a situation where photos have been transferred but are not displayed in the gallery, this is solved by clearing the Gallery app cache through the Settings menu → Apps → All Apps → Gallery → Clear. After that, the system will take time to re-scan the media files.
Another common problem is the Mi Mover communication interruption, which often happens if one of the devices is power-saving mode that “kills” the background Wi-Fi processes. Before migrating, it is recommended to switch both smartphones to Performance mode or turn off energy savings.
If files are copied through a computer with the error “File name too long” or “Inadmissible characters”, this means that the folder names on the old phone have special characters, in which case it is better to rename the folders on the old device or use the archiver to pack the photo before sending.
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If the gallery is empty after the transfer, don't panic - the files are in place, it just takes time for the system to index. Rebooting the phone often speeds up this process.
Comparison of methods and selection of optimal
The choice of method depends on your priorities: speed, convenience or Internet availability. For a complete migration out of the box immediately after purchase, there is no equal Mi Mover. MIUI/HyperOS and transfers not only photos, but also the placement of icons, Wi-Fi passwords and alarm clock settings.
For regular backups, you'd better use Google Photos + Xiaomi Cloud, which will create dual data protection, if one cloud becomes unavailable or the space runs out, the copy will remain in the other, and it frees up space on the device itself, which is critical for models with a small amount of internal memory.
The wired method remains a “heavy artillery” for those who operate terabytes of data. RAW-format 8K. No wireless method can provide such stability in transferring hundreds of gigabytes of information in a single session.