Changing your smartphone, even to a new model of the same brand, is always accompanied by a desire to quickly transfer all the important data. Owners of the Xiaomi ecosystem are in a favorable position, as the company has provided several built-in tools for migration. Porting photos is a priority for most users, because it is in the gallery that memories, documents and screenshots are stored.
There are many synchronization methods available, from cloud storage to local Wi-Fi Direct transmission. The choice of the specific method depends on the volume of your media content and the availability of the Internet connection. In this article, we will discuss in detail the algorithms for each method so that you can choose the best option.
Don’t underestimate the importance of pre-prepared devices: Make sure both smartphones are at least 50% charged so the process doesn’t get interrupted halfway, and check for free space on the target device, as modern cameras create large files.
Using the Mi Mover app for quick migration
The most efficient and native way to transfer data between Xiaomi devices is the Mi Mover utility, which is preinstalled in the MIUI and HyperOS shell, making it available without downloading from third-party sources, and allows you to transfer files over a local Wi-Fi network at high speeds without consuming mobile traffic.
To start, you need to run the app on both smartphones. On the old device, select the role of "Sender" and on the new one, "Receiver." QR-code that will appear on the screen of the new phone to establish a secure connection between gadgets.
The interface offers you to select data categories to transfer, you can only mark "Images" if you are not interested in transferring contacts or applications, and the system automatically calculates the amount of data and the approximate time it takes to complete the operation.
- 🚀 High speed transfer thanks to the use of Wi-Fi Direct without a router.
- 🔒 Encrypting the connection guarantees the security of your personal data when transferring.
- 📱 Support for transfer of not only photos, but also system settings and application lists.
- 🔄 Ability to interrupt the process and resume it later without losing progress.
⚠️ Note: Do not go to sleep or turn off smartphone screens during the active transmission phase, as this may break the Wi-Fi Direct connection.
The process of copying large albums can take time, but the status bar usually shows progress in real time. Upon completion, you will receive a notification and all images will be available in the standard gallery of the new device in their original quality.
Synchronization through the cloud service Mi Cloud
The second most popular method is the Mi Cloud, which is ideal for those who want to not only transfer files, but also create a backup copy that is available from any device, and the integration with the system gallery allows you to automatically upload new images.
On the old phone, you need to log in to your Mi Account and activate sync for the category "Gallery". After all the photos are uploaded to the server, just log in under the same login on the new Xiaomi smartphone.
It is important to consider that free of charge the user is given a limited amount of space, usually 5 GB. For large archives will need to expand the tariff plan or use this method selectively for the most important frames.
| Parameter | Description | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Speed. | Depends on the speed of the Internet | It requires stable Wi-Fi. |
| Volume free | 5GB | Little for video in 4K |
| Quality. | Original or optimized | Depends on the settings. |
| Availability | From any device with the Internet | I need a Mi Account. |
Once logged in to your account on the new device, photos may not appear instantly in the phone’s memory, but will be displayed in the gallery as they are downloaded from the cloud, taking up minimal disk space until they open.
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Turn on the option “Only over Wi-Fi” in the sync settings so that you do not accidentally spend the entire mobile traffic pack on downloading heavy videos.
Transfer with Google Photos
Google's ecosystem offers one of the most convenient cross-platform backup solutions. Google Photos is often already built into Android, making it easier to do so. It's especially good if you're planning to switch to a new brand in the future.
The principle of operation is similar to Mi Cloud: install the application (if not), sign in to Google account and enable autoload. Google compression algorithms allow you to store unlimited number of photos in the “Saving space” mode, although the quality will be slightly compressed.
On a new phone, just log into the same Google account, and all your albums created on your old device will automatically be pulled from the cloud, creating a single history of your images, independent of the physical media.
- ☁️ Unlimited storage in high quality mode (with compression).
- 🔍 Powerful search by objects, persons and places of shooting.
- 📲 Access to photos via web interface from any computer.
- 🤖 Automatic creation of collages and animations.
It’s worth noting that downloading the original quality consumes your Google Drive’s quota of 15GB for all of the company’s services, enough for most users to store key documents and photos.
⚠️ Note: When you delete a photo from the Google Photo cloud, it can also be deleted from your phone’s memory if sync is enabled.
Local transmission via Bluetooth and ShareMe
If the internet is not available or unstable, local transmission technologies come to the rescue. Standard Bluetooth is suitable for transferring multiple images, but its speed is extremely low for large volumes. A more advanced solution is the ShareMe application (formerly Mi Drop).
ShareMe creates a temporary Wi-Fi hotspot that connects to the second phone, and transfer speeds can reach tens of megabytes per second, which is much faster than Bluetooth. The application interface is intuitive and supports transfer between different brands.
It doesn't require a WAN connection to work, but you just need to turn on Bluetooth to initially detect the devices, and the main data stream will go over the Wi-Fi channel, which saves battery power compared to constantly searching for networks.
☑️ Pre-transfer checks
Users often confuse this method with simple Bluetooth pairing, the main difference being that ShareMe uses Wi-Fi Direct protocols, ignoring the limitations of classic Bluetooth on speed and file type.
Use of PCs and USB-cable
The classic "old-fashioned" method of using a computer remains one of the most reliable, especially when working with terabytes of data. USB-cable and access to both phones file system via Windows Explorer or Finder on macOS.
Connect your old phone to your computer, select the USB File Transfer (MTP) mode. Copy the DCIM/Camera folder and other image directories to your PC hard drive. Then repeat the procedure for the new phone by copying the files back.
The good thing about this is that you create a physical copy of the data on an external medium, and if you have a cloud service failure or account issue, you'll have a backup on your computer.
Android folder structure:
/Inner memory/DCIM/Camera/
/Internal memory/Pictures/
/Inner memory/Download/When copying through a PC, it is important to keep the folder structure in mind if you want photos to be automatically distributed across albums on a new device, otherwise all the pictures can fall into one pile.
What to do if your computer can’t see your phone?
Problem Solving and Frequently Asked Questions
The migration process can be complicated by technical issues, most often memory or permission errors, and if the transmission is interrupted, try restarting both devices and disabling them. VPN-Connections that can block local traffic.
Sometimes, when you move photos, they may not show up in the gallery right away, so it helps to clear the cache of the Gallery app or reboot the system's media scanner, and the files don't go away, they're just not indexed by the system.
- ❌ “Not enough space” error: Clean the gallery basket before starting.
- 📶 Interrupt communication: make sure screens don’t go out (set screen timeout).
- 🔐 Request permissions: be sure to click "Allow" when requesting access to files.
⚠️ Note: Do not delete photos from your old phone until you make sure they open and display correctly on your new device.
Compliance with simple security rules and choosing the right method ensures the safety of your data. The fastest way for large amounts of data is Mi Mover, while Google Photos is better suited for constant background synchronization.
Can I transfer the photo without losing quality?
What if the Mi Mover is 99% frozen?
Where are the photos stored after the transfer?
Do you need the internet to run Mi Mover?
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The choice of method depends on your priorities: speed (Mi Mover), availability everywhere (Google Photos), or full control and reliability (USB-cable).