How to Transfer Data from Android to Xiaomi 11T: A Complete Guide to Comparing All Ways

Switching to a new smartphone is always exciting, especially when it comes to a flagship like Xiaomi. 11T his AMOLED-It's a 120Hz display and a powerful Snapdragon 888 processor, but the joy of updating the gadget can be overshadowed by one question: how to transfer all the data from an old Android device without losing contact, photos, or save in games? There are many options – from built-in Mi Mover to cloud services, but each has nuances.

Many users mistakenly think that it is enough to copy files to a flash drive and the problem is solved. In practice, this only works with media files, but you can not take the settings of applications, SMS or call logs. Moreover, Xiaomi 11T has its own MIUI 12.5+ shell, which can conflict with data from other manufacturers (for example, Samsung or Huawei).

Before you start, check out two key points:

1. Both devices must have at least 30% battery life – interruption due to discharge can result in loss of some data.
2. Update the firmware on Xiaomi 11T to the latest version via Settings → About Phone → System Update. Older versions of MIUI may not have critical features like Mi Mover.

1.Mi Mover: Xiaomi's official tool for quick transfer

Mi Mover is a proprietary solution from Xiaomi, which is installed by default on all new devices of the brand, including 11T. The main advantage of the method is the automatic migration of almost all types of data without having to connect to a PC or the cloud. Works even with devices from other manufacturers (for example, Samsung or OnePlus), but with some limitations.

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

1. On Xiaomi 11T, go to Settings → About Phone → Mi Mover.
2. On an old phone, download the Mi Mover app from Google Play (if it’s not by default).
3. Run the app on both devices and select the role: "Sender" (old phone) and "Receiver" (new 11T).
4. Scan it. QR-Xiaomi screen code 11T Use your old phone or connect via a Wi-Fi hotspot created by the new device.
5. Select data types for transfer (contacts, messages, photos, videos, applications) and confirm the beginning of the process.

The speed of the transfer depends on the amount of data, for example, 10 GB of photos and videos are transmitted in an average of 15-20 minutes with a stable Wi-Fi connection.

• 🚫 Not all apps are supported, and data from some games or messengers (like WhatsApp) may not be portable.
• 🔄 Apps are portable without updates. After migration, check for updates to Google Play.
• 📱 It requires a free space. 11T It should have at least 10% more memory than the amount of data being transferred.

Battery charge >30% on both devices|

Updated firmware on Xiaomi 11T|

Downloaded the Mi Mover app to an old phone |

VPN/proxy disabled (can block connection)|

Freely. ≥10 GB of memory on the new phone-->

⚠️ Note: If your old phone has custom firmware installed (like LineageOS), Mi Mover may not work smoothly, in which case use alternative methods like Google Account or Google Account. ADB.

2. Google Account Transfer: Universal, but not perfect

Syncing with a Google Account is the most versatile way, as it works on any Android device, but it has significant limitations: not all data is synced automatically, and the amount of free cloud storage is limited to 15 GB. However, the method is suitable for transferring contacts, calendars, notes and some application settings.

Instructions for transfer:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Accounts → Google and make sure that sync is enabled for all the right categories (contacts, calendar, Chrome, Gmail, etc.).
2. On Xiaomi 11T, add the same Google Account through Settings → Accounts → Add an account.
3. Wait for automatic synchronization (can take up to 1 hour depending on the speed of the Internet).
4. To transfer photos and videos, use Google Photos: turn on autoload on the old phone, and on the new one download files through the application.

What will not be transferred through Google Account:

• 📱 SMS and call log (a separate application is required, such as: SMS Backup & Restore).
• 🎮 Save games (you need to use accounts inside games, for example, Google Play Games).
• 🔐 Wi-Fi passwords (only transferred via Mi Mover or Titanium Backup).
• 📁 Files outside of standard folders (such as downloads or documents at the root of memory).

💡

If you have a lot of photos, turn on the option “High quality” (non-original size) in Google Photos before transferring. This will save space in the cloud: unlimited storage for photos up to 16 MP and video up to 1080p.

To transfer SMS and call logs, we recommend using third-party applications:

3. Transfer over OTG or PC cable: for large data volumes

If you have tens of gigabytes of photos, videos or music and Wi-Fi is unstable, the best option is to physically connect via an OTG cable or computer, which guarantees maximum transfer speeds (up to 480 Mbps with USB 3.0) and is suitable for transferring any files, including hidden application folders.

Option 1: OTG cable (direct phone-to-phone connection)

1. Buy it. OTG-plug-in USB-C (Xiaomi 11T) and Micro-USB/USB-C (depending on the old phone).
2. Connect the old phone to the 11T via an adapter.
3. Xiaomi 11T will open a file manager (MIUI File Manager) and select folders to copy (for example, DCIM for photos or Downloads for downloads).
4. Copy files into internal memory or SD-card (if supported).

Option 2: Computer transfer

1. Connect both phones to the PC via USB-cable.
2. On your old phone, turn on File Transfer (MTP) mode in the notification curtain.
3. Open Windows Explorer or Finder (macOS) and copy data from one device to another.
4. To transfer hidden folders (for example,.android_secure or Android/data) enable the display of hidden files in the Explorer settings.

⚠️ Note: When copying files via PC, avoid Cyrillic paths (such as a photo folder). 11T You may not see these files. Rename the folders to Latin before transferring them.

4. Cloud services: Dropbox, Yandex Drive, Telegram

If you have slow or no cables, you can use cloud storage, which is suitable for transferring photos, documents, music and even some application settings, the main advantage is access to files from any device, minus the limited free space (usually 2-15 GB).

Comparison of popular services:

Instructions for transferring over Yandex Drive (for example):

To transfer large videos (for example, from a 4K camera), it is better to use Telegram:

• 📤 Open a chat with you ("Saved Messages").
• 📎 Attach files (up to 2GB at a time).
• 📥 Xiaomi. 11T Download them back.

💡

Cloud services are ideal for transferring individual files, but are not suitable for full system migration. For contacts, SMS and applications, use Mi Mover or Google Account.

5. Application and data portability: root vs. root-free

One of the most difficult aspects of migration is the transfer of installed applications along with their data (for example, saving in games or setting up messengers), there are two scenarios: with root rights and without them.

No root rights:

• 🎮 Use Google Play Games to sync saves (not working in all games).
• 💬 Messengers: WhatsApp: Backup to Settings → chat → Backup (save to Google Drive).Telegram: All data synced through the cloud automatically.
• 📱 Most apps (e.g. Spotify, Netflix) are linked to an account – just log in again.

With root rights:

If you have root on your old phone, use Titanium Backup.

1. Install Titanium Backup on both devices.
2. On an old phone, back up all applications and data (Backage Action → Backup all user applications).
3. Move the Titanium Backup folder to Xiaomi 11T (via cable or cloud).
4. On the new phone, recover data via Titanium Backup.

⚠️ Note: Transferring application data from root can cause conflicts with MIUI 12.5+, Especially if the Android versions on your phones are different. Before restoring, check compatibility in the Titanium Backup settings.

6. Transfer data from a broken or faulty phone

If the old phone doesn't turn on, if the screen is broken, if it's locked, it's difficult to transfer data, but it's still possible.

Method 1: Extraction SD-map

• 📱 If the data is stored on SD-Remove it and paste it into Xiaomi. 11T (if supported) or connect to the PC via a card reader.
• 🔍 Files from internal memory can not be transferred so – you need a different approach.

Method 2: Connecting to a PC in Recovery Mode

1. Connect the faulty phone to the PC.
2. Press the button combination to log in to Recovery Mode (usually Power + Volume Up).
3. From the recovery menu, select Mount → Mount USB Storage (if available).
4. Copy the data on your PC and then on Xiaomi 11T.

Method 3: Use ADB (for advanced users)

If the phone is turned on but the screen is not working:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and enable debugging via USB (if it was previously enabled).
2. Enter the command to copy data: adb pull /sdcard/ C:\Backup\ (switch the path).
3. If debugging is not enabled, try unlocking the screen through ADB: adb shell input text 1234 & & adb shell input keyevent 66 (where 1234 is yours) PIN-code).

FAQ: Frequent questions about data portability to Xiaomi 11T