How to Transfer Data from Android to Xiaomi: A Complete 2026 Guide

The transition to a new Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphone is always an exciting moment, especially when it comes to protecting personal data. Old photos, messaging, notes and even app settings are all things you want to transfer without loss. Fortunately, the process of migrating from one Android device to another is as simple as possible today, but there are nuances that you should know about in advance.

In this article, we will discuss 5 We will compare the methods of data transfer, speed, reliability and limitations, and give specific instructions for different scenarios – from basic synchronization through Google Account to advanced cloning of the system using Mi Mover. We will pay special attention to typical problems (for example, why WhatsApp messages are not portable or how to circumvent file size restrictions) and give recommendations for owners of devices with a wide range of data. MIUI 14/15.

Whether you upgrade from the Samsung Galaxy to the Xiaomi 14 Ultra or upgrade from the budget Redmi Note 10 to the POCO F6 Pro, you’ll find the latest solutions here. And if your old smartphone runs Android 10 or newer, the process will be even easier thanks to the built-in tools of Google and Xiaomi.

Preparation for transfer: what to do before the start

Before you start migrating, follow a few critical steps that will save time and prevent data loss.

Mandatory action:

• 🔋 Charge both devices to at least 50% (preferably 80%) and transfer data can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours, especially if you are talking about tens of gigabytes of photos and videos.
• 📶 Connect both phones to a stable Wi-Fi network. Mobile internet is not suitable - traffic restrictions or unstable signal can interrupt the process.
• 🔐 Make sure that both devices share the same Google Account (if you plan to sync through it) and make it easier to move your contacts, calendars and certain settings.
• 📱 Update the firmware on both smartphones. On Xiaomi, check the relevance MIUI In Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.

It's also worth freeing up space on a new device. For example, if you're porting 64GB of data and Xiaomi only has 32GB free, some files won't be copied. Check the free space in Settings → Storage.

⚠️ Note: If your old smartphone is encrypted (for example, through File-Based Encryption on Android 11)+), Some transfer techniques may not work, in which case use Mi Mover or manual transfer via computer.

2. Method 1: Mi Mover is the official tool of Xiaomi

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary solution, optimized for transferring data between devices to MIUI. It supports contact, message (including SMS/MMS), photos, videos, music, apps (including their data), and even some system settings. The main advantage is that you don’t need a computer or cloud, everything happens over a direct Wi-Fi connection between phones.

How to use Mi Mover:

1. On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select the option “Data Transfer” (if the device is already configured, find Mi Mover in Settings → Additional).
2. On your old phone, install the Mi Mover app from Google Play (if it’s not by default).
3. Run Mi Mover on both devices and select which is the “Sender” and which is the “Receiver”.
4. Scan it. QR-code from the screen of the new Xiaomi old phone for pairing.
5. Select data types to transfer and confirm the start of the process.

The speed of transfer depends on the amount of data and device model. For example, 10 GB of photos and video on the Xiaomi 13T Pro can be transferred in about 15-20 minutes, and on budget models like the Redmi 12C can take up to 40 minutes.

Install Mi Mover on your old phone|Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network|Charge phones to 50%+|Make room for the new Xiaomi|Shut down. VPN (can block the connection)-->

⚠️ Note: Mi Mover does not transfer data from some applications (e.g. Telegram or Viber) if they use their own cloud storage, and there may be problems migrating apps that are not installed from Google Play (APK-file).

3. Method 2: Sync through Google Account

If you're a Google user, this is the easiest way to do this, and it's good for moving contacts, calendars, Google Keep, email, photos, and some app settings, and the main advantage is that the data is automatically updated on the new device as soon as you log in.

What exactly is synchronized:

• 📇 Contacts (from the "Google Contacts" app")
• 📅 Calendars (Google Calendar)
• 📝 Notes (Google Keep)
• 📷 Photos and videos (if you have autoloaded in Google Photos)
• 🎵 Music and podcasts (if you use YouTube Music or Google Podcasts)
• 📱 Some system settings (Wi-Fi networks, wallpaper, language preferences)

How to turn on synchronization:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Accounts → Google.
2. Select your account and make sure that all the options you need (Contacts, Calendar, etc.) are enabled.
3. On the new Xiaomi, when you set up, log in to the same Google Account and wait for the sync to complete (it can take up to 10-15 minutes).

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ Not tolerated. SMS/MMS (They need Mi Mover or third-party apps).
• ❌ Applications and their data are not copied (only the list of installed programs from Google Play).
• ❌ Photos in original quality take up space in the cloud (free only 15 GB per account).

💡

If you have a lot of photos, turn on the Traffic Saving option in Google Photos (Settings → Mobile Data) before transferring. This will speed up the loading, but reduce the image quality to High (not original).

Method 3: Transfer over a computer (for large amounts of data)

If you need to move 50+ GB data (for example, a video collection in the 4K or RAW-The best option is to use a computer, which is reliable because it eliminates the risk of data loss due to a connection break, and is suitable for any files, including those that are not supported by Mi Mover or Google.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your computer through USB-Cable and select File Transfer Mode (or MTP).
2. Copy the folders you need (DCIM for photos, Download for downloads, etc.) to your computer’s hard drive.
3. Turn off your old phone and connect a new Xiaomi.
4. Transfer files from your computer to your smartphone to the appropriate folders.

What data can be transferred:

• 📸 Photos and videos (including albums from Gallery)
• 🎵 Music and podcasts
• 📄 Documents (PDF, DOCX, XLSX)
• 🎮 Game retention (if stored locally)
• 📁 Any user files

To speed up the process, use USB 3.0 (blue connector) and a high-speed cable (for example, the original Xiaomi cable or a certified USB-C). The speed of copying 10 GB of data can vary from 5 minutes (on SSD) to 20 minutes (on HDD).

⚠️ Warning: Don’t copy the entire Android folder, which can lead to conflicts in these applications, it is better to transfer only media files and documents, and install the applications again through Google Play.

5. Method 4: Transfer WhatsApp and other messengers

One of the most difficult aspects of migration is the transfer of correspondence from instant messengers. WhatsApp, Viber and Telegram store data in different ways, and standard methods (like Mi Mover) often fail. Let's consider the solutions for each case.

WhatsApp:

• 🔄 Official way: back up Google Drive. On your old phone, open WhatsApp Settings → chat → Backup and create a backup. On the new Xiaomi, install WhatsApp, log in to the same account and restore chats.

Telegram:

• ☁️ All chats and media files are stored in the Telegram cloud, so just log in to your account on a new device.
• 📁 Local files (such as downloaded documents) can be copied manually from the Telegram folder to internal storage.

Viber:

• 🔄 Backup works via Google Drive or iCloud (but only for the transition from Android to Android).
• 📱 On the new Xiaomi at the first launch Viber will offer to restore data.

Important: If you use two-factor authentication in messengers, disable it before transferring it or save backup codes, otherwise you risk losing access to your account.

6. Method 5: Using third-party applications (Cloneit, Send Anywhere)

If built-in tools don’t fit, third-party apps can be used, and they often offer more flexibility, such as selecting specific files or folders to transfer, cross-platform support (including iOS), and high transfer speeds.

Top.-3 data-transfer applications:

How to use Cloneit:

1. Install Cloneit on both phones from Google Play.
2. On the old phone, select "Sender", on the new one - "Receiver".
3. Scan it. QR-pairing.
4. Select the data to transfer and confirm the beginning.

Send Anywhere is convenient for one-time transfer of large files, for example, if you want to download 50 GB of video, but you do not want to connect your computer. QR-code that can download files to any device.

💡

The application side is convenient for selective data transfer, but does not replace full backup. Always check the integrity of files after transfer.

Typical problems and their solutions

Even if you follow the instructions, you can have difficulties, and we'll look at the most common ones and how to eliminate them.

Problem 1: Mi Mover can't find an old device

• 🔄 Reboot the Mi Mover on both phones.
• 📶 Make sure both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (or turn on the hotspot on the new Xiaomi and connect the old phone to it).
• 🔐 Turn it off. VPN Firewalls (they can block the connection).
• 📱 Check that the old phone allows data transfer over Wi-Fi (in some firmware this is disabled by default).

Problem 2: Applications or their data are not portable

• 📱 Make sure that the new Xiaomi has enabled the “Install Unknown Apps” option (in Settings). → Annexes → Special access).
• 🔄 To port application data (e.g., progress in games), use backup within the application itself (if supported).
• 💻 If the application is critical, copy its data folder (/Android/data/name packet) via computer.

Issue 3: Photos and videos are transferred but not displayed in the gallery

• 🔄 Reboot the new Xiaomi – sometimes the media scanner doesn’t have time to update the database.
• 📂 Check that the files are copied to the correct folders: photo - in DCIM/Camera, downloads - in Download.
• 🛠 Use a file manager (e.g. Files by Google) to manually update your media library.

Problem 4: Private Folder is not portable

If the old phone used a closed folder feature (for example, on Samsung or Huawei), its contents will not be visible by standard methods.

1. On an old phone, export files from a closed folder to a regular one (for example, in DCIM).
2. Then, move them in one of the ways described above.
3. On the new Xiaomi, create a closed folder in the Gallery and move the files there.

8. FAQ: Answers to frequent questions