How to transfer data from the old Xiaomi to the new: all the ways of 2026

Why Standard File Copying Methods Don’t Always Work

Shifting data between Xiaomi smartphones seems like a simple task — as long as you don’t encounter sync errors, lost contacts or “broken” photos. In 2026, the problem got more complicated: MIUI 14/15 tightened its security policy by blocking some of the “holes” for manual copying through adb, and cloud services began to restrict free storage. For example, when you try to transfer 50 GB of photos through the Mi Cloud, you will receive a notification that you need to pay for a subscription — even if both devices are tied to the same account.

Another trap is different versions of Android on the old and new smartphone.If you go with the Redmi Note 8 (Android 10) Xiaomi 14 (Android 14), The system may block the transfer of certain applications due to incompatibility API. And trying to copy data through Xiaomi Migration often ends up in a mistake. MIUI_MIGRATE_FAILED_104 — Especially if the old phone has storage encryption enabled.

In this article, we’ll break down 5 current ways to migrate data, taking into account all the constraints of 2026 – from official tools to workarounds for power users.

• 🔒 Bootloader is blocked on the new phone
• 📱 Different firmware regions (Global/EU/China)
• 🔄 Incompatible versions MIUI (for example, 13 → 15)
• 💾 Not enough space on the new device

Method 1: Official transfer via Xiaomi Migration (by cable)

This is a recommended method from Xiaomi that works on the 90% device MIUI 12+. Advantage – transfer not only files, but also system settings, SMS/MMS, Some applications (e.g. Mi Fit or Mi Home) have some nuances:

⚠️ Note: If encryption is enabled on the old phone (Settings) → Additionally. → Encryption, be sure to turn it off before transferring it. Otherwise, the process will end with an error. MIUI_MIGRATE_FAILED_102.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect both phones to charge (the battery should be ≥50%).
2. On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select Data Transfer. If your phone is already configured, go to Settings → About Phone → Data Transfer.
3. On your old phone, open Settings → Additional → Data Transfer and select I Give.
4. Scan the scanner on your new phone QR-code.
5. Connect your phones with a cable (use Xiaomi’s original USB-C cable!).
6. Select data for transfer (see table below) and confirm.

If the transfer is suspended during the “Data Preparation” stage, try:

• 🔄 Restart both phones and repeat the procedure.
• 🔌 Use the other USB-cable (preferably from the Xiaomi kit).
• 📶 Disable Wi-Fi on both devices (sometimes background synchronization interferes).

Disable encryption on your old phone

Charge both devices ≥50%

Use the original USB-cable

Disable VPN/proxy on both phones

Download the latest updates MIUI-->

Method 2: Transfer over Mi Account (cloud)

If you don't have a cable or your phones don't recognize each other, you can use Mi Cloud, which is a method that can be used to transfer contacts, notes, photos (up to 5GB free) and Miui settings, but there is a critical limitation: From March 1, 2026, Xiaomi will block the synchronization of applications through the cloud for users without a subscription to Mi Cloud+ (199₽/month).

How to transfer data:

1. On your old phone: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → turn on sync for the data you need (contacts, gallery, etc.).
2. Wait for the download to complete (check in Settings → Mi Cloud → Sync status).
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Xiaomi account and enable sync.
4. Wait for the data download (can take up to 24 hours with a large volume).

⚠️ Note: If you use Google Photos for backup, disable autosynchronization before transferring over Mi Cloud.Simultaneous operation of two clouds can lead to duplicate files.

Advantages of the method:

• 🌍 Works at any distance (no cable required).
• 🔄 Automatically updates data when changes occur.

Disadvantages:

• 💰 5GB Limitation for Free Users.
• ⏳ Slow speed with a large amount of data.
• 🚫 Not tolerated. SMS, calls and some settings.

Method 3: Manual transfer via computer (for advanced users)

If you need to migrate all the data without exception (including hidden application files or custom firmware), the only reliable way is to manually copy it over a PC, which takes longer, but guarantees 100% control over the process.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 🔌 Two. USB-cables (preferably original).
• 📁 Backup program (optional: Titanium Backup for root users).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your PC in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy the following folders to your computer (they are at the root of internal memory): /DCIM/ — photo /Downloads/ — load /Pictures/ — Screenshots and saved pictures /Music/ — music /MIUI/ — themes /Android/data/ — Application data (only if there is root)
3. Turn off the old phone, plug in a new one.
4. Move the copied folders to the same directories on the new device.
5. To transfer contacts, export them to.vcf: Contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Exports.
6. To transfer SMS, use the SMS Backup & Restore app (free on Google Play).

If you want to migrate data applications (such as saving in games), you will need root rights or ADB:

adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab


adb restore backup.ab

⚠️ Note: When manually transferring folders /Android/data/ Without root rights, many apps (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) will not see their data.

💡

If the new Xiaomi is not recognized by the computer, install the Mi PC Suite drivers from the official website pcsuite.mi.com. For Linux, use the command sudo apt install mtp-tools (Ubuntu/Debian).

Method 4: Transfer through Google Account (alternative to Mi Cloud)

If you don't trust Mi Cloud or you don't have enough space, you can use Google Account.

• 📇 Contacts
• 📅 calendar
• 📎 Notes (via Google Keep)
• 📷 Photo/video (via Google Photos, 15GB free)
• 🎮 Data from some games (via Google Play Games)

How to set up:

1. On your old phone: Settings → Google Accounts → Account Sync → turn on all the necessary options.
2. Wait for the sync to complete (check in Settings → Google Accounts → Account Management → Data and Personalization).
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Google account and enable sync.
4. To transfer photos, install Google Photos and wait for the media files to download.

Limitations:

• 🚫 Not tolerated. SMS, call-and-set MIUI.
• 📁 Photos in original quality take up space in the cloud (15 GB limit).
• 🔄 Some apps (such as Mi Fit) don’t sync with Google.

💡

Google Account is the best option for moving contacts and calendars, but it is useless for SMS, calls and MIUI settings.

Method 5: Transfer through third-party applications (for specific data)

If you only need to migrate certain data (such as WhatsApp messages, call history, or game saves), it’s easier to use specialized applications.

Example of WhatsApp portability:

1. On your old phone: WhatsApp Settings → Chat → Backup (save to Google Drive).
2. Install WhatsApp on your new phone and sign in to the same account.
3. When requested, restore chats from Google Drive.
4. If the backup doesn’t find it, make sure that both phones use the same Google account.

To transfer game saves (e.g. Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail):

• 🎮 Use the built-in account binding (miHoYo, Google Play or Facebook).
• 📱 If the game does not support the cloud, copy the folder with the saves (usually). /Android/data/[play-off]/files) PC.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even when following instructions, users often encounter problems. TOP-5 Mistakes in data transfer between Xiaomi and how to solve them:

1. Mistake “Unable to connect” in Xiaomi Migration Reason: Unoriginal cable or option enabled USB-Debugging.Solution: Use the Xiaomi cable and turn off debugging (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap. → Additionally. → For developers → Shut down. USB-debugging).
2. Photos moved but not displayed in the gallery Reason: The DCIM folder is not copied to the root of the memory, but to /storage/emulated/0/. Solution: Move the DCIM folder to the root of the internal memory and restart the phone.
3. Contacts are duplicated after transfer Reason: Contacts are synced from both Mi Cloud and Google. Solution: Turn off sync contacts in one of the accounts (Settings → Accounts → Select account → Contact Sync).
4. Apps moved but not opened Reason: Android versions incompatible or no rights.Solution: Remove problematic apps and reinstall them from Google Play.
5. Xiaomi Migration is 99% hung, because it's a big dataset or corrupted files, solution: Break it down (like contacts first, then photos).

⚠️ Note: If you are transferring data to Xiaomi with a blocked bootloader (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T Pro for the European market, some system applications may not be portable. In this case, use manual portability over a PC.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions