How to transfer all data to the new Xiaomi smartphone: 5 proven ways

Buying a new Xiaomi smartphone is always a joyous event, but transferring data from an old device can turn into a headache if you don’t know the nuances. Even experienced users sometimes lose hours to restore contacts, photos or app settings. The problem is that manufacturers offer dozens of ways to migrate, but not all of them are equally efficient for the ecosystem. MIUI.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods for transferring data, from the official Mi Mover tool to manually copying through the cloud, learn how to avoid typical errors (for example, loss of WhatsApp message history), which Xiaomi settings are better to carry manually, and why it is sometimes easier to use third-party services like Google Drive or Smart Switch. Particular attention will be paid to porting from the iPhone – there are pitfalls here, which are silent even in Apple’s instructions.

If you move from another Android device, it's only 20 minutes, but iOS owners have to work hard, but we'll show you how to minimize the loss. Spoiler: the key is to properly prepare the old phone before the migration begins.

1.Preparation for the transfer: what to do before buying a new Xiaomi

Many users only start thinking about data porting when the new Xiaomi is in their hands, which is a big mistake: some preparation steps take hours (for example, backing up to iCloud), and without them you risk losing important information.

Update the software on the old device to the latest version

Clean up the memory of unnecessary files (especially if you use Mi Mover)

Check if there is enough space in the cloud (Google) Drive/iCloud) backup

Write down the username and password from your Mi Account (if you transfer it from Xiaomi)

Disable two-factor authentication for transfer time (if used)-->

Pay special attention to cloud services. If you use Google Photos, make sure all media files are uploaded in their original quality. iPhone owners will have to manually export notes and voice recordings — Mi Mover can't handle them. But contacts synced with Google will be automatically transferred when you first turn on a new Xiaomi if you log in to the same account.

Don't forget WhatsApp and other messengers. Chat history doesn't carry over through standard tools. MIUI. She needs a separate backup:

• 📱 Android → Android: Create a backup in Settings → chat → Backup (save in Google Drive).
• 🍎 iOS → Android: Use the official Move to iOS tool, but it only works when you first set up a new phone.
• ⚠️ Important: If you’ve already set up a new Xiaomi, you’ll have to reset it to factory settings to migrate WhatsApp history.

⚠️ Note: If the old phone has data encryption enabled (for example, on Samsung with Knox), some files may not be copied through Mi Mover.

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

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary app for wireless data transfer between devices, preinstalled on all new smartphones of the brand and supports migration from Android, iOS, and other Xiaomi devices, the main advantage is the preservation of folder structure and even some system settings.

How to use Mi Mover:

1. Turn on the new Xiaomi and get to the Data Transfer stage in the master setup. Select Mi Mover.
2. On an older phone, install Mi Mover from Google Play (for Android) or the App Store (for iOS).
3. Scan it. QR-code from a new device or connect via Bluetooth.
4. Select data types for transfer: contacts, messages, photos, video, audio, applications (without data!), system settings.
5. Confirm the transfer and wait until the completion (can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour depending on the volume).

Mi Mover is not perfect: it doesn't carry app data (like saves in games), iPhone call history, and sometimes hangs on big data. If you have more than 50GB of photos, you better use alternative methods.

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If the Mi Mover is 99% interrupted, try turning it off. VPN It's also antivirus on both devices, and it's also helpful to reboot your router if you're using Wi-Fi Direct.

Method 3: Transfer through Google Account (for Android)

If both of your devices are running Android, the most reliable way is to sync through a Google Account, which ensures that contacts, calendars, emails, Google Keep notes, and portions of your system settings are transferred, and the main advantage is that the data is automatically updated on the new phone if you change them.

Step-by-step:

• 📱 On your old phone, go to Settings. → Accounts. → Google and make sure that sync is enabled for all the right categories.
• 🔄 When you first enable a new Xiaomi, select the “Copy Data” option and log in to the same Google account.
• ☁️ Wait until sync is complete (can take up to 30 minutes depending on internet speed).
• 📲 Install the missing apps from Google Play – they will pull up from your library.

This method does not tolerate:

• 📷 Photos and videos (use Google Photos separately)
• 🎮 Game and Application Data (Separate Backup Needed)
• 📞 Call history (transferred only through Mi Mover or third-party utilities)

⚠️ Warning: If an old phone used a non-standard launcher (for example, Nova Launcher), its settings will not change.

Mi Mover (Official Tool of Xiaomi)|Google Account|Manual transfer via PC|Cloud services (Google Drive, iCloud)|The program side (Smart Switch, Clone Phone)-->

Method 3: Transfer from iPhone to Xiaomi (with saving messages and photos)

The transition from iOS to Android is always more difficult because of the closed Apple ecosystem, the standard Mi Mover will only carry contacts, calendars and some photos, and a full migration will require a combination of tools:

Step 1: Transfer contacts and calendars

• 📱 On iPhone go to Settings → [Your name] → iCloud and enable contact sync.
• 🌐 On PC, open iCloud.com, export contacts to.vcf file.
• 📲 Import this file to Google Contacts, then sync with the new Xiaomi.

Step 2: Transfer photos and videos

• ☁️ Upload media files to Google Photos via the iPhone app (select "Original Quality").
• 📁 Alternative: Connect your iPhone to your PC, copy files to a folder and transfer them to Xiaomi via cable.

Step 3: Transfer of messages (SMS/iMessage)

• 💬 Use iMazing or AnyTrans to export your message history to.csv or.xml.
• 📄 Import this file to Xiaomi via the app SMS Backup & Restore.

Step 4: Transfer notes and reminders

• 📝 Export notes from Apple Notes to PDF via the "Share" menu".
• ⏰ Reminders move manually or through Google Calendar (create new events).

5. Method 4: Manual transfer over PC (for large amounts of data)

If you have tens of gigabytes of photos, a music library, or unique files, wireless methods can fail, and then you're more secure with direct copying through your computer. USB-cable (preferably original) and 10-15 minute.

Instructions for Windows:

1. Connect your old phone to your PC in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy the right folders (DCIM For photo, Downloads for downloads, WhatsApp/Media for media from chats on a hard disk.
3. Turn off your old phone, connect a new Xiaomi.
4. Move the files to the appropriate folders on the new device.

Instructions for Mac:

• 🍎 Install Android File Transfer (official utility from Google).
• 📁 Connect Xiaomi and allow access to files in the window that appears.
• 🔄 Drag files from /Users/Your name/phone memory.

What to copy manually:

• 🎵 Music (Music folder or Ringtones)
• 📄 Documents (PDF, DOCX, XLSX from the Documents folder)
• 🎮 Preservation of games (usually in the Android/data or Android/obb)
• 📂 Folders with downloads from browsers

⚠️ Note: Do not copy system folders like Android or MIUI — This can cause a new phone to malfunction. APK-Application files: better to install them from Google Play.

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Manual transfer over a PC is the only way to guarantee that all files are saved without loss, especially for users who have more than 100 GB of data on their phone.

Method 5: Cloud Services (Google Drive, iCloud, Mi Cloud)

If you have a stable Internet and a non-critical amount of data, cloud services will be a good alternative. Xiaomi supports backup in Mi Cloud, but its volume is limited to 5 GB. For large files, it is better to use Google Drive or iCloud (for Apple users).

Comparison of cloud services for transfer:

How to transfer data via Google Drive:

1. On your old phone, open Google Drive and click ➕ → Backup.
2. Select data types (contacts, photos, videos) and start the process.
3. On the new Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account and restore data from the backup.

For iCloud, an additional step will be required:

• 🌐 Go to iCloud.com from PC.
• 📥 Select the files you need (photos, contacts) and export them.
• 📤 Upload exported data to Google Drive or directly to the new Xiaomi.

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

Even when using official tools, users are faced with problems, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

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

• 🔌 Check that both phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (not mobile data).
• 🔄 Restart the router and both devices.
• 📱 On the old phone, turn on the developer mode and activate Debugging by USB (Android).

Problem 2: iPhone photos are not portable

• ☁️ Make sure your photos are uploaded to iCloud (check Settings). → [Your name] → iCloud → Photo Photo).
• 📁 Export media through Google Photos or Dropbox.
• 🖥️ Connect your iPhone to your PC and copy files manually.

Problem 3: Applications are not restored

• 📱 On the new Xiaomi, open Google Play → Library → Established.
• ☁️ Make sure that the sync of applications in the settings of the Google account is enabled.
• 🔄 If the applications do not tighten, install them manually – the data will still recover from the backup.

Issue 4: Losing WhatsApp History

• 📱 Before transferring, back up to Settings → chat → Backup.
• ☁️ Make sure the copy is saved to Google Drive (for Android) or iCloud (for iOS).
• 🔄 When you first start WhatsApp on your new phone, restore data from the backup.

Problem 5: New Xiaomi slows down after the transfer

• 🧹 Clear the cache in Settings → Memory. → Cleanup.
• 🔄 Restart the phone (press the power button for 10 seconds).
• 📱 Check if unnecessary system files have been moved (remove them manually).

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If you lose your wallpaper or widgets after the transfer, don't panic, that's okay. Desktop settings don't migrate between different versions. MIUI. Just reset them.

8. FAQ: Answers to popular questions