How to Transfer Data from the Old Xiaomi to the New: The Complete 2026 Guide

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but data porting is often a headache. Contacts, photos, messages, apps, and even screen settings all need to be saved. Fortunately, Xiaomi has several built-in migration tools, as well as universal solutions from Google and third-party developers.

Many users mistakenly believe that it is enough to copy files to a flash drive, but this only works with media. System data (SMS, call log, Wi-Fi settings) require special methods. In this article, we will analyze 5 proven methods of transfer, their pros/cons, as well as nuances for different models - from Redmi Note 12 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

If you've never migrated data, don't worry: even without technical skills, you can do it in 15 to 30 minutes, and the key is to choose the right method depending on the amount of data and the tools available.

1. Mi Mover – Official Solution from Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a proprietary utility for transferring data between Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices. It works on a point-to-point basis via Wi-Fi Direct and does not require an Internet connection. The main advantage is support for all types of data, including:

• 📞 Contacts and call log
• 📸 Photos, video and audio files
• 💬 Communications (SMS/MMS)
• 📱 Installed applications (without data)
• ⚙️ System settings (wallpaper, brightness, sound)

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

1. On both phones, go to Settings → About Phone → Mi Mover (on new models, the path may differ: Settings → Additional → Mi Mover).
2. Select a role: on the old phone - "Send", on the new - "Get".
3. Scan it. QR-code from a new phone on an old one (or connect via Bluetooth).
4. Select data types to transfer and confirm the operation.

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Warning: If the new phone already has data, Mi Mover will prompt you to erase it before transferring it. This is an irreversible process - back up!

The speed of transfer depends on the amount of data, for example, 30 GB of photos and videos will be transmitted in ~20-40 minutes, and do not turn off the power during the process, this can lead to the loss of files.

Charge both phones at least 50% | Connect to Wi-Fi (not necessarily, but will speed up the process) | Free up space on the new phone | Disable VPN/firewalls

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2. Transfer through Google Account (for contacts, calendar, mail)

If you only need to migrate contacts, calendar, notes and email, the easiest way to sync with a Google Account is to work on any Android device, not just Xiaomi.

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Enable synchronization for the desired data (contacts, calendar, Gmail).
3. On the new phone, add the same Google Account and enable sync.
4. Wait until the process is completed (usually 5-10 minutes).

✅ Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 Automatic update of data when changing
• 🌍 Access to contacts from any device
• 🔒 Security (data is stored in encrypted form)

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Note: This method does not tolerate SMS, photos, apps or system settings.

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If contacts are duplicated after sync, use the Google Contacts app to clear the duplicates: Menu → Fix and fix.

3. Cable use OTG or SD-maps (for media files)

If you don’t have Wi-Fi access or want to transfer only photos, videos and music, you can use physical media:

• 🔌 Cable OTG (You can connect your old phone to a new one like a flash drive)
• 💾 SD-card (if both phones support memory expansion)

Instructions for OTG cable:

1. Connect the OTG cable to the new phone and the old phone to the other end of the cable (you’ll need a USB-C → Micro-USB or USB-C → USB-C adapter depending on the models).
2. On the new phone, a Explorer will open – select files to copy.
3. Copy the data to the Internal Storage folder or SD-map.

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Note: Not all OTG cables support data transfer between phones. Check compatibility in advance - some cheap cables only work with flash drives.

For SD-map:

1. Copy files from your old phone to SD-map.
2. Insert the card into a new phone and transfer the data to internal memory.

📌 Important: Format SD-cards must be FAT32 exFAT. NTFS Not supported by most Xiaomi smartphones.

4. Cloud services: Xiaomi Cloud, Google Drive, Telegram

If you have slow internet or you don't have physical access to both phones at the same time, you can upload the data to the cloud and then download it to a new device.

1. Xiaomi Cloud (5GB free)

• 📁 Supports: contacts, notes, photos, call records.
• ⚡ Speed: Depends on your internet connection.
• 🔗 How to use: Settings → Mi Account. → Xiaomi Cloud → Backup.

2. Google Drive (15GB free)

• 📁 Supports: any files, but backup SMS/The settings require manual export.
• ⚡ Speed: Faster than Xiaomi Cloud, but file size limit (up to 750GB).
• 🔗 How to use: Install Google Drive, select files and click Save to Drive".

3. Telegram (no limit for files up to 2 GB)

• 📁 Suitable for fast transfer of individual files or folders.
• ⚡ Speed: High, but uncomfortable for large volume.
• 🔗 How to use: Send files to yourself in "Saved Messages".

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Note: When downloading photos to Xiaomi Cloud, they are compressed to 2048×2048. Use Google Photos to maintain original quality (settings → “Download Quality → Original”).

5. Application and data transfer (Titanium Backup, Swift Backup)

Official methods (Mi Mover or Google) port the applications themselves, but do not store their data (for example, game progress, messaging settings).

No root rights:

• 📦 Swift Backup (requires unlocked bootloader on Xiaomi).
• 🔄 App Backup & Restore (Saves) APK data from some applications).

With root rights:

• 🛠️ Titanium Backup (the most powerful solution, but difficult for beginners).

Instructions for Swift Backup:

1. Install the app on both phones.
2. On your old phone, back up your apps (Menu → Backup).
3. Transfer the backup file to your new phone (via cloud or cable).
4. Restore data on your new phone (Menu → Restore).

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Note: On new Xiaomi models (e.g. Xiaomi 13T or Redmi Note 13 Pro+), unlocking the bootloader resets all data.

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To port these games (such as Genshin Impact or Honor of Kings), use built-in cloud-save features from developers. Third-party backups may not work due to cheating protection.

6.Perfections of transfer for different models Xiaomi

Not all methods work equally well on different devices.

For flagships (Xiaomi 14, Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Mix Fold 3):

• 🔥 Supports Mi Mover over Wi-Fi 6 (speed up to 1.2 Gbps).

For budget models (Redmi 12, POCO M6 Pro):

• 🐢 Wi-Fi 5 limits the speed of the Mi Mover (~300 Mbps).

For older models (Xiaomi Mi A2, Redmi Note 8 Pro):

• ⚠️ Mi Mover may not support Android 10 or lower.

📌 Important: On phones with MIUI Global and MIUI China may have different ways of approaching Mi Mover settings. For example, Chinese firmware requires you to go to Settings. → Connections and sharing → Mi Mover.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even when following instructions, users face problems, and here are some of the most common solutions.

1 Mi Mover does not find the device

2.Transfer interrupted by 99%

• 🔋 Check the battery charge (should be) >30%).
• 📡 Move to a location with a more stable Wi-Fi signal.
• 🗑️ Free up space on your new phone (at least 10% free space is required).

3. SMS or contacts are not transferred

• 📱 Make sure that sync with Google Account is enabled.
• 🔄 Try third-party apps (SMS Backup & Restore).

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Warning: If photos are missing after transfer, check the DCIM/.thumbnails folder - sometimes thumbnails don't update. Restart the Gallery app or clear its cache.

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Before selling your old phone, be sure to reset to factory settings (Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset) and delete all accounts (Mi Account, Google).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions