How to Move Data from One Xiaomi to Another: A Complete Guide to 2026

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always an exciting moment: you want all the familiar data — from contacts and photos to app settings — to move to the new device without loss. Fortunately, Xiaomi owners have several ways to migrate, and most of them do not require technical skills. But which method to choose? It all depends on the amount of data, the model of the phone and even the version of MIUI.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 proven ways to migrate data between Xiaomi devices, from official tools to alternative solutions for complex cases. You’ll learn how to avoid common mistakes (like losing WhatsApp messages when backing up incorrectly), what settings to manually migrate, and why it’s sometimes better to abandon the “fast” option in favor of the reliable one. And if you’re afraid of losing something important, there’s a checklist at the end of this article to check before migrating.

1. Official method: Mi Mover (built-in application)

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary data porting tool that works on most devices with MIUI 9 and later, and allows you to transfer almost everything: contacts, messages, photos, videos, apps (including their data), as well as some system settings, the main advantage is that you do not need a computer or the cloud: it is transmitted directly over Wi-Fi Direct.

How to use:

• 📱 Install Mi Mover on both phones (if it's not on the system). On the old device, select "Send" and on the new one, "Get».
• 🔗 Connect phones to a single Wi-Fi network or create an access point on the old Xiaomi.Mi Mover will offer scanning QR-pairing.
• 📁 Select data categories to port. Please note that applications will be ported, but their data (e.g., save in games) will only be supported by backup.
• ⏳ Wait until it's done. Time depends on volume: 10 GB of data can be transmitted up to 30-40 minutes.

⚠️ Warning: If the new phone already has data (for example, you started using it), Mi Mover will suggest erasing it before transferring it. This is irreversible.

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

If you only need to transfer contacts, calendars and notes, the easiest way is to sync through Google Account.This method is universal and works even if one of the devices is not Xiaomi (for example, you switch from Samsung to Redmi Note 12).

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Accounts → Google and enable sync for the desired categories (contacts, calendar, Gmail, etc.).
2. On the new Xiaomi, add the same Google Account to Settings → Accounts and wait for automatic synchronization.
3. Check the contacts in the Phone app: if they do not appear, manually update the sync (swipe down in the contact list).

⚠️ Note: This method does not carry messages, photos or applications, and will require other methods (see the following sections). Also make sure that the contacts are stored in Google Account on the old phone, and not in the device memory or in the device memory. SIM-map.

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Before transferring, check if your Google Account is duplicated. Go to contacts.google.com and delete the duplicates, which will save you time on your new phone.

3. backup via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

Mi Cloud is a cloud storage from Xiaomi that offers 5GB for free (up to 200GB extension is available for a fee).It allows you to create full backups of the device, including:

• 📞 Contacts, messages, call log
• 📸 Photos and videos (if Gallery synchronization is enabled)
• ⚙️ System settings (wallpaper, sounds, network parameters)
• 📱 List of installed applications (but not their data!)

How to make a backup and restore it on a new phone:

1. On the old Xiaomi, go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup (or Mi Cloud if you want to save to the cloud).
2. Select categories to reserve and start the process. A full backup can take 10 to 30 minutes.
3. On the new phone, when you first turn on, the system will offer to restore data from the Mi Cloud. If you have already configured the device, go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Restore from a backup.

⚠️ Note: If you use Mi Cloud to transfer photos, make sure there is enough space on your new phone.The cloud will restore files to their original resolution rather than compressed.

4. Transfer via computer (Mi PC Suite)

If you have slow internet or a lot of data (like 50+GB of photos and videos), the best option is to use Mi PC Suite, which is Xiaomi's official software for controlling your phone through your computer.

• 🖥️ Create full backup copies on the PC.
• 🔄 Restore data to a new device.
• 📂 Transfer selected files (music, documents).

Step-by-step:

1. Download Mi PC Suite from the official website and install it on your computer.
2. Connect the old Xiaomi over USB (enable File Transfer mode in the notification curtain).
3. In the program, select Backup and specify data categories. To speed up, you can eliminate the application cache.
4. After the backup is complete, turn off the old phone, plug in the new one, and select “Restore”.

Download the latest version of Mi PC Suite from the official website |

Check the free space on the computer (you need at least 2x of the data volume of the phone) |

Use the original USB-cables (cheap cables can cause errors)|

Disable antivirus for transfer time (it can block access to files)-->

⚠️ Note: If you transfer data from Xiaomi to Xiaomi POCO (Or vice versa, make sure that the version MIUI For example, a backup with Redmi Note 10 (MIUI (12) may not recover from POCO F5 (MIUI 14) due to changes in the structure of system files.

5. Manual transfer (flash drive, cloud services, ADB)

If you only need to transfer individual files (such as music, documents, or screenshots), the easiest way to do this is to use:

• 💾 Flash drive or memory card: copy files manually through Explorer.
• ☁️ Cloud services (Google Drive, Yandex Drive, Dropbox): download data from your old phone and download to a new one.
• 🔧 ADB (Advanced: Allows you to copy system files that are not available through standard methods.

To transfer over ADB (for example, if you need to save data from applications that do not support backup):

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


adb restore /sdcard/backup.ab

These commands create a full backup (backup.ab) and restore it to the new device. Note: not all apps support such a backup (for example, WhatsApp requires a separate backup).

6. Data transfer between Xiaomi different regions (Global/China)

If you are switching from the Chinese version of Xiaomi (e.g. Mi 11 Ultra for the Chinese market) to the global version (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G Global), there may be problems:

• 🚫 Mi Cloud may not recover data due to different versions MIUI.
• 🔄 Mi Mover sometimes refuses to work between regional firmware.
• 📱 Some apps (such as Mi Pay or Mi Home) may not transfer their data.

Decisions:

1. Use Google Account for contacts and calendar.
2. Transfer photos and videos via Google Photos or physical media.
3. For apps, check if they support cross-platform backup (e.g. Telegram or Viber synced through the cloud).
4. If you need to move SMS, use third-party applications like SMS Backup & Restore.

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When switching between regional versions of Xiaomi, avoid using Mi Cloud and Mi Mover, which often crash. Give preference to universal methods: Google Account, physical copy of files or third-party backup applications.

Comparison of data transfer methods

FAQ: Frequent questions about data portability to Xiaomi