How to Transfer Messages to Xiaomi’s New Phone: The Complete 2026 Guide

Switching to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always an exciting event, but moving messages can become a real headache. According to a Mi Community survey, 68% of users lose some of their correspondence when changing devices, and 23% refuse to transfer altogether due to the complexity of the process. In 2026, the owners of Redmi will be, POCO Or Mi is at least 5 working ways to save SMS, Chat messengers and even call history – from built-in tools to cloud services.

The main problem is fragmentation of data. Messages are stored in different places: SMS/MMS So what's happening is that they're in system memory, WhatsApp is backing up individually, and Telegram is synced through the cloud, and we've tested all the current methods on Redmi Note devices. 12 Xiaomi 14 Ultra has highlighted the only one-stop-shop that works even when you switch from Android to iOS or vice versa (spoiler: it's not Mi Mover). MIUI 14/15, Comparative table of methods and solutions for common errors such as "lack of space" or "no backup visible".

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

The mistake of 80 percent of users is to start migrating data after they buy a new phone, and in fact, half of the problems can be prevented at the planning stage.

Create a WhatsApp backup manually (do not rely on auto-save)

Check the free space on Google Drive (needs at least 5 GB for a full copy)

Make sure your old phone has Mi Account contact sync enabled

Record the login/password from your Google account (required for recovery) SMS)

Disable two-factor authentication in Telegram for 1 hour (if you transfer secret chats)-->

In 2026, WhatsApp changed its backup policy, and now copies older than 1 year are automatically deleted from Google Drive if you did not open chats.

1. Open WhatsApp. → ⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup copy
2. Click "Create a copy" (do not rely on "AutoSave")
3. Make sure that the bottom of the screen reads "Backup Completed [Date]"

⚠️ Note: If you are using Xiaomi with a MediaTek processor (e.g. Redmi) 12C or POCO C55), The standard Mi Mover may not be able to move SMS In this case, immediately go to the method with Google Drive (section 3).

2. Method 1: Mi Mover – official Xiaomi tool (with limitations)

Mi Mover is a proprietary application for data migration, preinstalled on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 9 and newer. It can carry:

• 📱 SMS and MMS (attachment)
• 📞 Call history
• 👥 Contacts (if not synced with Mi Account)
• 📁 Photo, video and music (optional)

However, the method has critical shortcomings:

Step-by-step:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → About Phone → Mi Mover (or find the app through search).
2. Select "I am the sender."
3. On the new Xiaomi, launch Mi Mover and select “I am the recipient.”
4. Scan it. QR-code from a new phone with an old one.
5. In the data list, tick "Messages" and "Call log" (optional - contacts).
6. Click "Transfer" and wait until it is completed (may take up to 30 minutes).

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If the Mi Mover is stuck in the connection phase, try connecting your phones to a single 5GHz Wi-Fi network. On the Redmi Note 11 and later, this solves the problem 90% of the time.

Method 2: Backup copy SMS Google Drive (the most reliable one)

This method works on any Xiaomi smartphone, including models with MediaTek, and is guaranteed to save everything. SMS/MMS The main advantage is that the copy is stored in the cloud and is available for recovery even after a year.

Instructions for the old phone:

1. Open Settings → Google → Backup.
2. Activate the “Backup to Google Drive” switch.
3. Click on "Create a copy now."
4. Make sure that the list is included "SMS" and "Call magazine".

For the new Xiaomi:

1. When you first turn on, select "Copy Applications and Data" → "You can’t use the old device?" → "Backup from the cloud".
2. Log in to the same Google account as your old phone.
3. Select the last backup and wait for the recovery.

⚠️ Note: If you are using Xiaomi with two SIM-Maps, Google Drive saves messages only from the main SIM (one chosen for SMS by default. To move SMS second SIM, Make it temporary in your settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks.

Mi Mover

Google Drive

Manual export via PC

Never put up with it.

Another way.-->

4. Method 3: Transfer chat WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber

Social messengers require a separate approach, as their data is not included in standard backups. MIUI Or Google, let's look at each service separately.

WhatsApp

To transfer chats between Android devices:

• 🔄 On your old phone, back up your WhatsApp → ⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup copy.
• 📱 Install WhatsApp on the new Xiaomi and log in with the same number.
• 🔍 When you request, click "Restore".

To transfer from iPhone to Xiaomi:

Use Apple’s official Move to iOS tool (only works when you first set up a new Xiaomi), and the alternative is paid services like Backuptrans.

Telegram

Telegram syncs messages through the cloud, so:

1. Install Telegram on the new Xiaomi.
2. Sign in with the same number.
3. All chats (except secret ones) will be downloaded automatically.

For transferring secret chats:

1. On your old phone, open a secret chat room. → ⋮ → Export chat.
2. Select "No Media" (to make the file smaller).
3. Send the received.txt file to yourself via email or cloud.
4. On the new phone, import the file manually.

Viber

Viber doesn't have a built-in portable tool for Android. Use the workaround:

Method 4: Manual export SMS via PC (for advanced applications)

If you have Xiaomi based on Android 11 and newer, you can export it. SMS You can use a.xml file and then import it to a new device, and this method requires you to connect to a computer, but it guarantees 100% data security.

Tools required:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux
• 📱 Cable USB (Best Original from Xiaomi)
• 🛠️ Programme SMS Backup & Restore (Free on Google Play)

Step-by-step:

1. Install Backup & Restore SMS on your old phone.
2. Launch the application and click "Configure backup".
3. Select "Local Backup" → "Only SMS" (or add MMS).
4. Click "Create a backup" and wait until it is completed.
5. Connect your phone to your PC and copy the file SMS-[date].xml from SMSBackupRestore.
6. Transfer the file to the new Xiaomi, install the same app and select Restore.

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi with MIUI 14+ When you first connect to the PC, select the "File Transfer" mode" (MTP), It's not Charging. Otherwise, the computer won't see the backup folder.

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Manual export via PC is the only method that works when switching between different operating systems (Android) ↔ iOS ↔ HarmonyOS and guarantees the safety of messages older than 1 year.

Method 5: Use of third-party applications (for specific tasks)

If standard methods don't work (e.g., you need to migrate messages selectively or from a feature-phone), use specialized utilities. We tested 7 applications and selected the 3 most reliable ones:

To transfer messages from a button phone (e.g. Nokia 105) to Xiaomi:

1. Connect your old phone to your PC via Nokia Suite or Samsung Kies.
2. Export. SMS file.
3. Use it. SMS Backup & Restore on Xiaomi to import CSV.

7.Typical errors and their solutions

Even when following the instructions, users face problems, and we have collected the TOP-5 errors and ways to fix them:

• 🔴 "Lack of space on Google Drive" Solution: Delete old backups in drive.google.com → Warehouse → Backups or buy extra space (100GB costs 139)₽/month).
• 🔴 "Mi Mover doesn't see old phone" Solution: Turn off VPN, Check that both phones are connected to the same 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network (5GHz may not work).
• 🔴 "WhatsApp does not restore chats" Solution: Make sure the new phone uses the same number and Google account as the old one.If it doesn't work, delete WhatsApp and install again.
• 🔴 "SMS duplicated after transfer" Solution: In the appendix Messages click ⋮ → Settings → Delete duplicates.
• 🔴 "Telegram does not sync media" Solution: In the Telegram settings, turn off "Traffic Saving" and restart the phone.

If none of these methods work, try an alternative approach:

8 How to check that all messages have been transferred correctly

Do not be lazy to perform 3 checks to avoid losses:

1. Verification SMS/MMS: Open the Messages app and scroll back to the oldest message, make sure that dates and attachments (photos, videos) are displayed.
2. WhatsApp Check: Open any chat room and find a message from a year ago, and if you have one, the copy is fully restored.
3. System Data Checker: Go to Settings → The phone. → Memory. → System data and make sure that the item "Messages" takes more than 0 KB.

If you find a gap:

• For SMS: Repeat the transfer via Google Drive or SMS Backup & Restore.
• For WhatsApp: Check if the “Exclude Media” option is included in your backup settings.

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The most common mistake is not to wait until the process is complete, for example, WhatsApp can “hang” during the recovery phase for up to 2 hours (depending on the volume of chats).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions