How to transfer data from the old Xiaomi to the new: 5 proven ways

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but the process of transferring data often turns into a headache. Even if you have saved backups, the risk of losing important contacts, photos or settings remains, especially for those who are first encountering the MIUI ecosystem, the Xiaomi brand shell, where standard portability methods (for example, through Google) do not always work correctly.

In this article, we will look at 5 ways to migrate data, from official tools (Mi Mover, Mi Cloud) to alternative solutions (OTG cable, third-party applications), learn how to transfer not only media files, but also SMS, call histories, Wi-Fi settings and even data from Mi Fit or Mi Home, and also what errors users often make and how to avoid them.

Important: If your old smartphone runs MIUI 12 or later, most methods will be compatible. For Android 10 and lower devices (like the 2019 Redmi Note 7), additional steps may be required - we'll describe them too.

1. Official method: Mi Mover app

Mi Mover is a built-in tool from Xiaomi for wireless data transfer between devices. It supports contact, message, photos, video, audio, applications (including their data), and even some system settings. The main advantage is that you do not need to connect to the Internet or use cables.

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

• 📱 Install Mi Mover on both smartphones (if it is not available, download from Google Play or Mi App Store).
• 🔗 On the new phone, select “I am a new user” and on the old one, “I want to send data".
• 📶 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (or create an access point on an old phone).
• 🔍 Scan it. QR-code from the screen of a new phone with an old device.
• 📁 Select data types for transfer and confirm the transfer.

The speed of the transfer depends on the amount of data. For example, 10 GB of photos can be copied up to 30-40 minutes. If the process is interrupted, start again - Mi Mover will resume transmission from the moment of the cliff.

⚠️ Note: If the old phone has the "Surveillance Protection" feature enabled (Settings) → Privacy, disable it before transfer. Otherwise, Mi Mover may not see the device.

Charge both phones at least 50% | Disable VPN and firewalls |Free 10-15% of memory on the new device | Check that both phones have the same version of MIUI (or no more than 1 version)

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2.Move over Mi Cloud: pros and cons

Mi Cloud is Xiaomi’s cloud storage that automatically syncs contacts, notes, photos, and even certain settings, and the advantage of the method is that data is available on any Xiaomi device after you sign in.

• ☁️ The free rate provides only 5 GB (that is about 1000-1500 photos in high quality).
• ⏳ Synchronizing large volumes can take several hours.
• 🔒 Some data (e.g., some data, SMS call history) are not automatically synced – they must be downloaded manually.

How to transfer data through Mi Cloud:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Turn on synchronization for the desired categories (contacts, gallery, notes).
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and wait for the sync to complete.
4. For SMS and calls, use the “Backup” option in Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.

If you have two-factor authentication enabled in Mi Account, make sure you have access to a backup email or phone before transferring, otherwise you risk losing access to the cloud.

Mi Mover|Mi Cloud|Google Account| OTG/PC| Application Party Cable (SHAREit, Xender)

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3. Transfer through Google Account: a universal method

If you don't want to depend on the Xiaomi ecosystem, you can use a Google account, which is suitable for contacts, calendar, some app settings and photos (via Google Photos).

• 📇 Contacts and calendar sync automatically if the old phone has Settings enabled → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization.
• 📸 Photos are transferred through Google Photos, but in the free tariff they are compressed to "High quality" (limit 15 GB per account).
• 📱 Apps are not portable – only their list in Google Play (after logging in on the new phone, they will appear in the Library section").

To transfer data via Google:

1. On your old phone, check that sync is enabled (Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync).
2. Upload photos to Google Photos (the app will prompt you to do this automatically when you first start).
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Google account and wait for sync.

⚠️ Note: If your old phone used Mi Account to store contacts rather than Google, export them to a.vcf file before transferring them (Contacts) → Settings → Exports) and upload to Google Contacts.

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If you use Google Authenticator for two-factor authentication, transfer the codes to the new device before resetting your old phone via the “Export Accounts” option in the app settings.

4. Transfer over OTG or PC cable: for large data volumes

If you have tens of gigabytes of photos, videos or music, wireless methods may be too slow, and then you'd better use a physical connection.

• 🔌 Cable OTG (cellphone USB-C Micro-USB: Connect your old phone as a flash drive to a new one and copy files manually.
• 💻 Computer: connect both phones to the PC, copy data from the old to the new through the conductor.

Instructions for porting via PC:

1. Connect your old phone to your computer in File Transfer mode (select this option when you request it on your phone).
2. Copy the folders you want (DCIM for photos, Downloads for downloads, etc.) to your PC hard drive.
3. Connect the new phone and transfer the data to the appropriate folders.

To migrate applications and their data across PCs, you'll need additional tools like ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a complex method that only works for power users, and if you need to migrate games with progress, you'd better use specialized applications like Helium.

5. Data transfer from Mi Fit, Mi Home and others

If you use Xiaomi smart devices (such as Mi Band bracelets or Yeelight lamps) tied to Mi Fit or Mi Home, their settings will not be automatically transferred.

• 🏠 In Mi Home: on the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and the devices will automatically connect. If this does not happen, click Add Device and select Already added to another account".
• 🏃 In Mi Fit, workout and sleep data syncs to the cloud, but if you’ve used local settings (like alarm clocks on your bracelet), you’ll have to reconfigure them.
• 🔋 For Mi Band: untie the bracelet from your old phone (Profile) → The device → Untie) and connect to the new.

If you have multiple Mi accounts (for example, one for Mi Home, another for Mi Fit), write down logins and passwords before transferring - after resetting the old phone, it will be more difficult to restore access.

6. 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:

• 🔄 "Mi Mover can’t find the device: check that both phones are Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled, and turn off power saving mode.
• 🔒 "Lack of space on new phone: clear app cache before transfer (Settings) → Annexes → Clear the cache) or use a memory card.
• 📱 "Applications are not portable: some applications (e.g. banking) block data transfer for security reasons.
• 🔌 "Phone doesn't connect to PC: Try another cable or port USB, and also include "Debugging by USB" (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Press 7 times, then return to Settings → Additionally. → For developers).

If you have lost your SMS or call history after transferring your new phone, check:

1. Sync is enabled in Mi Cloud (Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Sync).
2. Have you reset your Messages app settings (Settings → Applications → Messages → Storage → Clear Data – Don’t Press This button!)?

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Before resetting your old phone to factory settings, be sure to untie it from your Mi Account (Settings → Mi Account → Sign out). Otherwise, the new owner (if you are selling the phone) will not be able to log in due to the Mi Account lock.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions