How to transfer all data to another Xiaomi phone: the complete guide

Why migrating data to Xiaomi requires a special approach

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but many users face the same challenge: how to transfer all the accumulated data from an old device without losing contact, photos, or important notes. Unlike the iPhone, which has a universal iCloud, or Samsung with a Smart Switch service, Xiaomi has its own approach - and it works differently.

The main feature of the MIUI ecosystem (even in the latest versions of MIUI 14/15) is deep integration with the Mi Cloud and proprietary tools like Mi Mover. However, not everyone knows that these tools have limitations: for example, Mi Mover does not tolerate some system settings, and Mi Cloud may not save data from third-party applications.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 proven ways to migrate data, from official Xiaomi tools to universal solutions that work even when changing a brand, how to avoid common mistakes (such as losing SMS or calling history), what data can be transferred automatically and what you will have to copy manually, and what to do if a new Xiaomi phone “can’t see” the old one.

Method 1: Mi Mover is the official tool of Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a proprietary application from Xiaomi, designed for wireless data transfer between devices on MIUI. It is pre-installed on all new smartphones of the brand (starting with the Redmi Note 5 and Mi 8) and supports the transfer of:

• 📱 Contacts, messages (SMS/MMS) call history
• 📷 Photos, video and audio files (including screenshots and recordings from the recorder)
• 📝 Notes, calendars and reminders
• 🎮 Some application data (such as WhatsApp, WeChat)
• 🔧 Basic system settings (wallpaper, sound circuits, Wi-Fi networks)

However, the Mi Mover has some limitations:

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

1. On the new Xiaomi phone, select Data Transfer when you first turn on (or find the Mi Mover app in the menu).
2. On the old phone, open Mi Mover and select I sender.
3. Scan it. QR-code from a new phone or connect via Wi-Fi Direct.
4. Select data types to transfer and confirm the start of the process.

⚠️ Note: If the old phone has little charge (less than 30%), the Mi Mover can interrupt the transfer. MIUI (for example, MIUI 13 and MIUI In this case, update the firmware on both phones to the latest version.

Charge both phones to 50% or more

Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (or use Wi-Fi Direct)

Free up at least 1 GB of memory on a new phone

Disable VPNs and firewalls (they can block the connection)

Make sure both phones have the latest version of the Mi Mover installed-->

Method 2: Mi Cloud – Cloud Backup

Mi Cloud is a cloud storage solution from Xiaomi that allows you to back up your old phone and restore it to a new one, and the main advantage of this method is that you can transfer data even if your old phone breaks down (assuming that the backup was created in advance).

However, the Mi Cloud has some limitations:

• 🔒 Free storage – only 5 GB (this is not enough for modern smartphones).
• 🚫 Not all data are automatically synchronized (e.g, SMS and call history requires manual backup).
• ⏳ Recovery of a large backup can take several hours.

How to transfer data through Mi Cloud:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Enable backup for the desired categories (be sure to check Contacts, Messages, Notes, System Settings).
3. Click Create a backup and wait for the process to complete.
4. On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and select Restore from backup in the Mi Cloud menu.

If you don't want to pay for extra space on the Mi Cloud, you can use a workaround to back up your computer through the Mi PC Suite and then upload it to the cloud in portions, but it will take a lot longer.

💡

If you have a lot of photos, compress them with the Google Photos app before backing up to Mi Cloud (select High Quality instead of Original) and save space in the cloud.

Method 3: Google Account is a universal solution

If you use Google services (e.g. Gmail, Google Photos, Google Drive), you can transfer a lot of data through your Google Account, which is not only suitable for Xiaomi, but also for switching between different brands (e.g. Samsung to Redmi).

What can be transferred through Google Account:

• 📇 Contacts (synchronized automatically if Settings option is enabled) → Accounts. → Google).
• 📅 Calendar and reminders.
• 📧 Emails from Gmail and other Google app data.
• 📸 Photos and videos (if you have autoloaded in Google Photos).
• 🎵 Music and documents (via Google Drive).

How to set up synchronization:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Accounts → Google.
2. Select your account and enable sync for all the categories you want.
3. On the new Xiaomi phone, when you first turn on, log in to the same Google Account or add it to Settings → Accounts.
4. Wait for the synchronization to be completed (it can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour depending on the amount of data).

⚠️ Note: If you used your old Mi Account to sync contacts instead of Google, then when you log in to a new phone through Google Account, contacts may be duplicated. To avoid this, export contacts to.vcf file before transferring (via Contacts). → Settings → Exports) and import them manually.

Mi Mover (Official Tool of Xiaomi)

Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

Google Account (Sync through Google)

Manual transfer via cable/computer

Another way.-->

Method 4: Transfer over an OTG cable or computer

If you don’t have Wi-Fi or trust cloud services, you can manually transfer data over a USB-OTG cable or computer, a technique that works for large amounts of data (e.g., if you have 100+GB of photos and videos) and ensures that no files are lost.

You'll need:

• 🔌 Cable USB-OTG (If you move directly between phones).
• 💻 Computer with USB-port (if you use a PC as an intermediary).
• 📁 External drive (flash drive or hard drive) – optionally, for intermediate storage.

Instructions for transfer via computer:

1. Connect your old phone to your computer via USB and select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy the desired folders (DCIM for photos, Download for downloads, WhatsApp for correspondence) to your computer.
3. Turn off the old phone and connect the new one.
4. Transfer the copied files to the new phone to the appropriate folders.

Instructions for transfer via OTG (without computer):

1. Connect the USB-OTG adapter to your new phone.
2. Connect your old phone to an adapter via a USB-C cable (or Micro-USB, depending on the model).
3. The new phone will open a file manager – select files to copy.
4. Wait for the transfer to complete and safely disable the devices.

Method 5: Third-party applications for data transfer

If Xiaomi’s standard tools don’t suit you, you can use third-party apps, which often offer more features than Mi Mover, but require caution (some apps may collect your data).

Top.-3 checked transfer applications:

How to transfer data to Send Anywhere:

1. Install the app on both phones from Google Play.
2. On your old phone, select Send and tag the files you want.
3. Create a six-digit code or QR-code.
4. On the new phone, enter the code or scan the QR.
5. Confirm receipt of files.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party applications, never transmit data over public Wi-Fi networks (such as at a cafe or airport) This may lead to leakage of personal information (3G/4G/5G).

What to do if the data is not transferred or lost

Even with the most accurate transfer, sometimes something goes wrong: SMS is missing, contacts are not restored, or photos are damaged.

• 🔍 Check Hidden Folders: Some files (like WhatsApp backups) may be in folders that don't show up by default.
• 🔄 Repeat sync: If data is not transferred through Mi Cloud or Google Account, try logging out and logging in again.
• 📱 Use specialized tools: For SMS: attachment SMS Backup & Restore. For contacts: export to.vcf via Contacts → Settings → Export: For photos: Google Photos or Dropsync (for automatic sync with the cloud).
• 💾 Restore from local backup: If you did backup through Mi PC suite TWRP, Try to recover the data from there.

If nothing helps, and the data is lost irretrievably, contact the Xiaomi service center – sometimes specialists can recover information even from a damaged device (but this is not guaranteed and can be paid).

💡

The most common reason for data loss during transfer is an interruption of the process (battery discharge, Wi-Fi connection break or cable disconnection).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions About Data Transfers to Xiaomi