How to transfer all data to the new Xiaomi smartphone: 5 proven ways

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always an exciting moment: fresh design, improved specs, but also the inevitable question of "How do you transfer all the data from an old phone?" Contacts, photos, messages, apps and even Wi-Fi settings - losing that due to the wrong actions will be extremely hurtful. Fortunately, Xiaomi has several built-in tools for safe portability, as well as universal solutions that work on any Android device.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to migrate data, from the official Mi Mover app to manually copying through your computer, which method is faster, which is more reliable, and how to avoid common mistakes (such as why photos are sometimes transferred without dates or why apps don’t recover), and what to do if you have an iPhone or a phone of another brand.

Important: the transfer procedure can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours depending on the amount of data. If the old phone has encryption enabled (for example, through Mi Account), before transferring, be sure to turn it off in the security settings, otherwise Mi Mover will not be able to read the files.

1. Official method: Mi Mover app

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary solution for transferring data between the brand’s devices, pre-installed on all new Redmi, POCO and Xiaomi smartphones, and works even without an internet connection (via direct Wi-Fi), with the main advantage of maintaining folder structure, call history, and even some system settings.

How to use:

• 📱 Turn on Mi Mover on both phones (on the new one it starts automatically when you first turn on, on the old one - find Settings in the Settings. → Additionally. → Mi Mover).
• 🔄 Select a role: on the old phone - "Sender", on the new - "Recipient».
• 📶 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network or create an access point on a new smartphone.
• 📁 Select data types for transfer (contacts, messages, photos, videos, applications).
• ⏳ Wait until the process is completed – the process may take 30-40 minutes with data 50+ GB.

⚠️ Note: If your old phone has custom firmware installed (like LineageOS), Mi Mover may not recognize it as a Xiaomi device.

Charging the battery of both phones > 50%|Encryption disabled in security settings|There is plenty of free space on the new phone.|Both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (2.4 GHz)|Power saving mode is disabled on the old phone-->

2.Move over Google Account (for any Android device)

If you don’t have the ability to use Mi Mover (like an old phone not from Xiaomi), the universal way is sync through a Google account.This method is suitable for transferring contacts, calendars, notes, some app settings, and even photos (if they are uploaded to Google Photos).

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Accounts → Google and enable sync for all the right categories (contacts, calendar, Chrome, Gmail, etc.).
2. On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, log in to the same Google account or add it to Settings → Accounts.
3. Wait for automatic synchronization (it can take up to 10-15 minutes).
4. For photos: Install Google Photos on both phones and enable backup on your old device.

⚠️ Note: Google account cannot be transferred SMS, Call history, files from internal memory (such as downloads) and Wi-Fi settings will require additional steps (see manual copying section).

Mi Mover|Google account|Cable OTG/computer|Cloud services (Yandex.Disk, Dropbox)|Another option-->

3. Manual copying via OTG cable or computer

For users who want full control over the data being transferred, manual copying through the USB-cable OTG-This method ensures that no file is lost or corrupted, but it takes more time and attention.

Option 1: Through a computer (Windows/macOS):

• 🖥️ Connect your old phone to your PC via USB-cable (select File Transfer Mode in the Notification Curtain).
• 📂 Copy the right folders (DCIM for photos, Downloads for downloads, WhatsApp for messenger backups to your computer.
• 🔌 Connect the new Xiaomi and transfer the files back.

Option 2: Direct connection via OTG:

• 🔗 Buy it. OTG-adapter (stands) ~200-300 ruble USB-C to USB-C (If both phones have type C).
• 📱 Connect your old phone to your new phone via an adapter.
• 📁 On the new Xiaomi, open Explorer (or Mi File Manager) – the old phone will appear as a removable drive.
• 🔄 Copy the required files manually.

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If you're moving photos, check the hidden folders! For example, DCIM/.thumbnails stores thumbnails, and Pictures/Screenshots stores screenshots. They're easy to miss when you manually copy them.

4.Move from iPhone to Xiaomi (with photos and contacts saved)

Switching from iPhone to Xiaomi requires a special approach, since Mi Mover does not support iOS, here will help the combination of iCloud and Google services, and for photos – the Move to iOS app (yes, it works in the opposite direction!).

Step-by-step:

1. Contacts and calendars: On iPhone, open Settings → [Your name] → iCloud and enable Contact Sync. On your computer, go to iCloud.com, export contacts to.vcf. Import this file to Google Contacts (contacts.google.com), then sync with the new Xiaomi.
2. Photos and videos: Install Google Photos on your iPhone and back up. On the new Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account, and the photos will be uploaded automatically.
3. Apps: Unfortunately, iOS apps cannot be migrated to Android (different formats.ipa and.apk). But you can save a list of installed programs: On iPhone, open Settings → Screen time → All actions and take a screenshot of the list of applications. On Xiaomi, install analogues from Google Play manually.

⚠️ Note: When transferring photos via Google Photos, check the quality settings: if your iPhone enabled Storage Optimization, the original photos could have been replaced with compressed versions. DCIM iTunes or Finder).

5. SMS portability, call and application history

These types of data are often left behind in standard porting, but can be saved with specialized applications. SMS Backup & Restore (free on Google Play) and applications can be backed up via ADB or Titanium Backup (requires root) are suitable for SMS and call history.

Instructions for SMS/calls:

1. Install Backup & Restore SMS on your old phone.
2. Create a backup (.xml file) and save it to the cloud or computer.
3. Transfer the file to the new Xiaomi and recover the data through the same app.

Instructions for applications (without root):

• 📲 Put it on an old phone. APK Extractor from Google Play).
• 📦 Export. APK-files of the desired applications to the memory card or to the cloud.
• 📥 On the new Xiaomi, allow installation from unknown sources (Settings) → Annexes → Special access → Install unknown applications) and install APK manually.

⚠️ Note: When transferring applications through APK their data is not restored (for example, save in games or configure messengers). ADB (guideline).

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For full transfer of applications with data, a backup copy is required through ADB Or Titanium Backup, root only, and you can only move it without root. APK-files, but not their settings.

6.Mobile over cloud services (Yandex.Disk, Dropbox, OneDrive)

If you don't have a cable or a computer on hand, you can use cloud storage, which is universal and works even between different operating systems (Android). ↔ iOS ↔ Windows Phone: The main plus is that data is available from any device, minus the limited free space (usually free) 5-15 GB).

How to move:

1. Install a cloud service application on your old phone (Yandex.Disk, Dropbox, OneDrive).
2. Upload files (photos, videos, documents) to the cloud. Use Wi-Fi to speed up.
3. On the new Xiaomi, install the same app, log in to your account and download the files back.

Comparison of services:

⚠️ Note: When uploading photos to the cloud, some services (like Google Photos in High Quality Mode) compress images. If it is important to maintain original quality, choose the option “Original Quality” (but it ranks on your Google account).

7.What to do after the transfer: verification and optimization

Data portability is only half the battle. Once you've completed the process, make sure to check:

• 📞 Contacts: Open the Contacts app and make sure all numbers are in place (especially check groups and linked accounts).
• 📷 Visit the Gallery and make sure all albums and dates are saved (sometimes when you move through Mi Mover, the creation dates are confused).
• 📱 Apps: Make sure all programs are installed and running (some may require re-entry).
• 🔊 Sounds and notifications: Check that alarms, ringing melodies and alerts have moved (they are stored in the scalp). /system/media/audio and not always copied).

If something's lost:

• 🔍 For SMS: Try to restore from backup through SMS Backup & Restore.
• 🖼️ For photos: Check the folder DCIM/.thumbnails — Sometimes the miniatures remain even if the originals are not copied.
• 🔄 For applications: If APK not installed, enable compatibility mode in Settings → Annexes → Special access → Installation of unknown applications.

Optimizing the new phone:

• 🔋 Turn off autoloading of unnecessary applications (Settings) → Annexes → Autoboot).
• 📶 Set up Double Space (if you want to separate personal and work data) in Settings → Special facilities → Double space.
• 🔒 Activate Find Device (Settings) → Mi Account → Find Device to protect against loss.

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After transferring the data, make sure to reset the old phone to factory settings (if you sell or give it away).This will delete all personal data and prevent leaks. Reset: Settings → About the phone → Reset.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data portability to Xiaomi