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

Contents

• Introduction: Why it is important to transfer data correctly
• Preparation for transfer: what to do before the start
• Method 1: Transfer over Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)
• Method 2: Direct Cable Transfer (Mi Mover)
• Method 3: Sync through Google Account
• Method 4: Third-party applications (SHAREit, Clone Phone)
• Method 5: Manual transfer of important files
• Typical problems and their solutions
• Frequent Questions (FAQ)

Transferring data to the new Xiaomi is a challenge that every smartphone user faces. How well you do this depends on keeping your contacts, photos, messages, and even app settings safe. In 2026, Redmi, POCO, and Mi owners have at least 5 ways to migrate information, from standard MIUI tools to universal solutions.

This article will not just list the methods, but will help you choose the best option depending on your situation. For example, if you have slow Internet, you better use a direct cable. If you move from iPhone to Xiaomi, you will need special applications. We will also analyze the hidden settings MIUI 14/15, which speeds up the transfer by 40% and prevents data loss.

Preparation for transfer: what to do before the start

Before you start the transfer, follow a few critical steps that can lead to data loss or incomplete synchronization.

• 🔋 Charge both phones to at least 50%.Cable or Wi-Fi transfers drain the battery faster than you think.
• 📶 Check the Internet connection on both devices. Cloud transfer requires stable Wi-Fi (preferably 5 GHz).
• 🗃️ Clean up the files on your old phone, and it'll take hours to move 50GB of trash.
• 🔐 Make sure you are compatible with the new Xiaomi MIUI 15 do not support transferring devices older than Android 8.0 via Mi Mover.

Pay special attention to storage. If the new phone has less storage than the data on the old one, the transfer will be interrupted in the middle, for example, when you switch from the Redmi Note 11 Pro (128 GB) to the POCO X6 (64 GB), you will have to manually choose what to copy.

⚠️ Note: If the old phone has data encryption enabled (Settings) → Security → Encryption, disable it 24 hours before transfer, otherwise Mi Mover will not be able to read part of the files.

Method 1: Transfer over Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

The most reliable method for owners of Xiaomi, if both phones run on MIUI. the Mi Cloud saves not only files, but also system settings, SMS, notes and even data of some applications (for example, Mi Fit for smart watches).

Step-by-step:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Mi Cloud and log in to your Xiaomi account.
2. Activate synchronization for all the categories you need: Contacts → Messages → Gallery → Notes.
3. Wait for the download to be completed (time depends on the amount of data and Internet speed).
4. On the new phone, when you first turn on, select Restore from Mi Cloud or do it later in Settings → Mi Cloud → Recovery.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 Automatic data update (if synchronization is enabled).
• 🌐 Access files from any device via the web version of Mi Cloud.
• 📱 Screen settings, wallpaper and icon location are saved.

⚠️ Note: If you use two-factor authentication in Mi Cloud, check backup codes before penos. When changing your device, the system may require confirmation via your old phone.

Battery charge >50%|Wi-Fi speed >10 Mbps|Free space in the cloud > data-length|Disconnected. VPN-connection|Mi Cloud backup codes checked-->

Method 2: Direct Cable Transfer (Mi Mover)

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary application for direct data transfer between two phones via USB-C/OTG or Wi-Fi Direct cable. This method is 3 times faster than the cloud and does not require Internet.

How to transfer data:

1. Install Mi Mover on both phones (if not preinstalled).
2. On the new phone, select I am a new user, on the old one, Send data.
3. Connect your phones with a cable (the original Xiaomi with USB 3.0 support is recommended).
4. Select categories to transfer: Contacts → Messages → Multimedia → Applications.
5. Confirm the beginning of the process. Don't turn off the cable until it's done!

Transfer speed:

• 📎 Cable USB 3.0: ~500 MB/min (10 GB in 20 minutes).
• 📶 Wi-Fi Direct: ~150 MB/min (10 GB/hour).

Critical detail: If a new phone has a MIUI beta installed, Mi Mover may not recognize it as the target device, in which case update the firmware to a stable version.

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If the Mi Mover is 99% frozen, restart both phones and repeat the process, most often due to conflicting versions of MIUI on the old and new device.

Method 3: Sync through Google Account

A universal method that works even when switching from iPhones or phones of other brands. Google account synchronizes contacts, calendars, Keep notes and photos (via Google Photos).

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Accounts → Google.
2. Turn on synchronization for all the categories you need.
3. On the new Xiaomi, when setting up, select Restore from Google backup.
4. Sign in with the same account and wait for the recovery to be completed.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ Not tolerated. SMS, call logs and application settings.
• ❌ Google Photos compresses images with free storage (quality "High").
• ✅ Plus: Data is available on any Android device or via a web interface.

⚠️ Note: If the old phone used a local Xiaomi account (without Google binding), the contacts are not automatically synced.

Method 4: Third-party applications (SHAREit, Clone Phone)

If standard methods don't work (like when switching from iOS or Samsung/Huawei phones), use generic apps.The best options for Xiaomi in 2026 are:

Instructions for SHAREit:

1. Install the app on both phones.
2. In the old, choose Send, in the new, Receive.
3. Connect to a single Wi-Fi network or use a hotspot.
4. Select the files and confirm the transfer.

Warning: Some apps (like Clone Phone) may request administrator rights. Do not grant them unless you are sure of security!

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Third-party apps are convenient for media porting, but do not replace full sync via Mi Cloud or Google.

Method 5: Manual transfer of important files

If you only need to transfer sample data (such as documents, game saves, or specific files), the manual method will be the most reliable.

• 📁 Document folders (.pdf,.docx,.xlsx).
• 🎮 Save games (folder) Android/obb).
• 🔑 Passwords from managers (export from Mi Browser or Google Password Manager).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your PC via USB-cable in file transfer mode (MTP).
2. Copy the required folders to your computer: Internal memory/DCIM/ — Photo and video internal memory/Download/ — Loading Internal Memory/Android/data/ — file
3. Connect a new Xiaomi and paste files into the same folders.
4. Use the game to save the game ADB (Requires unlocked bootloader: Adb pull /sdcard/Android/obb/com.game.package adb push local_folder /sdcard/Android/obb/com.game.package

⚠️ Warning: Do not copy the folder Android/data In the whole, it can cause conflicts in applications. Only transfer data from specific programs (for example, com.whatsapp for WhatsApp).

Typical problems and their solutions

Even if you follow the instructions correctly, users are faced with errors, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

If none of these methods worked, try resetting to factory settings on your new phone and repeat the transfer from scratch, which solves compatibility problems in 80% of cases.

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Before resetting, write down your phone's IMEI (type *#06#) to help restore network access if something goes wrong.

Frequent Questions (FAQ)