How to transfer all data to the new Xiaomi phone from an old smartphone: 5 proven ways

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but data porting often becomes a headache. Contacts, photos, messages, apps, and even screen settings all need to be saved to keep from starting from scratch. Fortunately, Xiaomi has a few built-in tools and third-party solutions that make the migration process easier.

In this article, we will look at all the current ways to transfer data, from the official Mi Mover app to manually copying via cable, learn how to avoid file loss, what settings should be moved first, and what to do if standard methods do not work, and also unique life hacks for transferring data between Xiaomi and smartphones from other brands (Samsung, iPhone, Honor).

Whether you upgrade from the Redmi Note 10 to the Xiaomi 14 Ultra or switch from the iPhone to the POCO F6, there's a solution for your case here. Let's start with the most reliable method.

1.Official way: Mi Mover app from Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a proprietary solution from Xiaomi that allows you to transfer almost all data from the old phone to the new wirelessly.The application is pre-installed on all modern smartphones of the brand (starting with MIUI 9), so no additional downloads are required.

How does it work? Old and new phones connect to the same Wi-Fi network (or create a direct access point), then the data is transmitted in encrypted form. The speed depends on the amount of information and the stability of the connection, for example, transferring 30 GB of photos will take about 20-30 minutes.

✅ What Mi Mover is carrying:
📞 Contacts, call log and SMS
📸 Photos and videos (including Google Photos albums)
🎵 Music and audio files
📱 Applications (with data retention if supported)
⚙️ System settings (wallpaper, brightness, sound profiles)
📍 Location data and stored Wi-Fi networks

Important: Mi Mover does not transfer data from some third-party applications (such as WhatsApp or Telegram – they need separate backups), and there may be problems with transferring data from the iPhone – in this case, it is better to use Move to iOS in the opposite direction or cloud services.

Charging both phones > 50%|Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network|Make sure that the new phone has enough memory.|Turn it off. VPN firewalls|Close all background applications-->

2.Transfer via OTG cable: fast and without internet

If you don't have stable Wi-Fi or data that's too big (like 100+GB), the best option is to connect directly through an OTG cable, which is faster than wireless and doesn't depend on Internet speed.

🔌 USB-C/USB-A OTG-adapter (or cable) USB-C to USB-C, If both phones are modern)
📱 Old regime-supported phone USB Mass Storage (most Xiaomis since the beginning of the year) MIUI 10)
🔋 The battery charge of both devices is not less than 30%

Instructions:

Connect the OTG cable to the new phone and the other end to the old one.
On your old phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode in the connection notification.
On your new phone, open Files by Google or the standard MIUI File Manager.
Copy the folders you want (DCIM for photos, Downloads for downloads, etc.) to the internal memory of the new device.

Advantages of the method: maximum speed (up to 480 Mbit / s with USB 3.0) and no dependence on cloud services. Disadvantages: applications and system settings are not portable - only files.

💡

If the new Xiaomi doesn’t see the old phone through OTG, try using an externally powered adapter (like a USB-hub with a charging connector) to solve the problem of lack of power to transfer data.

3. Cloud services: Google Drive, Mi Cloud and alternatives

Cloud-based data porting is good if you have slow Internet but have time to download, and the main advantage is access to files from any device and the ability to selectively restore.

Service	Free storage volume	What's transferable	Speed.
Google Drive	15GB	Contacts, photos, videos, documents, some settings	Depends on the Internet.
Mi Cloud	5GB	Contacts, SMS, notes, photos, call records	Faster than Google (servers in China)
Yandex Disc.	10GB	Files, photos, videos (without system data)	Good speed in Russia

How to transfer data via Google Drive:

On your old phone, open Settings → Google → Backup.
Enable Download to Google Drive and select the data for the backup.
On the new phone, when you first turn on, select Restore from backup and log in to the same Google account.

For Mi Cloud, the way is different: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Backup. Here you can create a full system snapshot, but remember: 5 GB of free space is only enough for contacts and part of the photo. For the rest, you will have to buy space or use another service.

4. Applications and their data portability: what you need to know

The hardest part of migrating is migrating installed apps along with their data (e.g., save in games, chat in messengers, settings in Viber or WhatsApp). Not all apps support cloud storage, so you will have to use a combined approach.

Methods of transferring applications:

🔄 Built-in function MIUI: When the new Xiaomi is first enabled, the system will offer to restore applications from Mi Cloud or Google Play. However, application data (for example, progress in Genshin Impact) is not always restored.
📦 APK-backup: Apps like APK Extractor or Titanium Backup (requires root) can be saved APK-But this method is only suitable for advanced users.
☁️ Developer Cloud: Many apps (e.g. WhatsApp, Telegram, Spotify) sync data through their servers.

Particular attention should be paid to messengers:

💬 WhatsApp: Create a backup in Settings → chat → Backup and restore it when you first start on your new phone.
📌 Telegram: All chats and media files are synced automatically through the cloud (unless Secret Chat is used).
🤖 Viber: Backup is created in Settings → Account. → Backup copy and linked to phone number.

How to transfer data from games to the new Xiaomi

For most mobile games (Genshin Impact, Honor of Kings, etc, PUBG Mobile data is linked to a social network account (Facebook, Google Play Games, Mi Account or Game Center for iOS). 1. Before the penos, make sure the game is tied to the account. 2. On your new phone, install a game from Google Play or Mi App Store. 3. Sign in to the same account – progress will be restored automatically. ⚠️ If the game does not support cloud saves (such as some offline projects), use Titanium Backup (requires root) or manually copy the save folder (usually located in the game). /Android/obb/ or /Android/data/).

Importantly, some applications (e.g. banking) prohibit data transfer for security reasons, and they will have to be reconfigured.

5. Transfer data from iPhone to Xiaomi (and vice versa)

The transition between the Apple and Xiaomi ecosystems is a separate story, with Mi Mover not working, and standard tools like Move to iOS are only designed to be reverse-transferred (from Android to iPhone).

From iPhone to Xiaomi:

📱 Contacts: Sync through iCloud (enable Contacts in iCloud settings), then export them to Google Contacts via the web version.
📸 Photos and videos: Use Google Photos (upload media files to the cloud from your iPhone, then download to Xiaomi) or iTunes (plug your iPhone to your PC, copy files, then migrate to Xiaomi).
💬 Messages: Applications like iMazing or Backuptrans (paid) can export SMS from iPhone to format readable on Android.

From Xiaomi to iPhone:

🔄 Use Move to iOS (install the app on Xiaomi, follow the instructions when setting up your iPhone) Transfers contacts, messages, photos, videos, email accounts and calendars.
☁️ Alternative: upload the data to Google Drive, then download it to your iPhone via your browser or Files app.

⚠️ Note: When you migrate from iPhone to Xiaomi, some data may lose formatting. For example, events in the Apple Calendar can be displayed without reminders, and notes from Apple Notes will turn into normal text files.

6.Manual transfer: what to do if nothing works

If the automatic methods don't work, like Mi Mover hangs or the cloud doesn't restore data, you'll have to do it manually.

Contacts: Export them to.vcf via Contacts → Settings → Export/Import. Remove the file to a new phone and import.
Photo and video: Connect your old phone to your PC, copy the DCIM and Pictures folders, and transfer them to your new phone over a cable or cloud.
Apps: Create a list of installed apps through Google Play (My profile → App management → Installed). On a new phone, install them again from the list.

SMS:

Use applications like SMS Backup & Restore to create a backup in.xml format.
Restore the backup on your new phone.

For experienced users, there are more advanced tools:

🛠️ ADB (Android Debug Bridge: Allows you to create a full backup system through the command: adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab Then restore it to a new phone: adb restore backup.ab Requires debugging enabled USB and installed drivers.
🔧 TWRP Recovery: If both phones have custom recovery installed, you can create a partition image /data And restore it to a new device, dangerous for beginners!

⚠️ Note: When manually transferring, never copy system folders like this. /system or /vendor — This could cause a new phone to crash (/sdcard/, /Android/data/ etc.).

7. Check after transfer: what to check

After the data migration, don't rush to reset your old phone. First, make sure everything is transferred correctly:

Check contacts (no duplicates, all numbers are in place)| Open gallery - all photos and videos are displayed | Run key applications (WhatsApp, banking, games) | Check SMS and call log | Make sure saved Wi-Fi networks connect automatically | Set up fingerprint/face to unlock-->

Typical post-transfer problems and their solution:

Problem.	Reason.	Decision
Not all photos moved.	DCIM or Pictures folders are not fully copied	Check hidden folders (such as.thumbnails) and repeat the copy
Apps have not recovered	Lack of space or conflict of versions	Remove unnecessary apps and manually install critical apps from Google Play
SMS is duplicated	The conflict between the backups Mi Cloud and Google	Clear Messages and Restore Only One Backup
Fast battery discharge	Background data synchronization after transfer	Turn off autosynchronization in Settings → Accounts

If the new phone started to brake or overheat after transfer, perhaps the fault is:

🔋 Background indexing of files (wait 12-24 hours – system optimized).
🗑️ Duplicate files (use Files by Google to clean up files).
🤖 Conflict of versions MIUI (Update the software through Settings → Updating the system).

💡

If data is not displayed correctly after transfer (for example, photos without dates or contacts without avatars), try resetting the Media Store and Contacts app cache in the settings. This will cause the system to re-index the files.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data portability to Xiaomi

Can I transfer data from a Samsung phone to Xiaomi?

Yes, use Smart Switch to export data to your PC, then migrate it to Xiaomi. Mi Mover — some Samsung models are directly supported. Cloud services (Google Drive or Samsung Cloud → download to Xiaomi) The main problem is the transfer of Samsung Notes and Samsung Health, which will have to be exported manually through the corresponding applications.

Why can't Mi Mover see my old phone?

The problem may be: Incompatible versions of MIUI (update both phones), firewall or VPN lockdown (disable them), regional firmware (e.g. global vs. Chinese), Wi-Fi failure (try connecting via mobile hotspot). If nothing helps, use alternative methods (OTG cable or cloud).

How to transfer data from Xiaomi to Xiaomi if one of the phones is broken?

If the screen isn't working but the phone is turning on: Connect the broken phone to the PC via USB-Enable File Transfer Mode (MTP) (If the screen is not responding, try connecting the mouse through the OTG). Copy the data you want on your PC, then transfer it to your new phone. If the phone doesn't turn on: Remove the memory card (if the data was on it) and paste it into a new phone. Contact a service center to retrieve data from internal memory (expensive but possible).

How long does it take to transfer data?

Time depends on the method and the amount of data: Mi Mover: ~10-30 minutes on 10-50 GB (depending on Wi-Fi). OTG cable: ~5-15 minutes on 50 GB (USB 3.0). Cloud: 30 minutes to several hours (depending on Internet speed). Manual transfer: 1-2 hours (if you copy selectively). Tip: Start transferring in the evening and leave your phones overnight if you have a lot of data.

Can I transfer data from Xiaomi to iPhone after initial setup?

Yes, but it's harder. Options: Reset your iPhone to factory settings and use Move to iOS when you first set it up. Move it manually: Contacts through Google Contacts → iCloud. Photos through Google Photos or iTunes. Apps reset from the App Store. Note that some data (like a call log) can't be transferred to your iPhone once you set it up.