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

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but data porting often turns into a headache. Contacts, photos, messages, apps, and even screen settings all need to be saved to keep from starting from scratch. Fortunately, Xiaomi has several built-in tools that make it easier to migrate, as well as universal solutions from Google and third-party developers.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to transfer data, from the official Mi Mover app to manually copying via cable, what is the right method for your case, how to avoid loss of information and what to do if something goes wrong, and we’ll also reveal a hidden feature Xiaomi that allows you to transfer even passwords from Wi-Fi and data from some games without root rights.

Whether you're switching from another Xiaomi, Samsung, iPhone, or even a button phone, there's a solution for every situation, and we'll start with the easiest and most reliable way.

1.Official method: Mi Mover - fast and lossless

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary tool for transferring data between devices, pre-installed on all new smartphones of the brand and supports migration not only from other Xiaomi devices, but also from Android devices from other manufacturers (for example, Samsung, Huawei), the main advantage is the preservation of folder structure and the ability to transfer even system settings.

How it works:

• 📱 On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, the system will offer to transfer data.
• 🔗 On your old phone, install Mi Mover from Google Play (if it’s not there) and run it.
• 📶 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network or create an access point on a new smartphone.
• 🔄 On your old phone, select which data to transfer (contacts, messages, photos, apps), and confirm the transfer.

An important nuance: Mi Mover does not transfer data from some applications (such as WhatsApp or banking programs) due to security restrictions, they will require separate backups, and the transfer speed depends on the amount of data — 100 GB photos can be copied up to 2-3 hours.

2. Google Account Transfer: Universal, but not completely

If you've used an Android smartphone before, you probably already have a backup in your Google Account, which is good for basic data like contacts, calendars, some settings, and a list of apps, but photos, videos, and files will have to be synced separately through Google Photos or Google Drive.

What exactly is automatically transferred:

• 📇 Contacts (if saved in Google Contacts)
• 📅 Calendars and reminders
• 📱 List of installed applications (by themselves) APK-files are not portable!)
• 🔑 Some system settings (Wi-Fi passwords, wallpaper, language)

How to recover data on the new Xiaomi:

1. When you first turn on, select Copy Data → Google Account.
2. Enter the login and password from your account.
3. Select a backup (usually the most recent) and confirm the recovery.

⚠️ Warning: If your old phone is disabled syncing with Google, the data will not be transferred. → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization of the account.

The downside is that not all apps support backup, like Viber or Telegram, you have to reconfigure it, and Google Photos compresses images when you download them for free, which can degrade the quality.

OTG Cable Transfer: For Large Data Volumes

If you have a lot of heavy files (video) 4K, RAW-And the way that Wi-Fi works is unstable, and direct cable is the best solution. OTG-adapter (or cable) USB-C to USB-C, if both phones are modern and file manager (e.g., built-in Files from Xiaomi or Total Commander).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your new one OTG-adapter.
2. On the new Xiaomi, open the file manager and select the connected phone in the Devices section.
3. Copy the right folders (DCIM for photos, Download for downloads, WhatsApp for chats) for internal memory or SD-map.
4. For apps, copy the Android/data folder, but note that not all programs will work without re-installation.

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Maximum speed (up to 480 Mbps at USB 3.0)
• 🔒 No dependence on the Internet
• 📁 Full control over the transferred files

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 12 or X-ray) POCO X5) Requires the unblocking of the debugging USB In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 times) → Additionally. → For developers, without it, the phone won't show up as a storage device.

If the cable is not detected, try:

• 🔌 Use a different cable or port
• 🔄 Reboot both devices
• 📱 Enable File Transfer Mode (MTP) curtain-up

4. Cloud Storage: Dropbox, Yandex Drive, Mi Cloud

Cloud services are convenient if you want to migrate data gradually or if you don’t have physical access to an old phone (for example, it is repaired). Xiaomi offers its own cloud – Mi Cloud, but its free tariff is limited to 5 GB, which is enough only for contacts and a part of the photos.

Comparison of popular services:

How to move data through the cloud:

1. On an old phone, upload files to the selected cloud (for example, through the Yandex Drive app).
2. On the new Xiaomi, install the same app and log in to your account.
3. Download files to your device or leave them in the cloud for on-demand access.

Tip: to speed up the load, use night mode (if you have unlimited Internet) or connect to Wi-Fi 6 (on Xiaomi 13/14 models, this will increase the speed up to 30%).

5.Moving from iPhone to Xiaomi: features and life hacks

The transition from iPhone to Xiaomi requires a separate approach because of the closed Apple ecosystem, the main problem is the transfer of iMessage messages that are not synced with Google, which will help the application Move to iOS (yes, it works in the opposite direction!) or third-party utilities like iMazing.

Step-by-step algorithm:

1. On your iPhone, install Google Drive and back up (including contacts, calendars, and photos).
2. On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select Portal from iPhone and follow the instructions.
3. To transfer music, use Apple Music for Android or download tracks manually via iTunes on your PC.

What won't automatically transfer:

• 💬 iMessage (to be exported via iMazing or iExplorer)
• 🎵 Apple Music Playlists (will have to be manually restored)
• 🔑 Passwords from iCloud Keychain (use) 1Password or Bitwarden for export)

⚠️ Note: If two-factor authentication is enabled on the iPhone, turn it off in Settings before the perenosom → [Your name] → Password and security, otherwise you may have problems with authorization in iCloud on Android.

To transfer WhatsApp from iPhone to Xiaomi, use the official method:

1. Back up your chats on iCloud (Whatsapp Settings → Chat → Backup).
2. Install WhatsApp on Xiaomi and sign in to the same account.
3. When you are asked to restore chats, select Restore from iCloud (you will need to enter Apple ID).

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If WhatsApp doesn’t offer to restore chats from iCloud, uninstall the app, clear the cache in Settings → Apps → WhatsApp → Storage and install again.

6. Manual transfer: for experienced users

If you need to migrate specific data (e.g., save games, Tasker settings or database files), universal methods will not work. ADB, TWRP or file managers with root access.

Examples of manual transfer:

• 🎮 Save Games: Copy the folder /Android/obb/[title games] and /data/data/[Package games (root rights required).
• 📱 Nova Launcher Settings: Export configuration to file nova_backup launcher.
• 🔧 Termux Files: Move the folder /data/data/com.termux/files/home.

To work with ADB, use the following commands:

adb pull /sdcard/DCIM ~/Downloads/photos # Copy photos on PC


adb push app.apk /sdcard/Download/ # Download APK to your phone




adb shell pm install /sdcard/Download/app.apk # Install APK

⚠️ Note: Transfer of system files (/data/data/) without root can cause data loss or app failures. Always back up before experimenting!

If you use TWRP, you can create a full /data partition backup:

1. Download to TWRP (Nutrition + Volume Up).
2. Select Backup → Select Partitions → Data
3. Save the backup on SD-card or give it to the PC through MTP.
4. On the new phone, restore the backup via Restore.

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Manual transfer is only suitable for advanced users. For most tasks, Mi Mover or Google Account will suffice.

7.What to do if the data is not transferred?

Sometimes the migration process is interrupted or some data is lost, and here are the typical problems and solutions.

If critical data is lost (such as WhatsApp chats without a backup), try recovery software:

• 🔍 Dr.Fone (paid but with trial mode)
• 🔍 DiskDigger (free for photo)
• 🔍 Recuva (if the data were in the SD-map)

Remember, the faster you start recovering, the better the chances of returning files, and once deleted, the data stays in memory until it is overwritten with new files.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data portability to Xiaomi