How to transfer all data from one Xiaomi phone to another: 5 proven ways

The transition to a new Xiaomi, Poco or Redmi smartphone is always an exciting moment, but the joy of updating the gadget is often overshadowed by the need to transfer data: photos over the years, saved passwords, app settings and even message history. If you are afraid of losing important information or spending hours on manual copying, this article is for you.

The manufacturer offers several official migration methods, but not all of them are equally effective. For example, transfer through the Mi Cloud is limited to free storage, and direct cable may not work on older models. We tested 5 methods — from standard to little-known — and identified their pros, cons and pitfalls.

Important: the procedure is different for devices on MIUI 14 and later (including HyperOS). If your smartphone is still on MIUI 12/13, some features may not be available, check the version in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version.

1. Official method: Mi Mover (direct transfer by cable)

Xiaomi’s most reliable method is to use the built-in Mi Mover tool, which works on all devices with MIUI 9 and higher, including the Poco F5, Redmi Note 12 and Xiaomi’s flagship 14.

• 📱 Contacts, SMS call-book
• 📷 Photos, video and audio files (including hidden folders)
• 🎮 Application data (game progress, settings)
• 🔑 Wi-Fi passwords and accounts
• 📝 Notes and calendars

First, prepare both phones:

1. Connect both devices to charging (the process can take up to 1 hour).
2. On your old phone, go to Settings → Additional → Mi Mover.
3. On the new phone, select This is a new phone when you first start up or find Mi Mover in the settings.
4. Connect devices via an OTG cable (included in new smartphones) or use Wi-Fi Direct (slower).

Both phones have a ≥30% charge

OTG cable is good (check on another device)

On the new phone ≥ 2x free space compared to the data on the old

VPNs and firewalls disabled

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After connecting, select data types to transfer.

⚠️ Warning: If the new phone already has data (for example, you started using it), Mi Mover will prompt you to erase everything before transferring!

The speed of transmission depends on the amount of data:

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If the Mi Mover is 99% hung, don't turn off the cable! Wait until it's finished (it can take up to 10 minutes), a well-known feature of MIUI when it comes to large volumes.

2.Moving over Mi Cloud: Pros and Limitations

The Mi Cloud is an alternative for those who don't have an OTG cable or are in different locations, but there are critical limitations to the method:

• 🔒 Free storage – only 5 GB (for transferring photos and videos, this is not enough).
• ⏳ Speed depends on the Internet connection (on mobile). 4G 10GB transfer will take ~2 hours).
• 🚫 Not all data is synchronized: for example, progress in games and settings of some applications are not portable.

How to use Mi Cloud:

1. On the old phone: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization.
2. Turn on sync for all the necessary categories (contacts, notes, photos).
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Xiaomi account and wait for the sync to complete.

To transfer photos and videos separately:

1. Upload files to Mi Cloud → Gallery (you can choose folders manually).
2. On your new phone, download them through the Gallery → Albums → Mi Cloud.

⚠️ Note: If you used Google Photos to back up, disable autoloading to Mi Cloud to avoid duplicate files. Otherwise, the same photo can take up space on both services.

3. Transfer through Google Account (for contacts, mail, calendar)

If you've used Google services on your old phone, most of the underlying data is already synced to the cloud.

• 📇 Contacts (including groups and labels)
• 📅 Calendars and reminders
• 📧 Letters and settings Gmail
• 🌐 Chrome bookmarks
• 📍 Location history (if included)

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, check that sync is enabled: Settings → Accounts → Google → [your email] → Account Sync.
2. On the new phone, add the same Google account when you first start or through Settings → Accounts.
3. Wait for automatic synchronization (usually takes 5-15 minutes).

For manual synchronization:

Settings → Accounts → Google → [your email] → Menu (⋮) → Sync Now

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ Not tolerated. SMS, callbook.
• ❌ Application settings (such as WhatsApp or Viber) are not saved.

Mi Mover (cable)|Mi Cloud (cloud)|Google Account|Program side (e.g. SHAREit)|Never transferred data-->

4. Transfer of WhatsApp, Telegram and other messengers

Messages and media files from messengers are not transferred in the standard ways (Mi Mover or Google Account).

📌 WhatsApp

The official way is to back up Google Drive:

1. On an old phone: WhatsApp → ⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup copy.
2. Make a copy (make sure it is saved to Google Drive).
3. On the new phone, install WhatsApp, log in to the same account and restore chats when requested.

⚠️ Note: If you are using Xiaomi with dual SIM-WhatsApp can be linked to another number before transferring, check which number is specified in the application settings.

📌 Telegram

All chats and media are stored in the cloud, so it is enough:

1. Sign in to a new phone (enter the number and code from SMS).
2. All messages and files will be downloaded automatically.

Exception: Secret chats and local files (saved in "Saved Messages") are not synced. They need to be manually transferred through Settings → Data and Memory → Chat Export.

📌 Viber and other messengers

For Viber:

1. Create a backup on your old phone: More → Settings → Account → Backup.
2. Transfer the copy file to your new phone (via cable or cloud).
3. Restore data when you first start Viber on your new device.

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For instant messengers, always use official backup tools. Party programs (such as Titanium Backup) can break chat encryption.

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

If you switch from iPhone to Xiaomi (or back), standard methods won't work.

🍎 From iPhone to Xiaomi

• 📱 Use Move to iOS (but in reverse!): Download Mi Mover on your iPhone and follow the instructions.
• 🌐 Move your contacts through iCloud → Export vCard, then import on Xiaomi.
• 📷 Upload photos and videos to Google Photos or iCloud, then download to your new phone.

🤖 With Xiaomi on iPhone

• 📱 Install Move to iOS on Xiaomi and follow the tips when setting up your iPhone.
• 🔑 Transfer is possible only at the first launch of the iPhone!
• 📝 If the iPhone is already configured, reset it to factory settings and repeat the procedure.

Limitations of cross-platform transfer:

• ❌ Applications (such as Mi Fit or Xiaomi Home) are not portable.
• ❌ System settings (wallpaper, sounds, gestures) are lost.
• ❌ Music and some media files may not be supported due to formats.

6.Side of the program: when to use

If standard methods don't work (e.g. you have Xiaomi on custom firmware or a very old device), you can use third-party tools. We tested 3 popular solutions:

Instructions for Send Anywhere (recommended for large files):

1. Install the app on both phones.
2. On the old phone, select files and click Send.
3. A 6-digit code is generated – enter it on a new phone.
4. Wait for the transfer to be completed (speed ~10 MB/s over Wi-Fi).

⚠️ Note: When using third-party programs, disable battery optimization for them in Xiaomi settings (Settings) → Annexes → Permits → Auto-start, otherwise the transmission may be interrupted.

7 What to do if the data is not transferred

If you find that some of the data is missing after the transfer, try these steps:

🔍 Checking hidden folders

Some files (such as screenshots or recordings from a voice recorder) can be stored in folders such as:

/storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/


/storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Screenshots/

Use a file manager (such as Mi File Manager) with the "Show Hidden Files" option enabled.

🔄 Re-synchronization

For Mi Cloud or Google Account:

1. Turn off and enable synchronization again in your account settings.
2. Reboot the phone.
3. Check your internet connection (better use Wi-Fi).

🛠 Recovery from backup

If you have backup through Settings → System → Backup:

1. Reset the new phone to factory settings (Settings → About Phone → Resetting).
2. When you first start, select "Restore from backup".

FAQ: Frequent questions about data portability to Xiaomi