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

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but transferring data from an old device can become a real headache if you don’t know the nuances. Even in the ecosystem of one brand, users face problems: somewhere lost contacts, somewhere do not transfer application settings, and sometimes the process is delayed for hours due to slow Internet. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways of data migration between Xiaomi phones, from official MIUI tools to universal solutions that work even on devices with different versions of firmware.

Xiaomi phones offer several built-in portability mechanisms: Mi Cloud, Mi Mover (newer versions – data cloning), and also support standard protocols like Google Account or USB-OTG. However, each method has limitations. For example, cloud backup in Mi Cloud does not store Wi-Fi passwords and some system settings if synchronization is not activated through Xiaomi account. And when using the cable, an adapter may be required if devices have different connectors (for example, Redmi Note 12 with USB-C and the old Redmi 5A with Micro-USB).

We tested all the options on devices with MIUI 14 and MIUI 15 (including Xiaomi 13T Pro, Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and POCO X5 Pro) so that you can choose the best option depending on the amount of data, Internet speed and the availability of additional accessories. If you only need to transfer photos and videos, one method will do, if you want a full migration with messages, calls and applications - another.

1.Official method: Cloning of data (Mi Mover) via Wi-Fi Direct

The built-in data cloning tool (formerly known as Mi Mover) is a priority method from Xiaomi that works without the Internet and does not require a PC connection. It copies almost all types of data, including:

• 📱 Contacts, call log and SMS/MMS
• 📸 Photos and videos (including Xiaomi Gallery albums)
• 🎵 Audio files and recorded voice notes
• 📁 Documents from Download folders, Documents
• ⚙️ System settings (wallpaper, sound profiles, brightness)
• 📱 Installed applications (without data, unless backup is supported)

The main advantage of the method is to preserve the structure of folders and metadata files (dates of creation, geotags, etc.).

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If the new phone already has data (for example, you have started using it), reset to factory settings before cloning, otherwise some files may be duplicated or not transferred.

Step-by-step:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → About Phone → Data Cloning (or Settings → Additional → Cloning in MIUI 15).
2. Choose I'm an old phone.
3. On the new phone, run the same section and select I am the new phone.
4. It'll appear on the old device. QR-Scan it with your new phone.
5. Confirm your connection via Wi-Fi Direct (make sure both phones have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled).
6. Select the data types to transfer and wait for the process to be completed.

Make sure that both phones have a ≥30% charge

Disable VPN and energy saving modes

Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (optional, but speeds up the process)

Close background applications, especially messengers

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The speed of the transfer depends on the amount of data. For example, 50 GB of photos and videos are copied for about 40-60 minutes (tested on the Redmi Note 11 Pro and Xiaomi 12T). If the process is interrupted, it can be resumed, but some files can be duplicated.

Up to 5GB

5-20 GB

20–50 GB

More than 50GB

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2.Moving over Mi Cloud: Pros and Cons of Cloud Redundancy

Mi Cloud is a cloud storage from Xiaomi that offers 5GB for free (with the option to expand to 200GB for a fee).

How to transfer data through Mi Cloud:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Turn on synchronization for the desired categories (contacts, gallery, notes, etc.).
3. Click Backup and select Create Backup.
4. Once you have finished copying, log in to the same Xiaomi account on your new phone.
5. In Mi Cloud, on the new device, select Restore from backup and specify the date you want.

If you have a lot of data, we recommend that you move contacts and messages through Mi Cloud first, and then use cable or Wi-Fi Direct for photos and videos.

3.Move over Google Account: a universal method for Android

If you use Google services (Gmail, Google Photos, Contacts), this method will allow you to transfer basic data without being tied to the Xiaomi ecosystem.

• 📇 Contacts (synchronized through Google Contacts)
• 📅 Calendars and reminders
• 📸 Photos and Videos (via Google Photos with unlimited storage for compressed files)
• 🎮 Data of certain games (if linked to Google Play Games)

How to set up synchronization:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Accounts → Google.
2. Select your account and enable sync for the right categories (contacts, calendar, Chrome, etc.).
3. For photos and videos, install the Google Photos app and enable Backup and Sync.
4. On the new phone, log in to the same Google account and wait for the sync to complete.

Note: Google Photos compresses photos and videos at a free rate (up to 16 MP for photos and 1080p for videos).If you care about quality, use original quality, but it takes up space in your Google Drive (15GB for free).

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Synchronization through Google does not carry SMS, call log and system settings, you need to use Mi Cloud or specialized applications like SMS Backup & Restore.

4.Cable transfer: USB-OTG or PC as an intermediary

If you don't have Wi-Fi or data that's too big for the cloud, you can use a direct cable connection.

Option 1: USB-OTG (for phones with the same connector)

• 🔌 Connect the phones through USB-OTG cable, USB-C to USB-C or micro-USB to USB-C adapter).
• 📱 On your old phone, select File Transfer Mode (MTP).
• 📂 On the new phone, open the Explorer and copy the necessary folders (DCIM, Download etc.).

Option 2: Computer (universal method)

1. Connect your old phone to your PC and copy all the data to your hard drive.
2. Disable the old phone, connect the new one and transfer the files back.
3. For contacts and SMS, use.vcf and.xml (SMS) export formats through applications like Super Backup.

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When copying via PC, check hidden folders (such as.thumbnails or Android/data) – they can store thumbnails of photos or save games.

The speed of transfer via cable is 5-10 times faster than over Wi-Fi. For example, 100 GB of data is copied in 20-30 minutes (using USB 3.0), However, this method does not tolerate system settings and data from some applications.

5. Third-party applications: when embedded tools fail

If you need to migrate specific data (such as game saves, messenger settings, or application-specific files), standard methods may not work.

How to use Clone Phone (alternative to Mi Mover):

1. Install the app on both phones from Google Play or Xiaomi App Store.
2. On the old phone, select Send data, on the new phone, Receive data.
3. Connect through QR-code or Wi-Fi Direct.
4. Select categories to transfer and wait until completion.

6.Move data from Xiaomi phone to POCO or Black Shark

POCO and Black Shark devices, although owned by Xiaomi’s ecosystem, sometimes have features when migrating data.

• 📱 POCO F5 Xiaomi 13 and Pro have different versions MIUI (Global vs. Chinese, which may cause compatibility issues with Mi Cloud backups.
• 🎮 Black Shark 5 has customized firmware where the data cloning tool may not be available.

The solution for POCO:

1. Upgrade both phones to the latest version of MIUI.
2. Use Wi-Fi Direct (as in Section 1) – it works more stable than Mi Cloud for devices with different firmware.
3. If there is no data cloning, install Clone Phone from Google Play.

Solution for Black Shark:

1. Transfer data via Google Account or cable.
2. For games, use cloud saves or manual copying of the Android/obb folder.
3. The system settings will have to be set up manually.

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Before transferring data to Black Shark, disable Shark Space mode – it can block access to system files.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even when using official tools, users are faced with problems, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

⚠️ Note: If the process of cloning data is frozen in the "Preparation of files" stage, restart both phones and try again. If the error repeats, clear the cache of the application Cloning data in the settings.

If neither method worked, try resetting your new phone and repeat the transfer from a clean device, which often resolves compatibility issues.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions