Buying a new Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone is always a thrill, but it also brings the need to transfer all information from the old device. Modern shells MIUI and HyperOS offer powerful migration tools to avoid manually installing each application and entering passwords again. The right approach to this process will save you hours of time and ensure that no important photo or contact is lost when you change your gadget.
There are several proven ways to sync, from using the built-in system application Mi Mover to the cloud services Google Drive and Mi Cloud. The choice of the specific method depends on the condition of the old phone, the amount of data transferred and the availability of a stable Internet connection. In this article, we will discuss each of the options in detail so that you can choose the best one for your situation.
Before you start the copying process, it is important to prepare both devices. Make sure that both smartphones have at least 50-60% battery charge, as active data transfer can significantly consume energy. It is also recommended to free up space on the new device if it has already been used, or simply reset it to factory settings for a clean installation of the system.
Using the Mi Mover app for quick migration
The most efficient and quickest way to transfer data between Xiaomi devices is to use the Mi Mover app, which creates a direct Wi-Fi connection between phones, allowing you to transfer files at high speed without using Internet traffic. The app is pre-installed on most modern models, but if it is not, it can be easily downloaded from GetApps or Google Play.
The process starts with running the program on both devices, and on the old phone you have to select the role of "Sender" and on the new one you have to select the role of "Receiver". QR-If you have a code or manual connection to the network you've created, you'll have to choose the categories of data you want to transfer. It's critical that you don't interrupt the process and keep the phone screens on until you've completed all the data packets.
The app allows you to flexibly configure the list of information transmitted, you can select only contacts, messages and call logs, or copy the entire data set, including installed applications, system settings and multimedia.
- 📱 Select the data type: photos, videos, contacts, messages, applications, system settings.
- 🔗 Connect devices via Wi-Fi Direct, which is automatically created by the application.
- ⚡ Expect the process to be completed without switching to other tasks in the system.
- 🔄 Check the integrity of the data after the migration on the new device is completed.
It is worth noting that some system applications and data from secure banking programs may not be automatically transferred for security reasons, and in such cases, re-authorization or manual reinstallation will be required.
Sync through Google Account and Cloud Services
An alternative and often more reliable method is to use Google's cloud infrastructure.This is ideal if you don't have the ability to hold both phones together at the same time or if the old device is damaged but turns on.All data is stored on the company's servers and can be downloaded to the new Xiaomi at any time.
To get started, make sure your old device is synced. Go to your Google account settings and check if the checkmarks are ticked against contacts, calendar, notes and app data. Photos and videos are usually synced through Google Photos, which requires separate attention and customization of download quality.
On the new phone, when you first start or after a reset, the system will prompt you to log in to your Google account. Once you enter your login and password, you will automatically download the list of contacts, calendar events and a list of previously installed apps from the Play Market.
⚠️ Warning: A free Google account provides 15GB of storage space that is shared between mail, disks and photos. If your archive is large, some of the data may not sync without buying additional space.
Special attention should be paid to passwords saved in the Chrome browser. When you log in to your profile in the browser on a new device, all saved bundles of logins and passwords will automatically be pulled into the system, which eliminates the need to remember complex combinations of characters.
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Before buying a new phone, check the sync status in the Accounts and Sync section of your old device to make sure all data is successfully uploaded to the cloud.
Backup to Mi Cloud Backup
Xiaomi smartphone owners have access to their own cloud storage Mi Cloud, which is deeply integrated into the shell MIUI. This service allows you to create full backups of the system, including the location of icons on the desktop, alarm settings and specific interface settings.
To create a backup, go to the settings menu and find the section dedicated to the Mi Account. Here you can select "Mi Cloud" and start creating a backup. The system will offer to save contacts, messages, notes, voice recorders and even the history of the Mi Browser browser.
The advantage of this method is that when you restore it to a new Xiaomi device with the same shell version, the interface will become almost identical to the old one.
| Type of data | Mi Mover | Google Account | Mi Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. |
| Photos and videos | Yeah (original) | Yes (compression or original) | Yes (up to 5GB free) |
| Wi-Fi passwords | Yes. | Yes (via Google) | Yes. |
| Location of icons | Yes. | No. | Yes. |
It is worth remembering that free space in the Mi Cloud is limited to 5 GB. To store large volumes of photos and videos, you will need to connect a paid subscription or use an external drive.
Transfer of multimedia and files through USB-cable
If the volume of photos and videos is measured in tens of gigabytes, the most rational solution is to use the computer as an intermediate link, direct connection by cable provides maximum stability and speed of transferring large files, eliminating the risk of interruption of communication through the air.
Connect your old phone to your PC via USB-cable and select the mode of operation "File transfer» (MTP). Copy the folders. DCIM, Pictures, Download and Music to your computer's hard drive. Then repeat the procedure with your new phone by copying the data to the appropriate directories.
This method also allows you to audit files and clear the gallery of non-cloth debris before transferring to a new device, and you can immediately sort photos by folder or year to keep the new smartphone in order.
What to do if your computer can’t see your phone?
After copying files, be sure to check to open them on a new device. Sometimes when transferring over a PC, the shooting dates may be confused, so the gallery may sort the photos incorrectly, but the files themselves will remain intact.
Features of data transfer WhatsApp and messengers
Messengers require a special approach, as their correspondence is often not synchronized through standard methods of copying files. WhatsApp needs to use a built-in backup function inside the application itself before transferring.
Open WhatsApp settings on your old phone, go to Chats and select Backup Chats. Make sure you have a copy created in Google Drive. On the new device, when you first install the app and log in to the same phone number, the system will prompt you to restore your correspondence history from the cloud.
The same is true for Telegram and Viber: Telegram stores all data on the server, so it’s easy to log in. Viber also requires you to back up your Google Drive or Viber Backup to recover your call and message history.
- 📲 Create a backup in the settings of each messenger separately.
- 🔐 Use the same phone number and Google account to recover.
- ⏳ Wait for the story to be downloaded without closing the application.
⚠️ Note: Two-factor authentication (2FA) In messengers may require the input of code from SMS Or from a password generator. SIM-Card installed in a new phone or you have access to codes.
Data Integrity Check and Final Configurement
Once all the transfer procedures are complete, you should carefully check your new smartphone. Go through your contact list, open the gallery and make sure all the albums are in place. Pay special attention to banking and government applications, which often have to be manually reconfigured for security reasons.
Check the work. NFC-It often happens that when transferring data, the cards are “unbound” and require re-verification through the SMS Also check the alarm settings, as on different Xiaomi models, the alarm clock time can be lost when changing the time zone or region.
If you used Mi Mover, delete the temporary files created by the application to free up space. If you used the cloud, make sure that the sync is successful and the files are available offline.
☑️ Final phone check
Now your new Xiaomi is fully ready to go, you have saved all the important memories and data, while getting a fresh device with high performance, and creating regular backups in the future will protect you from data loss in the event of unforeseen situations.
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The combined method (Mi Mover for System and Applications + Google Photos for Media) is the gold standard for a full and fast migration to new Xiaomi devices.