How to transfer all data from Xiaomi smartphone to a new phone: 5 proven ways

Shifting data from one Xiaomi smartphone to another is a challenge that every user faces when buying a new device. Even if you stay in the brand ecosystem (for example, moving from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 14), the process requires attention to detail: losing contacts, photos or notes can lead to serious inconveniences. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways of data migration, from Mi Mover branded tools to cloud services and manual backup.

The main problem with transferring is the fragmentation of information: contacts are stored in a Google account, photos are stored in a gallery or in the cloud, messages are stored in the phone’s memory, and application settings may not be saved at all. We structured the process so that you can choose the best method based on the amount of data and model of your Xiaomi. MIUI 14+ Wireless transfer via Mi Mover is suitable, and for older smartphones (up to Redmi 5) you will have to use a cable or cloud.

It is also important to consider the types of data you want to store:

• 📱 Contacts and messages – synced through Google or Xiaomi accounts.
• 📸 Photos/videos – take up the most space, it is better to transfer via cable or cloud.
• 🎮 Applications and their data – not all programs support backup (e.g., games without cloud storage).
• ⚙️ System settings – themes, wallpapers, notification settings (transferable only through Mi Account).

Preparation for transfer: what to do before the start

Before you start migrating, follow the necessary preparatory steps, which will save you from losing data and speed up the process:

1. Check the space on your new phone. If you're carrying 50GB of photos and your device has only 32GB of storage, it will end up in error. Free up space by deleting unnecessary files or inserting a microSD (if supported).
2. Update. MIUI on both phones to the latest version (MIUI 12 and below) may not have wireless porting functionality. → The phone. → Version. MIUI.
3. Charge both devices to at least 50%. Transfer data over cable or Wi-Fi drains the battery faster than usual.
4. Connect to stable Wi-Fi (if you use the cloud or Mi Mover) and mobile internet may not be able to handle a lot of data.

Pay special attention to the accounts:

• 🔑 Make sure your old phone has a Mi Account tied (checked in Settings) → Xiaomi account without it you can not transfer the settings of the system.
• 📧 Sign in to Google on both devices, and this is for synchronizing contacts, calendar and email.
• ☁️ If you use Mi Cloud, check if there is enough space in the cloud (free 5GB.

Charging both phones > 50%|Updated firmware MIUI|Free space on the new phone > portable|Stable Wi-Fi connection|Authorization to Mi Account and Google on both devices-->

⚠️ Note: If you transfer data from Xiaomi to another brand’s phone (such as Samsung or iPhone), the branded Mi Mover will not work. In this case, use Google’s contact account and cloud services (Drive, Dropbox) for files.

Method 1: Wireless transfer via Mi Mover (recommended for MIUI 12+)

Mi Mover is a proprietary application from Xiaomi that allows you to transfer almost all data from the old phone to the new one without cable. MIUI 9 and newer, but for maximum compatibility it is better to use MIUI 12+.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 Transfers applications with their data (for example, progress in games, settings messengers).
• ⚡ Faster than the cloud – data is transmitted directly over Wi-Fi.
• 📱 Stores system settings (themes, wallpaper, notification parameters).

Disadvantages:

• 🚫 It doesn’t work between Xiaomi and other brands.
• 📶 Requires a stable Wi-Fi connection (when the process is interrupted).
• 🔋 It drains the battery of both devices.

Step-by-step:

1. On the new phone, when you first turn on, select Data Portability (if the phone is already configured, open Settings). → The phone. → Data portability).
2. Click on “I am the sender” on the new one.
3. Scan it. QR-code from the new phone old (or enter the code) PIN-manually).
4. Select data for transfer: 📱 Annexes (including their data) 📞 Contacts and call log 💬 Communications (SMS and MMS) 📸 Photos and videos 🎵 Music and audio files ⚙️ System settings

Confirm the transfer and wait until the completion (can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours depending on the volume).

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If the Mi Mover is stuck in the connection phase, restart both phones and try again. If the problem persists, use the cable (see Method 3).

Method 3: Transfer over Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

Mi Cloud is a cloud storage from Xiaomi that automatically backs up your phone’s data, a method that’s handy if you want to keep a backup before transferring or if you don’t have physical access to an old phone (like it’s broken).

How it works:

1. Data from the old phone is uploaded to the Mi Cloud.
2. On a new phone, you can recover them from the cloud.

Advantages:

• ☁️ Data is stored in the cloud – it can be restored in a month.
• 🔄 Supports automatic synchronization (if enabled in settings).
• 📱 It works on all Xiaomi devices, even on older models (Redmi) 4X, Mi A1).

Disadvantages:

• 📉 Free only 5 GB (for photo / video this is not enough).
• ⏳ Slower than Mi Mover, it depends on the speed of the Internet.
• 🔒 Not all data is backed up (for example, some application settings are not saved).

Backup instructions:

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Enable synchronization for the desired data: 📞 Contacts 💬 Communications 📅 Calendar 📸 Gallery (photo/video) 🎵 Records. 📍 Notes

Backup

Create a backup copy

Wait until it is completed (may take minutes to hours).

Recovery on the new phone:

1. Sign in to the same Mi Account on your new phone.
2. Go to Settings. → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Recovery from backup.
3. Select the latest backup and confirm the recovery.

⚠️ Note: If you use Mi Cloud to transfer photos/video, make sure that the gallery settings include the option “Autoload to Mi Cloud” (Gallery) → Settings → Without it, photos won't automatically load.

Method 3: Cable Transfer (for large data volumes)

If you have tens of gigabytes of photos/video or slow internet, the best option is to transfer over cable, which works even on older Xiaomi models (Redmi). 3S, Mi 5 and guarantees 100% lossless data transfer.

You'll need:

• 🔌 USB-cable OTG (If the new phone does not support host mode).
• 🔌 USB Type C C Cable (or Micro USB, depending on the model).
• 💻 Computer (optional, but convenient for intermediate copying).

Option 1: Direct phone connection (via OTG)

1. Connect your old phone to your new one OTG-adapter.
2. On the new phone, open Explorer (File Manager).
3. Select the folders to copy (usually this one) DCIM For photos, Download for downloads, WhatsApp for correspondence).
4. Copy the files to a new phone.

Option 2: Through a computer (most securely)

1. Connect your old phone to your PC and copy all the files you need to your hard drive.
2. Turn off the old phone, plug in a new one.
3. Transfer files from your PC to your new phone.

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Cable transfer is the only reliable way to handle large amounts of data (50)+ The cloud and Mi Mover may not be able to handle so many files.

5. Method 4: Transfer through a Google account (for contacts, mail, calendar)

If you use Google services (Gmail, Contacts, Calendar), most of the data is already synchronized automatically, a method that works even when you switch from Xiaomi to iPhone or Samsung.

What data are transferred:

• 📞 Contacts (if saved in Google, not in phone memory).
• 📅 Calendar (events, reminders).
• 📧 Gmail emails and other Google account data.
• 📍 Google Keep Notes.
• 🎵 Music from Google Play Music (if you use this service).

How to check the synchronization:

1. Open Settings → Accounts → Google.
2. Select your account and check if sync is enabled for: Contacts Gmail Drive

If the sync is disabled, turn it on and wait for it to be completed.

Recovery on the new phone:

1. When you first turn on, log in to the same Google account.
2. In the account settings, enable synchronization for the desired data.
3. Wait until the data is loaded (may take a few minutes).

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If contacts are not synced, check if they are saved to your Google account. → Settings → Default account and select Google.

⚠️ Note: If you have used two-factor authentication on Google, you may need to confirm via a new phone when you sign in. SMS Make sure you have access to your old phone number or backup codes.

Method 5: Manual transfer (for individual files and applications)

If you only need to migrate a piece of data (like photos from the last month or saves from a particular game), manual methods are more convenient.

Photo/video transfer:

• 📸 Use Google Photos: Install the app on your old phone. Enable autoload (Settings) → Backup and sync. On the new phone, log in to the same account and photos will be automatically uploaded.

cloud

Deferral of communications (SMS):

• 💬 Use the app. SMS Backup & Restore: Install it on your old phone and back it up. Save the file to Google Drive or mail it to yourself. On your new phone, install the same app and restore the messages.

Transfer of applications and their data:

• 🎮 For games, use cloud saves (Google Play Games, developer services).
• 📱 For other apps, check if they have an export/import feature (for example, WhatsApp does this through Settings). → chat → Backup copy).

Transfer of notes:

• 📝 If you use Xiaomi Notes, they sync through the Mi Cloud.
• For Google Keep or Evernote, just log in to your account on your new phone.

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

Even if you follow the instructions, you can make mistakes, and we'll look at some of the most common problems and ways to solve them.

Additional advice:

• 🔄 If the transfer is interrupted, do not turn off the phones – wait for the current operation to complete or restart both devices.
• 📶 When using Mi Mover over Wi-Fi, turn off the power saving mode - it can interrupt the transmission.
• 🔋 If the battery is running out too quickly, connect the phones to charging before the transfer begins.

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If none of these things worked, try resetting the new phone to factory settings and repeating the transfer from scratch, and sometimes setting conflicts interfere with the proper migration of data.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions