How to transfer all data from Xiaomi smartphone to another phone: the complete guide

The transition to a new smartphone is always an exciting moment, especially when it comes to transferring valuable data from the old Xiaomi. Photos, contacts, instant messaging, notes and even app settings are all things you want to keep intact. Fortunately, owners of Xiaomi devices have several reliable ways to migrate, from built-in tools to universal cloud services.

But how do you choose the best method? It depends on the amount of data, phone models and your preferences. For example, to move from Redmi Note 12 to Xiaomi 14 Pro will suit the proprietary solution Mi Mover, but when you change the platform (say, from POCO X5 to iPhone 15) you will have to combine cloud services and manual portability. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods, their pros and cons, and give tips on how to avoid typical mistakes.

We’ll focus on the hidden nuances of why some data isn’t automatically transferred, how to save Wi-Fi passwords, and what to do if the new phone doesn’t see the old device, and what MIUI settings can block file transfers and how to disable them in advance.

1. Preparing Xiaomi phone for data transfer

Before you start migrating, you need to prepare both devices correctly, and if you don't charge enough, if you don't have the power saving mode on, or if you have an outdated version of MIUI, you can interrupt the process, and then some of the data will have to be transferred again.

Start by checking the firmware version on the old Xiaomi. Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. If an update is available, install it: new versions often contain patches for portability tools. Also make sure that both phones have a VPN disabled – it can block the connection between devices.

Then check the space on your new phone, for example, if you're transferring 64GB of data and the new device has only 32GB left, the process will end with an error. Clear the memory in advance by deleting unnecessary files or transferring them to a memory card.

⚠️ Note: If the old Xiaomi enabled the function of Application Protection (in Settings) → Annexes → Permits → Special access, it can block access to data from some programs.

• 🔋 Charge both phones to a minimum. 50% (optimally — 80-100%).
• 📶 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (for wireless methods).
• 🔒 Make sure that the new phone has disabled the lock on the fingerprint/face during the transfer.
• 📁 Backup your important data to your computer or cloud (in case of a crash).

2. Method 1: Mi Mover – Xiaomi’s proprietary tool

Mi Mover is a built-in solution for transferring data between Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices. It supports the transfer of contacts, messages, photos, videos, music, applications (including their data), and even some system settings. The main advantage is that you do not need to connect to the Internet, since data is transmitted directly over Wi-Fi.

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

1. On the new phone, when you first turn on, select Data Transfer (or find the Mi Mover app in the menu).
2. On your old phone, open Settings → Additional → Data Transfer (or run Mi Mover from the app menu).
3. Click I send on the old phone and I receive on the new one.
4. Scan it. QR-code from the new phone on the old one (or enter it) PIN-manually).
5. Select data types to transfer and confirm the start of the process.

The speed of transfer depends on the amount of data: for example, 30 GB of photos can be carried from 20 minutes to 1 hour. If the process is stalled during the Preparation stage, check whether the antivirus or battery optimizer is blocking Mi Mover.

Turn off the power saving mode|Make sure there is enough space on both phones.|Connect to a single Wi-Fi network (if required)|Close all background applications-->

⚠️ Note: If you migrate data from Xiaomi to iPhone, Mi Mover won’t work — Apple uses a closed ecosystem. In this case, use Apple’s Move to iOS (available from the App Store).

Method 3: Transfer through Google Account (for Android)

If you’re switching from Xiaomi to another Android smartphone (not necessarily Xiaomi), the most versatile way is to sync through Google Account, a method that’s suitable for transferring contacts, calendars, photos (via Google Photos), notes (Google Keep), and even some app settings.

Step instructions:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Make sure that sync is enabled for Contacts, Calendar, Google Photos and other services.
3. Wait for the synchronization to complete (check in the top notification bar).
4. On the new phone, log in to the same Google account and enable sync.
5. The data will start uploading automatically. For photos, you may need to open Google Photos and wait for the upload.

The advantage of this method is that the data is available on any device with your Google Account, but there are limitations:

• 📁 Photos and videos take up space in the cloud (only 15GB is free).
• 📱 Applications are not automatically portable – only their settings (if supported).
• 💬 Communications SMS not synced via Google (you need to use third-party apps such as SMS Backup & Restore).

💡

If you have a lot of photos, turn on the Traffic Savings option in Google Photos (in your backup settings) before transferring them, which will speed up the loading, but reduce the quality of the images to 16 MP.

Method 3: Using an OTG cable or adapter

If you don’t have Wi-Fi or prefer direct transfer without clouds, you can use an OTG cable (to connect a flash drive) or a USB-C/USB-A adapter (to connect two phones directly), a method that is suitable for carrying large amounts of data (such as movies or backups), but requires additional accessories.

You'll need:

• 🔌 Cable OTG (if you transfer the data to a flash drive).
• 🔀 adapter USB-C → USB-A (If you connect two phones directly).
• 📱 File Manager (e.g. Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).

Step-by-step instructions for transfer via adapter:

1. Connect your old phone to an adapter (for example, via USB-C).
2. Connect the new phone to the other end of the adapter (via USB-A or second USB-C).
3. On your old phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode in the connection notification.
4. Open the file manager on your new phone and copy the folders you want (e.g. DCIM for photos, Downloads for downloads).

Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi 10 or Xiaomi) POCO M4 Pros may not support the regime USB-hosts (i.e., they won’t be able to “see” another phone as a flash drive) In this case, use a memory card or external drive.

5. Method 4: Transfer to iPhone (Move to iOS)

The transition from Xiaomi to iPhone requires a special approach, as Apple uses a closed ecosystem.

• 📞 Contacts, call history.
• 💬 Communications (SMS/MMS).
• 📷 Photos and videos (without folder structure).
• 📍 Web browser bookmarks.
• 📥 Postal accounts.
• 🎵 Free apps (if available in the App Store).

How to transfer data:

1. On the new iPhone, when setting up, select Data Transfer from Android.
2. On the old Xiaomi download Move to iOS from Google Play.
3. Launch the app on Xiaomi and enter the code that appears on the iPhone.
4. Select the data to transfer and wait for completion.

Limitations of the method:

• 🚫 Music, documents and paid applications are not portable.
• 🔄 Photos can take a long time to load (depending on the volume).
• 📱 Settings MIUI (topics, gestures) not to be transferred.

⚠️ Note: If data encryption is enabled on Xiaomi (in Settings) → Security → Encryption), Move to iOS may not see some files. disable encryption before transfer.

6. Method 5: Cloud services (Google Drive, Mi Cloud, Yandex Disk)

If you don't want to depend on cables or proprietary tools, cloud storage is a great alternative, and it allows you to transfer data to any device, including an iPhone, a Windows phone, or even a computer.

Instructions for Google Drive:

1. On the old Xiaomi, open Google Drive and click + → Download.
2. Select files (photos, videos, documents) and wait for the download.
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Google account and download files.

Instructions for Mi Cloud (Xiaomi only):

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Enable synchronization for the desired data (contacts, SMS, photos).
3. On the new Xiaomi, log in to the same account and wait for the download.

💡

Mi Cloud is the fastest way for Xiaomi owners, but it only works between devices of this brand. To port to iPhone or other brands, use Google Drive or Yandex Disk.

7 Manual copying of important data (SMS, passwords, settings)

Some data are not automatically transferred by any of the methods described above, including:

• 🔑 Wi-Fi passwords (can be exported through Settings) → Wi-Fi → Additionally. → Exports of networks).
• 💬 Correspondence in messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber – require separate backups).
• 📝 Notes from third-party apps (e.g. ColorNote or Evernote).
• 🎮 Game saves (many games are linked to a Google Play account or social media).

How to transfer the SMS:

1. Install the SMS Backup & Restore app on your old phone.
2. Create a backup and save it to Google Drive or send it by email.
3. On the new phone, install the same app and restore messages.

How to transfer Wi-Fi passwords:

1. On the old Xiaomi go to Settings → Wi-Fi → Additionally. → Exports of networks.
2. Install. PIN-Code to protect the file and export it.
3. Transfer the file to a new phone and import the network from the same menu.

💡

If you use WhatsApp, back up your chats to Settings → Chat → Backup. To port to your iPhone, you’ll need an additional Move to iOS app (steps described above).

8. Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even when following instructions, users often encounter problems, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to solve them:

• 🔌 Phones can't see each other on Wi-Fi → Check if the energy saving mode is on or VPN. Also make sure that both devices are connected to the same network (not the guest network!).
• 📱 Mi Mover is getting stuck on 99% → Restart the process by pre-clearing the application cache (Settings) → Annexes → Mi Mover → Warehouse → Clear the cache).
• ☁️ Google Photos does not upload photos → Check if there is enough space in your Google account. If not, buy additional storage or compress a photo before uploading.
• 🔒 Move to iOS is interrupted → Turn off all notifications and background processes (especially messengers) on Xiaomi. Also make sure there is enough space on your iPhone.

Another common problem is migrating data applications, and many programs (e.g., banking or fitness trackers) don't support backups through standard tools.

1. Check if the application has an inbuilt export function (usually in Settings → Account).
2. If not, contact the support service (sometimes they can recover data on request).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions