How to Transfer All Data from Xiaomi to Xiaomi via Google: Full Guide

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but data porting often turns into a headache. Many users lose hours manually copying photos, restoring contacts or reconfiguring apps. Meanwhile, Google offers built-in tools that allow you to transfer almost all data from the old Xiaomi to the new one in just a few clicks - without cables, third-party programs and the risk of losing information.

In this article, we’ll look at three official ways to migrate through Google: account sync, backup in Google Drive, and data recovery when you first set up, which types of data are automatically transmitted (and which are not), how to avoid common errors, and what to do if the transfer is suspended or interrupted, and unique life hacks to speed up the process and save traffic that you won’t find in standard instructions.

Why Google is the best way to move data between Xiaomi

Among all migration methods (Mi Mover, cable) OTG, Google’s use of cloud services stands out for four key benefits:

• 🔄 Cross-platform: Works not only between Xiaomi devices, but also when switching from Samsung, Huawei or even iPhone (with limitations).
• 📱 Automation: after setting up the new smartphone itself pulls data from the cloud without your participation.
• 🔒 Security: All data is encrypted during transmission and stored in a secure Google account (unlike third-party apps).
• 🆓 Free: You don’t need to buy cables, adapters or subscriptions to transfer (unlike some cloud services).

Xiaomi is also integrated with Google services by default, so no additional settings are available in the firmware. MIUI You don't need to. You just have a Gmail account and a stable Internet connection, but there are some nuances, like, not all data syncs automatically, and some types of files you have to manually transfer.

What data can be transferred through Google (and what is not enough)

Before you start migrating, it’s important to understand what will be moved and what will have to go back to your old smartphone, and here’s a full list of supported and unsupported data types:

Special attention should be paid to applications with local storage (for example, WhatsApp, Viber, banking programs), their data is not transferred through Google – they need a separate backup (we will talk about this in the section on manual transfer), and do not sync files from the Download folder and documents, unless they are uploaded to Google Drive.

⚠️ Warning: If your old phone used a Mi Account for backup instead of Google, the data will not be automatically recovered from the new device.

Preparing the old Xiaomi smartphone for data transfer

To make the migration smooth, you need to follow 5 mandatory steps on your old phone, and skipping any of them can lead to data loss or incomplete transfer:

Start by checking the firmware version: go to Settings → The phone. → Update the system. If you have an update, install it. It's important because it's in older versions. MIUI (Below 12) there may be Google sync bugs.

Next, open the Settings → Accounts and synchronization → Google and make sure that:

• 📧 Your primary Gmail account is connected and displayed in the list.
• 🔄 Synchronization for Contacts, Calendar and Google Drive enabled.
• 📁 In the Backup section, the option Backup of application data is activated.

For photos and videos, open the Google Photos app, go to Settings → Backup and sync and select:

• 📸 Download quality: "Original" (if there is space in the cloud) or "High" (free but compressed).
• 📶 Download method: Wi-Fi only (to avoid wasting mobile traffic).

💡

If there is not enough space on the phone, clear the app cache in Settings before backing up. → Annexes → Application management → Clear the cache. That'll speed up the process. 20-30%.

Step-by-step: transfer data through Google to the new Xiaomi

When the old phone is ready, you can start setting up the new one, and it takes 15 minutes to an hour, depending on the amount of data and the speed of the Internet, and follow the instructions strictly by the steps.

Step 1: Turn on the new Xiaomi and connect to Wi-Fi

When you first start up, you'll have to choose a language and a region, then connect to the same Wi-Fi network as your old phone, which will speed up sync. If you don't have a network, use the mobile Internet (but remember, moving photos and videos will eat up a few gigabytes of traffic).

Step 2: Sign in to the same Google account

On the Data Copy screen, select Restore from backup, then Google. Enter the login and password from the account that was used on the old phone. If two-factor authentication is enabled, confirm login via SMS The Google Authenticator App.

Step 3. Select a backup copy

The system will show you a list of available backups. Select the latest (by date) and click Restore. If you don't have copies, go back to the old phone prep section and check your sync settings.

Step 4: Wait for the transfer to be completed

It can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, and it shows load progress, and don't interrupt or turn off the phone, which will cause you to have an incomplete transfer, and if the phone gets overheated, remove the case and put it on a flat surface.

Step 5: Configure the remaining data manually

After recovery, check:

• 📞 Contacts: Open the Contacts app and make sure all numbers are in place.
• 📷 Photo: Launch Google Photos and wait for thumbnails to download.
• 🎮 Applications: Some programs (such as games) may require re-entry.

⚠️ Warning: If after the transfer the wallpaper or screen settings are lost, go to Settings → Wallpaper and re-select it. MIUI, which occurs in 10% of cases.

Manual data transfer that Google does not sync

Even after a successful recovery through Google, the new Xiaomi may not have critical data: SMS, WhatsApp history, files from downloads or save games. Here's how to manually transfer them:

1. SMS call history

Use the app. SMS Backup & Restore (available on Google Play):

• 📲 On an old phone: Create a backup and save the file to Google Drive.
• 📱 On the new: download the file and restore messages (Restore).

2. Correspondence WhatsApp/Viber/Telegram

For WhatsApp:

1. On your old phone, open Settings. → chat → Backup and create a backup in Google Drive.
2. On the new phone, install WhatsApp, log in to the same account and restore chats when requested.

For Viber and Telegram, it is enough to log into your account - correspondence is synchronized automatically (if cloud storage is enabled).

3. Local files (documents, APK, load)

The most reliable way is to copy files to a computer and then transfer them to a new phone.

• 🖥️ Connect both phones to the PC via USB (file transfer).
• 📁 Copy Download folders, Documents and other important data from the internal memory of the old Xiaomi.

💡

To transfer these games (e.g., Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile) use Google Play Games. Go to the game profile, find the Save Progress option and link it to your Google account.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even when following the instructions, users face problems, and here are 5 common mistakes and ways to solve them:

If duplicate contacts appear on the new Xiaomi after recovery, delete them via the web version of Google Contacts (contacts.google.com) or the Contacts Optimizer app.

Another common problem is that there are no notifications from apps after porting, which is because the notification settings are not synchronized. → Notifications → Manage notifications and manually enable alerts for the right applications.

Comparison of Transfer Methods: Google vs Mi Mover vs Cable OTG

Google isn’t the only way to migrate data between Xiaomi devices, but let’s look at the pros and cons of each method in the table:

When to choose Google:

• 🌍 You have a stable Internet and do not need to carry SMS.
• 📱 You are switching from Android to Android (including other brands).
• 🔄 Automatic synchronization is important in the future.

When is the best time to use Mi Mover:

• 📞 We need to move. SMS, Call history or Mi Notes notes.
• 🚀 No internet access or slow connection.
• 🔧 You want to transfer all data without exception.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer via Google