How to Transfer All Data from Old Android to New Xiaomi Phone: Full Guide 2026

Data portability to Xiaomi: where to start?

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but the data transfer process often raises more questions than the model itself.You risk losing important contacts, photos in recent years, or even app tweaks you're used to. Fortunately, Xiaomi has its own migration tools, and standard Google solutions work just as well.

The rule of thumb is, don't start data porting after you first set up your new phone, and many users mistakenly miss the migration step during the initial configuration, and then experience sync problems. If you’ve already been through the initial setup, it’s no problem, but you’ll have to use alternative methods. In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to migrate data to Xiaomi in 2026, including hidden features. MIUI and workarounds for older Android models.

Before you start, check:

• 🔋 Charge of both phones (minimum 50% on each phone)
• 📶 Stable Internet connection (Wi-Fi or mobile Internet) 4G/5G)
• 📱 Android version compatibility (old phone should have at least Android 5.0 Lollipop)
• 🔐 Access to Google and/or Mi Account (if previously used)

Method 1: Mi Mover – the official solution from Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a proprietary tool from Xiaomi that automatically transfers data between devices to the Internet. MIUI It works even if your old phone isn't from Xiaomi, but there are nuances: First, the app must be pre-installed on both devices. Second, some Samsung or Huawei models may block the transfer of certain types of files due to security policies.

How to use Mi Mover:

1. On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select Data Transfer from the initial setup menu. If the phone is already configured, find the Mi Mover app in the list of utilities.
2. On an old phone, download Mi Mover from Google Play (if it is not by default).
3. Run the app on both devices and choose which one is the sender and which is the receiver.
4. Scan it. QR-code from the screen of a new phone with an old device or connect via Wi-Fi Direct.
5. Select data types to transfer (contacts, messages, photos, apps) and confirm the start of the process.

The speed depends on the amount of data and the type of connection, for example, transferring 10 GB of photos over Wi-Fi Direct will take about 20-30 minutes.

• 🔄 Reboot both phones
• 📡 Switch from Wi-Fi Direct to the Access Point
• 🗃️ Transfer data in parts (first contacts, then media files)

Method 2: Transfer through a Google account (the most reliable method)

If you've been using Google services on your old phone, most of the data is already synced to the cloud.

• 📇 Contacts (Google Contacts)
• 📅 Calendar (Google Calendar)
• 📎 Notes (Google Keep)
• 📂 Photo and video (Google Photos if Autoboot was enabled)
• 🎮 Data from some games (via Google Play Games)

How to transfer data via Google:

1. On your old phone, check if sync is enabled: go to Settings → Accounts. → Google → Sync your account and activate all the necessary items.
2. On the new Xiaomi, when you set up, log in to the same Google account. If the phone is already configured, add the account to Settings → Accounts and synchronization.
3. Wait for automatic synchronization (can take from a few minutes to an hour depending on the amount of data).

An important nuance: Google Photos by default downloads media files in high quality (compressed), not in the original resolution. If you want to maintain the original quality, check the storage settings before transfer:

⚠️ Warning: If the old phone had original quality enabled in Google Photos, but the space in the cloud is over, new files will not load.

Sign in to your Google account on your old phone

Check the synchronization settings

Free up space in Google Photos (if necessary)

Sign in to the same account on the new Xiaomi

Wait for the synchronization to be completed-->

Method 3: Manual transfer via OTG cable or computer

If you don't have access to the Internet or you have more than 100 GB of data, manual cable or PC transfer is the most reliable option.

• 🔌 Cable USB-C — USB-C (Adapters, if the ports are different)
• 💻 Computer with USB-Ports (for an alternative method)
• 📁 External drive (flash drive or flash drive) HDD, if there is a lot of data)

Option 1: Direct connection via OTG

1. Connect your old phone to the new Xiaomi via a support cable OTG.
2. On the new phone, select File Transfer Mode (MTP) plug-in USB.
3. Open Explorer on Xiaomi and copy the desired folders (DCIM For photos, downloads, etc.)

Option 2: Computer transfer

1. Connect your old phone to your PC and copy all the data to your hard drive.
2. Turn off the old device and connect the new Xiaomi.
3. Transfer files from your PC to your new phone.

The advantage of this method is that you can control the data you're carrying, you can select specific files, eliminate unnecessary duplicates, and even sort the library before you copy it.

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If you have a phone with a microUSB connector, and the new Xiaomi – with a microUSB connector USB-C, Use the microUSB adapter → USB-C OTG. It is cheap and sold in any electronics store.

Method 4: Transfer applications and their data

The hardest part of switching to a new phone is not just the apps themselves, but also their internal data (like saving in games, settings for messengers or data from banking apps). Unfortunately, Mi Mover and Google don't always do it. Here's what you can do:

1. Transfer through backup to MIUI

On an old Xiaomi phone (if it's also on the phone) MIUI):

Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Local Backup

Create a backup, then transfer the.mbk file to the new phone and restore the data through the same menu.

2.Use of embedded application functions

Many applications have their own transfer mechanisms:

• 💬 WhatsApp: Settings → chat → Backup (saves history in Google Drive)
• 🎮 Games: through Google Play Games account or social media (Facebook, VK)
• 🏦 Banking applications: usually require re-authorization, but some (e.g. SberBank Online) allow you to export data through Settings → Exports

3. Cloning annexes

If none of the methods worked, try specialized utilities:

• 📱 Clone App (for duplicate messengers)
• 🔄 Titanium Backup (requires root rights)
• 📂 Swift Backup (works without root on some firmware)

⚠️ Note: Some banking applications (such as Tinkoff or Alpha-Click) block the work on phones with unlocked bootloader or root rights. If you used Titanium Backup, check system integrity through SafetyNet before installing banking applications on the new Xiaomi.

Method 5: Transfer over cloud services (Yandex Drive, Dropbox, Telegram)

If you have slow Internet or you can't connect your phones directly, cloud services are a good alternative, and the main advantage is that you can move data in parts without loading the network.

1. Yandex Disk

• 📤 Download files from your old phone through the Yandex Drive app.
• 📥 On the new Xiaomi download the same files.
• 🎁 Bonus: the first 10 GB free and when you register give another 32 GB for 30 days.

2. Telegram

Unexpectedly, Telegram is great for transferring files:

1. Create a personal chat with Saved Messages.
2. Send files from your old phone (maximum 2 GB per file).
3. Open a chat on the new Xiaomi and download it all back.

3. Dropbox or Google Drive.

These services are convenient for large amounts of data, but have limitations:

Cloud services are convenient, but remember:

• 🕒 Uploading 20GB of photos on slow internet can take hours.
• 🔒 Not all services encrypt client-side files (except Proton Drive or Mega).
• 📁 The folder structure may not be preserved when downloaded.

Method 6: Transfer SMS, Calls and other system data

Messages, call history and system settings are often left out during standard porting.

1. SMS call history

• 📱 SMS Backup & Restore (Saves in the XML or Google Drive)
• 🔄 Super Backup (also supports call logs)

Instructions:

1. Install the app on your old phone.
2. Create a backup and save it to the cloud or memory card.
3. Transfer the file to the new Xiaomi and restore the data.

2. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings

On Xiaomi phones, you can export wireless network settings:

Settings → Wi-Fi → Additionally. → Exports of networks

A file with the.wifi extension can be transferred to a new phone and imported via the same menu.

3. Alarm clocks and reminders

Appendix Clock in MIUI It is not synced with Google, but you can manually export alarms through the Internet:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Watches → Storage → Data Export

⚠️ Warning: Some system settings (e.g., Power Saving Mode or Gestures) don't automatically transfer, you'll have to reconfigure them. Take pictures of the screen settings on your old phone so you don't forget important settings.

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For full system data transfer, use the combination of Mi Mover (for basic settings) + Specialized applications (for SMS/call-up) + manual export (for Wi-Fi and alarm clocks).

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even when following instructions, users often encounter problems, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

Another typical situation is that after the transfer, the battery of the new Xiaomi runs out too quickly, because the system indexes new files and optimizes the operation of applications, give the phone 2-3 days to adapt, and the power consumption will normalize. If the problem persists, check the energy saving settings in Settings → Battery.

If you’re migrating data from your iPhone to Xiaomi, use Apple’s official Move to iOS app (yes, it works backwards under some conditions), but this process requires a separate instruction due to the peculiarities of iOS.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions