How to Transfer Files from One Xiaomi Phone to Another: The Complete 2026 Guide

Buying a new Xiaomi smartphone is always a joy, but transferring data from an old device can be a headache. Photos, videos, contacts, messages, notes – all of this needs to be saved and moved to the new device without loss. Fortunately, Xiaomi has several built-in tools for migration, as well as universal methods that work on any Android device.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to transfer data between Xiaomi smartphones, including official solutions from the manufacturer and alternative options. You will learn how to avoid common errors (such as Wi-Fi transmissions or loss of contacts), what file formats are supported, and how to speed up the process. MIUI 14 - the latest firmware version, where the migration mechanism has undergone changes.

If you are switching from the Redmi Note 10 to the Xiaomi 13 Ultra or from the POCO X3 to the Redmi K60 Pro, this guide will work for any combination, the main thing is to prepare both devices correctly and choose the best method depending on the amount of data and Internet speed.

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1. Preparation of telephones before data transfer

Before migrating, there are several critical steps that need to be taken, and neglecting them can lead to data loss, slow transmission, or even a process failure.

First, check the MIUI version on both devices. If the older smartphone has firmware older than MIUI 12, some portability features (such as Mi Mover) may not work properly. Update the software via Settings → About Phone → System Update. On the newer models (Xiaomi 12/13/14 series), migration is faster thanks to optimized compression algorithms.

Second, make room for both devices, and the new phone must have at least one port to be successful. 10-15% free space from the amount of data being transmitted, for example, if you're transferring 50 GB, on the new smartphone should be free at least 7-8 GB. Check the occupied space can be in Settings → Memory.

⚠️ Note: If the old phone has data encryption enabled (Settings) → Lockdown and protection → Encryption, some transfer methods (e.g. via cable) OTG) In this case, use a cloud backup or Mi Mover.

• 📱 Update. MIUI on both devices until the latest version (preferably) MIUI 14).
• 🔋 The battery charge for both phones must be at least 50.
• 📶 Turn it off. VPN Check the stability of the Internet connection (if you use the cloud).
• 🔐 Remove the screen lock (PIN, pattern lock) at the time of transfer - this will speed up the process.

We also recommend backing up your important data to your computer or external drive, which is crash insurance, so connect your old phone to your PC via USB, select File Transfer (MTP) mode, and copy the DCIM (photo/video), Downloads, and Documents folders.

If you are migrating data from your iPhone to Xiaomi, use the Move to iOS app (but it doesn’t work in the opposite direction). For Android devices of other brands, the universal methods from the following sections will suit.

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2. Method 1: Mi Mover – official solution from Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a built-in data migration app designed specifically for Xiaomi smartphones, which allows you to migrate almost everything: contacts, messages, photos, videos, music, apps (including their data), system settings and even call history, the main advantage of which is that you don’t need the cloud or PC.

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

1. On the new Xiaomi phone, when you first turn on, select the option “Data portability.” If the phone is already configured, find the Mi Mover app in the menu or through search.
2. On an old phone, open Mi Mover and select "I'm sending."
3. On the new device, click "I receive" and scan. QR-code that will appear on the screen of the old phone.
4. Confirm the connection and select data categories to transfer, and Wi-Fi Direct will start.

The speed of the transfer depends on the amount of data and the model of the phones. For example, 30 GB of photos from the Redmi Note 9 Pro to the Xiaomi 12T are transferred in about 40-60 minutes. If the process is interrupted, start again - Mi Mover will resume transfer from the last successful point.

⚠️ Note: Some system applications (such as Mi Fit or Mi Home) may not transfer your data correctly.

If the Mi Mover does not find the old device, check:

• 🔄 Reboot both phones.
• 📶 Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both devices.
• 🔒 Turn off Flight Mode and Battery Savings.
• 📱 Make sure that there is enough free space on your old phone (at least 1 GB).

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Method 3: Moving over the Xiaomi Cloud (Mi Cloud)

If you have slow Wi-Fi or want to transfer data in advance (like before buying a new phone), use Mi Cloud, Xiaomi’s cloud storage, which is suitable for backing up and then restoring to a new device.

Advantages of Mi Cloud:

• 🌐 Data is available from any device.
• 🔄 Automatic synchronization of contacts, notes, photos.
• 📱 All models of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO.

Instructions for transfer via Mi Cloud:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Enable synchronization for the desired categories: Contacts, Gallery, Notes, Records.
3. Wait until the data is uploaded to the cloud (can take anywhere from minutes to hours depending on the internet speed).
4. On the new phone, log in to the same Xiaomi account and enable sync in the Mi Cloud.
5. The data will start uploading automatically, and photos and videos may require manual confirmation.

Important: the free Mi Cloud tariff provides only 5 GB of space, and if you have more data, you will have to buy additional space (from 100 GB for ~300 rubles per year) or use another method.

⚠️ Note: If you have used Google Photos to back up, disable autoloading before migrating over Mi Cloud to avoid duplicate files.

The download/upload speed in Mi Cloud depends on your Internet connection. At 50 Mbps 10 GB, data will load in about 30-40 minutes. If you have slow Internet, you'd better use Mi Mover or OTG cable.

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Method 3: Transfer over OTG cable (for large data volumes)

If you need to transfer tens of gigabytes of data (for example, a video collection to a video store) 4K or RAW-The most reliable way to use a cable OTG (adapter USB-C to USB-C). This method works faster than Wi-Fi and does not depend on the speed of the Internet.

You'll need:

• 🔌 Cable USB-C to USB-C (or OTG-adapter + common USB-cable).
• 📱 Both phones with a charge of at least 30%.
• 💾 There should be enough free space on the new phone.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your new phone using a cable. On the screen of the old device, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. On your new phone, open Explorer (or any file application, such as Mi File Manager).
3. In the section USB-You'll see folders on the old phone. Copy the data you want (like a folder). DCIM (c) photo) for internal memory of the new device.
4. To transfer applications and their data, use specialized programs like Titanium Backup (root rights are required).

Cable transmission speeds can be as high as 40-60MB/s (depending on the model of the phone and the quality of the cable), for example, 50GB of data is copied in 15-20 minutes.

⚠️ Warning: Do not turn off the cable during transmission, this can damage files. If the process is stalled, safely extract USB-device.

If you don’t have a USB-C to USB-C cable, you can use a memory card:

1. Copy data from your old phone to a microSD.
2. Insert the card into the new phone and transfer the files to internal memory.

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5. Method 4: Transfer through Google Account (universal method)

If you don’t want to depend on Xiaomi services, you can use Google Account, which is a method that is suitable for transferring contacts, calendars, photos (via Google Photos), notes (Google Keep), and some application settings.

Advantages:

• ☁️ Data is available on any Android device.
• 🔄 Automatic synchronization.
• 📱 No additional cables or programs are required.

How to transfer data via Google:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Accounts → Google.
2. Enable synchronization for the desired categories: Contacts, Calendar, Google Drive, Google Photos.
3. Wait until the data is uploaded to the cloud.
4. On the new phone, log in to the same Google account and enable sync.

To transfer photos and videos:

• Open the Google Photos app on your old phone.
• Enable Backup and Synchronization in the settings.
• On your new phone, install Google Photos and wait for the media files to load.

Restriction: Google Photos' free tariff from June 2021 does not provide unlimited storage for high-quality photos.All files now take up space on Google Drive (15GB free).

If you need to move messages (SMS), use the SMS Backup & Restore app from Google Play, which backs up your XML messages and restores them to the new device.

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Method 5: Transfer over a computer (for full control)

If you prefer manual control of the process or want to sort files before transferring, use a computer (Windows, macOS or Linux) which is suitable for transferring any type of files, including documents, music and archives.

What you need:

• 💻 Computer with USB-port.
• 🔌 Two. USB-cable (or single cable) + OTG-adapter).
• 📂 Enough free space on the PC (if the data is copied in transit).

Instructions:

1. Connect your old phone to your computer and select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy the folders you need (DCIM, Downloads, Documents, etc.) to your PC hard drive.
3. Turn off the old phone and connect the new one.
4. Transfer the copied files to the new device.

To transfer contacts and messages:

• Export contacts to.vcf via Contacts → Settings → Export.
• Import the file on your new phone through Contacts → Settings → Import.
• For messages, use applications like SMS Backup & Restore (as mentioned earlier).

The advantage of this method is that you have complete control over which files are transferred, for example, you can sort photos by year, delete duplicates, or compress videos before copying.

⚠️ Note: When connecting your phone to Windows computers, you sometimes need to install Mi drivers. PC Download them from the official Xiaomi website.

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7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

Even with proven methods, users often encounter problems, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to solve them:

If the new phone does not display photos after transfer:

• 🔍 Check the folder. DCIM/.thumbnails — Sometimes the miniatures are not updated.
• 📂 Restart your phone or use a file manager to scan the storage.
• 🖼️ If the photo is in format HEIC (iPhone, set the codec to view them.

If the Wi-Fi settings are not moved:

• 📶 Connect to the network manually or export the configuration via Mi Mover.
• 🔑 Network passwords can be found in the file wpa_supplicant.conf (root).

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8 How to transfer data from other brands’ phone to Xiaomi

If you’re switching from Samsung, Huawei, iPhone or another brand to Xiaomi, the universal methods will remain the same, but there are nuances:

• 📱 With Android (Samsung, Huawei, etc.):
• 🍎 From iPhone to Xiaomi:

To transfer WhatsApp from iPhone to Xiaomi:

1. Create a backup of chats in iCloud on your iPhone.
2. Install Dr.Fone – WhatsApp Transfer on Xiaomi.
3. Connect both phones to your PC and follow the program instructions.

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FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions