How to transfer everything from the old Android to the new Xiaomi smartphone: a step-by-step guide

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting: fresh MIUI firmware, powerful hardware and a camera with improved algorithms. But the joy of the new product is often overshadowed by the thought: "How do you move all the data from an old phone now?" Contacts, photos, messages, apps — all this has been accumulating for years, and losing any information is scary. Fortunately, Xiaomi has several proven ways of migration that work even if your previous phone is not from this brand.

In this article, we will explore all possible methods of data transfer, from official Mi Mover tools and Google Account to manual methods through a computer or cloud services, learn how to avoid typical errors (for example, why some files are not copied), what settings should be checked before the process begins, and what to do if the transfer is interrupted, and also unique life hacks for Xiaomi owners that will speed up the process by 2-3 times.

Whether you’re switching from Samsung, Huawei, Realme or another Xiaomi, the instructions below are suitable for any combination, but keep an eye on the battery charge on both devices (it should be at least 50%) and be patient: 64-128 GB of data can be transferred up to an hour.

Preparation for transfer: what to do before the start

Data porting is like moving: if you don't prepare in advance, chaos will ensue, and at this point, many users make the critical mistake of migrating without checking device compatibility or making room for the new Xiaomi, which will result in an 80 percent freeze and some files simply won't be copied.

Here is the checklist before transfer:

• 🔋 The battery charge on both phones is at least 50%. If the battery runs out during transmission, the data may be damaged.
• 📶 Stable Internet connection (for cloud methods) Use Wi-Fi, not mobile Internet, so faster and without limits.
• 🗃️ Free space on the new Xiaomi. check in Settings → Storage: must be at least 10% larger than the amount of data being transferred.
• 🔑 Unlock the screen. On both phones, turn off the pattern lock or PIN-code - they can interrupt the transmission.
• 📱 Update MIUI. On the new Xiaomi, check the relevance of the firmware in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.

Pay special attention to applications with two-factor authentication (e.g. WhatsApp, Telegram, banking programs). If you do not save backup codes or disable 2FA before transfer, you may lose access to accounts.

1. Open the settings of each messenger.
2. Find the “Account” or “Security” section.
3. Save backup codes or temporarily disable two-factor authorization.

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If you are transferring data from an Android 10 or older phone, turn on Developer Mode and activate Debugging over USB in Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times on build number) This will speed up the transmission via cable.

2.The official way: Mi Mover by Xiaomi

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary data migration tool that works even between devices of different brands.

• 📞 Contacts, messages and call logs
• 📷 Photos and videos (including Google Photos albums)
• 🎵 Music and documents
• 📱 Annexes (only) APK-files, no data)
• 🔧 System settings (Wi-Fi, wallpaper, sound profiles)

Important: Mi Mover does not transfer data from some applications (such as game saves or WhatsApp settings).

Step-by-step:

1. Download Mi Mover on both phones: On the new Xiaomi it is pre-installed (find through search by settings). On the old Android, download from Google Play.

Run the app on both devices.

• On the old phone, “I’m the sender.”
• The new Xiaomi is called “Receiver.”
• Connect your phones to a single Wi-Fi network or use a direct connection via a Wi-Fi network QR-code (quickly).
• Select the data to transfer and confirm the beginning.

The speed of transmission depends on the amount of data:

⚠️ Warning: If a message "Not enough space" appears during the transfer through Mi Mover, do not interrupt the process! Free up memory on the new Xiaomi by deleting unnecessary files or apps, and try again.

3. Transfer through Google Account: a universal method

If Mi Mover doesn't work for some reason (like you have a very old Android), you can use Google Sync.

• 📇 Contacts (including groups and notes)
• 📅 Calendars and events
• 📧 Gmail and settings
• 📱 Some system settings (Wi-Fi, wallpaper)
• 🎮 Game data (if it supports Google Play Games)

However, this method has limitations:

• ❌ Not tolerated. SMS, Call log, photos and videos (they need to be synced separately through Google Photos).
• ❌ Applications are portable without data (for example, WhatsApp will not have a chat history).
• ❌ On some firmware (for example, EMUI Huawei says synchronization is unstable.

How to transfer data via Google:

1. On your old phone: Open Settings → Accounts → Google. Select your account and enable sync for all categories. Wait until you complete (check in Settings → Accounts → Sync).

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• When you first turn on, select “Recover Data” and log in to the same Google account.
• If your phone is already set up, go to Settings → Accounts → Google → Sync and enable all options.

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Syncing through Google Account is the most reliable way to make contacts and calendars, but it is not enough to fully transfer data. Always combine with other methods (for example, Mi Mover for applications and Google Photos for media files).

4. Manual transfer via computer: for full control

If you need to migrate all the data without exception (including hidden application files or custom formats), the best way to do this is to use a computer, which takes longer, but gives you 100% control over the process.

You'll need:

• 💻 Computer with Windows, macOS or Linux
• 🔌 Two. USB-cables (preferably original)
• 📂 Copyware (e.g., Total Commander or standard conductor)
• Turn off your old phone and connect a new Xiaomi.
• Transfer the copied files to the corresponding folders on the new device.

To transfer SMS and call logs, use specialized programs:

• 📱 SMS Backup & Restore (Saves) SMS into XML And it's restoring it on a new phone).
• 📞 Call Logs Backup & Restore (similar to call history).

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If you are migrating application data (e.g. saving games), copy folders from Android/obb and Android/data. After installing the APK on the new Xiaomi, return those folders to their place so that the progress and settings are saved.

⚠️ Note: When transferring manually through your computer, do not copy system files from your system, vendor, or data folders (except for the system, vendor, or data folders). Android/data). This can lead to malfunctions in the new Xiaomi or conflicts with the new Xiaomi. MIUI.

5. porting apps and their data: keeping progress in games and instant messengers

One of the hardest things about migration is the transfer of these apps, like WhatsApp, you save chat history, you save progress in games, and you save card-based banking, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution, every messenger or game requires a different approach.

Methods of transferring data applications:

To transfer all installed applications (without data) you can use:

• 📱 APK Extractor (extracts) APK from the old phone, which is then installed on the new).
• 🖥️ ADB (For advanced users: adb backup -apk -shared -all -f backup.ab Next on the new Xiaomi: adb restore backup.ab

⚠️ Note: When transferring applications through ADB Xiaomi MIUI 13/14 You may need to disable signature verification APK. Enter the terminal: adb shell settings put global package_verifier_user_consent 1

6.Move over cloud services: Mi Cloud, Google Drive and others

If you don't have a computer or cable, you can use cloud storage, which is convenient for transferring photos, documents, and certain settings, but is not suitable for large amounts of data (due to speed and volume limitations).

Comparison of cloud services for transfer:

How to transfer data through Mi Cloud:

1. On your old phone: Install Mi Cloud from Google Play. Sign in to Xiaomi (or create a new one). Enable sync for the right categories in Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.

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• Log in to the same Xiaomi account.
• Go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Sync and select data to recover.

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If you transfer photos through Google Photos, turn on the “Original Quality” option in the sync settings. In High Quality mode, the pictures are compressed and you lose details.

7. Frequent errors and their solutions

Even if you follow the instructions, the data transfer may not go according to plan.-5 problems and ways of solving them:

• 🚫 Mi Mover does not see the old device Check if File Transfer Mode is enabled (MTP) Reboot both devices, connect the phones to the same Wi-Fi network (do not use mobile Internet).
• ⚠️ Lack of space on the new Xiaomi Remove pre-installed games or unnecessary apps. Use a memory card (if supported). Move data in parts (for example, photos first, then apps).
• 🔄 The transfer stopped in the middle Don't turn off your phones, wait until it resumes automatically. If it's been hanging for a long time, restart Mi Mover and select Continue transfer».
• 📱 Apps are not restored Check if the “Restore Apps” option is included in Settings → Additionally. → Recovery and Reset. Make sure there is enough room for installation on the new Xiaomi APK.
• 🔒 Not tolerated. SMS or call log Use specialized applications (SMS Backup & Restore: Check if sync is enabled SMS In the Mi Cloud (if you use this method).

⚠️ Note: If duplicate contacts appear on the new Xiaomi after the transfer, do not manually delete them! → Settings → Combine duplicates, otherwise you may lose some of the information.

8.Optimize the new Xiaomi after the transfer

Data portability is only half the battle, and in order for a new smartphone to work quickly and without lag, it needs to be optimized after the migration:

• 🧹 Clear the cache: Go to Settings → Warehouse → Cache data and click "Clear". For individual applications: Settings → Annexes → Select the application → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
• 🔄 Update all apps: Open Google Play and click on the profile icon → «Application management» → «Update everything».
• 📱 Set up autoboot: In Settings → Battery → Auto Start Disable Autoboot for Unnecessary Applications.
• 🔒 Check permissions: Some ported applications may lose access to the camera or storage. → Confidentiality → Permits.
• 🎯 Activate functions MIUI: Enable “Game Turbo mode” for gamers (Settings) → Special opportunities → Set up Second Space (if you want to separate work and personal life).