How to transfer all data from one Xiaomi phone to another: 5 proven ways

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but data porting often becomes a headache. Contacts, photos, messages, app settings all need to be saved to keep things from scratch. Fortunately, MIUI devices have a few built-in migration tools, as well as universal solutions that work on any Android device.

In this article, we will discuss 5 ways to transfer data between Xiaomi phones, from the official Mi Mover to cloud services and manual copying. We will focus on the nuances for different versions of MIUI (12-15), and also tell you how to avoid typical errors that cause files to be lost or settings to be lost. If you go from Redmi Note 12 to Xiaomi 14 or from POCO X5 to Mi 13T, here you will find the current instructions.

Before you start, make sure that both phones are at least 50% charged (or better connect to charging). This is critical: interrupting the transfer process can lead to loss of data or failure in the new device. Also check the free space on the target smartphone – it should exceed the amount of information transferred by at least 10-15%.

1.Official method: Mi Mover - fast and lossless

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary solution for migrating data between devices to MIUI. It supports transferring almost everything: contacts, messages (including SMS and WhatsApp chats), photos, videos, music, applications (along with data if not protected), notes, calendars and even some system settings. The main advantage is that the folder structure and file metadata (dates of creation, geotags, etc.) are preserved.

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

• 📱 On your old phone: Open Settings → The phone. → Data Transfer (Mi Mover).
• 🆕 On a new phone: when you first turn on, select the option “Data Transfer” (if you missed it, find it in the same settings).
• 🔗 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (or create an access point on an old phone).
• 📲 On the old phone, click "I'm the sender," on the new phone, "I'm the receiver." Scan. QR-screencode.
• 📁 Select data types to transfer (you can mark everything or select individual categories).
• ⚡ Wait for the process to be completed (time depends on the amount of data – from 5 minutes to an hour).

Important: Mi Mover does not port certain applications (e.g., banking applications due to security restrictions) and files protected by DRM (e.g., purchased movies in Google Play Movies). It can also be problematic if the phones have different versions of MIUI (e.g., from the old MIUI 12 to the new MIUI 15).

Charging both phones >50%|The same Wi-Fi network|Free space on the new phone|Disabled. VPN firewalls|Updated. MIUI both-device-->

2. Transfer through Google Account: universal, but with limitations

If Mi Mover doesn’t work for some reason (for example, on one of the phones that isn’t MIUI), you can use Google Account, which is suitable for transferring basic data: contacts, calendars, Google Keep notes, photos (via Google Photos), as well as a list of installed applications (but not their data!).

Instructions:

1. On an old phone: 🔄 Enable synchronization: Settings → Google accounts → Synchronization of the account. 📸 Upload photos to Google Photos (if necessary): open the app, click on the avatar → "Photo storage" → "Backup". 📱 Make sure your contacts are saved in Google Contacts (not in your phone’s memory).

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• 🆕 When you first turn on, log in to the same Google Account.
• 🔄 Enable synchronization: Settings → Google accounts → Synchronization.
• 📲 Wait for the data download to be completed (can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour depending on internet speed).

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ Not tolerated. SMS and call history (this requires separate applications, for example, SMS Backup & Restore).
• ❌ Applications are portable without data (for example, game progress or WhatsApp settings will have to be restored separately).
• ❌ Photos in original quality take up space in Google Drive (free only 15 GB).

💡

If you have a lot of photos, Google Photos with the option “High quality” (non-original size) before the penos, which will save space in the cloud and the difference in quality will be minimal.

3. transfer via memory card or OTG-cable: for large amounts of data

If you have a microSD card or OTG-You can manually transfer data, and this is suitable for large files (video, archives, game images) or when you don't have access to the Internet.

Step-by-step:

• 📁 Memory card: Insert the card into an old phone. Copy the desired files (photos, videos, documents) into a folder on the card (for example, MIUI/Backup). Remove the card and paste it into the new phone. Transfer the files to internal memory.

Through OTG-cable:

1. Connect your old phone to your new one OTG-Adapter (May require Type-C) → Type-C or Type-C → Micro-USB depending on the model).
2. On the new phone, open Explorer (or Xiaomi Files) → select the connected device.
3. Copy the folders you need (DCIM for photos, Download for downloads, etc.).

Important: When you manually transfer, don’t copy system folders (e.g. Android, MIUI, data) to avoid causing a malfunction of the new phone, and note that some apps (e.g. WhatsApp) require additional steps to restore chats:

4. Computer Transfer: Full Data Control

If you need to migrate all the data without exception, including hidden files or application backups, the best way is to use a computer. PC Suite or standard tools Windows/macOS.

Instructions for Mi PC Suite:

1. 💻 Download and install Mi. PC Suite from the official website.
2. 🔄 Turn off the old phone, connect a new one.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔹 Complete control over the data being transferred (specific files can be selected).
• 🔹 Supported backups of applications (including game data).
• 🔹 You can transfer data between phones of different brands.

Disadvantages:

• ⚠️ Computer and cable required.
• ⚠️ The process is longer than the Mi Mover.
• ⚠️ Mi PC Suite may not support the latest models (e.g. Xiaomi 14 at launch).

💡

Use the Mi PC Suite if you want to migrate application data (such as saving games or setting up WhatsApp).

5. Transfer of specific types of data: contacts, SMS, applications

Sometimes you only need to transfer certain types of data, like contacts or messages, and there are specialized methods for that.

📞 Contacts

The most reliable way is to sync with Google Contacts:

1. On old phone: Contacts → Settings → Import / Export → Export to.vcf file (save to memory card).
2. Transfer the file to a new phone and import: Contacts → Settings → Import / Export → Import from the device.

💬 SMS call history

Use the SMS Backup & Restore app:

1. Install the app on your old phone.
2. Backup: Backup → SMS + Calls → Create a backup.
3. Transfer the backup file to your new phone (via cloud or memory card).
4. Install Backup & Restore SMS on your new phone and recover the data.

📱 Annexes and their data

To port data applications (e.g., game progress) use:

• 🔹 Mi Mover (portable to some applications).
• 🔹 Titanium Backup (requires root rights).
• 🔹 Built-in backup features in the apps themselves (like WhatsApp or games).

💡

To transfer these games (such as Genshin Impact or Honor of Kings), use an account link in the game itself.

6. Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Data portability is often a problem, especially when you don't take into account the nuances of MIUI, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

• ❌ Mi Mover does not find the device: 🔹 Make sure both phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (not mobile data). 🔹 Turn it off. VPN firewalls. 🔹 Reboot both devices.
• ❌ No photos are transferred: 🔹 Check if files are hidden (in Explorer, enable the display of hidden folders). 🔹 Make sure there is enough space on the memory card.
• ❌ Applications not restored: 🔹 In Google Play, check that you are logged in to the same account. 🔹 Enable Automatic Recovery: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Application recovery.
• ❌ New phone brakes after transfer: 🔹 Delete unnecessary files (such as app cache). 🔹 Reset the device.

⚠️ Note: If you transfer data from your phone to your phone MIUI 12 or older than the device with MIUI 14/15, Some system settings may not be restored, in which case, after the transfer, reset the settings on the new phone (Settings) → The phone. → Resetting settings) and repeat the procedure.

7. Data transfer from iPhone to Xiaomi: features

If you're moving from iPhone to Xiaomi, it's going to be more complicated because of the ecosystem differences.

1. 📱 iPhone: 🔹 Download the Move to iOS app (yes, it works the other way around too). 🔹 Export contacts to Google Contacts via Settings → Contacts → Accounts. → Add a Google account. 🔹 Save photos in Google Photos or on your computer.

Xiaomi

• 🔹 When you first turn on, select "Move from iOS".
• 🔹 Connect to the same Wi-Fi network as your iPhone.
• 🔹 Enter the code that appears on Xiaomi in the Move to iOS app on iPhone.

Limitations:

• ❌ iMessage messages and call history are not transferred.
• ❌ Music purchased on iTunes will not be transferred due to the DRM.
• ❌ Some apps (like Apple Music) don’t run on Android.

⚠️ Warning: When transferring from iPhone to Xiaomi, disable iMessage on your old device, otherwise SMS You may not reach the new number. → Communications → iMessage.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data portability to Xiaomi