How to Transfer Data from One Xiaomi Phone to Another: 2026

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always a joyful event, but the process of data transfer is often questionable. How to save all contacts, photos, messages and even app settings? In 2026, Xiaomi owners have at least 7 proven ways to migrate data — from built-in MIUI tools to cloud services and physical connectivity.

The manufacturer has simplified the process with proprietary solutions like Mi Mover and synchronization through Mi Account, but many users still lose data due to typical errors. For example, when using Mi Mover, you can not interrupt the connection over Wi-Fi Direct - this leads to a failure and partial loss of files. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods, taking into account the nuances of the latest versions of MIUI 14/15 and the features of new models (Xiaomi 14, Redmi Note 13, POCO F6).

1. Mi Mover: Official Data Portability Tool

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary application, which is installed by default on all devices with MIUI. It allows you to transfer data directly over Wi-Fi Direct without using the Internet or cables. Transfer speeds reach 10-15 MB / s, which is 2-3 times faster than through the cloud.

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

• 📱 Install the app on both phones (if removed). On new devices, it is pre-installed in the Tools folder.
• 🔗 Connect both smartphones to the same Wi-Fi network or activate Wi-Fi Direct on your old phone.
• 📤 On the old phone, select the role of "Sender", on the new one - "Receiver".
• 🔍 Scan it. QR-code from the screen of a new phone or enter PIN-pairing.
• ✅ Select data types for transfer (contacts, messages, photos, videos, applications) and confirm the transfer.

An important caveat: Mi Mover does not carry data from some third-party applications (such as WhatsApp or Viber), which will require a separate backup procedure, and the tool may not work on custom firmware or root-right devices.

Charge both phones at least to the minimum. 50%|Release me. 10-15% memory on the new device|Turn it off. VPN firewalls|Check the compatibility of versions MIUI (difference 2 years)-->

⚠️ Warning: If you see a "Disconnected" error during transmission, restart both phones and re-pair. Often the problem is solved by changing the role of the devices (change "Sender" and "Receiver" in places).

Sync through Mi Account (Xiaomi Cloud)

The Mi Account cloud service is another official way to transfer data that is suitable for backup and recovery on a new device, an advantage of which is that you can transfer data remotely even if your old phone is lost or broken, and the downside is the volume limit: only 5 GB is available for free (to increase you will have to register a Mi Cloud+ subscription).

Instructions for transfer through the cloud:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Turn on synchronization for the desired categories: Contacts, Notes, Bookmarks, Settings.
3. To back up photos and videos, use the Gallery → Settings → Backup.
4. On the new phone, log in under the same Mi Account and restore data from the cloud to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Restore.

The download speed depends on the quality of the Internet connection. With a slow connection (for example, 3G), transferring 10 GB of data can take up to 5-6 hours. To speed up the process, it is recommended to use Wi-Fi 5 GHz or connect the phone to the router via a USB-C → Ethernet cable (on supported models).

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If you plan to sell an old phone, delete all data from the Mi Cloud first: go to Settings → Mi Account → Delete your account and reset to factory settings.

3. Transfer via OTG cable or adapter

Physically connecting phones to each other USB-OTG or a special adapter (Xiaomi) USB-C to USB-C Cable is one of the most reliable methods, especially if the data volume exceeds the amount of data. 50 GB. Transmission speed reaches 40-60 MB/s (in) 4 This method is suitable for models with a port USB-C (Xiaomi 13T, Redmi K70 newer).

Step-by-step:

• 🔌 Buy a two-way one. USB-C cable (important: regular cable) USB-A → USB-C won't fit!).
• 📱 Connect your old phone to your new phone via cable. On the screen of your old device, select "File Transfer" mode" (MTP).
• 📂 On your new phone, open Explorer (or Mi File Manager) and copy the folders you want (DCIM, Download, Pictures, etc.) in internal memory.
• 🔄 To transfer contacts, export them to.vcf via Contacts → Settings → Exports.

The main advantage of the method is that there are no quality losses (photos and videos are copied in the original resolution), but there are also disadvantages: not all data can be transferred manually (for example, application settings or call history), and additional tools will be required for them.

4.Using a Google Account for Synchronization

If you use Google services (Gmail, Google Photos, Google Contacts), you can transfer data through your Google account, which is universal and works on any Android device, but has limitations:

• 📧 Contacts, calendars and notes are synced automatically if the option is enabled in Settings. → Accounts. → Google.
• 📸 Photos and videos can be uploaded to Google Photos (up to 15GB of original quality free of charge).
• 📱 Apps are restored from Google Play when you first log in to your account on your new phone.
• ❌ Not tolerated: SMS, Call history, system application settings.

For full synchronization:

1. On your old phone, check that autosynchronization is enabled: Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync.
2. Upload the photo to Google Photos (open the app and click on the avatar → Archive settings → Backup and Sync).
3. Sign in with the same Google account on your new phone and wait until sync is complete (it can take up to 24 hours).

⚠️ Note: If you used Google Authenticator for two-factor authentication, transfer the codes manually or set up backup codes in advance. If you reset your phone, access to accounts (such as Binance or Steam) may be lost!

5. Transfer over a computer (PC or Mac)

If you have access to a computer, you can use it as a data intermediary, which is suitable for large amounts of information (100+GB) or if the phones don't support direct transmission.

• 🖥️ Windows computer (version 10 and above) or macOS (Catalina and newer).
• 🔌 Two. USB-cables (preferably original from Xiaomi for stable speed).
• 📁 Enough free space on the hard disk (at least 20% more data transfer volume).

Algorithm of action:

1. Connect your old phone to your PC in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy the required folders (DCIM, Download, Movies, etc.) to the computer.
3. Turn off the old phone, plug in the new one and transfer the data back.
4. For contacts, export them to the.vcf file (via Contacts → Export) and import them on a new phone.

The advantage of this method is that you have complete control over the process and can transfer it selectively, for example, you can sort photos by date or delete duplicates before copying. To speed up, use programs like Teracopy (Windows) or rsync (macOS/Linux), which support multithreaded copying.

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Transferring over a PC is the only way to keep data unchanged if the phones are incompatible with MIUI or have corrupted firmware.

6. Transfer of applications and their data

Standard methods (Mi Mover, Mi Cloud) only carry system applications (Camera, Gallery, Notes).

• 🤖 Android Backup Service: Some apps (like WhatsApp) support backup in Google Drive. check the settings of a particular app.
• 📱 Helium (Old): Previously popular backup app, but hasn’t been updated since 2023 and may not work on the backup app MIUI 14+.
• 🔧 Titanium Backup (requires root): powerful tool for full backup, but superuser rights needed (not recommended for beginners).
• 🖥️ ADB Backup: console utility for backing up through a computer. Suitable for power users.

For most messengers (Telegram, Viber) it is enough:

1. Create a backup copy in the application settings.
2. Copy the backup file to a new phone (via cable or cloud).
3. Recover data when you first start an application on a new device.

For cloud-based games (Genshin Impact, Honor of Kings), link your account to Google Play Games or Mi Account – progress is synced automatically. If the game does not support the cloud, use ADB Backup:

adb backup -f backup.ab com.example.game

Then restore it to the new phone:

adb restore backup.ab

7.Alternative methods: Bluetooth, NFC and third-party applications

If standard methods are not available (for example, a broken USB-C port or no Wi-Fi access), alternative options can be used:

• 📶 Bluetooth: Suitable only for small files (<50 Transmission speed — 1-2 MB/s. For activation: Settings → Bluetooth → Searching for devices.
• 📲 NFC: Only for the transmission of contacts or links (not suitable for media files.
• 🌐 Third-party applications: Send Anywhere - transfer files over Wi-Fi Direct without limits on scope. Xender - an alternative to Mi Mover with support for cross-platform transfer (Android) ↔ Feem – creates a local network for sharing files at speeds up to 10 MB / s.

When using third-party apps, pay attention to permissions: some programs (SHAREit) request access to contacts and messages, which may not be secure. Before installing, check the reviews on Google Play and the app's rating.

⚠️ Note: When transmitting via Send Anywhere or similar services, do not use public Wi-Fi networks (for example, in a cafe or airport.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data portability to Xiaomi