How to quickly and safely transfer data from one Xiaomi phone to another: a complete guide

Why data transfer between Xiaomi smartphones requires a special approach

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always an exciting moment, but transferring data from an old device can become a real headache if you do not know the nuances of the MIUI ecosystem. Unlike other brands, Xiaomi phones offer unique tools like Mi Mover that simplify migration, but have their limitations. For example, not all users know that when transferring through a cable, speed can fall due to unoriginal wires, and cloud transfer through Mi Cloud requires pre-syncronization.

Another feature is the application data, where if you can restore the entire backup on a Samsung or iPhone, MIUI often has to migrate the program settings manually or through third-party services like Google Drive, and in this article, we’ll look at all the current transfer methods, from standard to little-known, and also how to avoid the typical errors that cause lost contacts or photos to migrate to the “Other” folder.

It is important to consider the version of MIUI: in old firmware (before MIUI 12), some functions may have worked differently. If your phone has been updated for a long time, check the relevance of the software in Settings → About Phone → System Update. This will eliminate compatibility problems during portability.

Method 1: Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s official tool for quick migration

Mi Mover is an integrated application that automatically installs on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones starting with MIUI 9. It allows you to transfer data over Wi-Fi Direct without an Internet connection, which speeds up the process and saves traffic.

• 📞 Contacts (including call history)
• 📷 Photos and videos (folder structure is maintained)
• 🎵 Music and audio files
• 📄 Documents (PDF, Word, Excel)
• 🎮 Data from certain games (if supported)
• ⚙️ System settings (wallpaper, sound circuits)

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

1. On your old phone, open the Mi Mover app (if you don’t have one, download from Google Play).
2. Select the role of "Sender".
3. On the new phone, run the same app and select Receiver.
4. Scan it. QR-code from the screen of a new device with an old phone.
5. Select data types to transfer and confirm the start of the process.

Make sure both phones have enough charge (at least 50%).

Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (not necessarily, but speeds up the process).

Close the background applications to avoid crashes.

Check the free space on the new phone (should be at least 1.5× of the volume of data transferred).

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Transfer speeds depend on data volume and connection quality. On average, 10 GB of information is transferred in 20 to 40 minutes with stable Wi-Fi. If the process is stalled during the Preparation stage, try restarting the application on both devices or using another method.

⚠️ Warning: If you already have data on your new phone (like you started using it), Mi Mover will suggest erasing it before transferring it. Back up important information in advance!

Method 2: Transfer over an OTG or USB-Type-C cable

Cable is one of the most reliable ways, especially if you need to transfer a large amount of data (from 20 GB or more), you need an OTG cable (if the old phone has a microUSB) or a USB-Type-C (for modern models), the advantages of the method are:

• 🔌 Stable speed (up to 40 MB/s at USB 3.0)
• 🔒 Security (data not transmitted by air)
• 📁 Selective transfer (only the required folders can be copied)

Instructions:

1. Connect your old phone to your new phone using a cable. On the screen of the old device, select File Transfer mode.
2. On the new phone, open Explorer (or Files by Google) – in the Devices section, the folder of the old smartphone will appear.
3. Copy the files you want to use in your new phone’s memory. Use archiving to speed up the process (e.g., create a ZIP- file with photos and videos).

If the phone does not recognize the connected device, check:

• Cable for damage (try another one).
• Settings USB- Debugging: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times), then to Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging by USB.
• Firmware updates (older versions of MIUI could have OTG bugs).

💡

If you copy a photo, use the DCIM/Camera folder on your new phone, so they will automatically appear in the gallery.

Method 3: Cloud Transfers via Mi Cloud or Google Account

If you don't have a cable or Wi-Fi Direct is unstable, you can use cloud services. Xiaomi offers its own solution, Mi Cloud, and also supports Google Account for synchronizing contacts, calendars and parts of applications.

Mi Cloud: pros and cons

Advantages:

• 🔄 Automatic synchronization of contacts, notes, and SMS.
• 📲 The ability to recover data on a new phone when first turned on.
• 🆓 5 GB of free storage (can be expanded for 199 rubles / month).

Disadvantages:

• ⏳ Slow download of large files (photo/video)
• 🚫 Not all applications support backup.

How to transfer data through Mi Cloud:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Turn on synchronization for the desired categories (contacts, gallery, etc.).
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and wait for the download to complete.

Google Account: A universal solution

If you use Google, this is a better way to do this. It allows you to migrate:

• 📇 Contacts and calendars.
• 📎 Notes from Google Keep.
• 📱 Settings for some applications (if they support Android Backup Service)

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Google → Backup and enable the feature.
2. On the new phone, when you first start, select “Recover Data” and log in to the same Google account.

⚠️ Warning: Cloud services don't carry SMS and call logs automatically, and this will require third-party applications like SMS Backup & Restore.

Mi Cloud

Google Drive

Yandex Disc.

Other

Don't use the clouds.-->

Method 4: Transfer data via Bluetooth (for small files)

Bluetooth is not the fastest way, but it helps when there is no cable or Wi-Fi at hand. The transfer speed is about 1-2 MB / s, so it is only suitable for:

• 📞 Contacts (one or in groups).
• 📄 Documents (PDF, TXT up to 50 MB).
• 🎵 A few songs or photos.

How to transfer files:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on both phones (Settings → Connections → Bluetooth).
2. On an old phone, select a file, click Share and select Bluetooth.
3. Confirm acceptance on the new device.

You can use the "Fast Transfer" mode to speed up the process (if supported).

• When a large number of files are transferred, the connection may be interrupted.
• Some Xiaomi models limit the file size to be sent (usually up to 100MB).

Method 5: Use a microSD or external storage device

If both phones support memory cards (or you have an adapter for a USB- drive), this method will be the easiest.

• 📷 Photos and videos (including folders) DCIM and Pictures).
• 🎵 Music and podcasts.
• 📄 Documents and archives.

Step-by-step:

1. Put the memory card in your old phone.
2. Copy the files you want to use to the root folder or create a separate directory (e.g., Xiaomi_Transfer).
3. Remove the card and insert it into a new phone.
4. Transfer the data to internal memory (optional).

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 No dependence on the internet or cables.
• 🛡️ Data is not compressed (unlike cloud services).
• 🔄 You can use the card as a permanent storage.

⚠️ Warning: Not all apps (like WhatsApp or Telegram) work correctly with data transferred through the memory card, and it is better to use cloud backup.

Method 6: Third-party portability applications (SHAREit, Xender, Send Anywhere)

If the standard methods do not work, you can use popular applications for file transfer. They often outperform built-in tools in speed and support cross-platform sharing (e.g. from iPhone to Xiaomi).-3 decisions:

How to use Sharet:

1. Install the app on both phones from Google Play.
2. On your old phone, select "Send" and tag files.
3. On the new phone, click "Get" and scan. QR-code.

These applications are particularly useful if:

• 🔄 You need to transfer data between Xiaomi and another brand’s phone.
• 📦 You need to move APK- files or application settings.
• 🌐 No Wi-Fi access (transfer via access point).

💡

Third-party applications often circumvent MIUI restrictions on transferring system files (e.g., SMS backups or call logs).

Method 7: Transfer over a computer (for advanced users)

If you need to migrate all the data without exception (including hidden files, application settings, and system logs), the best way is to use a computer. This method takes longer, but guarantees 100% control over the process.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows or Mac.
• 🔌 Two USB- cables (original)
• 🛠️ The Mi PC Suite (optional, for backup).

Instructions:

1. Connect your old phone to your computer and copy all the folders (DCIM, Downloads, Android, etc.) to your hard drive.
2. Turn off the old phone and connect the new one.
3. Transfer the copied data to the corresponding folders of the new device.
4. To transfer SMS and call logs, use Mi PC Suite or adb backup (developer rights required).

For experienced users: you can create a full backup through ADB:

adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab

And then restore it to a new phone:

adb restore backup.ab

⚠️ Warning: When transferring over a computer, do not copy the Android/data folder — this can cause app crashes on the new phone. Better reinstall the programs via Google Play and restore data from their cloud backups.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even when using official tools, users are faced with problems, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

Additional advice:

• 🔋 Charge both phones to 100% before transferring – the process can take several hours.
• 📡 If you use Wi-Fi Direct, turn off mobile internet to avoid network conflicts.
• 🔍 After transfer, check the Download folder on a new phone — sometimes files get there instead of the target folders.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions