How to transfer data from the old smartphone to the new Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but data porting often becomes a headache. The photos, contacts, messages and apps accumulated over the years from using the old device seem too valuable to risk losing them. Fortunately, the manufacturer has provided several reliable ways to migrate, from built-in MIUI tools to universal cloud services.

In this article, we will discuss 5 current portability methods, including nuances for iPhone users, owners of outdated versions of Android and those who want to do without the Internet, pay special attention to the typical errors that cause data to be lost or duplicated, and also explain how to check the integrity of the transferred information. Whether you switch from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra or from iPhone 12 to POCO F6, here you will find a working solution.

1.The official way: Mi Mover by Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a proprietary data porting tool pre-installed on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 9 and later. It supports Wi-Fi Direct transmission (without connecting to the router) and copies almost everything from contacts to call history. The main advantage is the preservation of folder structure and photo metadata (film dates, geotags).

To use Mi Mover, follow the steps:

• 📱 On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select Transfer Data to the Settings menu. If the phone is already configured, open Settings → The phone. → Data Transfer (Mi Mover).
• 🔄 On an old phone, install the Mi Mover app from Google Play (for Android) or the App Store (for iPhone).
• 📶 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network or activate Wi-Fi Direct (automatically offer the new Xiaomi).
• 📁 Select data types to transfer: Contacts, Messages, Photos/Video, Applications (without their data!) and System Settings.

⚠️ Note: Mi Mover does not transfer data from some apps (such as WhatsApp or Viber) and will require a separate backup through the messengers themselves. The tool can also “hang” during the transfer stage if the old phone has less than 20% charge – connect both devices to charging before starting.

Battery charge >50% on both phones

Free space on the new Xiaomi (at least 10% more data portable)

VPN and energy saving modes are disabled

Both devices are connected to the same network (or Wi-Fi Direct is activated)

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The speed of transmission depends on the amount of data:

2.Moving from iPhone to Xiaomi: features and life hacks

Moving from iOS to Android is always more difficult because of Apple's closed ecosystem. Fortunately, Xiaomi offers two working solutions: the official Move to iOS app (but the other way around!) and a workaround through iCloud + Google Account.

The most reliable method for transferring from the iPhone:

1. Export contacts via iPhone Settings → Apple ID → iCloud → Contacts (enable sync), then go to iCloud.com from your computer and export them to the.vcf file.
2. Photos and videos can be copied via iTunes (plug your iPhone to your PC → select your device → Photos → Sync) or use Google Photos (installe the app on your iPhone and enable autoboot).
3. Messages are more difficult to transfer: use paid tools like iMazing or AnyTrans, or take screenshots of important chats.
4. Apps will have to be re-installed from Google Play, but game data (if linked to the Game Center) can be lost.

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If you have an iPhone with iOS 15+, before the perenosom, turn off the Optimize iPhone Storage function in the Photo settings - otherwise some of the images will remain in the cloud and will not be copied.

To transfer WhatsApp from iPhone to Xiaomi:

1. Create a backup chat in iCloud (Whatsapp Settings → Chat → Backup).
2. Install WhatsApp on your new Xiaomi app and sign in to the same account.
3. When requesting a recovery, select Restore from iCloud (you will need to enter Apple ID).

⚠️ Note: If the iPhone enabled two-factor authentication for Apple ID, When restoring WhatsApp to Xiaomi, you may need to temporarily disable it or use a trusted device to confirm it.

3. Transfer through Google Account: a universal method

Sync with Google Account is the most versatile way to work on any Android device, including Xiaomi.It is suitable for transferring contacts, calendars, notes (via Google Keep), passwords (via Google Smart Lock), and even Wi-Fi networks (on some models).

Instructions:

• 🔧 On your old phone, open Settings. → Accounts. → Google and enable sync for all categories.
• 📲 On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select Restore from a backup and log in to the same Google Account.
• ☁️ Wait for synchronization to be completed (it can take up to an hour with a large amount of data).

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ It works even if your old phone is broken (just remember your account details).
• ✅ Automatically updates data when changed (e.g. new contacts).
• ✅ Free and free of volume (unlike iCloud, where only 5GB is free).

Limitations:

• ❌ Does not tolerate SMS, call log and application settings.
• ❌ Photos and videos are synced only if you have previously enabled autoloading in Google Photos.

Mi Mover (branded Xiaomi tool)

Google Account (Sync)

Cloud services (Google Drive, iCloud)

Manual transfer via cable/memory card

Another option-->

4. Internet-free transfer: via OTG cable or memory card

If you have slow internet or limited traffic, you can physically transfer data through an OTG cable (to connect an old phone like a flash drive) or a memory card, which is suitable for large volumes (RAW photos, 4K video, app backups).

Method 1: OTG cable

• 🔌 Buy it. OTG-Adapter (e.g., Xiaomi Type-C to) USB) and cable to connect the old phone.
• 📁 On your old phone, turn on File Transfer Mode (Settings) → System system → For developers → Configuration USB).
• 🖥️ Connect your old phone to the new Xiaomi OTG — It will be defined as an external storage device.
• 📂 Copy the right folders (DCIM for photo, Downloads for downloads) in the internal memory of the new device.

Method 2: Memory card

• 📱 Insert a microSD into your old phone and copy the data to it (use a file manager, such as Mi File Manager).
• 🔄 Transfer the card to the new Xiaomi and import files.
• 🔧 To transfer contacts, export them to the.vcf file on the card, then import through Contacts. → Settings → Imports/Exports.

⚠️ Note: When copying through OTG Avoid moving your Android folder, which contains app data that won’t work on the new device, and don’t copy files with the.nomedia extension, which can disrupt the gallery display.

5. Applications and their data portability: what works and what doesn’t

It's easy to migrate the apps themselves -- just log into a Google Account on a new Xiaomi and they'll be restored from Google Play. However, the application data (save games, messaging settings, cache cards) isn't always portable.

To transfer data to WhatsApp, Telegram or Viber:

• 💬 WhatsApp: Create a backup in Google Drive (Settings) → chat → Backup) and restore on a new phone.
• 📎 Telegram: all chats and media files are synced through the cloud automatically when you log in to your account.
• 📞 Viber: Backup is created in Google Drive or on a memory card (Settings) → Account. → Backup copy).

Critical information: If you use two-factor authentication in messengers, check before perenosom whether the phone number is linked to an account. When you change your device, some services (such as Signal) may block access if you do not confirm the transition over SMS.

6. Checking the integrity of data after the transfer

Even if the transfer process went smoothly, always check the integrity of the data. Typical problems: missed contacts, broken photos, incomplete chats in messengers.

Contacts (open the phone book and scroll through to the end - are there any passes?)

Photos and videos (check DCIM and Pictures folders, run multiple files)

Messages (open the last 10-20 SMS / chats in messengers)

Applications (Make sure all important programs are installed and run)

Wi-Fi settings (connect to your home network, check your saved passwords)

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If the data is lost:

• 🔍 For contacts: check the Imported folder in the phone book or the.vcf files on the memory card.
• 📸 For photos: Use applications like DiskDigger to recover deleted files (works if you haven’t overwritten).
• 💬 For messages: If WhatsApp backup is not restored, check if Google Account matches and if there is enough disk space.

If the transfer is not complete, try repeating the process by choosing another method, for example, if Mi Mover can not cope with the photos, transfer them through Google Photos or OTG-cable.

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The most reliable way to transfer is a combination of 2-3 methods, such as contacts through Google Account. + photo OTG-cable + messengers through their built-in backups.

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

Even experienced users face problems when migrating data.-5 Mistakes and ways to prevent them:

1. Lack of space on the new phone. Check the space before the penosom: the amount of data transferred should be 10-15% less than the available space (for example, 64 GB of data needs a minimum of 70-75 GB free).
2. Interrupt. If you're transferring over Wi-Fi, don't leave the Mi Mover app or lock the screen. When using the cable, don't turn off the devices until you've finished copying.
3. Incompatible formats: Some files (e.g. iTunes backups or.sql databases) won't open on Android. Convert them in advance (e.g..vcf for contacts).
4. Older versions of software. If the new Xiaomi has outdated firmware, Mi Mover may not work. Update the system through Settings → Software update.
5. Account conflict: If you had one Google Account on your old phone and you logged in to another on your new phone, the data is not synced. Use the same account!

If the transfer is stalled during the “Data Preparation” stage in Mi Mover:

• Reboot both phones.
• Turn off the VPN and energy saving mode.
• Try connecting to another Wi-Fi network (e.g., distribute internet from your phone).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions