How to transfer all information from Xiaomi phone to another Xiaomi: the complete guide

Why standard file copying methods are not suitable for Xiaomi

Shifting data between Xiaomi smartphones is a challenge that every second brand owner faces when buying a new device. But why can't you just copy files via cable or Bluetooth, like on other Android devices? It's about the closed MIUI ecosystem, which uses its own encryption and storage algorithms. For example, app backups created through Settings → Memory → Backup are not compatible with standard Android tools.

Moreover, Xiaomi actively blocks access to system folders through the MTP-protocol (when you connect your phone to your PC), which makes it impossible to fully copy data through Windows Explorer, even if you manually transfer photos and videos, you lose your application settings, your call history, SMS So, for a full migration, you need specialized tools, and we'll look at all the ways that work.

Method 1: Mi Mover is the official data transfer tool

Mi Mover is a Xiaomi-branded app that is installed by default on all devices with MIUI 9 and up, and allows you to transfer almost all data, including:

• 📱 Contacts, call log and SMS
• 📷 Photos and videos (including hidden folders)
• 🎵 Music and audio files
• 📁 Documents (PDF, DOC, XLS etc.)
• 📱 System and application settings (except passwords)
• 🎮 Game data (if the game supports backup)

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 item I am the sender.
3. On the new phone, launch Mi Mover and select I Receiver.
4. Scan it. QR-code from the screen of a new phone with an old device.
5. Select the data types to be transferred and confirm the start of the process.

Charge both phones at least to the 50%|Connect to one Wi-Fi network|Shut down. VPN firewalls|Release. 1-2 GB of memory on a new phone-->

It can take anywhere from 10 minutes to a few hours, depending on the amount of data, and it's important that if the transmission is interrupted, you have to start over again, because Mi Mover doesn't support resumption.

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If Mi Mover can't see the device, try connecting from your old phone via a hotspot, and select "Connect via AP" option in the new device.

Method 2: Backup to Mi Cloud and then restore

The Mi Cloud is another official way to transfer data, which is suitable if you don’t have physical access to both phones at the same time, and the advantage of the method is that you can selectively restore only the data you need (for example, only contacts or photos).

However, there are limitations:

• ⚠️ Free tariff provides only 5 GB – this is enough only for contacts and a part of the photo.
• ⚠️ Not all applications support cloud backup (for example, some game data won’t be saved).
• ⚠️ Download speed depends on your internet connection.

Instructions for transfer via Mi Cloud:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Turn on sync for all the categories you need (contacts, notes, photos, etc.).
3. Wait for the download to complete (you can check the progress in the Storage Management section).
4. On the new phone, log in to the same Xiaomi account and enable sync in the Mi Cloud.
5. Select data for recovery in the Data Recovery section.

Up to 5GB|5-20 GB|20–50 GB|More than 50GB-->

If you need to carry more than 5GB, consider the paid Mi Cloud rates:

• 💰 50GB — ~100 rubles/month
• 💰 200GB — ~200 rubles/month
• 💰 2 TB — ~500 rubles/month

Method 3: Transfer through Google Account (alternative to minimalists)

If you don’t want to use Xiaomi services, you can use Google Account, which is suitable for transferring basic data, but has significant limitations:

• 📌 Contacts, calendar and mail are synchronized automatically.
• 📌 Photos and videos can be uploaded to Google Photos (up to 15GB free).
• 🚫 Not tolerated: SMS, call log, application settings, files outside of standard folders.

How to transfer data via Google:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Accounts → Google.
2. Turn on synchronization for all the categories you need.
3. Make sure the photos are uploaded to Google Photos (open the app and check your backup settings).
4. On the new phone, log in to the same Google account and wait for the sync to complete.

⚠️ Warning: If the new phone already has data in your Google account (such as contacts), it may be overwritten by the old one!

This is the easiest way to do this, but it only works for a minimal set of data, and if you need to migrate everything, including apps and their settings, use Mi Mover or local backup.

Method 4: Local backup via MIUI (for power users)

If you don't trust cloud services or you have slow Internet, you can create a local backup on your old phone and restore it to a new one, which saves as much data as possible, including system settings and some applications.

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Select the data for reservation (it is recommended to note all points).
3. Click Create a backup and wait until it is completed (the file will be saved in the MIUI/Backup/AllBackup folder).
4. Copy the AllBackup folder to your new phone (via cable, OTG-flash drive).
5. On your new phone, go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup → Restore.
6. Select the copied backup file and confirm the recovery.

⚠️ Note: Local backup is not compatible between different versions MIUI. For example, a copy of the MIUI 12 may not recover on MIUI 14. Check firmware versions before you start!

Advantages of this method:

• 🔹 Doesn't require the Internet.
• 🔹 Save application settings (if they support backup in the MIUI).
• 🔹 You can store a copy on a flash drive or PC.

Disadvantages:

• ❌ It takes up a lot of space (a backup can weigh 10).+ GB).
• ❌ Data from certain applications (such as WhatsApp or games) is not transferred).
• ❌ The recovery process can take several hours.

Method 5: Transfer over PC (for Windows/Mac users)

If you have a computer, you can use it as a data intermediary, and this is a good way to do this if you:

• 🖥️ Do you have slow internet or no Wi-Fi access.
• 🖥️ You want to manually choose which files to transfer.
• 🖥️ You need to copy data that is not transferred through Mi Mover (for example, corporate files).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your PC via USB-cable and select File Transfer Mode (MTP).
2. Copy all the necessary folders (DCIM, Downloads, Pictures, etc.) to the hard drive of the PC.
3. Turn off the old phone and connect the new one.
4. Transfer the copied files to the new phone.
5. Use separate programs to transfer contacts and SMS, such as MyPhoneExplorer or Samsung Smart Switch (yes, it works with Xiaomi as well).

To transfer applications and their data through the PC, additional tools will be required:

• 🛠️ Helium (for backup applications without root).
• 🛠️ Titanium Backup (requires root rights).
• 🛠️ ADB (manually copying application data).

What to do if the data is not transferred or lost

Even with official tools, sometimes there are problems, and here are the typical situations and solutions.

If you lost data after the transfer, try the following recovery tools:

• 🔍 DiskDigger – to restore deleted photos and videos.
• 🔍 GT Recovery – Recovery of contacts and SMS (root).
• 🔍 Recuva (for PC) – if files have been deleted from a memory card.

⚠️ Note: If you used a factory reset on your old phone before you created the backup, the chances of data recovery are minimal, in which case only professional software like Dr.Fone or contacting a service center will help.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer between Xiaomi

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For the most complete data transfer, use a combination of methods: Mi Mover for basic data + local backup for settings + manual copying of important files via PC.