How to Transfer Everything from the Old Xiaomi to the New: 5 Proven Ways (2026)

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but the process of data transfer often turns into a headache. Are you afraid of losing precious photos, important contacts or app settings? We have collected all the relevant ways of migration – from official tools to hidden features MIUI, This article does not have universal advice: only specific instructions tailored to the specifics of the Xiaomi ecosystem.

Many users mistakenly believe that it is enough to copy files to a flash drive and the problem is solved, SMS, And we're going to show you how to avoid the typical bugs and move 100% of the information with all the settings. MIUI — Don’t worry, we’ve taken this into account.

1.Official method: Mi Mover - fast transfer without a computer

The most reliable method from Xiaomi itself is the Mi Mover utility built into the firmware MIUI 12+. It transfers data directly over Wi-Fi between devices, keeping folder structure and even settings for some system applications, the main advantage of which is that you don't have to connect to the Internet or use third-party services.

To start transferring via Mi Mover:

• 📱 Power both smartphones and connect them to the same Wi-Fi network (or create an access point on an old phone)
• 🔄 On the new Xiaomi, select Data Transfer when you first turn on (if the phone is already configured, find Settings). → The phone. → Data portability)
• 📲 On your old device, download Mi Mover from the Play Market (if it’s not on the system) and launch the app.
• 🔗 Follow the instructions on the screen – the program will find a new device and offer to select data for transfer.

An important nuance: Mi Mover does not carry the data of some third-party applications (for example, WhatsApp or banking programs). They will require a separate backup. Also, the utility can “hang” during the transfer stage, if there is little free space on the old phone – clear the cache in advance.

Charge both phones at least to the 50%|Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network|Release. 2-3 GB of memory on an old phone|Shut down. VPN firewalls|Make sure there is enough room for data on the new phone-->

2.Mi Cloud: Cloud Transfer with History

If you have a Xiaomi account (Mi Account), Mi Cloud is a great portable solution, which is suitable when devices are in different places or you do not have access to Wi-Fi.

• 📞 Contacts and call log
• 📝 SMS and MMS message
• 🖼️ Photos and videos (in original quality with sufficient space)
• 📁 Notes, calendar and some system settings

How to transfer data through Mi Cloud:

1. On an old phone: Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization → Enable synchronization of all necessary data
2. Wait for the download to be completed (time depends on the amount of data and Internet speed)
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and enable sync in Settings. → Mi Cloud
4. Select “Restore” and select the desired data categories.

Critical information: Mi Cloud only provides 5 GB of free space, and if you have more data, you either have to buy extra space (from 100 rubles per month for 50 GB), or use another method. Also note that some Xiaomi models (like the Redmi Note 12 for the global market) may not support sync. SMS Mi Cloud due to regional restrictions.

3. Google account: a universal way for Android

Even if you've never used Google, your Xiaomi automatically backs up some data.

• 📇 Contacts (if saved in a Google account)
• 📅 Calendar and tasks
• 🎮 Data from some games (via Google Play Games)
• 🔧 Wi-Fi settings and wallpaper

Instructions for transfer:

1. On an old phone: Settings → Google → Backup → Enable "Backup in Google Drive"
2. Click on “Create a backup now” and wait until it is completed.
3. On the new phone, when you first turn on, select “Recover Data” and log in to the same Google account.
4. Select the latest backup and confirm the recovery

Method limitations: Google Drive does not save SMS, Call history and files (photo/video needs to be synced separately via Google Photos) and free space is limited to 15 GB per account. If you use Gmail and Google Photos, this place can quickly run out of space.

💡

Before transferring via Google, check what data is stored in the backup. → Google → Backup → Backup details. You can manually select backup apps here.

4. Cable transfer OTG: big-data

If you have hundreds of gigabytes of photos, video in the 4K Or a large collection of music, wireless methods will be too slow, and in this case, direct connectivity through the Internet will help. OTG-You're gonna need an adapter:

• 🔌 OTG-cable (Type-C) → Type-C or MicroUSB → Type-C depending on the model)
• 📱 Two Xiaomi smartphones (one of them should support) OTG)
• 🔋 Charging at least 30% on both devices

Step-by-step:

1. Connect. OTG-adapter
2. Connect your old phone to an adapter via cable
3. A notification will appear on the new device "USB-Device connected" - select "Send files"
4. Open any file manager (such as Mi File Manager) and copy the folders you want (DCIM, Downloads, Pictures, etc.)

Important details:

• ⚡ The transmission speed will be higher if you use the cable. USB 3.0 (blue connector)
• 📂 Don’t copy the entire Android folder – it can lead to conflicts in apps
• 🔄 After copying, check the integrity of the files (sometimes large videos may not be copied in full)

💡

OTG-Transmission is the only way to transfer data without loss of quality (e.g. video resolution) 8K or RAW-Wireless methods often compress large files.

5 Third-party programs: when standard methods do not work

If you have specific requirements (e.g., you need to migrate WhatsApp data along with chat history or save from games), Xiaomi’s standard tools may not be able to cope.

For most Xiaomi users, MobileTrans is the best solution – the program does not require technical knowledge and even saves the history of chat messengers. If you need to migrate data from system applications (for example, com.miui.gallery), then you can not do without Titanium Backup and root rights.

⚠️ Note: Programs like Xiaomi Tool V2 This can cause you to lose warranty if you unlock the bootloader, and some banking apps will stop working on phones with the bootloader unlocked.

6. Transfer of specific data types: instructions for each case

Not all data is carried equally well, and we've put together some instructions for the most problematic categories.

📱 Contact and SMS:

• If the contacts are saved to Mi Account or Google, they will be transferred automatically when synchronized.
• For SMS use SMS Backup & Restore (Free App in Play Market)
• Export. SMS into XML-File on your old phone, then import on your new one

🎮 Game data:

• Games with Google Play Games support (such as Genshin Impact) are synced through a Google account.
• For the rest of the games, use the built-in backup in the game settings or Helium (requires PC)
• Some Chinese games (such as Honkai: Star Rail) are tied to Mi Accounts, so you just need to log in to the same account.

📸 Photos and videos:

• For original quality use OTG-Cable or Google Photos in "Original Quality" mode"
• folder DCIM/Thumbnails It is not necessary - it is just a preview, they can not be transferred
• If you transfer through Mi Cloud, check that the Save option is enabled. EXIF data"

🔑 Passwords and settings:

• Google Smart Lock passwords will be automatically transferred when you log in to your Google account
• For saved Wi-Fi networks, use WiFi Key Recovery (requires root)
• Settings MIUI (topics, gestures) are synchronized through Mi Account in the "Subject" section"

7.Typical mistakes and how to avoid them

Even experienced users face problems when migrating data, and we've collected some of the most common errors and ways to solve them:

❌ Mistake 1: There is not enough space on the new phone

Solution: Clear the app cache before transfer (Settings) → Annexes → Clear the cache and delete the files you don't need. If you transfer them through Mi Mover, it will show you how much space you need.

❌ Error 2: Data moved, but applications are not working

Solution: Some apps (especially banking apps) are device-specific, you have to reinstall them from the Play Market and log in again, and for games, check if they support cross-platform portability.

❌ Error 3: Photos moved but not displayed in the gallery

Solution: Open any file manager and check if there are files in the folder DCIM/Camera. If they are, but don’t show up, reboot your phone or use the Rescan Media app from Play Market.

❌ Mistake 4: Mi Mover is getting stuck on 99%

Solution: This is a typical problem when transferring large files.

• Disable VPN and Firewall
• Restart the transfer process
• Break the data into pieces (for example, first transfer the photo, then the video)

⚠️ Note: If you transfer data from Xiaomi to Xiaomi POCO Or Redmi with other firmware (e.g. global to Chinese), some system applications may not work. APK.

8.What to do after the transfer: verification and optimization

Data portability is only half the battle, and once you've done it, you need to do it.

1. Check the integrity of the data:

• Open the gallery and scroll through all the photos/video – sometimes the latest files do not have time to copy.
• Call another number to make sure your call history is maintained.
• Open the messengers and check that the chats are displayed correctly

2. optimize the new device:

• Go to Settings. → Battery → Optimize battery and set up energy saving for important applications
• Update all apps in the Play Market – some may require new permissions
• Personalize. MIUI: Configure gestures, themes and always on display in Settings → Screen.

3. delete unnecessary data from the old phone:

• If you sell an old Xiaomi, make a reset to factory settings (Settings) → The phone. → Resetting settings)
• Delete your Google and Mi Accounts if you no longer need them
• Format a memory card if it stays in your old phone

4. Set up backup for the future:

• Enable automatic sync with Mi Cloud or Google Drive
• Install Swift Backup for Regular App Backups
• Set up automatic photo uploads in Google Photos or Mi Cloud

💡

Once the data is transferred, the novo device may be slower due to background file indexing. 12-24 After a few hours of optimization, the performance will normalize.