How to transfer data from Xiaomi to Xiaomi: apps, settings and files without loss

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but data porting often turns into a headache. Many users lose their app settings, message history, or even save in games because they only copy contacts and photos. MIUI It offers several ways to fully transfer data, including system settings, accounts and even the location of icons on the desktop.

In this article, we’ll break down all the migration methods available, from the official Mi Mover tool to manual backups via Mi Cloud, learn how to save Wi-Fi passwords, notification settings, app data (including WhatsApp and Viber), and even profiles in games like Genshin Impact or the likes of the game. PUBG We will pay special attention to the nuances that the manufacturer is silent: why some applications are not portable, how to circumvent restrictions and what to do if the process freezes.

If you are switching from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 14 or just updated the model within the same line – the instruction is suitable for any device on the market. MIUI 12-14 (including) POCO The main rule is: do not start porting until you have checked version compatibility. MIUI — More about this in the section on errors.

Preparation for transfer: what to do before the start

Data portability isn't just about clicking on the copy button, so to avoid loss, prepare both devices in advance.

✅ Update. MIUI It's all the way up to the latest version. MIUI You may have conflicts when you're transferring. Check the firmware's relevance in Settings. → The phone. → System Update: If you have an update, install it on both devices.

✅ Clean the cache and the files you don't need. It takes hours to move 50 GB of garbage. Use the built-in Settings utility. → Memory. → Cleaning or Security application (Tab "Cleaning").

✅ Check the space. The new device should have at least 20 percent free storage from the amount of data being transferred. For example, if you copy 30 GB, the new Xiaomi should have 6-7 GB free.

⚠️ Note: If the old phone has data encryption enabled (Settings) → Lockdown and protection → Encryption, transfer via Mi Mover may result in an error. Decrypt the device in advance or use the cloud method.

🔹 List of mandatory actions before transfer:

Pay special attention to applications with two-factor authentication (e.g. Google Authenticator or Telegram) and their data is not automatically transferred! export backup codes in advance or link accounts to a phone number.

2. Method 1: Mi Mover is the official tool of Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a built-in migration application that is installed by default on all Xiaomi, Redmi and other smartphones. POCO. It allows you to transfer it:

• 📱 Contacts, SMS call-book
• 📁 Photos, videos and music (including folders) DCIM and downloads)
• ⚙️ System settings (wallpaper, sounds, brightness, notifications)
• 🎮 Data from some applications (see list of supported applications below)
• 🔑 Wi-Fi passwords and access points

🔹 How to use Mi Mover:

1. Open the Mi Mover app on both phones.
2. On the new device, select “I am a new user” and on the old one, “I want to send data.”
3. Connect to a single Wi-Fi network or create an access point on an old phone.
4. Scan it. QR-code from a new device on an old one.
5. Select the data to transfer and confirm the start of the process.

⏳ The speed of transfer depends on the amount of data:

⚠️ Note: If the process is stuck in the Preparation phase, restart both devices and try again. If the error is repeated, use alternative methods (see section 4).

🔹 What apps does Mi Mover support?

Not all programs carry their data. Here's a list of supported programs (at the time). MIUI 14):

• 💬 WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram (chat only, no media)
• 📧 Gmail, Mi Mail (account settings)
• 🎵 Spotify, Mi Music (playlists)
• 🎮 PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty Mobile (only if linked to an account)

❌ Not tolerated:

• 🏦 Banking applications (SberBank, Tinkoff, etc.)
• 🔒 Applications with two-factor authentication
• 📊 Some games (e.g. Genshin Impact) must be linked to a miHoYo account)

💡

If Mi Mover can’t see the old device, try connecting via the USB-cable OTG. This requires both Type-C connector and adapter (if the models are different).

Method 3: Transfer over Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

If you can’t connect devices directly (like an old phone broke), use Mi Cloud cloud storage.

• 📇 Contacts, notes, calendars.
• 📸 Photos and videos (up to 5 GB at free rate)
• ⚙️ System settings (wallpaper, sounds, brightness)
• 📁 Backups of applications (only if they support cloud backup)

🔹 Step-by-step instruction:

1. On the new device, log in to the same Mi Account.

⚠️ Limitations of Mi Cloud:

• 📉 Free tariff - only 5 GB (for photos in compressed quality).
• ⏳ Synchronizing large volumes can take several hours.
• 🔄 Some data (e.g., some data, SMS) They are not restored immediately, but within 24 hours.

🔹 How to increase your space in the Mi Cloud?

If 5GB is not enough, you can:

Method 3: Manual transfer via cable OTG PC

If Mi Mover and Mi Cloud are not suitable (for example, due to version incompatibility) MIUI), You can manually transfer data through a cable or a computer, and this method takes longer, but gives you complete control over the process.

🔹 What's the matter:

• 🔌 Cable USB-C — USB-C (or adapter for Micro-USB)
• 💻 Computer with installed Xiaomi drivers (download from the official website)
• 📂 Backup software (e.g., Mi) PC suite ADB)

🔹 Instructions for porting via PC:

1. Connect the old Xiaomi to your computer and turn on File Transfer mode (MTP).
2. Copy the folders. DCIM (Photo/video), Downloads, Pictures and Music on PC.
3. Connect a new phone and transfer the data to the same folders.
4. Use applications and their data to transfer ADB: adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab adb restore backup.ab

⚠️ Note: When manually transferring through ADB Some applications (e.g. banking) may be blocked due to a change in the device ID, and will have to be reinstalled and reconfigured.

🔹 Transfer through OTG-cable (without PC):

If you have OTG-adapter, you can connect the old device to the new as a flash drive:

1. Connect. OTG-cable to the new phone and the other end to the old one.
2. On your old phone, select File Transfer mode.
3. On the new device, open Explorer and copy the desired folders.

💡

Manual transfer is the most reliable way if you have an outdated version. MIUI However, it does not store system settings and data of some applications (e.g. WhatsApp).

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

One of the most difficult aspects of migration is to save these applications, and not all programs support portability, and there are nuances.

🔹 Applications that can be fully transferred:

🔹 Applications that cannot be moved:

• 🏦 Banking applications (SberBank, Tinkoff, VTB) – require re-authorization.
• 🔐 Two-factor authentication applications (such as Authy) – need to be reconfigured.
• 🎮 Unaccounted games (such as offline games) – progress is lost.

🔹 How to transfer WhatsApp without losing:

If Mi Mover can’t handle WhatsApp portability, do it manually:

1. On your old phone, open WhatsApp. → ⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup copy.
2. Create a backup in Google Drive (you will need a Google account).
3. On the new phone, install WhatsApp, log in to the same account and restore chats.

⚠️ Important: If you use a different phone number, WhatsApp chats cannot be moved - they are tied to the phone. SIM-map.

6. Transfer of system settings and hidden data

Many users are surprised that after transferring, you have to re-set the brightness of the screen, the energy saving modes or the control gestures, because the system settings are not always copied automatically.

🔹 What settings can be moved:

• 🌓 Themes and Wallpapers (via Mi Account)
• 🔊 Sound profiles (volume, notifications)
• 🔋 Battery modes (energy saving settings)
• 📶 Network settings (APN, priority SIM-map)
• 👆 Gestures and buttons (navigation, double touch)

🔹 How to transfer the settings manually:

If the automatic methods do not work, export the settings through ADB:

1. Connect the old device to the PC and enable Debugging by USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times press → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
2. Follow the command to create a backup: adb backup -f settings_backup.ab -shared -all -system
3. Move the file. settings_backup.ab new phone.
4. Restore the settings: adb restore settings_backup.ab

⚠️ Note: Restore system settings through ADB This may lead to conflict if the version MIUI They're very different on devices, like moving the settings from the MIUI 12 on MIUI 14 may cause failures in the operation of the interface.

🔹 Wi-Fi Password Transfers:

To avoid re-entering passwords from the networks:

1. On your old phone, install the WiFi Password Viewer app (root rights required) or use it. ADB:
2. Execute the command: adb pull /data/misc/wifi/WifiConfigStore.xml
3. Transfer the file to a new phone and put it back: adb push WifiConfigStore.xml /data/misc/wifi/ adb shell chmod 660 /data/misc/wifi/WifiConfigStore.xml

7. Frequent errors and their solutions

Even if you follow the instructions, you can end up with a mistake, and let's look at some of the most common problems and how to fix them.

🔹 Error: “I couldn’t connect to the device” in Mi Mover

• 📶 Check that both phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (preferably 5 GHz).
• 🔄 Reboot both devices and try again.
• 📱 Update Mi Mover to the latest version on Google Play.
• 🔌 Try connecting through USB-cable OTG-adapter).

🔹 Error: There is not enough space in the Mi Cloud"

• 🗑️ Remove old backups in Mi Cloud → Storage management.
• 💰 Buy an extra seat (50GB is worth it) ~200 rubles/month).
• 📁 Move your photos/video over the cable and the rest of your data over the cloud.

🔹 Error: “Applications did not recover after the transfer"

• 📥 Check if the “Restore Apps” option is included in Settings → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔄 Reinstall apps manually from Google Play – sometimes data is restored after re-installation.
• 🔧 For games, link your account to Google Play Games or social networks.

🔹 Error: “System settings reset after update MIUI"

If you have updated after the transfer MIUI, Some of the settings can go off:

• 📵 Do not update the firmware immediately after transfer – wait 1-2 days.
• 🔄 Create a backup of settings through ADB (see section 6).

💡

If none of the methods worked, try resetting the new phone to factory settings (Settings) → The phone. → Resetting settings) and repeat transfer from a clean system.

8.Alternative methods: Google Account and third-party utilities

If you don't want to use Xiaomi tools, you can transfer data through your Google account or third-party programs, which is universal and works on any Android device.

🔹 Transfer via Google Account:

• 📧 Contacts, calendar, mail – synchronized automatically.
• 📸 Photos and Videos – via Google Photos (unlimited storage for compressed files).
• 🎮 Games - through Google Play Games (save).
• 🔑 Passwords – via Google Smart Lock.

🔹 How to turn on synchronization:

1. On an old phone: Settings → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization of the account → turn on all options.
2. On the new phone, log in to the same Google account and wait for sync.

🔹 Third-party portable utilities:

⚠️ Attention: When using third-party utilities, there is a risk of data leakage. APK-Files from unofficial sources – only use Google Play or Mi App Store.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions