How to sync between Xiaomi phones: 5 proven ways

The switch to Xiaomi’s new smartphone or the need to share data between the brand’s two devices often raises the question of how quickly and safely to transfer all the information? Contacts, photos, messages, notes and even app settings – all of which can be synchronized in minutes, if you know the right tools.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current synchronization methods between Xiaomi phones, from built-in MIUI features to Google cloud services and third-party solutions. We’ll focus on the nuances that the manufacturer doesn’t always mention: data limitations, compatibility with different firmware versions, and ways to avoid common bugs. If you want to avoid data loss or spend hours not copying files manually, read on.

1. Sync through Xiaomi account (MI Cloud)

The most obvious and often the most reliable way is to use MI Cloud, a proprietary cloud service that is integrated into MIUI firmware and allows you to synchronize almost all types of data, from contacts to calendar records, the main advantage is automation: once set up, data is updated in the background.

To activate synchronization:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Xiaomi account → MI Cloud on both phones.
• 🔄 Turn on switches opposite data categories (contacts, notes, photos, etc.).
• ☁️ Wait for the data to be uploaded to the cloud from the first device (time depends on the volume).
• 🔄 On the second phone, log in to the same Xiaomi account and enable sync of the same categories.

It is important to note that the free rate MI Cloud only provides 5GB of storage, and if you need to move more data (like videos or app backups), you’ll either have to clear the cloud or purchase additional space. Also, some users face synchronization delays - in this case, a forced update through the Sync Now button will help. MI Cloud.

2. Transfer data through Google Account

If you prefer the Google ecosystem or you already have sync with the company’s services, this method will be equally effective, it is suitable for transferring contacts, calendar, mail, Google Keep notes, and even some application settings (such as Chrome or YouTube).

Instructions for setting:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Accounts → Google and make sure that you have the right data sync enabled.
2. On the new phone, add the same Google account through Settings → Accounts → Add an account.
3. Enable synchronization of the same data categories.
4. Wait for the process to be completed (it can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour depending on the volume).

The advantage of this method is 15 GB of free storage in Google Drive, which is three times more than MI Cloud. However, there are limitations: for example, Google Photos from June 2021 no longer offers unlimited storage of photos in high quality, and not all MIUI data (for example, topics or system settings) are synchronized through Google.

💡

If contacts are not displayed correctly after syncing via Google (duplicate or disappear), try clearing the Contacts app cache in your phone settings.

3. Local transmission over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth

When cloud services are unavailable (for example, due to slow internet) or you don’t want to upload data to the network, direct transfer between devices comes to the rescue. Xiaomi offers a built-in solution for this – the Quick Transfer feature (formerly known as Mi Mover).

How to use it:

• 📲 On both phones, turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
• 🔗 On your old phone, open Settings. → The phone. → Quick transmission (or Mi Mover in older versions) MIUI).
• 📱 Select the role of the sender on the old phone and the receiver on the new one.
• 📎 Follow the instructions on the screen to connect and select data to transmit.

This method is suitable for transferring applications, photos, videos, music, and even system settings, but it has a significant disadvantage: the transfer speed depends on the stability of the connection. If Wi-Fi is unstable, the process can be interrupted, in which case Bluetooth is recommended, but it is much slower.

4. Use of third-party applications (SHAREit, Xender)

If Xiaomi’s built-in tools don’t suit you, you can use popular third-party data apps, most famously SHAREit, Xender, and Send Anywhere, which work on the principle of P2P (peer-to-peer), that is, directly between devices without an intermediate server.

Advantages of such applications:

• ⚡ High transmission speed (up to 20 MB/s in ideal conditions).
• 📁 Support for any type of file, including APK, archives, documents).
• 🌍 Cross-platform (you can transfer data to your iPhone or computer).

How to transfer data via SHAREit:

1. Install the app on both phones from Google Play or Mi App Store.
2. On the sender phone, select the files and click Send.
3. On the receiving phone, click Get and scan. QR-sender-screen.
4. Confirm the connection and wait for the transfer to be completed.

Note that some apps (such as Xender) may display ads or offer to install additional software. To avoid this, download APK only from official sites or trusted sources. It is also worth remembering that transferring large amounts of data (more than 10 GB) can drain the battery - it is better to connect the phones to charging.

5. Backup and Recovery through MIUI

For those who want to migrate all settings and data from the old phone to the new one (including wallpaper, audio settings, Wi-Fi passwords, etc.), Backup in MIUI is a good option. It creates a full system snapshot, which can then be restored to another device.

Step-by-step:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Select the data for backup (it is recommended to mark all items) and click Create backup.
3. Once completed, copy the backup file (located in /MIUI/backup/AllBackup) to a new phone (e.g., via Google Drive or OTG cable).
4. On the new phone, in the same menu, select Restore and specify the copied file.

This method is the most complete, but has a number of limitations:

Charge both phones at least 50% |Free 5-10 GB of memory on both devices | Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network | Write backup password (if used) | Check the MIUI version for compatibility-->

6. Synchronization of specific data types

Sometimes you only need to transfer certain data, such as messages from SMS/MMS or recordings from a voice recorder, and you can use specialized applications or built-in MIUI functions to do this.

SMS and call history transfer:

• 💬 Use the app. SMS Backup & Restore (available on Google Play) allows you to export messages to a file and then import them to a new device.
• ☎ Call Logs Backup & Restore is available.

Portability of photos and videos:

• 📸 Enable autoload in Google Photos or MI Cloud.
• 💾 For local transmission, use Explorer (Files) and Send via Wi-Fi Direct.

Transfer of notes and notes:

• 📝 Notes MIUI synchronize MI Cloud. Google Keep just needs to log in to Google account.
• 🎤 Records from the recorder can be exported in format.m4a or.mp3 and transmit in any convenient manner.

If you use WhatsApp or Telegram, remember that these apps have their own backup mechanisms. For example, WhatsApp backups are created in Google Drive (for Android) and can be restored when you first run on a new phone.

💡

To transfer data from applications (such as games or instant messengers), always check if they support cloud sync. If not, use backup through ADB or specialized utilities.

Typical errors and their solutions

Even when following instructions, users often encounter synchronization problems, and let's look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

Problem 1: MI Cloud is not syncing data

⚠️ Attention: If in the settings MI Cloud is synced, but data is not updated, check:

• 🔄 A stable Internet connection (synchronization does not work through mobile data, if this is prohibited in the settings).
• 📵 No Power Saving or Background Limitation for the Application MI Cloud.
• 🔒 The correctness of the entered password from the Xiaomi account (sometimes you need to re-authorize).

Problem 2: The fast transmission is interrupted

⚠️ Note: If Wi-Fi Direct data transfers are permanently interrupted, try:

• 📶 Switch to Bluetooth (slower but more stable).
• 🔌 Connect both phones to charging (power shortages can cause cliffs).
• 📡 Reduce the distance between devices (maximum 5 meters).

Problem 3: Apps are not restored after the transfer

If the applications do not appear on the new phone after the backup is restored, the reasons may be as follows:

• 📱 Apps were installed from unknown sources (not from Google Play) and the new phone is prohibited from installing APK.
• 🔄 Version. MIUI New phone incompatible with old app data.
• ☁️ Apps are linked to a Google account and must be installed manually from the Play Market.

In this case, manual installation will help. APK-files (if saved) or re-install applications from the store.

FAQ: Frequent questions about synchronization Xiaomi