How to Transfer All Data from an Old Xiaomi Phone to a New One: Full Guide

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but data transfer can become a real headache if you don’t know the nuances. Even between devices of the same brand, synchronization is not always smooth: somewhere you lose contacts, somewhere you fly settings, and suddenly photos are duplicated or folders disappear. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways of transferring data, from official Xiaomi tools to universal solutions through Google and the local network.

Feature of Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi, POCO Black Shark – Deep integration with the ecosystem MIUI. This has advantages: for example, automatic synchronization through Mi Account works even when the phone is reset to factory settings, if the account was tied in advance, SMS You may not be able to move unless you manually enable the appropriate options, and we will tell you how to avoid losses and choose the best method depending on your situation.

Preparation for synchronization: what to do before data transfer

Before proceeding with the transfer, make sure both phones are ready for the procedure.Missing these steps can result in data loss or incomplete synchronization.

On an old phone:

• 🔋 Battery charge of at least 50% (when transferred over cable or Wi-Fi Direct discharge goes faster).
• 📶 Connect to stable Wi-Fi (for cloud-based methods) or mobile network with unlimited traffic.
• 🔒 Make sure there is no lock on the device. OEM (If you plan to use Mi Mover, you can check this in Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (7 times tap the line, then go back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Unlocking OEM).
• 📁 Free up space: if you transfer data to a new phone, make sure it has enough memory (for example, 64 GB of photos and videos will require at least 80 GB of free space, taking into account temporary files).

On the new phone:

• 📱 Take the initial setup to the welcome screen (don’t miss the step with the Wi-Fi connection!).
• 🔑 Enter the same Mi Account as on your old phone (if you plan to sync through your account).
• 🔄 Update. MIUI Up to the latest version: Settings → The phone. → Update the system. This will fix the data porting bugs.

⚠️ Note: If you use Xiaomi with a locked bootloader (e.g., global versions for China), some port methods (e.g., via Mi Mover) may not work).

2. Method 1: Automatic synchronization via Mi Account (the fastest method)

This method is suitable if both phones are tied to the same Mi Account and you have access to the Internet.

• 📇 Contacts (including groups and selected groups).
• 📅 Calendar and reminders.
• 📝 Notes (from the appendix Notes).
• 🔗 The Mi Browser browser bookmarks.
• ⚙️ Some system settings (wallpaper, themes, brightness).

How to turn on synchronization:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Activate sliders next to the data you want to sync (e.g. Contacts, Notes).
3. Click Sync and wait for the process to be completed.
4. On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and enable sync in the Mi Cloud.

The data will start to load automatically. Time depends on the amount of information and the speed of the Internet, for example, 1,000 contacts are synchronized in 1-2 minutes, and 500 notes - up to 10 minutes.

⚠️ Warning: If you reset your new phone to factory settings after the first setup, re-enter Mi Account manually via Settings → Accounts. → Add an account, otherwise sync won't start!

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Mi Cloud is the easiest way to transfer basic data, but it doesn’t copy apps, SMS You can combine it with other methods to transfer it completely.

Method 3: Transfer over Mi Mover (over cable or Wi-Fi Direct)

Mi Mover is the official application from Xiaomi for data transfer between devices.

• 📱 All applications (including data if not protected) DRM).
• 📷 Photos, videos and music.
• 💬 SMS, call-in.
• 📄 Documents and downloads.
• ⚙️ System settings (sound, display, notifications).

How to use Mi Mover:

1. Download the Mi Mover app on both phones from Google Play or App Gallery (if it’s not in the default firmware).
2. On the new phone, select I am a new user.
3. On the old phone, select I am an old user.
4. Connect your phones through the cable OTG (recommended or via Wi-Fi Direct (slower).
5. On an old phone, tick the data for transfer and click Start.

The process can take from 10 minutes (for 5-10 GB of data) to 1-2 hours (for 50 GB of data).+ The speed depends on the:

• 🔌 Type of connection (cable 2-3 times faster than Wi-Fi).
• 📉 Phone loads (close all background apps).
• 🔋 Charge level (at discharge below 20% transfer may be interrupted).

Download Mi Mover on both phones|Connect the cable OTG (Or enable Wi-Fi Direct)|Close all applications|Charge the phones. >50%|Make room on a new phone-->

⚠️ Warning: If you're transferring over Wi-Fi Direct, you're stuck in the Connection phase, restart both phones and try again. Conflict is a common cause. IP-Also check that both devices are disabled. VPN.

Method 3: Backup through Google (universal method)

If you don’t want to depend on the Xiaomi ecosystem, use Google Account, which works on any Android device and transfers:

• 📇 Contacts (if saved in Google Contacts).
• 📅 Calendar and tasks.
• 📧 Mail and Gmail settings.
• 📱 List of apps (without data, except for some games with Google Play Games support).
• 📁 Photos and videos (if backup is enabled in Google Photos).
• 🔑 Passwords from Google Smart Lock.

Step-by-step:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Google → Backup.
2. Enable Backup in Google Drive and click Create Backup Now.
3. On the new phone, when you set up, select Copy Data from another device. → From cloud storage. → Google.
4. Log in to the same account and select the latest backup.

Please note:

• 📌 Google Photos compresses images for free storage (High Quality) To save originals, use Mi Cloud or manually transfer files.
• 📌 Backup copies do not include SMS, Call log and files from internal memory (sets and applications only).
• 📌 The amount of free storage in Google Drive is 15 GB. If more data, buy additional space or use another method.

5. Method 4: Manual transfer via computer or flash drive

If cloud services and Mi Mover are not suitable (for example, due to slow Internet or a large amount of data), use a physical medium: a computer, OTG-This is a flash drive or a memory card, and it gives you complete control over which files you're going to copy.

What can be transferred manually:

• 📸 Photos and videos (folders) DCIM, Pictures, Movies).
• 🎵 Music and podcasts (Music folder or Podcasts).
• 📄 Documents (DOCS folders, Downloads).
• 📱 APK-application files (from the folder) /data/app, But root rights are required).
• 💬 Backup copies SMS (through apps SMS Backup & Restore).

Instructions for porting via PC:

1. Connect your old phone to your computer through USB-cable (select File Transfer Mode (MTP)).
2. Copy the right folders (DCIM, Downloads, etc.) to a hard drive.
3. Turn off the old phone and connect the new one.
4. Transfer the copied files to the corresponding folders on the new device.

For transfer through OTG-flash-drive:

1. Connect the flash drive to the old phone via the adapter OTG.
2. Copy files to a flash drive (use a file manager, such as Mi File Manager).
3. Connect the flash drive to the new phone and transfer the data.

⚠️ Note: When manually porting, don’t copy the entire Android folder, which can cause app crashes. Only transfer media and documents. For apps, backup through Titanium Backup (root rights required) or Swift Backup.

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If you are transferring photos and videos, check hidden folders (such as.thumbnails or.nomedia) that can take up a lot of space but don't contain useful files - you can not copy them.

Method 5: Local area network (Wi-Fi or Bluetooth) for selective transfer

If you need to transfer a small amount of data (for example, several photos or documents), use:

• 📶 Local Wi-Fi (via apps like Send Anywhere or Xender).
• 🔵 Bluetooth (slowly but without internet).
• 🌐 FTP-server (via the application) FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer).

Example of transfer via Send Anywhere:

1. Install Send Anywhere on both phones.
2. On the old phone, select files and click Send.
3. 6-digit code is generated or QR-code.
4. On the new phone, enter the code or scan the QR.
5. Confirm receipt of files.

Advantages of this method:

• ⚡ Speed (up to 10 MB/s on Wi-Fi).
• 🔒 There are no limits on volume (unlike Bluetooth).
• 📱 No cables or PCs required.

Disadvantages:

• 📶 Requires a connection to a single Wi-Fi network (or an access point).
• 🔋 Battery consumption is higher than when carried over cable.

7. Transfer of specific data: SMS, calls, apps

Some types of data require special attention because they are not carried in standard ways.

💬 SMS call-book:

• Use the SMS Backup & Restore app:

📱 Data annexes:

• For most applications (such as WhatsApp, Telegram) there are built-in backup features:
• For games, use Google Play Games (if the game supports cloud-based saves).
• For system applications (such as Notes or Calendar), check your sync settings in Mi Account or Google.

⚙️ System settings:

• Themes and wallpaper: synced via Mi Account (c Settings) → Theme).
• Sound and notification settings: Moved through Mi Mover or manually.
• Wi-Fi Passwords: If your phone supports Wi-Fi Easy Connect, new devices will connect automatically when you sign in to the same Mi Account.

8. Frequent problems and their solutions

Even if the instructions are followed correctly, there may be failures, and let's look at the typical errors and how to fix them:

If none of the methods worked:

• 📞 Contact Xiaomi Support via the official website or live chat at Mi Community.
• 🔧 Try resetting the new phone to factory settings and repeating the transfer (sometimes helps when crashes are made). MIUI).
• 🛠️ Use alternative backup apps (e.g. Titanium Backup for root devices or Swift Backup for non-root devices).

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If the data transfer is interrupted by half, don’t panic: most methods (except Mi Mover) allow you to resume the process from the stop point.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions