How to Transfer All Data to Xiaomi’s New Phone: From Contacts to Apps

Buying a new Xiaomi smartphone is always a joyful event, but before you enjoy the speed of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or the Leica camera on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, you have to solve an important task: transferring data. Photos from travel, correspondence in messengers, saved passwords and application settings – all this must be moved from the old device without loss.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 working ways to migrate data to Xiaomi, including official tools from the manufacturer and universal methods. We’ll focus on the nuances of migration from the iPhone (yes, it’s possible!) and the hidden MIUI settings that speed up the process. And you’ll learn how to avoid common mistakes – for example, why not all applications are restored from a Google backup and what to do if Mi Mover “can’t see” an old device.

Spoiler: The fastest way is to direct cable through the Mi Mover, but it doesn't work with all models. If you have a Redmi Note 12 or older and you have an old device, a Samsung or an iPhone, you have to combine the methods. Don't worry, we've detailed every step, including preparing both phones and checking the results.

1.Preparation for transfer: what to do before the beginning

To avoid crashes, you should follow 4 preliminary steps on both devices:

✅ Check the battery. The process can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour (depending on the amount of data) Make sure that both phones have at least 50% charge. If the battery runs out during transmission, it can damage the backups in the phone. MIUI — They'll have to recreate.

✅ Update. MIUI. On the new Xiaomi go to Settings → The phone. → Update the system and install the latest firmware. This is critical: in older versions, Mi Mover may not support new models (for example, Xiaomi). 13T Will not see Redmi 10 on the MIUI 12).

✅ Clean up the trash. On your old phone, delete the files you don't need: duplicate photos, app cache, old ones. APK. This will reduce transmission time and reduce the risk of errors. Use the built-in Cleanup utility in Settings → Memory.

✅ Remember passwords. If you are transferring data from your iPhone, you will need to disable iCloud (in Settings). → [Your name] → iCloud) and enter the Apple password ID If you connect to Mi Mover, you don't have to send your contacts and photos.

⚠️ Note: If encryption is enabled on your old phone (e.g. Samsung with Knox), some files may not be transferred.

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

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary app for wireless and wired data transfer between devices, preinstalled on all smartphones with MIUI 9 and later, and the main advantage is support for porting apps and their data (for example, saves in games or settings messengers), which is not available in Google Account.

How to use:

1. On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select Data Transfer (or manually run Mi Mover from Settings → Additional → Data Transfer).
2. On an old phone, install Mi Mover from Google Play (for Android) or the App Store (for iPhone).
3. Select the way to connect: 🔌 By cable: Connect the phones through USB-OTG Adapter (iPhone requires Lightning) → USB-C). This method is 3-5 times faster than wireless. 📶 Wi-Fi: Connect to the same network on both phones or create an access point on the new Xiaomi.

On the old phone, select data for transfer (contacts, messages, photos, apps) and confirm the transfer.

What is carried over the Mi Mover:

⚠️ Note: If the Mi Mover is stuck in the Preparation phase when transferring from the iPhone, check if Find My iPhone is disabled (Settings) → [Your name] → Find My → Find My iPhone? – Is there enough space on the new Xiaomi (needs at least 10% of the free space from the volume of data transferred).

Install Mi Mover on an old device|Disable iCloud on iPhone|Connect your phones to a single Wi-Fi network|Charge both devices >50%|Make room for the new Xiaomi-->

3. Method 2: Google Account – Universal Backup

If Mi Mover doesn’t work (like you have a Xiaomi Pocophone F1 on your old firmware), back up Google.This method works on any Android device and allows you to recover:

• 📇 Contacts, calendars and tasks (synchronized automatically).
• 📱 System settings (Wi-Fi passwords, wallpaper, language settings).
• 🎮 Data from some applications (if the developer supports Google Backup).

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Google → Backup and turn on the option. Click Create Backup Now.
2. On the new Xiaomi, when setting up, select Restore from Google backup and log in to the same account.
3. Select the last backup and wait for the recovery to be completed.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ Photos and videos are not automatically transferred (you need to use Google Photos separately).
• ❌ Apps will recover, but their data (such as saves in games) – only if the developer has integrated support for Google Backup.
• ❌ SMS and calls are not portable (unlike Mi Mover).

How much space does the backup take?

Google provides 15GB of free per account. If more data is available, buy extra space or use alternative methods (e.g. Mi Cloud for Xiaomi).

💡

If the apps don’t update after you restore from your Google Account, go to Settings → Apps → App Management and click Update All.

Method 3: Cloud Services (Mi Cloud, Google Drive, Yandex Disk)

Cloud storage is convenient if you have slow internet or no direct cable.

1. Mi Cloud (for Xiaomi owners)

• 🔹 Free gives 5 GB (can be expanded to 200 GB for a fee).
• 🔹 Saves: contacts, messages, notes, photos, call records.
• 🔹 Does not save: applications and their data, Wi-Fi passwords.

How to use:

On the old Xiaomi, go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud, turn on synchronization of the necessary data and wait for the download to complete. On the new phone, log in to the same account and restore the data.

2. Google Drive

• 🔹 Suitable for transferring from iPhone or other Android devices.
• 🔹 You can download any files (photos, videos, documents) manually.
• 🔹 For backup system use Settings → Google → Backup.

3. Yandex Disk / Mail.ru Cloud

• 🔹 Give 10–100 GB free of charge when registering.
• 🔹 Convenient for manual transfer of large files (for example, video to the 4K).
• 🔹 Disadvantages: Contacts or applications are not synchronized.

Comparison of cloud services for Xiaomi:

5. Method 4: Direct copying via OTG cable or PC

If you don't have access to Wi-Fi or cloud services, the most reliable way to do this is to manually copy files.

• 🔌 Cable OTG (to connect the telephone directly; or USB-cable + PC.
• 💻 File Manager (e.g., built-in in the MIUI or Total Commander).

Instructions for copying via PC:

1. Connect your old phone to your computer in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy the right folders: DCIM — Photos and videos. Download - uploaded files. WhatsApp/Media — messenger.

Xiaomi

Instructions for copying via OTG (without PC):

1. Buy a two-way one. OTG-adapter (e.g, USB-C ↔ USB-C for the new Xiaomi).
2. Connect the phones to each other and select File Transfer mode on both.
3. On the new Xiaomi, open Explorer and copy data from the old device (it will appear as an external drive).

2. Update the annexes

Some programs (such as WhatsApp or banking apps) may require re-authorization. Go to Google Play → My apps and update everything to the latest versions.

3. Set up notifications

On Xiaomi, notifications for some applications may be disabled by default. Check in Settings → Notifications.

4. Move Wi-Fi passwords

If passwords are not automatically transferred, connect to each network manually or use the QR-codes (Xiaomi has a generation function) QR for Wi-Fi in Settings → Wi-Fi → [Press the net]).

5. Optimize memory

After the transfer, run Cleanup in Settings → Memory to delete temporary files.

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If the new Xiaomi battery drains faster than normal after transfer, check the background activity of the applications in Settings → Battery → Battery Use. Often poorly optimized games or instant messengers are to blame.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data portability to Xiaomi