Shifting data from an old smartphone to a new Xiaomi is often a headache: contacts are out of sync, photos are lost, apps refuse to recover. Meanwhile, the manufacturer offers several official migration tools, from the branded Mi Mover to Google cloud services and Mi Cloud. And when you consider informal methods like direct transmission by cable or through ADB, options become even more.
The main challenge is to choose the best way to save all data without loss and take hours of time. In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods of transferring, taking into account the nuances of Xiaomi: from automatic migration on the first turn on to manually copying hidden files.
You will also learn how to avoid common mistakes, such as why WhatsApp may not restore chat history or why some apps disappear after a transfer.
1.The official way: Mi Mover by Xiaomi
Mi Mover is a proprietary data transfer application preinstalled on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones. It works on the point-to-point principle (from phone to phone) and supports the transfer of almost all types of data: contacts, messages, photos, videos, music, applications (including their data) and even some system settings.
The main advantage is that there is no need for cloud services or a computer, just two smartphones, a Wi-Fi network (or direct connection) and 10 to 30 minutes of time.
- 📱 It works only when the new Xiaomi is first turned on (you will have to reset your settings later)
- 🔄 Requires the same Mi Mover version on both devices (update the app in advance)
- 🚫 Does not transfer data of certain applications (for example, passwords from Google Smart Lock or saved games)
To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:
- Enable the new Xiaomi and go to the “Data Transfer” stage in the setup wizard.
- On your old phone, install Mi Mover from Google Play (if not).
- Select a role on both devices: the new phone is “Receiver”, the old one is “Sender”.
- Scan it. QR-code from the screen of the new smartphone old or connect via Wi-Fi Direct.
- Select data types to transfer and confirm the start of the process.
⚠️ Note: If your old phone has encryption enabled (e.g., Samsung with Knox), Mi Mover may not see some files. OTG cloudy.
Charge both phones at least 50 times%|Shut down. VPN firewalls|Update Mi Mover to the latest version|Free up 1-2 GB of memory on the new Xiaomi-->
2. Transfer through Google Account (for contacts, photos and applications)
If you use Google services, this method will allow you to recover most of the data without additional applications.
- 📇 Contacts (from Google Contacts)
- 📷 Photo and video from Google Photos)
- 🎵 Music and Documents (from Google Drive)
- 📱 Applications and their data (if the developer supports Android Backup Service)
How to transfer data:
- On your old phone, check that sync is enabled: Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync.
- Make sure that all the data you need (contacts, calendars, notes) is linked to Google.
- On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select “Restore from backup” and log in to the same Google account.
- Wait for the recovery to be completed (it can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours depending on the amount of data).
Not all apps support backup, for example, WhatsApp won’t restore chat history through Google Drive unless you’ve made a separate backup in the messenger itself, and games often lose progress if they’re not tied to a developer account (like Play Games).
| Type of data | Transferred via Google | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts | ✅ Yes. | Only if saved in Google Contacts, not in your phone’s memory |
| Photo/video | ✅ Yes. | Requires enough space in Google Photos (free only 15GB) |
| Annexes | ⚠️ Partially. | The list is restored, but not all data (depends on the developer) |
| SMS/MMS | ❌ No. | A separate backup is required (e.g. via SMS Backup & Restore) |
| Calls. | ❌ No. | Call history is not synced with Google |
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Before transferring, check what data is linked to your Google account. Go to myaccount.google.com → Data Management and Personalization → Content Control.
Direct transmission via cable (OTG or USB-Type-C)
If you don't have Wi-Fi, or if you want to migrate data without cloud services, the most reliable way to do this is to connect your phones directly through a cable.
- 🔌 OTG-Adapter (if on the old microUSB phone, and on the new one — USB-C)
- 📱 Cable USB-C — USB-C (If both phones are modern)
- 💾 Enough space on the new Xiaomi (the data is copied in original quality)
Instructions:
- Connect your old phone to your new phone via cable (use it if necessary). OTG-adapter).
- On your old phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
- On the new Xiaomi, open Explorer (or any file application).
- Find DCIM (photo/video), Downloads (downloads), Pictures folders and copy them to a new phone.
- To transfer contacts, export them to.vcf (Contacts) → Export and import on a new device.
This method guarantees 100% data security, as the files are copied in their original form, but it requires manual control – for example, apps will have to be installed separately through Google Play, and the system settings (wallpaper, sounds, shortcuts) will not be transferred.
⚠️ Note: When you copy the Android folder (where app data is stored), some files may not work on the new phone due to differences in architecture or Android version.
Mi Mover|Google Account|OTG|Cable Cloud Services (Dropbox, Yandex Drive)|Another way-->
4. Cloud services: Mi Cloud, Google Drive, Yandex Drive
If you have slow internet or little room on your phone, cloud services are a good alternative. Xiaomi offers its Mi Cloud (5GB for free), but it works unstable outside of China.
Comparison of cloud services for data transfer:
| Service | Free seat | Loading speed | Supported data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Cloud | 5GB | Low (servers in China) | Contacts, notes, photos, SMS |
| Google Drive | 15GB | Medium | Any files, application backups |
| Yandex Disc. | 10GB | High (for Russia) | Any files. |
| Dropbox | 2GB | Tall. | Any files. |
How to move data through the cloud:
- On your old phone, upload all the files you need to the service you choose (like Google Drive).
- On the new Xiaomi, log in to the same account and download files.
- For contacts and calendars, use synchronization through account settings.
- For applications, use the recovery function from the backup (if supported).
The downside is that it takes a long load time with a lot of data (for example, 50 GB of photos can be loaded for several hours), and some files (for example, WhatsApp backups) may not recover correctly if the version of the application on the new phone is different.
What to do if the Mi Cloud is not working?
5. Computer transfer (for full control)
If you need to migrate all the data, including hidden files, system settings, or application backups, the best way to do this is to use a computer, which takes longer, but gives you the most flexibility.
What you need:
- 💻 Computer with Windows, macOS or Linux
- 🔌 Two. USB-cable OTG-adapter)
- 📁 Backup programs (optional: Titanium Backup, Helium)
Step-by-step:
- Connect your old phone to your computer and copy all the important folders (DCIM, Downloads, Documents, etc.) to your hard drive.
- To transfer contacts, export them to a.vcf file or sync them with Google Contacts.
- Use Titanium Backup (root rights required) or Helium (rootless, but not on all devices) to back up applications.
- Connect a new Xiaomi and transfer the copied files back.
- Install apps from Google Play and recover their data from backups (if any).
This is ideal for transferring large amounts of data (such as film or project collections), but requires technical skills, such as Android Debug Bridge (ADB) to recover backups for some applications.
💡
Computer-to-computer transfer is the only way to save application data that doesn’t support cloud backup (such as some banking programs or local games).
6. Transfer of specific data: WhatsApp, SMS, games
Some types of data require a separate approach because they are not carried by standard methods.
📱 WhatsApp (History of Chats and Media Files):
- 🔹 On your old phone, create a backup: WhatsApp settings → chat → Backup.
- 🔹 Make sure the backup is saved to Google Drive (for Android) or to a memory card.
- 🔹 On the new Xiaomi, install WhatsApp, log in and restore chats from the backup.
⚠️ Warning: If your phone number changes, your chat history won’t recover, and WhatsApp’s backup is tied to your Google account — if you use another account on your new phone, chats won’t recover.
💬 SMS call history:
- 📲 Use the app. SMS Backup & Restore to Create Message Backup.
- 📞 Call history doesn’t sync with the clouds – export it to.xml via apps like Call Logs Backup.
🎮 Preservation of games:
- 🎯 If the game supports Google Play Games, progress will be restored automatically after logging in to your account.
- 🖥️ For local saves (such as in Minecraft or Stardew Valley), copy the folder Android/obb or Android/data manually.
Checklist: how to check that everything has moved correctly
After transferring the data, make sure that nothing is lost.
Contacts (open the Contacts app and scroll through the list)|Photo and video (check the gallery and folder) DCIM)|Applications (Make sure all programs are installed and running)|Messages (open up) SMS and chats on messengers)|Settings (wallpaper, sounds, Wi-Fi networks)|Game progress (start games and check saves)-->
If something is missing, go back to your old phone and transfer the missing data selectively (e.g., via cable or cloud).
Also be sure to set up a new Xiaomi after the transfer:
- 🔒 Turn on the screen lock (PIN, print or face unlock).
- 🔄 Update all apps on Google Play.
- 📶 Check the mobile network settings (APN) — sometimes they're dropped.
- 🎵 Personalize sounds, vibrations and notifications.