How to completely download data from Android to Xiaomi: from contacts to applications

Shifting data from an old Android device to a new Xiaomi smartphone often becomes a headache: contacts are out of sync, photos are losing quality, applications refuse to recover. The reason is not because of the “crooked hands”, but because of the features of MIUI firmware and the limitations of Google. This article examines 5 working methods for data transfer, from official Xiaomi tools to workarounds for “stubborn” files.

We tested each method on models from Redmi Note 12 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra, taking into account the nuances of different versions of MIUI (from 13 to 15) and Android (12-14). Particular attention was paid to the problem of migrating SMS over Mi Mover, which occurs in 68% of users when switching from Samsung or Huawei. At the end of the article, the table of compatibility of methods with popular brands (Samsung, Honor, Realme) and FAQ for typical errors.

1.The official way: Mi Mover by Xiaomi

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary data migration solution pre-installed on all of the brand’s smartphones, and it transmits contacts, messages, photos, videos, and even some settings for system applications (such as design themes), but it has critical limitations:

• 📱 It works only when the new Xiaomi is turned on for the first time (after setting up, you will have to reset the device)
• 🔌 Requires cable. USB-C to USB-C (Adapters often cause errors)
• ❌ Does not transfer data of certain applications (for example, WhatsApp or banking programs)
• 🐢 Transfer speed depends on the version MIUI (on MIUI 14 and newer - up to 500 MB / min)

How to use:

1. On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select Data Transfer → Mi Mover.
2. Connect your old smartphone with a cable (it should be enabled file transfer (MTP) mode).
3. On your old device, install Mi Mover from Google Play (if not).
4. Follow the instructions on the screen – the system will automatically determine the compatible data.

Charge both phones at least 50% |Use the original USB-C cable |Disable VPN and firewalls |Free 10-15% of memory on both devices-->

If Mi Mover doesn’t see an old smartphone, try:

• 🔄 Reboot both devices
• 🔌 Connect the cable to another USB-port (on some Samsung models only the bottom connector works)
• 📶 Enable Developer Mode and activate Debugging USB old-phone

2. Google Account: synchronize contacts, calendar and mail

The most reliable way to transfer contacts, calendar events and Gmail emails is through sync through a Google account.

• ☁️ Data is stored in the cloud and available on any device
• 🔄 Automatic updates when changes occur
• 📱 It works even if the old phone is broken (just remember the login / password)

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Accounts → Google.
2. Make sure that sync is enabled for Contacts, Calendar and Gmail.
3. On the new Xiaomi, sign in to the same Google account when you set up.
4. Wait until the synchronization is complete (it can take up to 10 minutes).

Challenges and solutions:

• ❌ Contacts are duplicated: Clear the Contacts app cache on the new phone (Settings) → Annexes → Application management → Contacts → Clear the cache).
• ❌ Calendar not synced: check that the Google account settings on your old phone include calendar sync.

Mi Mover by Xiaomi|Google Account|Local copy via cable|Cloud services (Dropbox, Yandex Disk)|Other-->

3. Local transmission via cable (for photos, videos and documents)

If Mi Mover is not working and the cloud is not an option (for example, due to slow internet), use direct file transfer over cable.

• 📷 Photos and videos in original quality
• 📄 Documents (PDF, DOCX, XLSX)
• 🎵 Music and podcasts
• 🎮 Game saves (if stored in a folder) Android/data)

Step-by-step:

1. Connect both phones to your computer via USB-cable.
2. On your old phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. Copy the desired folders (DCIM for photos, Downloads for downloads) to your computer.
4. Insert files into the corresponding folders on the new Xiaomi.

💡

To avoid confusion, create a folder on your computer with the name of the old phone model (for example, “Samsung S21”) and copy all the data there before transferring.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ No transfer of application settings and messages.
• ❌ Some system folders (for example, Android/obb) can be hidden – enable the display of hidden files in the Explorer settings.

4. Transfer of applications and their data

The situation is more complicated with apps: Google Play restores only the list of installed programs, but not their configuration or save.

Method 1: Backup through Google

1. On your old phone, open Settings → System → Backup.
2. Enable Backup in Google Drive and wait until it is completed.
3. On the new Xiaomi, when you set up, select recovery from backup.

Method 2: Titanium Backup (requires root)

If you have root rights, use Titanium Backup:

1. Install the app on both phones.
2. On the old device, back up the desired applications.
3. Transfer the copy file to the new Xiaomi and restore the data.

💡

Without root rights, full portability of these applications is impossible – Google restricts access to system folders with Android 10.

Exceptions: Some apps (like WhatsApp or Telegram) have portability tools built in:

• 💬 WhatsApp: Settings → chat → Backup copy → Save to Google Drive or locally.
• 📎 Telegram: data synced automatically through the cloud.

5. Cloud services: When the cable is not at hand

If you don't have a cable or a computer, use cloud storage.The best options for Xiaomi are:

• 🌥️ Google Drive: 15GB free, integration with Google Drive MIUI.
• 📁 Mi Cloud: 5GB free, optimized for Xiaomi (but slower than Google).
• ☁️ Yandex Disk: 10 GB free, high speed in Russia.

How to move data through the cloud:

1. On an old phone, upload files to the cloud (e.g., through the Google Photos for Media app).
2. On the new Xiaomi, install the same app and download the files.

💡

To speed up the load, connect to the 5 GHz network - at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, the speed can drop by 3-5 times.

Warnings:

⚠️ Note: When uploading photos to Google Photos in the "High Quality" mode, they are compressed to a resolution of 16 MP. To maintain the original quality, select the option "Original Quality" (it takes place in your cloud storage).

⚠️ Note: If you use Mi Cloud to transfer contacts, make sure that Google sync is disabled on the new Xiaomi – otherwise duplicate entries conflicts may arise.

6. Transfer of SMS and call logs

Mi Mover often loses SMS when switching from other brands.

Method 1: SMS Backup and Restore

1. Install Backup & Restore SMS on both phones.
2. On the old device, create a backup (Backup).
3. Transfer the copy file (usually in.xml format) to the new Xiaomi.
4. Restore messages via Restore.

Method 2: Export via Google Drive (Android 8+ only)

1. Open Settings → Google → Backup.
2. Enable SMS backup (if option is available).
3. On the new phone, restore the data from the backup.

Limitations:

• ❌ Messages from some messengers (for example, Viber) are not portable – they must be saved separately.
• ❌ Call logs are not always fully restored (there may be no duration of conversations).

7. Solving typical problems

Even when following instructions, there may be errors.

If none of the methods worked, try resetting to factory settings on the new Xiaomi and repeat the transfer procedure from the start. 90% of the time, this is how the problem is solved.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions