How to copy data from one Xiaomi to another: the full guide 2026

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but data porting often becomes a headache. Contacts, photos, messages, apps, and even screen settings all need to be saved. Fortunately, Xiaomi has a few built-in migration tools, as well as universal methods that work on any device. In this article, we will examine all possible ways, from the official Mi Mover to manual copying via computer.

Many users mistakenly think that it is enough to insert SIM-card to a new phone, but that will only solve the problem of contacts (and not always) and what about saving in games, WhatsApp chats or settings MIUI? We have tested every method on models from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra so you can choose the best option without losing data.

Important: If you sell an old smartphone, reset to factory settings first, but only after the successful transfer, otherwise you risk losing unsaved data.

1.Official method: Mi Mover - fast and wireless

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary solution for migrating data between devices to MIUI. This method works without cable, via direct Wi-Fi, and supports almost all types of files, from contacts to call history. The main advantage is to maintain folder structure and even some system settings.

To use the Mi Mover, both phones must have MIUI 9 or later installed. On models older than 2018 (such as the Redmi 5 or Mi A1), a firmware update may be required. Check the version in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version.

Step instructions:

1. On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select Data Transfer (if the phone is already configured, find Mi Mover in Settings → More).
2. On the old phone, open Mi Mover and select I give.
3. Scan it. QR-code from a new device or connect via Bluetooth search.
4. Select data types to transfer (you can mark everything or select selectively).
5. Confirm the transfer and wait for the completion (time depends on the amount of data).

Battery charge >50% on both phones|Both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.|There is plenty of free space on the new phone.|Disabled. VPN and energy-saving regimes-->

Mi Mover copies:

• 📞 Contacts, call log, SMS/MMS
• 📷 Photos and videos (including Google Photos albums, if synced)
• 🎵 Music and audio files
• 📁 Documents (PDF, Word, Excel)
• 🎮 Preserve certain games (if supported)
• ⚙️ System settings (wallpaper, sounds, brightness)

What's NOT tolerable:

• 🔒 Wi-Fi passwords (re-entering required)
• 💳 Banking Application Data (for security reasons)
• 📱 Applications from third-party sources (only from Google Play)
• 🔄 Some settings MIUI (for example, navigational gestures)

⚠️ Note: If the old phone has data encryption enabled (Settings) → Lockdown and protection → Encryption, Mi Mover may not work well, and we recommend temporarily disabling encryption or using alternative methods.

2.Transfer via OTG cable: maximum speed

If you have an OTG-enabled USB-C cable (or Micro-USB adapter on older models), this method will provide the fastest transfer speeds – up to 40 MB/s vs. 5-10 MB/s over Wi-Fi. Suitable for carrying tens of gigabytes of data (for example, photo collections in RAW or 4K video).

The connection will require:

• 🔌 Cable USB-C — USB-C (for new models; or USB-C — Micro-USB (for Redmi) 4/5/Note 5 older)
• 📱 Both phones with a charge. >30%
• 🛠️ File Transfer Mode is enabled on the new phone (Settings) → Connected devices → USB)

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the cable to both phones. On the screen of the old device, select File Transfer (MTP).
2. On the new phone, open the Explorer (MIUI File Manager and go to the section USB-accumulator.
3. Select the folders you need (DCIM for photos, Download for downloads, etc.) and click Copy.
4. Go back to the root directory of the new phone and paste the files.

⚠️ Note: When copying via cable, do not remove USB-storage device until the end of the operation. X3, Redmi 9) may cause damage to the micro file systemSD (if it is installed).

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If the cable is not recognized, try turning it over – the USB-C connector is symmetrical, but sometimes the contacts are not connected the first time.

3. Cloud services: Xiaomi Cloud vs Google Drive

If you don't have cable or phones in different places, cloud migration is a lifeline. Xiaomi offers its own cloud (Xiaomi Cloud), but it has limitations: only 5GB is available for free, and some data (such as WhatsApp chats) is not synchronized. The alternative is Google Drive, where 15GB is free but a Google account is required.

Comparison of services:

| Function | Xiaomi Cloud | Google Drive |

|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|

| Free space | 5GB | 15GB |

| Contact synchronization | Yes (MIUI only) | Yes (universally) |

| Photo/video | Yes (compression) | Yes (original quality up to 15 GB) |

| Annexes | No | No No |

| Call history | Yes | No |

| Notes | Yes (Mi Notes only) | Yes (via Google Keep) |

How to transfer data through Xiaomi Cloud:

1. On the old phone: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization.
2. Turn on synchronization for the desired categories (contacts, photos, notes).
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Xiaomi account and wait for the sync to complete.

For Google Drive:

1. Set Google Photos and Google Contacts on your old phone.
2. Enable autosynchronization in your Google account settings.
3. On the new phone, log in to the same account and wait for the data to load.

4. Bluetooth and LAN: When nothing works

If you don't have access to the Internet or cable, you'll have Bluetooth or LAN Wi-Fi, which is slow but reliable for small files (contacts, documents, a few photos), for example, 100 contacts will take a long time to transfer. ~2 minutes and 1 GB photo - about an hour.

Transfer via Bluetooth:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on both phones (Settings → Bluetooth).
2. Connect devices (click Device Search and confirm the code).
3. On an old phone, select files (such as in Gallery or Contacts) and click Send → Bluetooth.
4. Take the files on the new phone.

For transmission over a local network (without the Internet):

• 🌐 Install LocalSend (free, no ads) on both phones.
• 📶 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (or create an access point on one of the phones).
• 📤 In LocalSend, select files and send them to the second phone.

⚠️ Note: When transmitting via the access point, disable Traffic Optimization in the mobile network settings (Settings) → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Traffic optimization? Otherwise, the speed will drop to 100 KB/s.

Mi Mover (Wi-Fi)| OTG| Cloud (Xiaomi/Google)|Bluetooth/LAN |Another method-->

5. Computer Transfer: Full Control

If you have to selectively copy files or back up before selling an old phone, the computer is a better assistant, and this method takes longer, but gives you the maximum flexibility: you can edit files before perenosom, check them for viruses or compress them into an archive.

What you need:

• 💻 Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original)
• 📁 Sufficient space on the hard disk (recommended) +20% of the data volume)

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the old Xiaomi to your computer and select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy the folders you need (DCIM, Pictures, Download, etc.) to your computer.
3. Turn off the old phone and connect the new one.
4. Transfer files from your computer to a new device.
5. For contacts, export them to.vcf via Contacts → ⋮ → Export and import on a new phone.

For the portability of applications (APK-file):

Install ADB (Android Debug Bridge).) on your computer


2. Connect the old phone and execute the command:




adb pull /data/app ~/Downloads/xiaomi_apps_backup




3. Connect a new phone and install the APK:




adb install ~/Downloads/xiaomi_apps_backup/com.example.app.apk

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A computer is the only way to transfer data from a damaged screen (if the phone is recognized as a drive).

6. Transfer specific data: WhatsApp, games, settings

Some data requires a special approach, for example, WhatsApp chats can not be simply copied through a Explorer - you need a backup, the same applies to saves in games (eg, Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile) and MIUI settings.

WhatsApp:

• 🔄 Use Google Drive (android) or iCloud (if you migrate from your iPhone).
• 📁 Manual transfer: copy the folder /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases to a new phone and rename the file msgstore.db.crypt14 at msgstore.db.

Games:

• 🎮 For games with cloud-based saves (Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile) just log in to the same account.
• 💾 For offline games (Minecraft, Stardew Valley) copy the folder /Android/obb Or use Helium (the backup app).

MIUI settings:

• ⚙️ Export themes and wallpapers through Settings → Wallpaper. → My wallpaper. → Exports.
• 🔧 To transfer gestures and animations, use Mi Mover or manual backup via Settings. → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

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If the game does not restore saves, check the file path. For example, in PUBG Mobile, the data is in /Android/data/com.tencent.ig/files/UE4Game/ShadowTrackerExtra/Saved/SaveGames.

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

Even with the detailed instructions, users face problems, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

If none of the methods worked:

1. Check the space available on your new phone (it should be at least 10% more than the data you are carrying).
2. Turn off the antivirus or firewall on your phone/computer – they can block the transmission.
3. Reset network settings (Settings) → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Resetting network settings).

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi models with a blocked bootloader (Redmi Note) 8 Pro, Mi 9T) manual copying of system files (for example, /data/data) This can lead to loss of warranty or soft-brick.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions