How to copy all the data from the old phone to the new Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

Switching to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always an exciting moment, but transferring data from an old device can turn into a real headache if you don’t know the nuances. Even experienced users sometimes lose hours looking for a missing contact or a forgotten password from a backup. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods of copying data - from the official Mi Mover to little-known life hacks using cable. OTG and cloud services.

It’s important to understand that the portability method doesn’t just depend on your Xiaomi model (be it the Redmi Note 13 Pro).+ or POCO X6), But it's also from the old phone's operating system, for example, migrating from iPhone to Xiaomi requires one approach, from Samsung to Android 14 requires another approach, and copying between two Xiaomi devices is made easier thanks to proprietary tools. We will look at options for all scenarios, including cases where an old phone doesn't turn on or is locked.

Before you start, check out two key points:

• 🔋 Both phones charge at least 50 percent, and it can take up to an hour to transfer data, and discharging in the process can lead to loss of information.
• 📶 Stable Internet connection (for cloud-based methods) or cable USB-C/OTG (The use of poor-quality cable is the reason №1 copying failure.

1.Official way: Mi Mover for Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a proprietary application from Xiaomi that automatically copies contacts, messages, photos, videos, apps and even some system settings. It is pre-installed on all new Xiaomi, Redmi and other smartphones. POCO (starting MIUI The main advantage is that you do not need to manually configure anything: the program itself determines what data can be transferred.

To take advantage of the Mi Mover:

1. Turn on the new Xiaomi and go to the data portability setup stage (appears in the first minutes after you turn on).If the phone is already configured, find the Mi Mover app on the menu.
2. On an old phone, install Mi Mover from Google Play (for Android) or the App Store (for iPhone).
3. Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network or use a direct Wi-Fi Direct connection (recommended for large amounts of data).
4. On the new phone, select I am the sender, on the old phone, I am the recipient, then scan. QR-code.
5. Select data types to transfer (you can mark everything or select selectively) and confirm the beginning of the process.

The speed of the transfer depends on the amount of data:

⚠️ Note: If your old iPhone, Mi Mover will only carry contacts, photos and videos. Messages, apps and settings are not copied due to iOS restrictions. For full portability, use Move to iOS backwards (from Android to iPhone), but this is not our case.

Battery charge >50% on both phones|

Install Mi Mover on your old phone (if not Xiaomi)|

Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network (or use a cable) OTG)|

Free up space on the new Xiaomi (at least 10% more data portable)|

Shut down. VPN Firewalls (they can block the connection)-->

2. Transfer via Google Account (for Android)

If your old phone runs on Android (even not Xiaomi), the most reliable way is to sync with your Google account, which is to copy contacts, calendars, notes, some app settings, and even Wi-Fi passwords (if backup is enabled), the main plus is that the data is stored in the cloud and available on any new device.

Instructions:

• 📱 On your old phone, go to Settings. → Accounts. → Google → Sync your account and turn on all switches.
• 🔄 Wait for the synchronization to be completed (check in Settings). → System system → Backup).
• 🆕 On the new Xiaomi, when setting up, select Restore from backup and log in to the same Google account.
• 📥 Select the latest backup and wait for the recovery.

What is not copied through Google:

• ❌ Communications SMS/MMS (You need to use Google Messages or third-party apps).
• ❌ Photos and videos (use Google Photos separately).
• ❌ Installed apps (only their list for quick installation from the Play Store).
• ❌ Local files (music, documents) – they must be transferred manually.

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If your old phone doesn’t have enough backup space, delete unnecessary files or use Google One (15GB free, then from 139). ₽/month).

⚠️ Note: If you used a Mi Account on an old Xiaomi, the data from the branded apps (Mi Fit, Notes, Calendar) is not synced with Google).

3.Use Mi Cloud for backup

Mi Cloud is a cloud storage from Xiaomi that automatically saves contacts, messages, photos, recordings of calls and even system settings (wallpaper, sounds, network settings). MIUI, for example:

• 📱 Themes and wallpapers (including dynamic ones).
• 🔊 Sound diagrams and notification settings.
• 📡 Wi-Fi Passwords and Mobile Network Data.
• 📝 Notes and Reminders from the Appendix Notes.

How to transfer data through Mi Cloud:

1. On the old Xiaomi go to Settings → Mi Account. → Mi Cloud.
2. Enable backup for all the right categories and click Sync.
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and select Restore from backup.
4. Choose the most recent copy and confirm the restoration.

The limitations of Mi Cloud:

• 📉 Free available only 5 GB (for photo / video this is not enough).
• ⏳ Synchronizing large volumes can take several hours.
• 🔒 If you forget the password from the Mi-account, it is difficult to restore access (requires a linked phone number).

4. Wireless transfer via cable OTG computer

If you don't have Wi-Fi or data that's too big for the cloud, wired transfer is the fastest and most reliable way to do this.

• 🔌 Cable OTG (If the old phone supports USB Host).
• 💻 Computer (if) OTG wrong).
• 📁 Flash drive or external drive (optional).

Method 1: Direct connection via OTG

1. Connect the OTG cable to the new Xiaomi.
2. Connect the old phone to OTG via a standard cable (for example, USB-C to USB-C or micro-USB).
3. A notification will appear on the new phone USB-The drive is connected. Open Explorer and copy the files you want.

Method 2: Transfer through a computer

1. Connect your old phone to your PC and copy all the data to a folder on your hard drive.
2. Turn off your old phone, plug in a new Xiaomi and transfer the files back.
3. For contacts and messages, use export in.vcf (contacts) and.xml formats (SMS) through applications like Super Backup.

What files should be copied manually:

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Wireless transfer is the only way to copy data if the old phone doesn’t turn on, but its drive is determined by the computer (for example, after a drop or damage to the screen).

5.Moving from iPhone to Xiaomi (a complicated case)

The transition from iPhone to Xiaomi is complicated by the closedness of the Apple ecosystem, and standard methods like Mi Mover are limited, so you'll have to use a combination of tools.

Step 1: Transfer contacts and calendars

• 📱 On iPhone go to Settings → Apple ID → iCloud and enable synchronization of Contacts and Calendars.
• 🌐 On your computer, open iCloud.com, log in to your account and export your contacts in.vcf format.
• 📲 Transfer the file to the new Xiaomi and import through Contacts → Settings → Imports/Exports.

Step 2: Transfer photos and videos

• 🖥️ Connect your iPhone to your computer, open Windows or Photos and copy files.
• 📁 Alternative: Use Google Photos on your iPhone to upload your media library to the cloud, then sync to Xiaomi.

Step 3: Transfer of messages

• 💬 Install the application on the iPhone iSMS2droid (for SMS) or Backuptrans (for iMessage).
• 📥 Export messages to.xml and transfer to Xiaomi, then import through SMS Backup & Restore.

Step 4: Transfer of applications

• 📱 On Xiaomi, open the Play Store and go to the Library → Installed.This will show the apps you installed on your iPhone (if you used the same Google account).
• 🔄 Install the apps you need manually – automatic portability is not possible due to different ecosystems.

⚠️ Note: Music purchased on iTunes and movies from Apple TV They are not on Android because of DRM-Use streaming services like YouTube Music or Spotify.

6. Data transfer if the old phone is not turned on

If your old phone doesn’t respond to charging, hangs on the logo or has a broken screen, but the drive is intact, there are a few ways to save data:

Method 1: Removal of the memory card (if any)

• 📷 If your photos and files were stored on a microSD, just transfer them to the new Xiaomi.
• 🔍 If the card is encrypted, you will need to enter a password (if you remember).

Method 2: Connect to a computer in recovery mode

• 🖥️ Connect your phone to your PC by holding down a button combination to log into your Fastboot (usually Power). + Vol Down).
• 🛠️ Use it. ADB-Data copying teams (technical skills required):

adb pull /sdcard/ C:\Backup\

This command will copy all files from the phone’s internal memory to the Backup folder on the C: drive.

Method 3: Contacting a Service Center

• 🔧 If the phone is physically damaged (for example, after falling into the water), self-manipulation can make things worse.
• 💰 Xiaomi service center can extract data using specialized equipment (cost from 1,500) ₽).

7.Optimize the new Xiaomi after data transfer

After successful data copying, the new Xiaomi may be slower to perform due to:

• 🗑️ Duplicate files (e.g. photos from Google Photos and Mi Cloud).
• 📱 Outdated app caches transferred from an old phone.
• 🔋 Background processes run by old applications.

What to do to optimize:

1. 🧹 Remove duplicate files with Files by Google or CCleaner.
2. 🔄 Update all apps in the Play Store and App Gallery.
3. ⚙️ Go to Settings. → Annexes → Manage applications and clear cache for all programs.
4. 📉 Turn on the settings. → Battery → Performance mode to accelerate work.

Settings MIUI, Which should be changed after the transfer:

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After transferring the data, be sure to check the Settings section → Memory: If the internal storage is more than 80 percent full, the phone will slow down.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data portability to Xiaomi