How to copy Android phone to Xiaomi: all data in 10 minutes

Transferring data from an old smartphone to a new Xiaomi is a task that seems simple only at first glance. In practice, users are faced with lost contacts, untransferred messages or suddenly disappeared photos. Especially difficult when both devices are running Android, but from different manufacturers: interfaces are different, branded services are not synchronized, and standard Google tools often miss important settings.

This article will help you avoid common mistakes. 7 working methods of data transfer – from the official Mi Mover application to manual copying via PC – taking into account the features of the firmware MIUI. You will learn how to save not only contacts and photos, but also SMS/MMS, Call history, Wi-Fi passwords, and even app settings, and what to do if the new Xiaomi doesn’t see the old device or the copy breaks in the middle.

Important: The methods are suitable for all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models (including Xiaomi 14, Redmi Note 13 Pro+ and POCO F6), regardless of the MIUI version (12-14).If you have an Android 14 device with the new HyperOS interface, note the individual notes in the instructions.

1.The official way: Mi Mover by Xiaomi

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary solution for data migration between devices, preinstalled on all new smartphones of the brand and supports porting from most Android devices (including Samsung, Huawei, Realme, etc.), the main advantage is the preservation of folder structure and even some application settings.

How it works:

• 🔄 Two-way synchronization: data is transmitted directly over Wi-Fi (without cloud and without PC).
• 📁 What is copied: Contacts, SMS, photos, videos, music, documents, call history, calendar, browser bookmarks, some system application settings.
• ⚡ Speed: up to 20 MB/s (depending on the Wi-Fi module model in devices).
• ❌ Restrictions: installed applications (only their data), Wi-Fi passwords, launcher settings are not portable.

Step-by-step:

1. On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select Data Transfer (if the device is already configured, find Mi Mover in Settings → About Phone → Data Transfer).
2. On your old phone, install Mi Mover from Google Play (if not).
3. Run the app on both devices and select I sender (old phone) and I receiver (new Xiaomi).
4. Scan it. QR-code from the new phone on the old one (or enter it) PIN-manually).
5. Select data types to transfer and confirm the start of the process.

⚠️ Note: If the old phone is installed Android 11+, You may need to allow Wi-Fi Direct file transfers in connection settings. On some Samsung models, you need to additionally enable the Mobile Access Point manually.

Charge both phones at least 50 times%|Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (not necessary, but speeds up the connection)|Free up at least 10% of memory on the new Xiaomi|Shut down. VPN Firewalls on both phones-->

2. Transfer through Google Account (for contacts, photos and applications)

If Mi Mover is not suitable (for example, due to device incompatibility), the most reliable way is to sync through Google Account, which works even if you do not have physical access to the old phone (just know the username / password from the account).

What can be transferred:

• 📇 Contacts (in full, including groups and notes).
• 📅 Calendar and events.
• 📎 Google Photos: All photos and videos (if autosynchronization is enabled).
• 📥 Annexes: list of installed programs (by themselves) APK-Files are not portable, but the new phone will offer to download them from the Play Market).
• 🔑 Wi-Fi Passwords (only if both phones are on Android 10)+).

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, check that sync is enabled: Settings → Accounts → Google → [your email] → Account Sync Make sure Contacts, Calendar, Google Photos and App Data are enabled.
2. On the new Xiaomi, when setting up, select Restore from a backup → Google Account and log in to the same account.
3. Select a backup (usually the most recent) and confirm the recovery.

⚠️ Warning: If your old phone has Google Photos autosynchronization disabled, upload photos manually before the perenosom. Open the Google Photos app, click on the avatar → Photo settings → Backup and synchronization.

Mi Mover (Xiaomi)|Google Account|Cable OTG/PC|Cloud services (Dropbox, Yandex Disk)|Other-->

3. Copying via OTG or PC cable (for large volumes)

If you have a lot of data (e.g., more than 50GB of photos or high-resolution videos that don’t fit in the cloud), the fastest way is to copy directly through the cable.

• 🔌 Cable OTG (If you copy directly between phones).
• 💻 Computer (if you use a PC as an intermediary).
• 📁 File Manager (e.g., Mi File Manager or Total Commander).

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Maximum speed (up to 480 Mbps when used) USB 3.0).
• 📦 There are no limits on volume (unlike cloud services).
• 🔒 Privacy: Data is not transmitted via the Internet.

Instructions for copying via PC:

1. Connect both phones to your computer via USB-On your phones, select File Transfer Mode (MTP).
2. Open This Computer (My Windows Computer) – both phones will appear as removable drives.
3. Copy the folders you need (DCIM for photos, Download for downloads, WhatsApp for correspondence, etc.) from your old phone to your new one.
4. To transfer contacts, export them to.vcf: Contacts → Settings → Export/Import → Export to the device Then copy the file to the new Xiaomi and import.

1. reconnect the cable to another USB-port (preferably) USB 3.0 blue).

2. Install Mi PC Suite drivers from the official Xiaomi website.

3. Enable Debugging by USB In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 times) → Additionally. → For developers.-->

4. Transfer SMS, Call and Application History (Advanced Methods)

Standard methods (such as Mi Mover or Google Account) often miss SMS, call log and application data, and you will need specialized tools to carry them.

The best applications for this task:

• 📱 SMS Backup & Restore – Retains SMS/MMS into XML-file and restores it to a new phone.
• 📞 Call Logs Backup & Restore – Exporting Call History to.csv or.xml.
• 🔄 Titanium Backup (requires root) – Copies application data, settings, and even system files.

The following is a step-by-step guide for SMS Backup & Restore:

1. Install the app on both phones.
2. On an old phone, click Create Backup → Select SMS and MMS → Start the process.
3. Copy the backup file (usually in the SMSBackupRestore folder) to the new Xiaomi.
4. On the new phone, open the app, select Restore and specify the copied file.

⚠️ Attention: When restoring SMS through third-party applications, new messages received on the new phone may be lost. SMS immediately after setting up a new device before it is actively used.

5. Transfer over cloud services (Dropbox, Yandex Drive, Telegram)

If you don't have a cable or a PC on hand, you can use cloud storage, which is suitable for small amounts of data (up to 10-15 GB), because it depends on the speed of the Internet.

Comparison of services:

Instructions for Yandex Disk:

1. Install the Yandex Drive app on both phones.
2. On an old phone, upload files to the cloud (select folders → Download).
3. On the new Xiaomi, open the app, find the downloaded files and download them to the device’s memory.

💡

To speed up your cloud load, connect your phone to 5GHz Wi-Fi and turn off background sync for other apps (like Google Photos or OneDrive).

6. Transfer over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct (for small files)

If you need to transfer multiple files (such as documents or individual photos), you can do without cables and clouds.

Comparison of methods:

• 🔵 Bluetooth: ✅ It works on all phones. ❌ Slow speed (1-3 MB/s). ❌ File size limit (usually up to 50MB).
• 📶 Wi-Fi Direct: ✅ Speed up to 10MB/s. ✅ There are no limits on file size. ❌ Some phones require manual adjustments.

How to transfer files via Wi-Fi Direct:

1. On both phones, turn on Wi-Fi and activate Wi-Fi Direct: Settings → Wi-Fi → More → Wi-Fi Direct
2. On one phone, select Create a Group, on the second, find it in the list and connect.
3. Open the file manager, select files, and select Send → Wi-Fi Direct.

7. Transfer of settings and passwords (for full cloning)

To make the new Xiaomi work “like the old one”, it is not enough to copy files – you need to transfer system settings, passwords from Wi-Fi and application data.

Method 1: Through Xiaomi Cloud (only for Xiaomi devices)

• On the old Xiaomi (if it is from Xiaomi) enable synchronization: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization
• On the new phone, log in to the same Xiaomi account and recover the data.

Method 2: Swift Backup (requires root)

• Install Swift Backup on both phones.
• On your old phone, create a backup (Applications + Data).
• Transfer the copy file to the new Xiaomi and restore it.

Method 3: Export/Import Wi-Fi settings

• On your old phone, install WiFi Key Viewer (requires root).
• Export the list of networks to the.csv file.
• On the new Xiaomi, import the file through the same app.

⚠️ Note: Transfer system settings (e.g, APN for mobile internet) can cause crashes if phone models are very different, it is recommended to manually check the settings after recovery, especially the parameters of cellular communication and GPS.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions