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

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but the process of transferring data often turns into a headache: users lose hours manually copying files, encounter sync errors, or find that some information has “disappeared” after moving. This article will help avoid typical problems and perform the transfer as quickly as possible – from contacts and messages to settings of applications and passwords from Wi-Fi.

We have tested all the current methods of migration. MIUI 14/15 (including HyperOS for new models) and highlighted those that work stably even when switching between different generations of devices – for example, from the old Redmi Note. 5 on Xiaomi's flagship 14 Ultra.A special attention was paid to the nuances, which are silent official instructions: how to save data messengers, why sometimes "fly" settings screen lock and what to do if the new phone does not see a backup.

Unlike general tips like “use Google Account”, here you will find detailed step-by-step instructions tailored to the specifics of Xiaomi: from setting up Mi Mover to manually transferring through the Internet. ADB. And if you are afraid of losing important files, there is a checklist at the end of the article to check the results and FAQ Answering frequent user questions.

1. Preparation of an old smartphone: what to do before transfer

The first and most important step is to prepare the old device, and many people skip that step, and then wonder why the new phone doesn't have half the data, and let's start with basic steps that will speed things up and minimize the risks.

First, upgrade the firmware on the old Xiaomi to the latest version. This is critical if you are using Mi Mover or Xiaomi Cloud – in older versions. MIUI (below 12.5) may not have key synchronization functions. → The phone. → Update: If the update is stuck, try connecting to another Wi-Fi network or using mobile internet.

Next, clean up the trash. Move the unnecessary files (app cache, photo take, old ones). APK) Use the built-in Cleanup utility (Settings) → Memory. → Cleaning up) or third-party tools like Files by Google, and pay particular attention to the Download folder, which often accumulates gigabytes of forgotten documents.

• 📱 Charging both devices by at least 50%, transferring data can take up to 2-3 hours, and discharging in the process will lead to a failure.
• 🔌 Cable USB-C/Type-C (Original or certified. Cheap cables often don't support mode. OTG, necessary for the Mi Mover.
• 📶 Stable Wi-Fi connection (if you use the cloud) Mobile Internet is not suitable - traffic restrictions or unstable signal will interrupt the download.
• 🔐 Account passwords: Make sure you remember data from Mi Account, Google, and key apps (like WhatsApp).

⚠️ Note: If the old phone is enabled lock bootloader (OEM Unlock in developer settings, disable it before porting. In rare cases, this can cause conflict when synchronized via Mi Mover.

The last step is to back up manually, and even if you plan on using automatic portability, duplicating critical data will save you from losing information.

• 📸 folder DCIM (photo)
• 📄 Documents folder (documents, PDF, Excel)
• 🎵 Music folder (if you store music locally)
• 📥 Export of contacts to.vcf (Contacts) → Settings → Exports)

Cleaning up the memory of garbage|Update MIUI last-minute|Charge both phones >50%|Prepare original USB-cable|Create a backup copy of critical files-->

2. Method 1: Mi Mover is the official tool from Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a built-in migration app that Xiaomi positions as the easiest solution. It does indeed kop most data (contacts, messages, photos, apps), but it doesn't work perfectly. The main advantage is that it doesn't require an Internet connection (transfer is done over the cable), Cons: it doesn't always handle large amounts of data correctly and can "forget" the settings of some applications.

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

1. Install the app on both phones (if it is not the default one) from the Mi App Store or APKCombo.
2. Connect the devices with a cable through OTG-Adapter (if phones have different connectors) on new Xiaomi models (13T, 14 Pro) used USB-C, And the old ones. 4X, Mi A1) — Micro-USB.
3. Run Mi Mover on both phones and select the roles: “Sender” (old phone) and “Receiver” (new).
4. Scan it. QR-code that will appear on the new device to confirm the connection.
5. Select the data to transfer. You can tick here: 📱 Annexes (including their data) 📞 Contacts and call log 💬 Communications (SMS/MMS) 📸 Photos and videos 🎵 Music and documents ⚙️ System settings (Wi-Fi, wallpaper, sounds)

Start the transfer.

The speed of the transfer depends on the amount of data. For example, 30 GB of photos and 50 applications are copied for about 40-60 minutes. If the process is stuck by 0% or 100%, try:

• Reconnect the cable.
• Reboot the Mi Mover on both phones.
• Use the other USB-Port (if connected via PC).

⚠️ Note: Mi Mover does not transfer data from some instant messengers (Telegram, Viber) and banking applications, they will have to be configured separately (see section 5).

Mi Mover|Google Account|Manual transfer via PC|Xiaomi Cloud|Another way.-->

3. Method 2: Sync through Xiaomi Cloud

Xiaomi’s cloud service allows you to transfer data without cable, but with limitations. First, only 5 GB of storage is available for free (for photos and documents, this is not enough), and second, some data (for example, app settings) are not synchronized, but it is convenient if the phones are in different places or you do not have a cable at hand.

To move data through Xiaomi Cloud:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Enable synchronization for the desired categories: 📞 Contacts 📅 Calendar 📸 Gallery (photo and video) 📝 Notes 🔖 Browser bookmarks

Storage management

new phone

Mi Account

Mi Cloud

Wait until the data is uploaded to the device. The time depends on the speed of the Internet.

If there is not enough space in the cloud, you can:

• 🗑️ Remove old backups (Mi Cloud) → Storage management → Backup copies).
• 💳 Buy additional space (from 50 GB per ~300 rubles per year).
• 📤 Transfer only critical data (contacts, notes), and copy photos and videos manually.

Important: If you use two-factor authentication in Mi Account, turn it off temporarily before logging in on a new phone, and in rare cases, the system may block your account when you try to sync from a new device.

4. Method 3: Transfer through Google Account (for pure Android or MIUI brandless)

If your old Xiaomi runs on pure Android (e.g. Mi) A1/A2/A3) Or you prefer the Google ecosystem, it's the best way to do it, and it's universal, and it works even when you switch from Xiaomi to a smartphone from another brand. MIUI Transferable (for example, topics or gestures of management).

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Google → Backup.
2. Enable backup in Google Drive and select an account to sync.
3. Click Create a backup now and wait until it is completed.
4. On a new phone, when you first turn on, select Copy data from an old device. → From the cloud → Google.
5. Log in to the same Google account and select the latest backup.
6. Check the data for recovery (applications, contacts, calendar, photos).

What is carried over Google:

• 📱 List of applications (but not their data!)
• 📞 Contacts
• 📅 Calendar
• 📸 Photos and videos (if you have Google Photos enabled)
• 🔑 Wi-Fi passwords (if sync is enabled in Google)
• 📍 Location and activity data

What's not tolerable:

• 💬 Communications (SMS/MMS) — They need a separate backup (for example, through a SMS Backup & Restore).
• ⚙️ Settings MIUI (themes, gestures, sounds).
• 📁 Files from internal memory (only if they are manually uploaded to Google Drive).

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If some apps don’t recover after migrating through Google, check their compatibility with the new version of Android. APK Android 9 may not work on Android 14.

5. Method 4: Manual transfer via PC (for full control)

If you have to move all the data without exception, or if the previous methods didn't work, manual computer transfer is the most reliable option, it takes longer, but gives you complete control over the process. Suitable for users who want to sort files before copying or transfer data to a device with other firmware (for example, with a different firmware). MIUI LineageOS).

You'll need:

• 💻 Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 🔌 Two. USB-cable (or one with a splitter).
• 📂 Enough space on the hard disk (we recommend leaving a stock of 20-30% of the data volume).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your PC in File Transfer mode (when you see a request on your phone, select this option).
2. Copy all important folders from internal memory to your computer: DCIM — Photos and videos Download - uploaded Pictures files - images from Documents messengers - Music documents - Movies music - video (if you store separately)
3. Export contacts to.vcf file: Open Contacts → Settings → Export. Save the file to the PC.
4. Save Messages (if needed): Install the app SMS Backup & Restore. Create a backup and copy the file to your PC.

Copy application data

• For WhatsApp: Settings → chat → Backup copy (retained in /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases).
• For Telegram: data is stored in the cloud, but local files (stickers, media) can be copied from the cloud /sdcard/Telegram.
• Connect the new phone and transfer all the copied files to the appropriate folders.
• Import contacts and messages through the same apps (Contacts, SMS Backup & Restore).

Advantages of manual transfer:

• ✅ Complete control over data (you can choose what to copy and what not to copy).
• ✅ It works even if the phones are on different OSes (for example, from the old Xiaomi to the iPhone).
• ✅ You can sort files before transfer (delete duplicates, rename folders).

⚠️ Note: When you copy the Android folder (where the application data is stored), some files may not be transferred due to access restrictions. ADB (see next section).

Method 5: Transfer over ADB (for power users)

If you need to migrate all application data (including game saves, messenger settings, and cache) and standard methods don’t work, it will help. ADB (Android Debug Bridge: This method requires command line skills, but gives maximum portability.

What you need:

• 💻 Computer with installed ADB and Fastboot.
• 🔧 Developer mode enabled on both phones (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times press the assembly number).
• 🔌 USB-cables.

Instructions:

1. Connect your old phone to your PC and allow debugging USB.
2. Create a backup through ADB: adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab This command is: -apk — apps; -obb — play-off; -shared — file SD-map; -all — data-data.

Connect a new phone

adb restore backup.ab

Reset the device

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ Not all applications support recovery through ADB (For example, banking applications may require re-authorization).
• ❌ On new versions of Android (12)+) Some data may not be restored due to Scoped Storage limitations.
• ❌ The process can take several hours with a large amount of data.

7. Data transfer of messengers and social networks

Even if you successfully migrated all files, data from messengers often stays on the old phone. Each service has its own nuances of backup, and you need to consider them in advance.

WhatsApp:

Telegram:

Viber:

Social networks (Vkontakte, Instagram, Facebook):

• Sign in to a new phone – chat data and news feeds will be downloaded automatically.
• Local files (saved stories, photos) manually copy from application folders.

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For encrypted messengers like Signal or Session, standard port methods don’t work. Use built-in export/import features or specialized tools like Titanium Backup.

8. Check the result and fix problems

After transferring the data, make sure that everything has been copied correctly. Often users find problems after a few days, when it is too late to fix something.

Contacts (open the phone book and check all records)|Messages (view history) SMS standardized)|Photo and video (open the Gallery and make sure all files are in place)|Applications (check that all programs are installed and running)|Wi-Fi settings (connect to your home network without entering a password)|Calls (see call log)|Messengers (open chat rooms and make sure history is saved)-->

Typical problems and their solutions:

• No contacts moved: Check if sync is enabled in Google Contacts or Mi Cloud. Import the.vcf file manually through Contacts → Settings → Imports.
• Photos and videos are not displayed in the Gallery: Check if files have been copied to the folder DCIM/Camera. Restart the Gallery app or use Google Photos to scan folders.
• Apps haven't recovered: Check compatibility with the new version of Android. Install missing programs manually from the Play Market
• No chat history in instant messengers: For WhatsApp, check that the backup in Google Drive was created from the same Google account as on the new phone. For Telegram, make sure you're logged in to the same account.

If after transferring the new phone began to brake or overheat, follow the following steps:

1. Reset the device.
2. Clean the cache in Settings → Memory → Cleanup.
3. Turn off automatic synchronization for unnecessary applications.
4. If the problem persists, reset to factory settings and repeat the data transfer.

💡

If after the migration, wallpaper or lock screen settings disappeared, check the theme in Settings → Screen. → Wallpaper. Sometimes it's dropped when you first turn on a new phone.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions