Transferring data from your old phone to the new Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but transferring data from an old device can be a real headache, especially when it comes to years of accumulated photos, important messages or unique app settings, and statistics show that 68% of users lose some data when changing their phone due to the wrong migration method.

In this article, we will discuss all the current methods of transfer – from the official Mi Mover tool to manual copying via PC, taking into account the features of the MIUI 14/15. You will learn how to save contacts, SMS, photos, notes and even game data, as well as avoid typical errors that cause files to be damaged or not copied. Separately, we will consider the nuances for iPhone owners and older Android devices on versions below 8.0.

1.The official way: Mi Mover by Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a built-in migration application that Xiaomi is developing specifically for its devices, and it supports the transfer of almost all types of data, including:

• 📞 Contacts and call log
• 💬 Communications (SMS/MMS)
• 📷 Photos, video and audio files
• 📝 Notes and calendars
• 🎮 Game data (only for supported titles)
• 🔧 System settings (Wi-Fi, wallpaper, sound profiles)

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

1. On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select Data Transfer → From another device. If the phone is already configured, open Settings → About Phone → Data Transfer.
2. On an old phone, install the Mi Mover app (for Android) or prepare your iPhone (you need a Lightning-to-USB-C cable).
3. Connect devices to a single Wi-Fi network or use a direct connection via QR- code (recommended for large amounts of data).
4. Select the data types to transfer and confirm the start of the process. The copy time depends on the volume: 10 GB of data is transmitted in an average of 20-40 minutes.

Charge both phones at least 50% | Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network (or use a cable) | Free up space on the new Xiaomi (minimum 10% free memory) | Disable VPNs and firewalls | Close background applications on both devices-->

⚠️ Warning: If the older phone has MIUI version below 12, you may need to upgrade to the latest firmware. Mi Mover also does not support data portability from some Chinese firmware (e.g., for the Redmi Note 8 Pro with regional firmware CN).

2.Move over Mi Account (Xiaomi Cloud)

If you’ve used Xiaomi smartphones before, chances are your data is already synced to Mi Account, a method that is suitable for recovery:

• 📇 Contacts and notes
• 📅 Calendars and reminders
• 🔄 Settings of the Mi Browser browser
• 📁 Files from Mi Cloud (if previously backed up)

Instructions for remediation:

1. On the new Xiaomi, sign in to the same Mi Account as on the old phone (via Settings → Accounts → Mi Account).
2. Go to Settings → About Phone → Recover and Reset → Restore from Mi Cloud.
3. Select the latest backup (the date of creation can be seen in the list).
4. Tick the desired data categories and click Restore.

⚠️ Warning: Free storage for Mi Cloud is limited to 5GB. If you have more data, you either have to buy extra space (from 100 rubles/month for 50GB) or use another method. Also, not all applications support backup to the cloud — for example, data from WhatsApp or Telegram will have to be transferred separately.

Less than 5GB|5-20GB|20-50GB|Over 50GB|Not know-->

3.Moving from iPhone to Xiaomi: features and limitations

iPhone owners are going to have to face a number of nuances: Apple is deliberately making it harder to export data outside its ecosystem.

Method 1: Using the “Switch to Android” app (from Google)

An official decision from Google that allows you to transfer:

• 📞 Contacts
• 📅 Calendars
• 📷 Photos and videos (limited to 24 hours of sync)
• 🎵 Music and books (without music) DRM)

How to use:

1. On the iPhone, install the Google One app.
2. Sign in to the same Google account as the new Xiaomi.
3. Select Backup → Start copying.
4. On Xiaomi, log in to Google Account and wait for sync (may take up to a day).

Method 2: Through iTunes + PC

If you need to transfer music, videos or documents:

1. Connect your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina and later).
2. In the Review section, click Sync with this computer.
3. Copy files from your computer to Xiaomi via the USB- cable or via Wi-Fi (via Explorer → This computer → [Model Xiaomi]).

⚠️ Warning: Transferring SMS and the phone log from iPhone to Android is officially impossible without third-party software. This will require paid utilities like iMazing or Syncios, but they don’t guarantee 100% success — especially for attachment messages.

4. Manual transfer via PC (for power users)

If you need to transfer a lot of data (e.g. 100+GB of photos and videos) or specific files (e.g. save games), manual copying via a computer is the most reliable method.

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux
• 🔌 USB-cables (preferably original)
• 📁 Enough hard disk space (if the data is temporarily copied to a PC)

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your PC in File Transfer (MTP) mode (on Android, select this mode in the notification curtain).
2. Copy the folders you need: DCIM → Photo and Video Download → Download WhatsApp/Media → Media files from Android/data chats → Application data (for rooted devices only)
3. Connect the new Xiaomi and paste the files into the appropriate folders. For DCIM and Download, the structure should match.
4. To transfer contacts, export them to.vcf via Contacts → Export/Import on your old phone, and then import them on your new phone.

1. Reboot both devices.

2. Use another USB-port (preferably) USB 3.0).

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

4. On Android 11.+ set up → System system → Developer parameters → Debugging by USB (If it doesn’t help, turn it off and re-enable it).-->

⚠️ Warning: Don't copy Android/obb directly, which can cause game crashes. It's better to use specialized tools like Helium (requires root) or built-in cloud-based saves (e.g., Google Play Games) to migrate saves.

5. Transfer through third-party applications (without PC)

If you don't have access to a computer, you can use mobile applications to migrate.

How to use Send Anywhere (example:)

1. Install the app on both phones.
2. On the old phone, select files and click Send.
3. 6-digit code is generated or QR-code.
4. On the new Xiaomi, enter the code or scan the QR and the transfer will begin.

⚠️ Warning: When using SHAREit or similar applications, turn off mobile internet on both devices, otherwise traffic will be spent on downloading ads, and the transfer rate will drop by 5-10 times.

6. Data transfer of games and applications

Saving games and setting up apps is the hardest part of migrating, and there are three scenarios:

1. Cloud-Saving Games

If the game supports Google Play Games or its own cloud (e.g. Genshin Impact, Clash of Clans), it is enough:

1. Install the game on the new Xiaomi.
2. Sign in to the same Google/Facebook/Mi Account.
3. In the game settings, select Download Save.

2. Local saves (without cloud)

For games without cloud sync (e.g. Minecraft, Stardew Valley) you will need:

• 📁 Copy the folder with the saves (usually located in /Android/data/ [game name] or /Android/obb).
• 🔧 Use Root Explorer (if root access is available) or Helium for backup.
• 📲 Install the game on a new phone and paste saves into the same folder.

3. Device-bound applications

Some applications (such as banking or DRM) are tied to IMEI or Android ID. These may require:

• Re-registration (for example, in Sberbank Online).
• Support (for Netflix, Disney+ when changing devices)
• Use official migration tools (e.g. Samsung Smart Switch for transfer from Galaxy to Xiaomi)

⚠️ Warning: If you are transferring data from a Samsung, Huawei or Oppo phone, first check if files are locked by their proprietary DRM. For example, photos taken on Huawei P30 Pro in Master AI mode may not open on Xiaomi without conversion.

7. Post-transfer validation and optimization

After the data migration, follow the following steps to avoid problems:

Check the integrity of photos and videos (open multiple files)|Make sure that contacts are displayed in the phone book|Check the work of messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram)|Update all apps on Google Play|Set up autosynchronization for Mi Cloud/Google Drive|Clear the cache in Settings → Memory. → Cleanup-->

Typical problems and their solutions:

• 🔄 Photos are not displayed in the gallery: Reboot your phone or update your media base through Settings → Apps → Gallery → Memory → Clear the data.
• 📞 Contacts are duplicated: Use the merge tool in Contacts → Settings → Combine doubles.
• 🎵 Music is not playable: Check file formats — MIUI does not support.flac and.ape by default (installe VLC or Poweramp).
• 🔋 Fast battery drain: After transferring data, background synchronization can increase consumption. Turn off unnecessary auto updates to Settings → Accounts → Sync.

If the phone is slowing down after the transfer, try:

1. Clear the cache through Settings → Memory → Cleaning.
2. Turn off animation in Settings → Special. features → Remove animation.
3. Check the active processes in Settings → Battery → Battery use.

8. Alternative methods for complex cases

If the standard methods didn’t work, try these solutions:

Transfer over OTG- Cable

If you don’t have a PC but have a OTG- adapter, you can connect your old phone to your new one like a flash drive:

1. Buy a USB-C (or Micro-USB) adapter → USB-A.
2. Connect your old phone to the new Xiaomi via an adapter.
3. On the new phone, open Explorer and copy the files.

Use of the SD-map

For phones with memory card support:

1. Insert the SD- card into an old phone and copy the data to it.
2. Transfer the card to the new Xiaomi.
3. Use Explorer to copy files to internal memory.

💡

If none of the methods worked, the last chance is to contact the service center Xiaomi. They can recover data from the damaged phone through EDL- mode (only for devices on Qualcomm).

FAQ: Frequent questions about data portability to Xiaomi