Previous articleBuying a new Xiaomi: how to transfer all data from the old phone in 10 minutes

Contents

• Why migrating data to Xiaomi is easier than it seems
• Preparation of phones: what to check before transfer
• Method 1: Mi Mover – the official solution from Xiaomi
• Method 2: Sync through Google (for contacts, calendar, email)
• Method 3: Cloud Mi Cloud – Backup and Recovery
• Method 4: Direct Cable Transfer (without Internet)
• Typical Problems and How to Solve Them
• FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions

Moving to a new smartphone is always exciting, especially when it comes to Xiaomi with its vast ecosystem. But with the joy of updating the gadget comes a headache: how to transfer all the data from an old device without losing any contact or precious photo? Fortunately, the manufacturer has provided several convenient ways to migrate, and we will discuss each of them in detail.

In this article, you will find not only step-by-step instructions for all current transfer methods (from the official Mi Mover to manual cable copying), but also hidden nuances that are silent even in the instructions. For example, why some apps don’t automatically port, how to save settings MIUI, And what do you do when the new phone doesn't see the old phone, and at the end, you have a unique table of portability across different versions. MIUI, Which you won't find anywhere else.

Preparation of phones: what to check before transfer

Before you start the transfer, make sure both devices are ready for the procedure, which will save you 90% of the potential problems.

On the old phone you need:

• 🔋 Charge the battery to at least 50% (when transferring over the cable, the discharge occurs faster).
• 📶 Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network (if you plan to use wireless methods).
• 🔒 Make sure that unlocking OEM disabled (in Settings) → For developers).
• 📱 Update MIUI Up to the latest version (relevant for phones older than 2020).

On the new phone:

• 📦 Unpack the device and turn it on, but don’t configure (stop at the language selection stage).
• 🔌 Prepare the original cable USB-C (For models after Redmi Note 10 or Micro-USB (older devices).
• 🔑 Connect to the same Wi-Fi as your old phone (sync speeds up).

Charging both phones >50%|One and the same Wi-Fi on both devices |OEM lock disabled (if enabled) |Updated MIUI on old phone |Original cable at hand-->

⚠️ Note: If the old phone has data encryption enabled (in Settings) → Lockdown and protection → Encryption, some portability techniques may not work. In this case, use Mi Cloud or manual copying via computer.

Pay special attention to the amount of data. If you have more than 50 GB of photos and videos, wireless methods can take several hours, in which case it is better to use a direct cable or pre-copy media files to your computer.

Method 1: Mi Mover – the official solution from Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a proprietary utility from Xiaomi that allows you to transfer almost all data from the old phone to the new without loss.It works on all devices with MIUI 9 and newer (this is all the models after the Redmi 5 of 2017).

Advantages of the method:

• 📲 Transfers applications with data (for example, saves in games, settings messengers).
• 📞 Copying the call log and SMS (including MMS).
• ⚡ It works without a computer (only cable or Wi-Fi is needed).
• 🔄 Stores system settings (wallpaper, sounds, shortcuts).

How to use Mi Mover:

1. On the new phone, when you first turn on, select a language, connect to Wi-Fi and in the “Data Transfer” stage, click Transfer from the old device.
2. On your old phone, open Settings → About Phone → Data Transfer (Mi Mover).
3. Select the device role: new phone - "Receiver", old - "Sender".
4. Connect your phones with a cable (recommended) or choose wireless mode (requires one Wi-Fi network).
5. On an old phone, tick the data for transfer and click Start.

The speed of transfer depends on the amount of data:

⚠️ Note: If Mi Mover freezes during the "Data Preparation" phase, try restarting both phones and repeating the procedure. If the problem recurs, use alternative methods (see the following sections).

Method 2: Sync through Google (for contacts, calendar, email)

If you only need to transfer contacts, calendar, notes and email, the easiest way is to sync through your Google account, which works on any Android device, not just Xiaomi.

What can be transferred:

• 📇 Contacts (including profile photos).
• 📅 Calendar (events, reminders).
• 📝 Google Keep Notes: Keep.
• ✉️ Gmail emails and email settings.
• 📍 Chrome bookmarks and browser history.

Instructions for transfer:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Accounts → Google.
2. Make sure that synchronization is enabled for all the data you need (contacts, calendar, etc.).
3. Click Sync Now and wait until it is completed.
4. On the new phone, log in to the same Google account when you set up.
5. Turn on synchronization – the data will automatically download within 5-10 minutes.

1. Is there enough space in your Google account (15 GB is free).

2. whether traffic savings are included in the synchronization settings.

3. Are there any duplicate contacts (can be checked at contacts.google.com).-->

To transfer photos and videos through Google, use the Google Photos app:

1. On your old phone, open Google Photos and enable Backup and Sync.
2. Choose quality (High is free, Original is ranked in the cloud).
3. Wait until the download is complete (may take hours with a large volume).
4. On the new phone, log in to the same account – the photos will appear automatically.

⚠️ Note: If you used a different Google account to back up your old phone, remember to add it to your new device in Settings → Accounts, otherwise the data will not be downloaded!

Method 3: Cloud Mi Cloud – Backup and Recovery

Mi Cloud is a cloud storage from Xiaomi, which offers 5 GB for free (for Russia and CIS servers are located in Singapore).

• 📱 Applications and their data (except for certain banking services).
• 📞 Contacts, SMS, call-in.
• 📸 Photo and video (if there is enough space).
• ⚙️ System settings (Wi-Fi, wallpaper, sounds).

How to make a backup and restore it:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Select Mi Cloud and sign in to your Xiaomi account.
3. Click Backup and select the data to save.
4. After completing on the new phone, when setting up, select Restore from backup.
5. Log in to the same Mi Cloud account and select the latest copy.

💡

Mi Cloud is the only way to move the MIUI settings (themes, fonts, gestures) that other methods ignore.

The limitations of Mi Cloud:

• 🚫 Does not copy data from certain applications (such as WhatsApp or Viber).
• 📉 Free space is limited to 5 GB (for a photo this is not enough).
• ⏳ Recovery can take several hours with a large volume.

If you only need to transfer photos but don’t have enough space in the Mi Cloud, use the combination:

1. Sync your contacts through Google.
2. Upload the photo to Google Photos.
3. Please transfer the rest of the data via Mi Mover.

Method 4: Direct Cable Transfer (without Internet)

If you don't have stable Wi-Fi or don't want to use cloud services, you can transfer data directly over the cable through your computer, a method that works even on very old Xiaomi models.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows, Mac or Linux.
• 🔌 Two cables (USB-C Micro-USB, depending on the model).
• 📂 Enough free space on the PC (recommended 20-30 GB).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your computer and select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy all important folders on PC: DCIM (photos and videos), Download (downloads), Pictures (images from apps), WhatsApp/Media (media from Vatsap) Documents (documents)
3. Turn off the old phone and connect the new one.
4. Move the copied folders to the appropriate directories on the new device.
5. To transfer contacts, export them to.vcf: Open Contacts on your old phone. ⋮ → Contact management → Exports/imports → Export to storage. Copy the file to a new phone and import it.

💡

To transfer SMS messages, use the SMS Backup & Restore app from Google Play, which saves SMS to a.xml file, which can then be restored to a new phone.

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ It works without the internet.
• ✅ Only the necessary files can be selectively copied.
• ✅ Suitable for very old models (e.g. Redmi) 3S 2016).

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Does not transfer applications and their data (files only).
• ❌ It takes extra time to copy.

Typical Problems and How to Solve Them

Even if you do the right thing, you can sometimes get errors, and we can look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

If none of these methods worked, try alternative solutions:

• 📱 Huawei’s Clone Phone app works with Xiaomi, transfers data to Wi-Fi.
• 🖥️ Xiaomi PC Suite - official Windows program (you can download it at pcsuite.mi.com).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions