Transferring all data to the new Xiaomi phone: 5 proven ways

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but the prospect of transferring all data from an old device can seem tedious. Contacts, photos, messages, apps, and even system settings – how to keep all this lossless? Fortunately, Xiaomi has several built-in tools that make migration to a minimum of action. In this article, we will break down all the current ways to transfer data, from the official Mi Mover app to manual backup, and also explain how to avoid typical errors.

It’s important to understand that the choice of method depends on the amount of data, the model of phones and even the version of MIUI. For example, wireless transmission via Mi Mover is suitable for most modern devices, but if you have an old Redmi Note 4 or Mi A1, you may need a cable or cloud storage. We will also focus on the nuances of porting applications with data (for example, saving in games or chats), which are often left behind during standard migration.

Whether you upgrade from Xiaomi 11T to Xiaomi 14 Ultra or switch from POCO F3 to Redmi K70 Pro, this guide will help you move everything as quickly and without loss. And if you're afraid of losing something important, there's a checklist at the end of this article to check if the transfer is successful.

1. Preparation for data transfer: what to do before the beginning

Before you start migrating, follow a few critical steps that will save you hours of time and prevent data loss.

Clean up the files you don't need on your old phone. 50GB of garbage (cache files, duplicate photos, old APKs) will take up extra time and space on your new device. Use the built-in Security → Cleaner app or third-party utilities like Files by Google.

Wireless portability via Mi Mover only works between Xiaomi phones with MIUI 9 and later. If one of the Android One devices (like Mi A2), use cable or cloud. For models older than 2018 (like Redmi 5), you may need to manually copy via PC.

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If the new Xiaomi doesn’t have a Mi Account yet, register it in advance. Without it, notes, browser bookmarks, and some system settings won’t sync.

• 🔋 Charge both phones to at least 50%. Data transfer consumes a lot of power, especially with wireless method.
• 📶 Connect to stable Wi-Fi. Mobile Internet won't do for large volumes (photos, video) -- the speed won't be enough.
• 🔐 Remove the lock on both devices.Some methods (such as Mi Mover) require an unlocked screen during the process.
• 📱 Update. MIUI Old firmware may lack key portability functions.

If you're migrating data from your iPhone to Xiaomi, use Apple's Move to iOS app, but only for contacts, photos and videos. Apps and messages will have to be manually ported, a process described in a separate section.

Method 1: Mi Mover - Official Wireless Transfer Tool

Mi Mover is a built-in solution from Xiaomi that allows you to transfer data directly over Wi-Fi without cables.

• 📞 Contacts, call logs and SMS
• 📷 Photos and videos (including Google Photos albums, if saved locally)
• 🎵 Music and documents
• ⚙️ System settings (wallpaper, sounds, screen brightness)
• 📱 Some applications (but not all – details below)

How to use Mi Mover:

1. On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select Data Transfer. If the phone is already configured, open Settings → About Phone → Data Transfer.
2. On your old phone, open Mi Mover (download from the Play Market if it isn't).
3. Select the role: new phone - Receiver, old - Sender.
4. Scan it. QR-code from a new phone on an old one.
5. Select the data to transfer and confirm the beginning.

Both phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

On the old phone enough free space (at least 10% of the volume of data transferred)

VPN and energy saving modes are disabled

The new phone has enough charge (minimum 30%)

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⚠️ Attention: Mi Mover is not tolerated:

⚠️ Data applications (e.g. game progress or chats in Telegram) need separate backups. ⚠️ Root folder files (such as downloads or custom folders outside of standard directories) DCIM, Downloads).

The speed of the transfer depends on the amount of data. For example, 30 GB of photos and videos are transmitted for about 20 to 40 minutes. If the process is interrupted, start again - partially transferred data is not duplicated.

Method 2: Transfer over OTG cable – fast and reliable

If you don’t have stable Wi-Fi or data too big (like 100+GB), use an OTG cable (or a USB-C to USB-C adapter for new models), a method that works even between Xiaomi and other brands (like Samsung or Huawei).

You'll need:

• 🔌 Cable OTG (adapter USB-C to USB-A old-model).
• 📱 Two phones with support USB Mass Storage: All modern Xiaomi supports).

Instructions:

1. Connect your old phone to your new phone via cable.
2. On the new phone, select File Transfer (or MTP) mode.
3. Open Explorer on a new phone – the old phone will show up as an external drive.
4. Copy the folders you want (DCIM for photos, Downloads for downloads, etc.) to your new phone.

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Speed 2-3 times higher than Wi-Fi (up to 40 MB / s against 10-15 MB / s).
• 🔒 Reliability – no risk of connection breakdown.
• 📁 Selective copying – you can transfer only the necessary folders.

⚠️ Note: When copying through the cable is not transferred:

⚠️ Applications and their data (only) APK-files, but without saving). ⚠️ System settings (wallpaper, sounds, configurations) MIUI).

Method 3: Backup through Mi Cloud – for contacts and settings

Mi Cloud is a cloud storage from Xiaomi that automatically syncs contacts, notes, SMS, call log and some system settings. Free storage is 5 GB (you can expand to 200 GB for a fee).

How to set up synchronization:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Enable synchronization for the data you need (contacts, notes, SMS, etc.).
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and wait for automatic synchronization.

What can be transferred through Mi Cloud:

⚠️ Note: If you used a Google Account to sync your contacts, they will automatically pull up to a new phone when you add the same account. SMS Google calls logs are not synced – they need Mi Cloud.

How to increase the volume of Mi Cloud for free? Xiaomi periodically distributes bonuses for activity (for example, for participating in surveys in the Mi Community app), you can also get +5 GB for posting mail or +10 GB for inviting friends.

5. Method 4: Moving from iPhone to Xiaomi – Features and pitfalls

If you’re switching from an iPhone to Xiaomi, standard methods like Mi Mover won’t work.Apple restricts data exports, so you’ll have to use a combination of tools.

Step 1: Transfer contacts, photos and videos

• 📱 Install the iPhone app Move to iOS (yes, it works in the opposite direction!).
• 🔗 Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network.
• 📲 On Xiaomi, select Data Transfer from iOS when set up or in Mi Mover.
• 🔢 Enter the code from Xiaomi to iPhone and select data to transfer.

Step 2: Transfer of music and documents

For music purchased from iTunes, use Apple Music on Android. Local files can be copied via iTunes on your PC and then transferred to Xiaomi.

Step 3: Transfer of messages (SMS/iMessage)

🚫 iMessage cannot be migrated to Android officially. Use third-party utilities like iMazing or Backuptrans (paid, require PCs).

💬 SMS You can export through iTunes (backup) and convert to Android format using the SMS Backup & Restore.

⚠️ Note: When transferring from iPhone to Xiaomi are not transferred:

⚠️ Apps from the App Store – You’ll have to install them from the Play Market. ⚠️ App data (such as saving in games or chats on WhatsApp) There is an official portability method for WhatsApp, but it requires a backup in iCloud.

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If you use WhatsApp, back up your iCloud chats BEFORE portable. After setting up Xiaomi, install WhatsApp and restore data from Google Drive (pre-copying the backup from iCloud to Android via special utilities).

Method 5: Manual transfer over PC – for advanced users

If you need to transfer all data without exception (including hidden files, application settings, or root directories), use manual copying through your computer, which takes longer, but gives you complete control.

What you need:

• 💻 PC Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 🔌 Two. USB-cable (or one with a splitter).
• 📂 Backup programme (optional: ADB, Titanium Backup for root users).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your PC in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy all important folders (DCIM, Downloads, Pictures, etc.) on your PC.
3. To port data applications, use ADB: adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab This command will create a full backup on your PC.
4. Connect your new phone and copy the files back.
5. To restore applications, use: adb restore backup.ab

⚠️ Attention: Method C ADB limiting:

⚠️ Not all applications are restored (e.g. system or c) DRM-protection). ⚠️ Data from some applications (e.g. banking) may not be restored due to encryption.

For root-right users, more powerful tools like Titanium Backup are available, which allow you to transfer even system settings and application data with full storage.

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If you are transferring data from your phone to Android 10 and later, turn on Developer Mode (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Tap 7 times) and activate the debugging USB. It's necessary to work with ADB.

Verification of transfer success: checklist

After the transfer is complete, make sure that all data is in place.

Check the contacts (open the Contacts app and make sure all numbers are in place)

Make sure your photos and videos are opened (check DCIM and Pictures folders)

Run key apps (WhatsApp, Telegram, games) and check if data is saved

View SMS and Call Log

Check the system settings (wallpaper, sounds, brightness)

Make sure that Wi-Fi and mobile network are working (sometimes network settings are not portable)

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If something is missing:

• 🔄 Repeat the transfer for a specific type of data (e.g. only a photo).
• 📥 Restore from backup (if you did backup via Mi Cloud or Google Drive).
• 💬 Contact Xiaomi support if there is a problem with Mi Mover (e.g., the error “Can’t connect” is not available").

🔍 How to find lost data? Use search by phone (Settings) → Searching for files or a file manager with crawling functionality (e.g. Files by Google) sometimes transfers files to unexpected folders (e.g., files by Google, MIUI → Backup → AllBackup).

FAQ: Frequent questions about data portability to Xiaomi