How to transfer notes from Xiaomi to a new phone

Changing a smartphone is often a quest, especially when you need to keep important records, ideas and to-do lists accumulated over the years. Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi devices face a unique situation: the standard app “Notes” is deeply integrated into the shell of MIUI or HyperOS, which creates certain difficulties when switching to devices from other brands or even when changing accounts.

Fortunately, today’s ecosystems offer many tools for data migration, and note transfer can be done in a number of ways, from using cloud services to locally copying database files, depending on where you plan to transfer the information to another Android smartphone, iPhone, or perhaps a computer.

In this guide, we will break down all the current export options, including hidden system features that not all users know about, and you will learn how to safely save text blocks, checklists and even voice recorders so that no important thought is lost during the change of gadget.

Using Mi Cloud Synchronization for Transfer

The most obvious and native way for Xiaomi ecosystem is the Mi Cloud service.If you are switching to a new Xiaomi or Redmi phone, this method is a priority, as it provides complete and accurate transfer of all data, including formatting and attachments.

To get started, make sure that the old device is logged in to the Mi Account. Go to your phone settings, select "Mi Account" and activate synchronization for the Notes app, and then the system will automatically upload all your records to the server.

⚠️ Warning: Free storage capacity of Mi Cloud is limited to 5 GB. If you have a lot of notes with photos or attachments, the space may run out and sync will be interrupted.

On a new device, you just need to enter the same username and password, and the data will be automatically pulled up when you first connect to Wi-Fi. It's important to understand that Mi Cloud works best in a bunch of devices from the same manufacturer.

If you're planning to switch to a smartphone from another brand, Mi Cloud is only accessible via the i.mi.com web interface, where you can copy the text of notes manually, but mass exporting is difficult, so it's better to consider alternative options for cross-platform transition.

Exporting through Google Keep and third-party apps

The one-stop solution for those who frequently change smartphones or use different operating systems is to use third-party aggregator apps, with Google Keep leading the way, which allows data to be imported from standard Xiaomi notes.

The way you do this is you open a note in a standard app, you select the Share option, and you specify Google Keep. Text and images automatically create a new card in Google, which is ideal for carrying a small number of important entries.

• 📝 Open the standard Notes app on Xiaomi.
• 📤 Click the “Share” button in the bottom panel.
• 🔄 Select Google Keep or any other cross-platform application (Evernote, Notion).
• ☁️ Wait for sync on your new device through your Google account.

There are also dedicated conversion utilities that can (massively) process files, but they require a deeper immersion into the file system. For most users, Standard Notes → Google Keep is the most reliable bundle.

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Use tagging in Google Keep when porting to immediately sort old notes into categories like “Important,” “Shopping Lists,” or “Work.”

Transfer notes to a new phone using Mi Mover

Mi Mover is a Xiaomi tool designed specifically for data migration, which allows you to transfer notes, contacts, photos and applications to a new phone over Wi-Fi Direct without wasting mobile traffic.

To take advantage of this method, install the app on both devices (on the new Xiaomi it is already built into the settings). When you start, select the device role: “Sender” on the old phone and “Receiver” on the new one.

After the scan. QR-When you code and establish a connection, in the data transfer list, make sure to tick the "Notes" box, and the system will find its way to the database and transfer it in its native format, which means that on the new phone, all the folders, tags and favorite notes will retain their structure.

⚠️ Warning: Do not unlock phone screens or switch to other apps during the transfer process.This can break Wi-Fi Direct connection and damage the note database.

The main advantage of Mi Mover over cloud methods is the speed and ability to transfer data without the Internet. However, this method only works in the bundle of Android-Android, and on the receiving side, Xiaomi is also desirable for correct display.

Manual export of the database through the Explorer

For advanced users who want to maintain full control of their data, there is a way to manually copy database files. Notes in MIUI are stored as SQLite database files that can be retrieved through the file manager.

The path to files is usually as follows: Internal memory → MIUI → gallery → cloud → notes or in the system folder /data/data/com.miui.notes/databases. Access to the second folder is possible only if root rights are available.

If you don't have root rights, you can use the Backup feature in your phone settings. Create a backup only for the Notes app, then find the created file in the MIUI → backup → AllBackup folder. This file can be transferred to your computer or new phone and restored.

Comparison of data transfer methods

The best way to choose depends on your ultimate goal: If you’re just updating a phone model within the Xiaomi brand, the cloud or Mi Mover will be perfect, and if you’re switching to Samsung, iPhone or Pixel, you’ll have to resort to manual export or third-party apps.

Let’s look at a comparison table that will help determine the method:

Note that when exported to text (.txt), you lose the ability to edit to-do lists like checklists — they will turn into plain text.

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To switch between different smartphone brands (e.g. Xiaomi to Samsung), use Google Keep or export to TXT, as native formats may not be compatible.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)