How to move apps from your phone to another phone Xiaomi Android

Buying a new Xiaomi smartphone is always a joyous occasion, opening up access to a more powerful processor and an improved camera. However, euphoria quickly turns to anxiety when you realize that you need to somehow transfer all the accumulated digital luggage from the old device.

Fortunately, the Android ecosystem and MIUI or HyperOS proprietary shells provide powerful migration tools. You don't have to re-download hundreds of Google Play programs and manually customize each. Current methods allow folder structure, passwords, and even social media login to be cloned in minutes.

In this article, we’ll look at all the portability options available, from using the built-in Mi Mover app to cloud syncing through a Google account, learn about the nuances of porting banking apps and understand why some data will still have to be re-entered. It takes a little time to prepare for the procedure, but the result is worth it.

Preparing devices for data migration

Before you start the copying process, you need to perform a number of preparatory steps, ignoring this step can lead to transmission errors or loss of files, first of all, make sure that both smartphones are charged at least 50-60%, since the process is energy intensive.

Both devices must be connected to a stable Wi-Fi network if you plan to use cloud methods, or be in close proximity to work over a local channel, and check for free space on the new phone – it should exceed the amount of data occupied on the old gadget.

Back up your important data on your old device, even if you plan to migrate it to the fullest, and this will create an additional recovery point in case of unforeseen crashes, especially photos and documents that aren’t stored in the cloud.

⚠️ Note: If your old phone has a theft protection app or corporate antivirus with administrator rights, remove them or disable the rights before migrating, otherwise the process may be blocked.

Using the Mi Mover app for full cloning

The most efficient and quickest way, developed specifically for owners of Xiaomi and Redmi equipment, is the Mi Mover utility, which is built into the default system on most models and allows you to transfer data without using the Internet, creating a direct Wi-Fi connection between devices.

To start, open the Settings app. → The phone. → Mi Mover or find it in the Tools folder. On the new phone, select Receiver and on the old phone, Sender. QR-code or connect to the created access point.

Once connected, the device interfaces sync up, and you'll see a list of categories to transfer, and you can select not only contacts and messages, but also the applications themselves, their data, system settings, and even the location of icons on the desktop.

• 📱 Select the category “Apps” and mark all programs that need to be ported, including system utilities.
• 🔒 For banking applications and messengers with two-factor authorization, data can be transferred, but the login will have to be done again for security reasons.
• ⚙️ Make sure you choose the option to transfer application data, not just their installation files (APK).
• 🚀 Click the “Send” button and wait for the process to be completed without turning off the smartphone screens.

The Mi Mover transfer speed is much faster than Bluetooth or mobile Internet, but it’s worth remembering that apps that are not compatible with the Android version on the new device may not install automatically.

Synchronization through Google account

The classic method, which works on any Android device, regardless of brand.The essence of the method is that a list of all previously installed apps and their settings are stored in the Google cloud.

When you first set up the new Xiaomi, the system will offer to restore data from the backup of Google Drive. If you agree, the phone will automatically start downloading all the apps that were on the old device, which is convenient because it is versatile and does not require the installation of additional software.

However, this method has its limitations: it does not carry data inside applications (for example, progress in games or drafts in notes) unless the developer has used cloud storage, and the initial setup process can take considerable time, since each application will be downloaded from the store separately.

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Use the AutoSync feature in your Google account settings on your old phone an hour before you replace your device to make sure the list of apps in the cloud is up to date.

To check sync status, go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google. Make sure the sliders opposite App Data and Chrome Data are active.

Manual transfer APK-Files and work with GetApps

In some cases, automatic methods may not work, especially if you port modified firmware applications or specific versions of programs, in which case manual transfer of installation files comes to the rescue.

You can use a file manager, for example, MIUI File Manager or Total Commander to find APK-files in the Downloads folder or export them from the list of installed applications. USB-cable.

Xiaomi owners should also pay attention to the built-in GetApps store. If you log in with the same Mi Account as on your old phone, you can quickly download previously installed programs from your download history.

When installed manually, MIUI security can block installation from unknown sources. You will need to go to Settings → Privacy → Special Permissions → Install unknown applications and give permission to the file manager you are using.

⚠️ Attention: Download APK-files only from trusted sources or from old devices. Installing modified files from unverified sites can lead to malware infection of the phone.

Nuances of transfer of banking applications and messengers

Financial applications and communications require special attention. For security reasons, banking applications (Sberbank, Tinkoff, Alpha, etc.) never carry login data and authorization tokens. Once installed on a new phone, you will have to re-enter your login, password, and confirm login via SMS or push notification on your old device (if it is still at hand).

With messengers, the situation is similar, but has its own characteristics. WhatsApp and Telegram use different approaches. Telegram stores the entire history of correspondence on its servers, so just enter a phone number and all chats will appear instantly.

For WhatsApp, it is critical to create a local or cloud backup on an old phone before transferring. Without this step, the correspondence history will be lost. When the first launch on the new Xiaomi, the messenger will offer to restore the history from the copy.

• 💬 For WhatsApp: Settings → chat → Backup of chats → Create a copy (Google Drive or Locally).
• 🏦 Banking applications: Prepare SIM-SMS card and remember the password from the entrance.
• 🔐 Two-factor authentication: Make sure you have access to a code generator app or backup codes.

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Banking applications and instant messengers require re-authorization on the new device, regardless of the chosen method of transfer.

Solving Common Problems in Transfer

Even with reliable tools, errors can occur, and users often experience a situation where apps are installed but not opened or crashed, which may be due to incompatibility of the Android version or lack of necessary Google services (GMS) on some Chinese firmware versions.

If you encounter an “Application Not Installed” error, check for free space and the operating system version. Sometimes cleaning the packet installer cache through the Settings menu → Apps → All Apps → Packet Installation → Clean helps.

Another common problem is the lack of notifications from portable applications, in which case you need to configure autostart and work in the background for each application in the Security → Permissions → Autorun menu.

⚠️ Warning: After carrying a lot of apps, the new phone may be slower in the first few hours.The system indexes and optimizes background processes, so give the device time to warm up».

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)