Changing your smartphone often causes panic associated with the loss of important data, and first of all users are worried about the safety of correspondence in messengers. WhatsApp is a critical communication tool, so the question of how to transfer WhatsApp data to the new Xiaomi phone is at the top of the priorities when unpacking the device. Fortunately, the Android ecosystem and Xiaomi proprietary utilities offer several reliable ways to migrate, avoiding the loss of message history, media files and settings.
The transfer process can range from fully automatic, which takes a few minutes, to more complex, requiring manual file copying. The choice of the specific method depends on your current operating system (Android or iOS), availability of free space in the cloud and the version of MIUI or HyperOS installed on the new gadget. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods so that you can choose the most suitable for your situation.
Before any manipulations begin, you need to make sure that both devices are stable Internet and the battery is at least 50% charged. WhatsApp local backups are created daily at 02:00 and stored for 7 days, so it is important not to delete the application from the old phone until successful activation on the new one.
Preparing the old and new device for migration
Successful data porting is 90% dependent on the correct preparation of both smartphones. On the old device from which you plan to collect information, you need to check the version of the WhatsApp app and update it to the latest available in Google Play or App Store. Often users ignore updates, which leads to errors in backing up or incompatibility of file formats when recovering.
On the new Xiaomi phone, you should initially complete the basic setup, connect to the Wi-Fi network and log into your Google account. It is the binding to your Google account that is key to many system recovery functions. If you switch from another Android smartphone, make sure that it also logs in to the same Google account that will be used on the new device.
It is important to free up enough memory on the receiving device. Media files accumulated over the years of using the messenger can take up tens of gigabytes. You can check the amount of space occupied in the settings of the application itself:
- 📱 Open WhatsApp and go to Settings.
- 💾 Select the Storage and Data Item.
- 📊 Click Storage Management to see details on chats.
- 🗑️ If necessary, delete large, useless files before transferring them.
⚠️ Note: Do not attempt to install WhatsApp on a new phone before the data transfer process is completed if you use the cloning method.
It's also worth checking if you're syncing contacts. Without the saved numbers in your Android phonebook, you can recover your correspondence successfully, but you won't see the names of the people you're talking to, just their numbers. Make sure that the contacts are stored in your Google account, not just in your memory. SIM-maps or locally on the device.
The most preferred and quick way for users switching from one Android smartphone to Xiaomi is to use the proprietary Mi Mover application. This utility is built into the MIUI shell and allows you to transfer not only contacts and photos, but also application data, including WhatsApp correspondence history, without losing the quality and structure of folders.
The process starts with running the app on both devices. On the new Xiaomi phone, you need to select the Receive role, and on the old one, the Send. The devices connect either by creating a temporary Wi-Fi hotspot or by scanning. QR-Once the connection is established, the system will suggest selecting data types to transmit.
In the list of applications to transfer, be sure to find WhatsApp and make sure that there is a tick next to it. Mi Mover algorithm will copy not only the installation file (APK), but also the internal folder with databases, which is critical. If you just flip the APK, the correspondence will remain on the old phone.
Once you've finished copying, the new device will have a notification to install the transferred applications. It's important not to open WhatsApp right away. Give the system a few minutes to index the files in the background. When you first run the messenger, it should automatically detect the local backup and suggest that you restore it. If the offer does not appear, check for the file in the file system.
This method is good because it does not require the presence of the Internet during the transmission (using local Wi-Fi), which greatly speeds up the process with a large amount of media files. 30-40 MB / s depending on the power of the processors of both smartphones.
Using Google Drive for Cloud Backup
The classic method that works universally for all Android devices, including Xiaomi, Samsung and others, is to use Google Drive cloud storage.This is ideal if you don't have a cable on hand, a second phone on hand for a pair connection, or if you change your phone on different days.
On the old device, you need to go to WhatsApp settings, select the Chats section, then the Chat Backup. Here you need to click the Backup button. Make sure the options indicate copying to Google Drive, not just locally. It is also recommended to enable the Video Backup option if you want to save video messages and sent videos.
After the successful completion of the process on the new phone Xiaomi needs to:
- Delete WhatsApp if it is already installed.
- Log in to the same Google account that was used for backup.
- Download and install WhatsApp from the Play Market.
- Enter the same phone number when you start.
- Wait for the backup to be detected and click "Restore".
Recovery from the cloud depends on the speed of your Internet connection. If you have tariffed traffic, it is better to wait for a Wi-Fi connection. During the recovery process, MIUI can limit background activity, so it is better to keep the screen on and the application deployed.
What if Google Drive doesn’t see a backup?
Often the problem is that the new phone has a different Google account. Check the phone's settings to see which account is the primary one. Also make sure the backup is actually loaded on the old phone -- check the date and time of the last copy in the backup menu. If the dates are old, click "Create" again.> The cloud method has a limitation: it doesn't tolerate the settings of the app itself (such as the the theme of the registration or the specific notification settings), but only the chat content. However, for most users, this is the most reliable way to ensure the safety of text history. Local Backup Option (Mi Mover) Google Drive Local (Hand) Speed (Wi-Fi Direct) Internet-dependent Average Internet Need No Yes (required) No Video Transfer Yes (automatically) Only if enabled Yes (in the Media folder) Complexity Low High Transition from iPhone (iOS) to Xiaomi Data Transfer from iOS to Android has traditionally been considered a difficult task due to the closedness of the Apple file system. However, modern versions of WhatsApp and utilities allow you to solve this problem. The official method requires the use of the iPhone (in the Media folder) iPhone 15 or the switching system to the iPhone (US) or the new iPhone (Switching to the iPhone (B) 5 version of the new iPhone (iOS) or the device). If you’ve already set up your phone, you may need to reset to factory settings to activate this menu, or use the Move to iOS app in the opposite direction, which doesn’t always work consistently for WhatsApp. The best option is to use the “Move from iOS” feature in Xiaomi’s settings menu. In the scanning process QR-If you have an iPhone camera code and a cable connection, you'll have an Apple smartphone screen requesting an encrypted backup of the chats, and then you'll have to start the transfer process, and then you'll have to scan the phone. QR-code the camera to start the import process into the WhatsApp app. ⚠️ Note: When you migrate from iOS to Android, WhatsApp call history and some display settings are not transferred. Also, the profile name may be reset, you will have to enter it again. If the wired method didn’t work, there is an alternative to backup in iCloud, but reading it on Android will require third-party paid software on a PC, since natively Android can’t read iCloud backups. So the cable method remains the only free and official solution. Once the process is completed on Xiaomi, you need to log into the same phone number. The history of correspondence must be downloaded. It is important not to delete the application from the iPhone until the new device is fully verified. Manual transfer of local files through the file manager For advanced users who want to have full control of the process or do not have access to the Internet and the cloud, there is a method of manual copying of the phone files from the computer. On an older phone, you need to find a folder with backups. The path to it may differ depending on the version of Android. In new versions (Android 11 and above), the path usually looks like this: Android/media/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp/Databases. In older versions, the folder may be at the root: WhatsApp/Databases. You are interested in files with names of the type msgstore.db.crypt14 (the number may differ). You need to copy the latest file (with the current date) and, if you wish, the Media folder containing all the photos and videos, These folders can be installed on the first file, but you need to manually install the new WhatsApp director before you install it. When you first run the app, you have to find a local copy and offer a recovery. If that doesn't happen, check if the phone number and Google account match the ones on the old device. This is a good way to move data even between different Google accounts (although it's not recommended by security regulations), but it's the most time consuming. An error in one letter of the path or file name will cause the recovery to not start. Addressing problems and errors in the recovery Even if all the instructions are followed. One of the most common is "Failed to restore backup." This is often due to mismatches on the old WhatsApp version and the new phone: The other problem on the last one on the last one of the device. Xiaomi with their optimizations can aggressively clean the cache, but if the physical memory is full, recovery is impossible. 2-3 GB in excess of your copy for successful decompression and indexing, and users are also experiencing a process that is stalled during Message Recovery, which may be caused by power saving mode. Go to Settings → Battery and set up No Limits mode for WhatsApp and the system service Mi Cloud or Google PlayServices for recovery time. If nothing works, try a clean install: delete WhatsApp, restart your phone, make sure you have stable Wi-Fi, turn on the clean install. GPS (Sometimes required for verification) and repeat the installation and recovery process (FAQ) Can I transfer WhatsApp to Xiaomi without a Google account? Technically, it is possible to run the app, but it is impossible to restore a backup from Google Drive without logging in to the corresponding account. Local transfer via Mi Mover or manual copying of files is also possible without Google, but requires physical access to both phones. Will my privacy settings and blocked contacts remain? Yes, with official methods (Mi Mover, Google Drive, iOS-Android cable), privacy settings, blocked contacts list and fixed chats are transferred along with the correspondence history. When you manually copy database files, the settings can reset. What if some old photos are missing after transfer? Check your media visibility settings. New versions of Android folder WhatsApp/Media may be hidden from the gallery. Also make sure that when you back up your old phone, you check the "Including Video" box. If the photos were sent as "Document", they are in a separate folder and may not be in the standard media backup. Should I delete WhatsApp from your old phone before transferring? No, you don't need to delete the app from your old phone until you're fully convinced that all the data on the new Xiaomi is working correctly. Moreover, for some methods (such as number verification), the old phone must be active to receive a SMS or call.