Transfer applications to the new smartphone Xiaomi: 5 proven ways to save data

Contents

• Introduction: Why Mobile Apps on Xiaomi Need a Special Approach
• Preparing the old and new smartphone before transfer
• The official method: transfer via Mi Mover without data loss
• Syncing with Google Account: Pros and Limitations
• Third-party utilities: Smart Switch, Clone Phone and alternatives
• Manual transfer: When automatic methods don't work
• Features of transferring games with preservation of progress
• Problem Solving: Transfer errors and data recovery
• Frequent questions about moving apps to Xiaomi

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always an exciting moment, but many users face the problem: how to transfer applications with all the settings, logins and progress in games? Unlike the iPhone, which has a universal Quick Start, on Android — and especially on Xiaomi devices — the process can vary depending on the model, version, and the model. MIUI and even the firmware region.

The main difficulty is that you simply copy the folder with applications (for example, from the /data/app) It's not enough: without the right attachment to the new device, they either won't start or they'll lose data. 5 Workable portability methods, including official Xiaomi tools, cloud services and manual methods – with nuances in mind MIUI 14/15 and new models (Redmi Note) 13, POCO F6, Xiaomi 14).

Important: If you are upgrading from a very old model (e.g. Redmi) 4X Xiaomi 13T), Some of the techniques may not work because of changes in the Android architecture, and then we'll need alternative solutions, which we'll also look at.

Preparing the old and new smartphone before transfer

Before you start transferring, you need to follow a few critical steps, and if you skip them, you risk losing data or running into synchronization errors.

1. Check firmware compatibility. If your old smartphone has custom firmware (like LineageOS), Xiaomi’s official tools (Mi Mover) may not work, in which case you can use manual portability or third-party utilities.

2. Make room on both devices. To transfer, you will need at least 1-2 GB of free space on each smartphone. Delete unnecessary files or transfer them to the port. SD-map/cloud.

3. Update the software. Both devices must have the latest version installed MIUI (or at least MIUI 12+). You can check the updates in the settings → The phone. → Updating the system.

• 📱 On an old smartphone: turn on debugging by USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap the version number → return to additional settings → For developers).
• 🔋 Charging: Both devices must be charged at least 50%, otherwise the process may be interrupted.
• 🌐 Internet: Cloud methods require stable Wi-Fi (mobile internet may not be suitable due to traffic restrictions).

⚠️ Note: If the old smartphone has enabled data encryption (Settings) → Lockdown and protection → Encryption, some transfer methods (e.g., Mi Mover) may be slower or require multiple passwords.

The official method: transfer via Mi Mover without data loss

Mi Mover is a proprietary solution from Xiaomi for transferring data between devices on the Internet. MIUI. It supports applications, contacts, messages, photos and even some system settings:

• ✅ It only works between Xiaomi devices (or Redmi/POCO on MIUI).
• ❌ Does not transfer data to certain applications (for example, WhatsApp or banking applications require a separate backup copy).
• ⚡ Requires Wi-Fi Direct connection (not working on cable on new models).

Step-by-step:

1. Install Mi Mover on both smartphones (you can download from the App Store or link).
2. On the new smartphone, select “I am a new user” and on the old one, “I want to send data.”
3. Scan it. QR-code from the new phone old (or connect via Wi-Fi Direct device search).
4. Select data for transfer (required to mark "Applications" and "Application Data").
5. Wait until the completion (can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour depending on the volume).

⚠️ Warning: If some apps don’t open after the transfer, try clearing the cache (Settings) → Annexes → Select an application → Warehouse → If this doesn't help, delete and install the app again.

Update. MIUI both-device|Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network|Close all background applications|Turn it off. VPN/proxy|Check the vacant space (minimum) 1 GB)-->

Syncing with Google Account: Pros and Limitations

If you have a Google account, you can move some of your apps and data over cloud sync, which is universal (works on any Android device), but has limitations:

• ✅ The list of installed applications is transferred (but not the.apk files themselves).
• ✅ Some application settings are saved (if they support Android Backup Service).
• ❌ Game data is not transferred (you need Google Play Games or manual backup for this).
• ❌ Restriction on backup – 25 MB per application.

How to move:

1. On your old smartphone, go to Settings → Google → Backup and enable “Backup in Google Drive".
2. Select a Google account and click “Create a backup now”.
3. On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select “Recover Data” and log in to the same Google account.
4. In the "Applications" section, click "Restore" - the system will automatically install apps from Google Play.

Important: This method does not tolerate APK-The files, just the list of apps, will be downloaded from Google Play again, which can take time and waste mobile traffic.

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If some apps don’t show up after recovery, check the “My Apps and Games” section of Google Play. → Library. There may be hidden or deleted programs.

Third-party utilities: Smart Switch, Clone Phone and alternatives

If Mi Mover is not suitable (for example, you are transferring data from Samsung or iPhone), you can use universal tools:

• 🔄 Samsung Smart Switch – works with Xiaomi devices, but requires installation on both smartphones.
• 📱 Clone Phone (from Huawei) – supports cross-brand transfer, but may not work properly with MIUI 14+.
• 🖥️ MobileTrans (Wondershare) – a paid solution with advanced features (transfer WhatsApp, Viber, etc.).
• 🔗 Send Anywhere – transfer files over Wi-Fi Direct without limiting the scope.

Example of Smart Switch Transfer:

1. Install Smart Switch on both devices (download to Google Play or Galaxy Store).
2. On the old smartphone, select "Send data", on the new one - "Receive data".
3. Connect via Wi-Fi Direct or cable USB-C/OTG (For new Xiaomi, you need an adapter).
4. Select "Applications" and other data to transfer.
5. Wait until completion (an average of 20–40 minutes per 50–100 GB of data).

⚠️ Note: When migrating from iPhone to Xiaomi via Smart Switch, some apps (such as iMessage or Apple Music) will not work.

Manual transfer: When automatic methods don't work

If none of the automatic methods worked (for example, because of custom firmware or a very old model), then you have manual transfer. It takes longer, but gives you complete control over the process.

Step 1 Export of the Application List

Install the App List Backup app (or similar) on your old smartphone and export the list of installed programs to the.txt or.csv file. This will help you not forget what was installed.

Step 2: Backup of Application Data

For each critical application, check for the export/import function.

• 📊 WhatsApp: Settings → chat → Backup (saves history in Google Drive).
• 🎮 Games: Use Google Play Games or built-in backup (e.g. in Genshin Impact or Clash of Clans).
• 💰 Banking applications: usually do not support backup – you will have to log in again.

Step 3: Transfer APK-file

Copy the folder. /data/app from the old smartphone to the new (root rights or ADB). The alternative is to use APK Extractor to extract installed.apk files and install them on a new device.

adb pull /data/app /sdcard/backup_apps


adb push /sdcard/backup_apps /data/app

⚠️ Attention: Transfer of system applications (/system/app) It can lead to disruptions in work. MIUI. Install only user-generated APK.

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Manual porting is the only way to save data from applications that don’t support cloud backup (such as some local games or enterprise programs).

Features of transferring games with preservation of progress

Games are the most difficult type of portability application, as their data is often stored in secure folders or linked to an account.

• 🎮 Cloud Savings: Most modern games (e.g, PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty: Mobile sync progress through Google Play Games, Facebook or their own developer account.
• 💾 Local saves: Games like Minecraft or Stardew Valley store data in a folder /Android/data or /Android/obb. They can be copied manually.
• 🚫 Cheats/mods: transferring modified.apk or data can lead to a ban (e.g., in Free Fire or Genshin Impact).

Instructions for games with local saves:

1. On your old smartphone, find the game folder (usually). /Android/data/name /Android/obb).
2. Copy it to your PC or cloud (like Google Drive).
3. On your new smartphone, install the game from Google Play and run it at least once.
4. Close the game and replace the folder with the saved folder copied from the old phone.
5. Restart the device and check the download of saves.

Problem Solving: Transfer errors and data recovery

Even if you do the instructions correctly, you can get errors, and let's look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

1 Mi Mover does not find the device

• 🔄 Reboot both smartphones.
• 📶 Make sure that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enabled.
• 🛠️ Update the Mi Mover to the latest version.
• 🔌 Try connecting through a hot spot (on an old phone, turn on the Wi-Fi distribution, connect a new one to it).

2. Appendices are installed but not opened

• 🗑️ Clear the app cache (Settings) → Annexes → Select an application → Warehouse → Clear the cache).
• 🔄 Reinstall the app from Google Play.
• 🔐 Check the access rights (Settings) → Permits → Special access).

3. Data from games or applications is not transferred

• 🎮 For games: check the account binding (Google Play Games, Facebook).
• 📁 For local data: manually copy folders from /Android/data.
• 🔄 Try alternative methods (e.g. Titanium Backup for rooted devices).

⚠️ Attention: If after transferring the smartphone began to slow down, check the background processes in Settings → Battery → Battery use: Some applications (e.g. messengers) may conflict with the new version MIUI.

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If photos are missing after transfer, check the folder. MIUI/Gallery/cloud/ — Sometimes files are saved there instead of the main gallery.

Frequent questions about moving apps to Xiaomi