How to transfer applications from one Xiaomi phone to another without losing data

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, especially when it comes to saving all the apps, their settings and user data. How to migrate apps from phone to phone without losing game progress, saved passwords or chat history? In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to migrate data between Xiaomi devices, including proprietary tools MIUI and universal solutions.

Modern Xiaomi smartphones offer several built-in mechanisms for data transfer, but not all of them are equally effective. MIUI Backup may not save data from some apps, and Mi Mover sometimes works unstable on older models. We have tested all the methods on devices from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra and highlighted those that guarantee full portability of applications while preserving their state (including cache and settings).

It's important to understand that not all applications support data export, such as banking programs (SberBank Online, Tinkoff) or encrypted messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) require separate authorization on the new device, but for most games, social networks and utilities, portability is possible, the main thing is to choose the right way.

1.The official way: Mi Mover by Xiaomi

Mi Mover – a proprietary solution from Xiaomi for data migration between devices MIUI. This tool is built into the firmware and allows you to transfer not only applications, but also contacts, SMS, However, it has limitations: it only works between Xiaomi phones (or Redmi/POCO) It requires a physical connection via cable or Wi-Fi Direct.

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings. → The phone. → Backup and reset → Data Transfer (Mi Mover).
2. On the new phone, when you first turn on, select the option “Data Transfer” or find Mi Mover in the settings.
3. Connect devices via cable (recommended) or Wi-Fi. Use the original cable USB-C — Cheap analogues can cause errors.
4. On your old phone, select data to transfer (be sure to tick "Apps").
5. Wait until the process is complete. The time depends on the amount of data (from 10 minutes to an hour).

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Note: If the new phone already has a Mi Account, log out before transferring, otherwise Mi Mover may block the process due to conflicting accounts.

Mi Mover is copying APK-Application files and some of their data, but not all programs support this mechanism, VK or Instagram will be migrated with the login, but the message history may not be saved. For a full backup, it is better to combine this method with others (see the section on Google Account).

Charging both phones > 50%|Original. USB-cable (or Wi-Fi 5 GHz)|Disabled. VPN and energy-saving regimes|There is no Mi Account on the new phone.|Freely. ≥ 2 GB of memory on the new device-->

2. backup through MIUI Backup

Built-in function MIUI Backup allows you to create a full copy of the system, including installed applications and their data, this method is suitable if you plan to transfer data not immediately, but after a while (for example, when buying a phone in installments).

Instructions for creating a backup:

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Click "Create backup" and select "Applications" (you can also note "System Data" for porting settings).
3. Wait until the process is complete. The backup file will be saved in the folder. MIUI/backup/AllBackup memory.
4. Copy the AllBackup folder to your new phone (via cable, cloud, or memory card).
5. On the new device, in the same menu, select “Restore” and specify the path to the backup.

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Attention: Recovery from the backup MIUI Reset your current settings for your new phone! Before the procedure, back up your data on your new device or transfer to a clean smartphone.

MIUI Backup saves more data than Mi Mover, but has its own nuances:

• 🔹 Not all apps are restored correctly (especially if they were updated after the backup was created).
• 🔹 A backup file can weigh 10+ GB – Make sure there is enough space on the new phone.
• 🔹 On devices with different versions MIUI (for example, MIUI 13 and MIUI (14) compatibility errors are possible.

Mi Mover (cable)/Wi-Fi)|MIUI Backup (local backup)|Google Account (Cloud)|Manual transfer (APK + data)|Another way.-->

3. synchronization through Google Account

If you use Google services, some of these applications can be moved over the cloud, which is universal and works on all Android devices, but has limitations: not all applications support synchronization, and the amount of free cloud storage is limited to 15 GB.

What can be transferred through Google Account:

• 📱 List of installed applications (without data) – will be restored when you first log in to your account on a new phone.
• 🔑 Data from some applications (e.g. Google Chrome, Gmail, Google Maps).
• 🎮 Progress in games if they support Google Play Games (e.g. Clash of Clans, Brawl Stars).
• 📝 Contacts, calendars and notes (if synced with Google).

How to turn on synchronization:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Select your account and activate sync for all the services you need.
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Google account when you first turn on.
4. After entering, go to Settings. → System system → Recovery and discharge → Data recovery and select backup.

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Note: If your old phone has autosynchronization disabled, your application data may not be saved to the cloud. → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization of the account.

Google Accounts are not available APK-Application files are only a list of them to be re-installed through the Play Market. To save application data (for example, save games), additionally use their built-in export functions or third-party tools like Helium (requires root rights).

4. Transfer through third-party applications (Titanium Backup, Helium)

For advanced users willing to spend time setting up, third-party backup utilities are suitable. APK, But also the application data, and the system settings. Let's look at two popular solutions:

Titanium Backup (requires root access):

• 🔧 Stores applications, their data and even system settings.
• 📦 Allows you to create a schedule of automatic backups.
• ⚠️ It works only on rooted devices (it is difficult to get root on the new Xiaomi due to the bootloader lock).

Helium (Carbon Backup) (without root, but with limitations)

• 🔄 Transfer application data to a new device via the cloud or locally.
• 📱 Backup backup on SD-card.
• ❌ Not all apps are compatible (for example, WhatsApp does not backup without root).

Instructions for Helium:

1. Install Helium on both phones from the Play Market.
2. On an old phone, select backup apps and save data to the cloud or memory card.
3. Transfer the backup file to a new phone (e.g., via Google Drive or cable).
4. On the new phone, restore data via Helium.

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Note: When using Helium without root, some applications (such as Viber or banking programs) may not recover their data due to Android’s restrictions on accessing other people’s folders.

5. Manual transfer: APK + data-driven ADB

For users who want complete control of the process, manual transfer through the ADB (Android Debug Bridge. This method allows you to copy APK-application files and their data (/data/data) No losses, but requires command line skills.

Step-by-step:

1. Install ADB on your PC (download Platform Tools from Google’s website).
2. On the phone, turn on the debugging. USB In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Click 7 times on the version bar, then return to the Additional Settings → For developers).
3. Connect your old phone to your PC and execute the command to get a list of applications: adb shell pm list packages -f
4. Copy. APK and data of the desired applications (example for Telegram): adb pull /data/app/org.telegram.messenger-1/base.apk adb backup -f telegram.ab org.telegram.messenger
5. Transfer files to your new phone and install them via adb install.

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Note: Adb backup and Adb restore may not work on the MIUI In this case, use an alternative method of copying the folder. /data/data/{package_name} through TWRP (root).

Advantages of manual transfer:

• 🎯 Full control over what data is copied.
• 🔧 The ability to port to devices of other brands (not only Xiaomi).

Disadvantages:

• ⚙️ Difficulty for beginners (risk of errors when working with a new person) ADB).
• ⏳ It takes a lot of time with a lot of applications.

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Before use ADB Create a full phone backup with adb backup -all -f full_backup.ab. This will help you recover data if something goes wrong.

6. Data portability of specific applications

Some apps have built-in export/import functions, and here's how to migrate information for popular services:

WhatsApp:

• 📱 Create a backup chat in Settings → chat → Backup (save in Google Drive).
• 🔄 On your new phone, install WhatsApp, log in to the same account and restore chats from the cloud.

Telegram:

• ☁️ All messages are synced to the cloud automatically – just log in to your account on a new phone.
• 📁 To transfer local files (music, documents) copy the Telegram folder from internal memory.

Games (Clash of Clans, PUBG Mobile and others.):

• 🎮 Link your game account to Google Play Games, Facebook or another service.
• 🔄 On the new phone, install the game, log in through the linked account - progress will be automatically pulled up.

1Password / KeePass:

• 🔐 Export the password database to the file (usually.kdbx or.1pif).
• 📤 Transfer the file to a new phone and import it into the app.

For applications without built-in export (for example, VK or Instagram, use it MIUI Backup or Helium as described above.

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Even if the app doesn’t support data porting, its settings are often saved to your Google or Facebook account. Before uninstalling the program from your old phone, check the associated services in its settings.

Comparison of data transfer methods

To choose the best method, compare all the methods considered by key parameters:

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

When transferring data, users often face typical problems, and here's how to avoid or fix them:

1 Mi Mover doesn't see the second phone

• 🔌 Check the cable – use the original USB-C Xiaomi.
• 📶 Switch from Wi-Fi to cable (or vice versa).
• 🔄 Reboot both phones and try again.

2. applications are not restored from MIUI Backup

• 📌 Make sure the versions are MIUI Both phones are compatible (the difference is not more than 2 versions).
• 🗑️ Clear the cache. MIUI Backup in application settings.
• 🔄 Try to restore the backup to the "clean" firmware (after resetting).

3.The game data didn't move forward

• 🎮 Make sure the game is linked to your account (Google Play Games, Facebook, game server).
• ☁️ Check if synchronization is enabled in the game settings.
• 📧 Contact support for the game – some titles (e.g. Genshin Impact) require manual account transfer.

4. There's not enough backup space.

• 🗃️ Free up space on internal memory or use a memory card (if supported).
• ☁️ Download the backup to the cloud (Google Drive, Mi Cloud).
• ⚡ Break the backup into pieces (in) MIUI Backup can select separate categories).

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If neither method worked, try a combination approach: migrate apps through Mi Mover and their data through Google Account or manually (for critical programs like banking).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions