Buying a new Xiaomi smartphone is always accompanied by a desire to get started as quickly as possible without spending hours installing programs and manually configuring each parameter. Fortunately, the Android ecosystem and the proprietary shell MIUI (or HyperOS) offer powerful tools to automate this process. Using Google cloud services is the most reliable and versatile way to migrate data, which works steadily even when changing the model of the device within the same brand.
The main mechanism of the transfer is based on linking all user actions to a single Google account. When you activate a new gadget, the system automatically recognizes your account and offers to restore the list of previously installed applications, Wi-Fi passwords, contacts and system settings, which eliminates the need to re-enter logins into social networks or banking applications, since most of them will pull data from the cloud.
However, despite the apparent simplicity, the process has its nuances, especially when it comes to specific features of the Xiaomi shell.It is important to understand the difference between transferring the installation file of the application itself and restoring its internal data, such as progress in games or the cache of messengers. Proper preparation of the old device ensures that on the new smartphone you will be in the same digital environment in which you worked before the replacement of the gadget.
Preparing the old device for synchronization
The first and most critical step is to keep the backup on the device you're moving from up to now, and without that step, the new smartphone will have nothing to restore and will run as a clean device, and you'll need to make sure that all the important data has been uploaded to Google's servers before you start the phone change.
Checking sync status takes only a few minutes, but saves you from losing important contacts and notes. Go to your current Xiaomi phone settings and find the account section, and that's where the key to managing all of your digital assets is stored.
The following steps must be taken to force the data to be updated:
- 📱 Open the Settings menu and go to Accounts and Sync.
- 🔄 Select your primary Gmail email address from your list of linked accounts.
- ☁️ Click Sync or Sync Now in the top corner of the screen.
- ✅ Make sure that all items (Contacts, Calendar, Documents) are the current date and time.
⚠️ Note: If you have two-factor authentication enabled, make sure you have access to your phone number or backup codes, as a new smartphone may request sign-in confirmation when you first log in.
The app backup section requires special attention. Unlike contacts that sync instantly, the list of installed programs and their data can be updated with a delay or require manual launch. In the Google settings menu, find Backup and check the time of the last successful copy.
If the last copy was made a long time ago, for example, a week ago, click Start Copy. This process can take time depending on the amount of data and the speed of the Internet connection. A stable Wi-Fi is critical here, since mobile Internet can interrupt the download of large amounts of data.
Setting up Google Backup Settings
Android provides flexible settings for what will be stored in the cloud. By default, basic settings are enabled, but to fully migrate from Xiaomi to Xiaomi, it is recommended to expand this list, which will save not only the shortcuts of applications, but also their internal structure.
In the backup section, you'll see a list of data categories. Here, you need to activate the application data switch. This is the option that keeps the progress in games, the settings in programs and authorizations. Without this tick, the applications will install, but they will look like they've just been downloaded, requiring you to reconfigure.
The following parameters for full migration are also worth considering:
- 📷 Photo and Video: Make sure that the “Support” feature is enabled in the Google Photos app so that the media file is saved in its original quality.
- 📞 SMS and MMS: In some versions MIUI You need a separate permission to copy messages through Google services.
- 📶 Wi-Fi passwords: Keeping networks safe allows a new phone to automatically connect to the home Internet without entering a password.
Users often wonder how much space this data takes up, with photos and videos stored in Google Photos taking up the bulk of the volume, while the app text data takes up the minimum space within the 15GB quota provided free of charge.
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Use the “Clean Storage” feature in Google Photos before creating a final backup to remove duplicates already stored in the cloud from your device and speed up the verification process.
The process of activating the new Xiaomi smartphone
Once the old device is ready, you can start setting up the new gadget, and the process begins immediately after turning on when the welcome image appears on the screen, at which point the system will suggest selecting a language and connecting to the Wi-Fi network. Internet connection is a prerequisite for the recovery mechanism to work.
Once connected to the network, the system update check process will start. Don't miss this step if the system suggests upgrading, as new versions of MIUI or HyperOS often contain improvements to the data migration mechanism. After the update (or skip if the version is current), the App and Data Copy screen will appear.
Here you will be offered several options for action:
- Use your Google account.
- Copy applications and data from another phone (via cable or other means of communication) QR-code).
- Don't copy.
The first option is to use your account, and the system will ask you to enter the login and password from the Google account that was used on the old phone, and after successful authorization, the process of checking the cloud storage will begin.
The next screen will show you a list of devices that have been backed up from before. Select your old Xiaomi device from the list. You will see detailed information about what exactly will be restored: applications, device settings, calls and SMS-message.
⚠️ Note: If you use two-factor authentication, the confirmation code may come to your old phone. Make sure it's on and in the access area, or use backup codes.
Selection of recovery applications
Once you have a backup, the system will give you an overview of the applications that will be installed, and this is one of the most important steps, because it allows you to weed out digital debris that may have accumulated on the old device, and you will see a complete list of programs broken down by category.
The interface allows you to selectively approach the installation, so you can uncheck games you no longer use or apps you plan to manually install in a clean version, which is a great time to do digital hygiene.
List of actions when choosing applications:
- 📲 View the "All Apps" tab for a general list.
- 🎮 Check the “Games” section separately, as they often take up the most space.
- 🗑️ Remove checkboxes from unnecessary programs to avoid clogging the new smartphone.
- ✅ Click the "Accept" or "Next" button to start the download.
It is important to understand that the application installation process itself will begin immediately after the initial desktop setup is completed. Apps will be downloaded from the Google Play Store in the background, so having a stable Wi-Fi connection remains a priority.
☑️ Migration checklist
Features of data transfer in MIUI and HyperOS
Xiaomi shells have their own features of working with permissions and access to files, which can affect the recovery process. Unlike “pure” Android, there is an additional layer of security and optimization, which sometimes requires user intervention.
Once the desktop boots up, you will notice that the application icons appear gradually, the system prioritizes the loading of system components and frequently used programs, but some applications may remain in the status of "Load Wait".
If you are faced with the fact that applications are not installed, check the following settings:
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Stopping loading | Saving energy | Turn off the power saving mode |
| Authorization error | Change of password | Log in to the account again in the settings |
| Lack of space | Small memory capacity | Remove unnecessary files or applications |
| Incompatibility | Android version | Update the app through the Play Store |
Also worth noting is permissions, which, when you first run refurbished applications, MIUI can request permissions to access contacts, microphones, or geolocations again, even if they were given on the old phone, which is normal security behavior.
Why do some applications not recover login data?
Solving and completing the setup
The final step involves checking the integrity of the data, making sure that the contacts are displayed in the phone book and the photos are displayed in the gallery, and sometimes synchronizing the gallery can take up to several hours if you have a large archive of images.
Pay special attention to two-factor authentication. If you change your phone number or device, the codes may stop coming to your old device. Configure alternative verification methods, such as backup codes or authentication applications, in advance by copying their keys.
To speed up the process of indexing media files, the following actions can be performed:
- 🔋 Connect your phone to the charger.
- 📶 Leave Wi-Fi and mobile data enabled.
- 🔒 Unlock the device screen several times to activate background processes.
Complete completion of all background processes, including installing updates for the applications themselves, can take from 30 minutes to several hours, during which time the phone can heat up slightly - this is the normal work of the processor when the data is actively loaded.
⚠️ Note: Do not perform a full Hard Reset on your new phone in the first hours of use until you have made sure that all data is successfully synchronized and stored.
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Successful data transfer depends not only on the speed of the Internet, but also on the relevance of the backup on the old device before starting a replacement.