Changing your smartphone is often alarming, not because you lose photos or contacts, but because you risk losing your correspondence history. Messages in the Mi SMS app or the standard Android messenger can contain confirmation codes, important business information, or just expensive memory. Fortunately, the Xiaomi ecosystem and the Android operating system offer several reliable ways to migrate data.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at all the current techniques, from the built-in Mi Mover tool to cloud services and third-party utilities, how to avoid common mistakes when correspondence is cut off in mid-word, and how to ensure the integrity of the message database when migrating to a new Redmi or Poco.
Data recovery has become much easier with the release of new versions of the MIUI shell and HyperOS. However, to go smoothly, you need to properly prepare both devices. You don't need to rely on only one method; understanding the principles of each will give you confidence in the safety of personal information.
Device preparation and basic requirements
Before starting the procedure, make sure that both smartphones have sufficient battery power.The data transfer process, especially if the message history has thousands of messages, can require time and CPU resources.It is recommended to charge the devices to a minimum of 60-70% to avoid sudden shutdown at a critical time of recording the database.
Both phones should be connected to a stable Wi-Fi network if you plan to use cloud methods or LAN transmission. Mobile internet will also work, but it may be less stable and consume traffic. Make sure the new Xiaomi has the latest system update installed, as older versions of MIUI may have bugs in working with backups.
⚠️ Attention: Do not try to extract SIM-Map or interrupt applications during an active synchronization process, which can damage the sms.db database file, and then restore it without specialized software.
Check for free space on your target device. While text takes up a bit of space, if you plan to port multimedia attachments (MMS), the volume can grow to several gigabytes. Clearing the cache or removing unnecessary apps before migrating is a smart move.
☑️ Preparation for migration
Use of the built-in Mi Mover application
The most effective and native way for owners of Xiaomi equipment is to use the Mi Mover application, which is designed specifically for data migration between devices running Android and MIUI. It works by creating a local Wi-Fi hotspot, which provides high speed transfer without using Internet traffic.
To get started, open the app on both devices. On the new Xiaomi smartphone, select Receiver, and on the old Android device, Sender. QR-code or suggest connecting to the network you have created. In the data list for transfer, be sure to mark "Messages" or"SMS".
It’s important to understand that Mi Mover transfers not only text but also MMS attachments, and also saves dialog structure and send times, which is critical for authentication applications or banking services that can check the time of code arrival.
- 📱 On the old device, select "I send" and scan. QR-code on the screen of a new phone.
- 📂 In the data selection menu, go to the System Data tab and make sure the tick is opposite Messages".
- ⏳ Wait for the process to end without switching to other applications so that the system doesn’t stop the background process.
After the process is completed, a report on the number of items transferred will appear on the screen of the new smartphone, and if the number of messages coincides with the expected number, you can safely delete data from the old device.
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Mi Mover is the only method that guarantees transfer MMS-Preserving accurate time stamps without losing the structure of the dialogues.
Transfer via Google Drive Cloud Service
Google's ecosystem offers a one-stop solution that works on any Android device, ideal if you don't have a cable on hand or want to back up just in case before any manipulations, and the data is stored in your Google One account.
On your old phone, go to Google settings, select Backup and make sure the Messages switch is active. Click Start Copy. The system will upload the text database to the cloud. On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on (or after you reset), they will prompt you to restore data from a copy of Google.
However, there is a caveat: when you restore through Google Drive, the process can take a long time, as the phone will pump data in the background, and this method sometimes ignores old messages if they were not synchronized before the backup was created.
| Parameter | Mi Mover | Google Drive | SMS Backup App |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed. | High (locally) | Depends on the Internet. | Medium |
| MMS investment | Preserve. | Often lost. | Save (in the cloud) |
| Demands a PC. | No. | No. | No. |
| Difficulty | Low. | Low. | Medium |
Use this method if you are fully transitioning to the Google ecosystem and plan to change smartphone brands in the future, as the copy will be tied to the account, not hardware.
Third-party applications: SMS Backup & Restore
If standard tools fail or you want to have full control over backup files, the best choice is the app. SMS SyncTech’s Backup & Restore is the gold standard in the world of messaging migration, enabling localization of the message. XML-file.
Install the app on both devices. On the old phone, click "Create Backup", select "Messages" and save location (local memory or cloud). Once completed, you will receive a file with the.xml extension. Transfer this file to the new Xiaomi via Bluetooth, Telegram or USB-cable.
On the new device, launch the application, select Restore, and specify the path to the transferred file. The system will request permission to access the SMS, which is necessary to write data to the system database. The application will automatically determine the format and restore the correspondence.
Why do I sometimes not get a text message after recovery?
- 📁 Create a backup copy in format XML old-device.
- 📤 Transfer the file in any convenient way to a new phone (it is important not to change the file name).
- 📥 Start recovery and wait for the message "Recovery is complete".
The advantage of this method is that you get a physical file that you can store on your computer for years, and it's the best insurance against data loss when cloud services break down.
Manual export and work with XML-file
For advanced users who prefer manual data management, a method of directly copying database files is available. However, in modern versions of Android, access to system folders is limited, so we will consider working with exported files.
Backup files are usually stored in the /SMSBackupRestore/ folder in internal memory. You can copy the entire folder to your computer and then throw it into the same directory on the new Xiaomi, which is especially useful if you want to transfer the story from a broken screen by connecting the phone to your PC in debugging mode.
When working with files, it is important to respect the integrity of the structure. XML-manual file (e.g. to delete spam), make sure you do not violate the tag syntax.Any error in the code will cause the application to fail when you restore it.
⚠️ Note: Manually copying database files (mmssms.db) requires root access rights. Without them, you can only copy an empty database template, not your real messages. XML rootless.
This method requires careful attention, but gives you complete control over which dialogs will be transferred. XML-pre-import.
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If you have superuser rights (Root), you can directly copy the file /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db using the Root Explorer file manager and replace the file on the new device.
Solution and troubleshooting
Even if all instructions are followed, there can be technical difficulties: users often face a situation where messages are moved but not displayed in the application, 90% of the time this is solved by restarting the device or by forcefully stopping the Messages application through settings.
Another problem is duplicate contacts or messages if you've used multiple methods in a row, like turning on Google sync first and then using Mi Mover, in which case the system may find incoming messages new, and you're advised to do a full reset of your new phone's settings before migrating if your correspondence history is critical.
If the transfer is stuck at a certain percentage, check if one of the devices is power-saving mode. It can aggressively break the background Wi-Fi Direct connection that Mi Mover uses. Turn off the energy savings during the procedure.
- 🔄 Restart both smartphones if the process is stalled in the Initialization phase".
- 🚫 Turn it off. VPN Proxies and proxy servers can block local connection between devices.
- 📶 Make sure that both phones are on GPS (geolocation, as Android requires it to run Wi-Fi Direct.
Remember that migrating messages from iOS to Xiaomi requires the use of a special application “Move to iOS” (conversely) or paid utilities, since database architectures differ.