How to transfer apps from one Xiaomi phone to another: a complete guide

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always an exciting moment: you want all the apps, settings and data to move to the new device without loss. But often users face problems: some programs are not restored, passwords are reset, and game progress disappears. In this article, we will discuss all the working ways to transfer applications between Xiaomi phones, from official tools to hidden MIUI functions.

It is important to remember that you just copy the folder with APK-Files aren't enough: modern applications store data in secure partitions, cloud services, even developer servers, so it would take a combination of methods to fully port. 12 Xiaomi 14 Ultra – instructions are relevant to all models on the MIUI 14/15 HyperOS.

1.The official way: Mi Mover by Xiaomi

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary solution for data migration between the brand’s devices. It is pre-installed on all smartphones with MIUI 9 and later, supports the portability of applications, contacts, messages and even some system settings. The main advantage is that it does not require root rights and works without a computer.

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

• 📱 Make sure that both phones have the latest version installed. MIUI (Check in the settings → The phone. → Updating the system).
• 🔌 Connect both devices to charging – the process may take 30-60 minute.
• 📶 Activate Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both smartphones.
• 🚫 Turn it off. VPN Energy saving modes – they can interrupt the transmission.

Next, on your old phone, open Settings → Additional → Mi Mover, select “I’m the giver.” On the new device, launch the same app and click “I’m the receiver.” Follow the instructions on the screen: the system will automatically create a local network between the phones and prompt you to select data to transfer. In the list, tick “Apps” and confirm the transfer.

Charging both phones > 50%|Same version MIUI device-wise|All off. VPN-service|Freely. ≥10GB on a new phone|Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled on both devices-->

⚠️ Note: Mi Mover does not transfer data from certain banking applications (e.g. SberBank Online or Tinkoff) due to security restrictions, and may not save games if they are not synced with Google Play Games.

2. Cloud Transfer via Mi Cloud

Mi Cloud is Xiaomi’s cloud storage that allows you to synchronize data between devices. This method is partially suitable for transferring applications: it stores a list of installed programs, but not their data (cache, settings, game progress), but all applications will be automatically downloaded from Google Play on a new phone after you log in to your account.

Instructions for setting:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Enable synchronization for the item "Installed applications".
3. Click on “Sync” and wait for the process to be completed.
4. On the new phone, log in to the same Xiaomi account and enable sync in the Mi Cloud.
5. Open Google Play Store → “Library” → “Installed” – all applications from the old device will appear here.

Important: This method does not tolerate APK-The apps are going to be downloaded from Google Play, so you need a stable Internet connection, and if you remove an app from the store, you have to manually install it on.apk.

Mi Mover|Mi Cloud|Google Account|Hand-mounted APK|Another option-->

3.Move through Google Account and Play Store

If you use Google services, most apps and their data can be transferred automatically, a method that works not only on Xiaomi but also on other Android devices, and the main condition is that both phones must be logged into the same Google account.

What exactly is being transferred:

• 📱 List of installed applications (automatic installation through the Play Store).
• 🎮 Game data if they support Google Play Games (e.g. Clash of Clans, Brawl Stars).
• 📝 Some app settings (such as bookmarks in Chrome or a history on YouTube).
• 🔑 Passwords from Google Smart Lock (if the feature was enabled).

How to activate the transfer:

1. On your new phone, when you first turn on, select “Copy Data” → “From Android Device” → sign in to your Google account.
2. If the phone is already set up, go to Settings → Google → Backup and enable “Google Drive Backup”.
3. In the Play Store, click on the profile avatar → “Apps and Devices Management” → “Installed” – all apps from the old phone will be displayed here.

⚠️ Note: Some apps (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) require additional backups through their internal functions.

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Before transferring, check which apps on your old phone are linked to your Google account. Open Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync and turn on all the switches.

Manual transfer APK-file

If you need to migrate specific applications that are not recoverable through the cloud (e.g. modified applications) APK or programs without Google support, you can use a manual method, which involves copying.apk files and folders with data through Explorer or ADB.

Step-by-step:

1. Install File Manager+ (pre-installed in MIUI) or Solid Explorer on your old phone.
2. Move to the /data/app/ — stored APK-files of all user applications. This folder requires root rights or ADB.
3. Copy folders with the names of the desired applications (for example, com.whatsapp-1) on SD-card.
4. Transfer files to a new phone and install APK through any file manager.

To transfer application data (sets, cache) copy folders from /data/data/[Note that without root permissions, these folders are restricted. ADB-team:

adb backup -f backup.ab -apk -obb -shared -all


adb restore backup.ab

5. Transfer through third-party programs (Titanium Backup, Swift Backup)

For experienced users who are ready for manual settings, specialized utilities like Titanium Backup or Swift Backup are suitable, which allow you to create full backups of applications along with their data, settings and even system components.

Advantages of methods:

• 🔄 Ability to selectively restore individual applications or their data.
• 📦 Conservation APK + Data in one archive (.tbz or.ab format).
• 🔒 Encrypting backups to protect confidential information.
• 🔄 Support for automatic backup schedules.

How to use Swift Backup:

1. Install the app from Google Play on both phones.
2. On an old phone, select backup apps, specify the save location (for example, SD-map) and start the process.
3. Transfer the archives to your new phone through USB-cable.
4. On the new phone in Swift Backup, click “Restore” and select the archives you want.

⚠️ Note: Titanium Backup requires root rights to work. Swift Backup can work without root, but with restrictions (for example, it will not save system application data).

6. Transfer of game data and social networks

Games and social networks (such as WhatsApp, VK, Telegram) store data on their servers, so standard transfer methods do not always work.

For games:

• 🎮 Make sure the game supports sync via Google Play Games or Facebook. Go to the game settings and link your account.
• 📱 For Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail and other miHoYo games, use the official MiHoYo Cloud tool.
• 🖥️ Locally saved games (such as Minecraft) require manual folder copying. /games/com.mojang/.

For social media:

• 💬 WhatsApp: Create a backup in Settings → chat → Backup copy and transfer the file msgstore.db.crypt14 new phone.
• 📘 Telegram: All data is synced through the cloud automatically when you log in to your account.
• 👥 VK: Communication and media files are not portable – they can only be saved manually through export.

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For most modern games and social networks, you just need to link your Google/Facebook account to your old phone and log in to it on a new one. Local saves (such as Stardew Valley) will have to be copied manually.

7. Frequent errors and their solutions

Even when following instructions, users face problems. Consider the most common ones:

If applications fly out or don’t open after transfer, try:

1. Clear the app cache in Settings → Applications → Application management.
2. Reinstall the app through Google Play.
3. Check the permissions in Settings → Privacy → Permits.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions