The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but the transfer of applications can turn into a headache if you do not know the nuances. MIUI Users are faced with problems: application data is lost somewhere, settings are not transferred somewhere, and sometimes the process will simply hang halfway.
We will consider as official tools from Xiaomi (Mi Mover, MIUI Backup, and universal solutions through Google Account or third-party services, especially the portability of applications with the preservation of their data (for example, progress in games, chat history) is the most difficult point that is often missed in standard instructions. We will also explain why some applications (for example, banking) can not be migrated in standard ways and what to do about it.
Preparation for the transfer: what to do before the beginning of the process
App portability is not just about copying files, but also synchronizing accounts, licenses, and hidden data. Before you start, follow these steps on your old smartphone:
- 🔄 Update. MIUI to the latest version: go to Settings → The phone. → System Update: Older versions of firmware may not support modern portability protocols.
- 🔒 Make sure both devices share the same Mi (or Google) account, without which synchronizing settings and in-app purchases will be impossible.
- 📶 Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network (or use a mobile hotspot). 3-5 faster than through the cloud.
- ⚡ Charge both devices to at least 50%. The process can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours depending on the amount of data.
On the new Xiaomi smartphone, right after the first turn on, the system will suggest migrating data from the old device. Don't miss this step - it will be more difficult to use the built-in migration wizard later. If you have already missed this stage, don't worry: all the methods in this article work after the initial setup.
⚠️ Note: If the old phone has data encryption enabled (Settings) → Additionally. → Encryption and accounts, disable it in advance, otherwise Mi Mover won't be able to read some of the application files.
Charging both phones >50%|Same version MIUI device-wise|One account. Mi/Google|Encryption disabled (if it was)|Freely. 10+ GB on a new phone-->
2. Method 1: Mi Mover is the official tool from Xiaomi
Mi Mover is built into the MIUI solution for wireless data transfer between Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO. It supports the transmission:
- 📱 Annexes (including APK-file-piece)
- 📁 Photographs, videos and music
- 📞 Contacts, messages and call logs
- 📍 System settings (wallpaper, sounds, Wi-Fi passwords)
How to use:
- On the new phone, select Data Transfer when you first turn on → If the phone is already set up, find the Mi Mover app in the menu.
- On the old phone, open Mi Mover and select I sender.
- Scan it. QR-code from a new phone or connect through the search for devices on the local network.
- Select data for transfer (required to mark Applications and Application Data).
- Wait until the process is complete. Don't interrupt the connection!
| Advantages | Deficiencies |
|---|---|
| ✅ Wireless transfer without cables | ❌ Not all apps carry their data (for example, WhatsApp requires a separate backup) |
| ✅ Save system settings | ❌ Slower than the transfer through the cable (about) 10-15 MB/s) |
| ✅ It works even without the internet. | ❌ It may freeze at the Data Preparation stage (solution to restart both phones) |
Important: If you transfer data from Xiaomi to the POCO (or vice versa, make sure both devices are global firmware (not Chinese). or Mi Mover may not see either device.
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If Mi Mover doesn’t find an old device, try connecting them through the device. USB-OTG cable (Type-C adapter needed) → In this case, the transfer speed will increase to 30-40 MB/s.
3. Method 2: MIUI Backup – Backup with Recovery
If Mi Mover doesn’t fit for some reason (for example, you have different versions) MIUI), You can use the built-in backup function, which is more general, but requires more action:
- On your old phone, go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
- Select a Backup Copy and tick the boxes: 📦 Annexes (including data) 📱 System settings 📞 Contacts and communications (optional)
Create a backup copy
MIUI/backup/AllBackup
AllBackup
Xiaomi Cloud
new
Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup → Restore
Limitations of the method:
- 🚫 Not all apps recover their data (e.g. Telegram or Viber will require re-authorization).
- 🚫 If the new phone has a newer version MIUI, In the old case, the recovery may be completed with a mistake.
- 🚫 Busy apps (like Facebook or Instagram) won’t be portable – they’ll need to be installed separately.
⚠️ Note: If you use Xiaomi Cloud to store backup, note that only 5GB is available for free. For porting all applications, this may not be enough – it is better to use local copying.
What if the recovery is 99% down?
Method 3: Transfer through Google Account (for universal applications)
If you use Google services, some of the apps can be moved through account sync, which is suitable for:
- 📬 Email clients (Gmail, Outlook)
- 🗓️ Calendars and Notes (Google Keep, Google Calendar)
- 🎮 Google Play Games (Saves Progress)
- 📱 Some messengers (Telegram via the cloud, WhatsApp via Google Drive)
Instructions:
- On your old phone, check that sync is enabled: Settings → Accounts and synchronization → Google → Synchronize data.
- For WhatsApp: Open the app → ⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup and create a backup in Google Drive.
- On the new phone, log in to the same Google account when you first start up.
- Install the desired applications from the Play Market - some of the data will be automatically pulled up.
Important: Not all applications support cloud sync, such as SberBank Online or Tinkoff, which require re-authorization on a new device for security reasons, and most banking and government applications (such as government services).
Method 4: Manual transfer APK-Data and files (for advanced users)
If standard methods don't work, or if you need to migrate specific applications with data storage, you can use manual methods.
- 📱 Access to the file system (e.g., via Explorer or Total Commander)
- 🔌 Cable USB-OTG computer
- 🛠️ Data backup app (e.g. Swift Backup or Titanium Backup) for root)
Step-by-step:
- On an old phone, copy the folder. /data/app (stored APK-Application files installed. This may require root access or ADB-commands: adb pull /data/app C:\Xiaomi_Apps_Backup
- Copy folders with application data from /data/data/name.package (e.g, /data/data/com.whatsapp WhatsApp).
- Move all files to the new phone to the same directories (root rights or other information required) ADB).
- Reinstall the apps via Play Market (they will “grab” their data from the copied folders).
⚠️ Attention: Manual transfer of application data (/data/data) It can cause crashes if the versions of apps or Android on the old and new phones are very different, such as transferring Instagram data from Android. 10 Android 14 Often ends with an authorization error.
Alternative without root: Use Swift Backup, which allows you to create backups of applications and their data in a format compatible with the new device.
- Install Swift Backup on both phones.
- On the old phone, create a backup of the desired applications (Backup) → Apps + Data).
- Transfer the backup file to your new phone (via cloud or cable).
- Restore data on your new phone via Swift Backup (Restore) → Select a file).
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Manual transfer is the only way to save data from applications that don’t support cloud sync (such as local games or rare messengers).
Method 5: Transfer over a computer (ADB and third-party utilities)
For users who prefer to work through a PC, there are several ways to transfer:
Method 1: ADB (Android Debug Bridge)
ADB It allows you to create a full backup of applications and their data without root:
- Install ADB Tools on your computer.
- Connect the old phone to the USB And turn on the debugging. USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap the version number → return to → For developers → Debugging by USB).
- Follow the command to create a backup: adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f C:\xiaomi_backup.ab (where -apk — backup APK-file, -obb — play-off, -shared — file SD-map).
- Connect your new phone and recover data: adb restore C:\xiaomi_backup.ab
Method 2: Through Xiaomi PC Suite
The official utility Xiaomi PC Suite (you can download on the official website) allows you to transfer:
- 📱 Annexes (only) APK, data-free)
- 📁 Multimedia and documents
- 📞 Contact and SMS
Cons: does not tolerate application settings and game data.
| Method | Speed. | Saving application data? | Wants a PC? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Mover | Average (10-15 MB/s) | Partially. | No. |
| MIUI Backup | Slow (5-10 MB/s) | Partially. | No. |
| ADB | Fast (20-30 MB/s) | Yes. | Yes. |
| Swift Backup | Medium | Yes. | No. |
7. Frequent problems and their solutions
Even with proper transfer, there can be difficulties, and here are the most common ways to eliminate them:
- 🔄 Mi Mover hangs on "Data Preparation": Reboot both phones. VPN Or a proxy on both devices. Try connecting via USB-OTG instead of Wi-Fi.
- 🚫 Some apps haven't moved: Check if they support portability (bank apps usually don't). Install them manually from Play Market.
- 🔒 After the transfer, asks to re-enter accounts: This is normal for applications with two-factor authentication (WhatsApp, Telegram, banking applications). SMS restore access.
- 📱 The new phone doesn’t have some system apps (Theme, Security): Download them from the Mi App Store or install them via Settings → Annexes → Install from APK.
⚠️ Note: If you transfer data from Xiaomi to Xiaomi POCO (Or vice versa, when you migrate, you might get the theme of the design strayed, to bring back the standard theme. MIUI, Go to Settings. → Theme → My topics and apply default.
Why do some games not make progress?
8.What to do after the transfer: verification and optimization
When you migrate, you can do this to keep your new phone running smoothly.
- 🔍 Check permissions: Some apps lose access to contacts, storage or camera after transfer. → Annexes → Permits and set them up again.
- 🗑️ Clear the cache: Go to Settings → Warehouse → Cache data and clear it, it'll eliminate any possible lags.
- 🔄 Update apps: Open Play Market → My apps. → Update everything. It's important because the moved APK They may be outdated.
- 📡 Set up notifications: After porting some apps (e.g, VK Facebook or Facebook may stop showing notifications. Check settings in Settings → Notifications.
Performance optimization: If the new phone starts to brake after the transfer, try:
- Disable Auto-Run Unnecessary Applications: Settings → Battery and productivity → Autostart control.
- Limit background activity: Settings → Annexes → Permits → Auto-start.
- Enable Performance Mode: Settings → Additionally. → Performance mode.
If some applications are unstable after porting (for example, crash or fail to open), try:
- Clear their data: Settings → Annexes → [Name of name] → Warehouse → Clear the data.
- Reinstall them through the Play Market.
- Check compatibility with the new version MIUI developer's website.
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After the transfer, be sure to check the work of banking applications and instant messengers – they often require re-authorization due to changed device identifiers.