How to transfer applications from Xiaomi to Xiaomi with passwords: 5 proven ways

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always an exciting moment: you want all the apps, settings and, most importantly, saved passwords to move without loss. But the standard Mi Account backup feature does not always cope with this task: some applications require re-entering the login, and passwords from social networks or banking services can fly. In this article, we will analyze 5 working ways to transfer data between Xiaomi devices – from official tools to little-known life hacks that will save even licenses for paid programs.

We will pay special attention to three critical points:

• 🔐 Passwords and accounts: how to transfer them without manually entering them (including Google, social networks, banks).
• 📱 Device-Based Apps: What to do if the program requires re-activation (e.g. Netflix, Spotify, or Bank Clients).
• ⚠️ Security: Why you can’t use third-party backup managers to transfer financial data.

Spoiler: the most reliable method is the combination of Mi Mover + Manually export passwords through Google Smart Lock. but if you have a Redmi Note 12 or newer, there's a faster way using Nearby Share!

1.Official method: Mi Mover and Mi Cloud

Xiaomi’s easiest and most recommended method is to use the built-in Mi Mover (for direct Wi-Fi transfer) and Mi Cloud (cloud backup) tools, which are free, do not require root rights, and store most of the data, including:

• 📱 Installed applications (but not always with data!).
• 📞 Contacts, SMS, call-in.
• 🖼️ Photos, videos and documents (if you include in the backup settings).
• ⚙️ System settings (wallpaper, sounds, brightness).

However, there are two pitfalls:

1. Passwords from applications (e.g, VK, Telegram, Bank Clients are not transferred – they will have to be reintroduced.
2. Some apps (like WhatsApp or Google Authenticator) require additional backup through their internal tools.

How to use Mi Mover:

1. On your old smartphone, open Settings → The phone. → Backup and reset → Data Transfer (Mi Mover).
2. On the new device, execute the same sequence and select “I am a new user.”
3. Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network and scan QR-code from the new machine old.
4. Select data to transfer (be sure to mark “Applications”) and wait for completion.

Charge both phones at least to the 50%|Connect to a stable Wi-Fi|Release. 2-3 GB of memory on a new device|Shut down. VPN both-smartphone-->

It's important if you're on Xiaomi. MIUI 14 and later, Mi Mover has the option to "Transfer Wi-Fi passwords." But this doesn't apply to passwords from apps -- only networks.

⚠️ Note: If the old phone has the "App Protection" feature enabled (Settings) → Annexes → Application protection, you need to turn it off before you transfer it, otherwise some programs may not be copied.

2 Password Transfers via Google Smart Lock

If you’re concerned about keeping your passwords safe from apps and websites, the best way to do this is to sync through Google Smart Lock, which automatically stores logins/passwords entered in Chrome, Gmail or other apps and transfers them to a new device when you log in to the same Google account.

How it works:

1. On your old phone, check that password sync is enabled: Settings → Google → Managing a Google Account → Security → Passwords.
2. Make sure the Autofill option is active: Settings → System system → Language and input → Additionally. → Auto-fill → Google.
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Google account and enable the same settings.
4. When you first start the application (for example, Instagram or SberBank Online), the system will prompt you to enter the saved password.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔑 Works for most popular services (Vkontakte, Odnoklassniki, banks, mail).
• 🔄 Synchronization occurs in the background – you do not need to carry anything manually.
• 🛡️ Data is encrypted and stored in the Google cloud (more reliable than third-party backup managers).

Limitations:

• ❌ It does not work for applications where the password is tied to the device (for example, Google Authenticator or some enterprise messengers).
• ❌ If the old phone is disabled sync, passwords will not be saved.

💡

Before transferring, check the list of saved passwords in your Google account: click on passwords.google.com (opens in your browser), where you can delete outdated entries or add missing ones.

3. Manual transfer via cable (for power users)

If you need to transfer all data without exception, including application files, cache and settings, you can use a direct cable connection using the ADB (Android Debug Bridge: This technique requires a little bit of technical knowledge, but allows you to copy even the data that standard tools don’t take.

What you need:

• 📱 Two Xiaomi smartphones (old and new).
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 💻 Computer with installed ADB-Drivers and Platform Tools.

Step-by-step:

1. On both phones, turn on Developer Mode: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 times).
2. Activate USB Debugging: Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging by USB.
3. Connect both phones to your PC and execute the commands: Adb devices (both devices must be displayed).
4. Create a backup of an old phone: adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab (no password for the archive).
5. Restore the backup on your new phone: adb restore backup.ab

It's a method that replicates all the data applications, but:

• ✅ Even game settings are saved (e.g., progress in Genshin Impact).
• ✅ Some licenses are transferred (but not all – depending on the application protection).
• ❌ Not all applications are properly restored (especially banking applications).
• ❌ Requires unlocking the bootloader on some models (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro).

⚠️ Note: If the new phone has a newer version MIUI, In addition, some applications may not recover due to incompatibility. API. Before transferring, check the firmware versions!

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

If you don't like Xiaomi's built-in tools, you can use third-party backup managers, the most popular ones being Titanium Backup (requires root rights) and Swift Backup (works on some firmware without root).

• 📦 Save applications along with data (APK + Data).
• 🔄 Transfer system application settings.
• 🔐 Export passwords from some managers (e.g. KeePass).

How to use Swift Backup (without root):

1. Install the app on both phones.
2. On the old device, select “Create a backup” and mark the desired applications.
3. Save the backup to Google Drive or copy the file to your PC.
4. On the new phone, recover data from the backup.

Warnings:

• ⚠️ Titanium Backup requires unlocked bootloader and root rights – this will cancel the warranty on new Xiaomi models.
• ⚠️ Some banking applications (SberBank, Tinkoff) block work on phones with root.
• ⚠️ Transfer of system applications can lead to failures MIUI.

The alternative for non-rooted devices is Rarlab's App Backup & Restore. APK-files and data of some applications, but does not guarantee password transfer.

5. Transfer applications with device-binding (Netflix, banks, games)

Some apps (e.g. Netflix, Disney)+, Banking clients or games with DRM-They're connected to a particular device, and when they're transferred to a new Xiaomi, they may require re-activation or they may not work at all:

For streaming services (Netflix, Disney)+, Kion):

• 🔑 Before transferring, untie the device in the settings of the service account.

For banking applications (SberBank, Tinkoff, VTB):

• 🏦 Most banks require re-activation through SMS or.

For account-based games (Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail):

• 🎮 Make sure the game is linked to Google Play Games, Facebook, or your own developer account.
• 🔄 After installing the game on the new phone, log in to the same account - progress will be automatically pulled up.
• ⚠️ If the game is tied to a device (for example, some Gacha games), contact support for the account transfer.

💡

For applications with DRM-The most reliable way to protect (for example, Netflix or SberBank) is manually re-activated. Automatic data transfer can lead to the blocking of an account.

6. data transfer via Nearby Share (for the purpose of MIUI 14+)

If you're on Xiaomi MIUI 14 or later (e.g. Redmi Note 12, Xiaomi 13, POCO F5), You can use the Nearby Share feature, which is the equivalent of Google's AirDrop, which allows you to quickly transfer files, including: APK-Application installers, but not data.

How to move applications:

1. On your old phone, turn on Nearby Share: Settings → Connections and sharing → Nearby Share.
2. Select the apps you want to migrate (for example, through Files or Play Store) → Library).
3. Click “Send” and select a new phone from the list of devices.
4. On the new phone, confirm receipt and install APK-file.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ Only transferred APK-files, without data and settings.
• ❌ It does not work for system applications (Camera, Gallery).
• ✅ It does not require internet and is faster than the Mi Mover.

To transfer these applications, you can combine Nearby Share with Swift Backup:

1. Create a backup of the desired applications through Swift Backup.
2. Send the backup file to your new phone via Nearby Share.
3. Restore data on the new device.

7.What to do if the applications do not work after the transfer?

Sometimes even after a successful transfer, some programs refuse to start.

Check for updates in the Play Market|Clear the cache and application data|Reinstall the application again|Check the permissions (Settings) → Annexes → Permits)|Contact the support service (for banks/streaming)-->

Typical errors and decisions:

If the problem persists, try:

• 🔍 Install the old version of the application (download from APKMirror).
• 🔧 Enable Compatibility Mode for the Application: Settings → Annexes → [name] → Additionally. → Change the size → Compatibility mode.
• 📧 Write in support of the service with the phone model and version MIUI.

⚠️ Note: If payment systems (Google Pay, SberPay) have stopped working after the transfer, check SafetyNet status through the SafetyNet Test application.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer between Xiaomi