Seamlessly Transfer Data Between Xiaomi Phones: A Comprehensive Guide

Upgrading to a new Xiaomi phone is exciting, but the thought of transferring all your precious data – contacts, photos, apps, and more – can be daunting. Thankfully, Xiaomi offers multiple convenient methods to make this transition smooth and hassle-free. This comprehensive guide will walk you through various techniques, offering step-by-step instructions to ensure all your data makes it safely to your new device. Whether you’re a tech novice or a seasoned pro, you’ll find the method that best suits your needs.

Why Transfer Data?

Before diving into the how-to, let’s briefly discuss why transferring data is essential. Your smartphone is likely a repository of vital information: personal contacts, cherished memories captured in photos and videos, important documents, your preferred apps, and even personalized settings. Starting fresh on a new phone might mean losing access to these things, causing frustration and a significant amount of time spent reconfiguring everything. Data transfer saves you this hassle, allowing you to pick up your new device and use it as if nothing has changed.

Methods for Transferring Data Between Xiaomi Phones

Xiaomi provides multiple methods for transferring data. We’ll explore the most popular and efficient options:

1. Mi Mover: Xiaomi’s Dedicated Transfer App
2. Google Backup and Restore
3. Local Backup and Restore (via Internal Storage or SD Card)
4. Third-Party Apps (for select data)

1. Mi Mover: Xiaomi’s Dedicated Transfer App

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s dedicated app designed specifically for data transfer between Xiaomi devices. It’s often the fastest and most convenient option, and it supports a wide range of data types. Here’s how to use it:

Preparation:

• Download and Install: Ensure Mi Mover is installed on both your old and new Xiaomi phones. It usually comes pre-installed, but if not, you can download it from the Google Play Store or the Xiaomi App Store.
• Connect to Wi-Fi: Ensure both phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. While Mi Mover can use a direct Wi-Fi connection, a common network is generally more stable.
• Battery Levels: Make sure both phones have sufficient battery charge, preferably above 50%, to prevent interruptions during the transfer process.

Steps:

1. Open Mi Mover on both phones: Launch the Mi Mover app on both your old and new Xiaomi phones.
2. Select Roles:
   • On your old phone, tap “I’m a sender.”
   • On your new phone, tap “I’m a receiver.”
3. Establish Connection: Your new phone will now display a QR code. Use your old phone to scan this QR code using the built-in scanner in the Mi Mover app on your old device. This will establish a direct Wi-Fi connection between the two phones.
4. Select Data to Transfer: Once the connection is established, a list of data types will be displayed on your old phone. This may include Contacts, Messages, Call History, Photos, Videos, Music, Documents, App data (including settings and saved progress), and System settings. Choose the categories you wish to transfer by ticking the relevant checkboxes. You can also select all items for a complete transfer.
5. Start Transfer: After you’ve selected the data, tap the “Send” or “Start Transfer” button. The transfer process will begin, and you can monitor its progress on both devices.
6. Wait for Completion: Depending on the amount of data being transferred, the process may take a few minutes to an hour or even longer. Do not interrupt the transfer process, as this could result in data loss or errors. You’ll receive a notification on both phones when the transfer is complete.
7. Enjoy your new device: After successful transfer, you can start using your new Xiaomi phone with all your data seamlessly moved.

Advantages of Mi Mover:

• Speed: Mi Mover is generally faster than other methods, especially for large files.
• Ease of Use: The app has a user-friendly interface, making it easy for anyone to use.
• Comprehensive Transfer: It supports a broad range of data types, including app data and settings.
• No Internet Required: While it’s advisable to be on a common Wi-Fi network, Mi Mover also uses a direct Wi-Fi connection.

Troubleshooting Mi Mover:

• Connection Issues: If devices are unable to connect using the QR code, verify that both phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Ensure that the Wi-Fi is stable, as interference could prevent the connection. If it fails, try using the manual Wi-Fi Direct connection option within the Mi Mover app. Also, temporarily disable any firewalls or VPNs that may block the connection.
• Slow Transfer Speeds: If transfer speeds are slow, check your Wi-Fi connection strength and try moving both phones closer to the router. You can also try minimizing background apps and processes on both devices, as this can improve performance.
• Incomplete Transfer: If the transfer doesn’t complete or certain data is missing, ensure both phones have adequate storage space for the selected data. Also try doing a selective transfer of specific data categories, rather than everything at once, this may help to narrow down the issue.

2. Google Backup and Restore

Google’s backup and restore feature is another reliable method for transferring data, though it’s more focused on backing up your Google account-related information rather than the whole phone’s data. This includes contacts, app data, calendar entries, and some settings. It’s often used as a supplement to other transfer methods for greater data security.

Preparation:

• Google Account: Ensure your old Xiaomi phone is signed in to your Google account.
• Backup Enabled: On your old Xiaomi phone, go to Settings > Google > Backup (or System > Backup, depending on your device’s Android version), and make sure the “Back up to Google Drive” option is enabled. Also ensure that you have enabled the automatic backup option.
• Sufficient Cloud Storage: Verify you have enough free space on your Google Drive. Google provides a default 15GB free storage space, shared across your Gmail, Drive, and Photos.
• Wi-Fi Connection: A stable Wi-Fi connection is recommended for faster backups and restore.
• Backup Timing: It’s wise to back up your data just before initiating the transfer to ensure the most up-to-date information is backed up.

Steps:

1. Initiate a manual backup (Optional): If your last backup was not recently done, it is advisable to force a backup. On your old phone, go to Settings > Google > Backup (or System > Backup) and tap the “Back up now” option. Allow this process to complete.
2. Setup New Phone: On your new Xiaomi phone, turn it on, and go through the initial setup process, and connect to a Wi-Fi Network.
3. Sign in with Google Account: When prompted, sign in to the same Google account that you used on your old phone.
4. Restore Data: During the setup process, your new phone will detect a Google backup associated with your account. You’ll be prompted to restore this backup. Follow the onscreen instructions to restore your apps, contacts, and settings. This will start to download the data.
5. Wait for Completion: The restore process will take time depending on the size of your backup and the speed of your connection. Allow the process to complete without interruptions.
6. Download remaining apps: Once the restore is complete, you may need to wait for some apps to be downloaded from the Play store, based on the settings backed up.

Advantages of Google Backup and Restore:

• Cloud-Based: Your data is securely backed up in the cloud, meaning you don’t need a physical connection between the two devices.
• Automatic Backups: Once configured, backups are performed automatically, ensuring your data is always protected.
• Easy Setup: It integrates seamlessly with the initial phone setup, making restoration easy.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: While you are going from a Xiaomi device to another, if you ever go to a non-Xiaomi device, this backup can also be restored.

Limitations of Google Backup and Restore:

• Not Comprehensive: It doesn’t backup everything. Some data, such as media files (photos and videos) and specific app data, may not be included.
• Requires Internet: A stable and fast internet connection is needed for both backups and restores.
• Size Limitations: Google provides a limited amount of free cloud storage (15GB) which may not be enough for full backups of all media files.

Troubleshooting Google Backup and Restore:

• Backup Not Found: If your new phone does not detect any backups, ensure that backups are enabled and that a backup was completed on your old phone. Also verify that you are using the correct Google account.
• Restore Errors: If restore fails, ensure that you are logged in with the same Google account and the network connection is stable. You can also try clearing the Google Play Store cache and try again.
• Slow Restores: If the process is slow, check your internet connection speed and avoid using the phone extensively while it is restoring.
• Missing Data: If certain data is missing, you may need to use a different method like Mi Mover, or check if the missing data (especially media) were backed up correctly before.

3. Local Backup and Restore (via Internal Storage or SD Card)

Local backups provide another way to transfer data, using your phone’s internal storage or an external SD card. This method works particularly well when you have a large amount of data and a reliable connection is not available. Local backups typically include all data, similar to what you get using Mi Mover. However, you will manually need to copy this data to the new device.

Preparation:

• Sufficient Storage: Verify that you have enough storage space on your old phone’s internal storage or SD card to store the backup.
• Backup Method: Make sure you have access to the old phone either by a USB cable connection to a computer or by an SD card.

Steps:

Creating a Local Backup on your old phone:

1. Open Settings: On your old Xiaomi phone, go to Settings.
2. Locate Backup: Navigate to the “About phone” section. Then, tap on “Backup & Restore”. You may need to tap on “Additional settings” to access this option in certain MIUI versions.
3. Select Backup Method: Select either “Backup to mobile phone” or if available, “Backup to SD Card” (if you have an external SD card installed.)
4. Select Data to Include: Select what you want to backup, similar to Mi Mover. This will include System data, Apps, and User data. Choose the items and then tap on “Backup”. This process can take some time.
5. Locate the Backup File: Once the backup is complete, note the path of the folder where the backup is saved. Typically it will be located inside a “MIUI” folder and then inside a sub-folder called “backup”. It will have a timestamp to indicate when the backup was made. If the backup was done on the SD card, ensure you have access to the SD Card, as that will be used in the next steps.

Restoring Local Backup on your New phone:

1. Copy Backup File: If the backup was in the internal storage, connect your old phone to a computer using a USB cable and transfer the backup folder from the old phone to the computer, then connect your new phone and copy this folder into the same directory path in the new phone. If the backup was done on the SD card, insert the SD card into your new phone.
2. Open Settings: On your new Xiaomi phone, go to Settings.
3. Locate Backup: Navigate to the “About phone” section. Then, tap on “Backup & Restore”. You may need to tap on “Additional settings” to access this option in certain MIUI versions.
4. Select Backup Method: Choose the Restore option and select the “Restore from mobile device” or “Restore from SD card” if the backup is on the SD Card. Choose the appropriate backup by its timestamp to restore.
5. Start Restore: Select the backup file from the relevant folder, and tap on “Restore” to begin the restore process.
6. Wait for Completion: Allow the restore process to complete. This will also take time depending on the size of the backup.
7. Reboot: You may need to reboot your new device after the restore is completed.

Advantages of Local Backup and Restore:

• Comprehensive Backup: Local backups can include all data, similar to a Mi Mover backup.
• No Internet Required: This method works entirely offline, making it ideal when you don’t have a reliable internet connection.
• Control Over Data: You have full control over the backed-up data, with backups saved as files on the internal storage or SD card.

Limitations of Local Backup and Restore:

• Manual Copying: You need to manually copy the backup file from the old device to the new device or from an SD card.
• Storage Space Limitations: The backup size is limited by the storage available on your old device’s internal storage or SD card.
• Time-consuming: The process involves several steps, and copying large backup files can take a considerable time.
• Error Prone: There is a higher risk of errors and data corruption as it involves manual file transfer.

Troubleshooting Local Backup and Restore:

• Backup Not Found: Make sure the backup folder is copied to the correct folder in the new device. Also verify that you are using the restore option from the backup files.
• Restore Errors: Check to ensure that the backup is not corrupted, or that there was adequate storage to complete the backup or restore process.
• Missing Data: Ensure that all relevant data was backed up, and the backup folder was copied correctly.

4. Third-Party Apps (For Select Data)

While the previously mentioned methods should cover most scenarios, specific apps can facilitate transferring certain types of data, such as contacts or media files. These apps are typically used for specific data types and usually not for complete system transfers. Some of the common apps include:

• ShareMe/Xender: These are popular file-sharing apps that can quickly transfer photos, videos, music, and documents between devices. They also support app transfers (APK files), which can be useful if certain apps are not available on the Play Store.
• Cloud Storage Services (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive): You can upload your photos, videos, documents, and other files to these services, then access them on your new phone. This method does not transfer any apps or app data.
• Contact Backup Apps: If the other methods don’t work, specific contact backup apps can back up contacts to a vCard file (VCF). You can share the VCF file and restore to the new device.

Advantages:

• Flexibility: Can transfer specific types of data.
• Quick for Specific Tasks: Suitable for sharing files and media quickly.

Limitations:

• Not Comprehensive: They do not support a complete system transfer.
• Requires Installation: You’ll need to install the specific app on both devices.
• Security Concerns: Ensure that third-party apps you are installing are trusted.

Choosing the Right Method

Selecting the best data transfer method depends on your specific needs and circumstances:

• Mi Mover: Ideal for most Xiaomi users who want a fast, comprehensive transfer of all their data. It’s the primary method for transitioning to a new Xiaomi device.
• Google Backup and Restore: A good supplementary option for backing up and restoring your Google account-related data like contacts, calendar events, and some app data. It’s also useful for a backup layer.
• Local Backup and Restore: A strong alternative for when you don’t have a reliable internet connection. Useful when a comprehensive backup is required and manual transfer is not a concern.
• Third-Party Apps: Useful for transferring specific files (like media) or when other methods aren’t convenient.

Conclusion

Transferring data between Xiaomi phones doesn’t have to be a headache. With a variety of methods at your disposal, from Xiaomi’s dedicated Mi Mover to Google’s backup services and local backups, you can choose the approach that best suits your needs and skill level. Carefully follow the steps outlined in this guide, and you can look forward to seamlessly enjoying your new Xiaomi device with all your data intact. Always remember to verify your data after transfer, and ensure that all crucial information is accessible.

By following these detailed instructions, you can confidently transfer your data and enjoy a smooth transition to your new Xiaomi phone. Happy transferring!