Switching Between Xiaomi, Vivo, And Oppo Phones Just Got Easier (Updated)

Ryan Haines/Android Authority

TL; doctor

Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi have announced better data transfer functions.
This will allow you to transfer data from third-party apps when you switch phones.
We don't know if this feature will reach global markets.

Switching between different brands of Android phones isn't the worst experience in the world, but it sure is the best. Now Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo have announced an agreement to enable smoother data transfers.

The trio announced an improved device transfer feature on Weibo, which allows data from third-party apps to be transferred between phones. This is in addition to the brands offering seamless transfer of system data such as contacts and photos.

This add-on is especially important for Chinese users, because Google Backup functions (such as backup and restore tool, Google Drive, Google Contacts, Google Photos) are not available in the market. However, this can also be a boon for global users, as backing up and restoring data from third-party apps is still quite a challenge on Android phones unless those apps use Google Drive.

Unfortunately, Oppo assured us immediately after the release that this feature is limited to China and that there are no plans to bring it to global markets. But we really hope these companies change their minds because they may still be a useful addition outside of China.

Are you happy with the Google data transfer feature?

54 votes

Regardless, this isn't the first time these brands have teamed up for a smoother experience. Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Realme, Samsung and others formed an alliance a few years back to facilitate faster and more reliable local file sharing. This means that you can use Oppo Share, Mi Share, Vivo Share, Quick Share and other branded sharing methods as an alternative to Google Nearby Share.

Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi have also teamed up a few years ago to allow developers to upload apps to all of their stores at once. This was particularly useful for the Chinese market, where the Play Store is not available. Regardless, we're excited to see mobile brands continue to work together to make things easier for users.