Buying a new Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone is always accompanied by a pleasant excitement, but also a certain stress associated with the transfer of information. Device owners are often afraid of losing important contacts, correspondence in messengers or family photos when changing a gadget. Fortunately, the Android ecosystem and the Chinese manufacturer’s branded tools offer several reliable ways of migration that make this process as automated and safe as possible for the user.
Modern methods allow you to clone the contents of an old device almost one to one, even keeping the icons on the desktop. The key here is to choose the right mode of transmission, which depends on the amount of data and the version of the operating system on both devices. In this article, we will discuss all the current options so that you can choose the best for your situation and avoid losing valuable information.
Don't rely on chance or hope that synchronization will go away without you, and getting both devices ready before you start is key to success, and we'll look at both the Mi Mover app as well as alternative methods through cloud services and on-premises backups.
Preparing devices for data migration
Before you start directly copying files, you need to perform a number of preparatory steps, which will avoid connection breaks and errors in the transfer process, first of all, make sure that both smartphones are charged at least 50-60% of the battery, as the process can take a considerable time and consume a lot of energy.
Both devices must be connected to a stable Wi-Fi network. Using a 4G/5G mobile network is not recommended, as traffic can be quickly depleted and the speed of transferring large amounts of data (such as video) will be unstable. Also check that the new Xiaomi has enough free space in memory to accommodate all files from the old phone.
⚠️ Note: If the old device has a screen lock installed (PIN-Android security system may require proof of access rights when trying to copy certain system data or Wi-Fi passwords.
It is recommended to clear the cache of heavy apps on the old phone so as not to carry junk files, this will speed up the process and free up space on the new gadget immediately after it is turned on, and also update all apps on Google Play on both devices to the latest versions to avoid compatibility conflicts.
☑️ Preparation for transfer
Use of the Mi Mover app
The most effective and preferred way for owners of Xiaomi equipment is to use the proprietary utility Mi Mover. This tool is designed specifically for deep integration with the shell of MIUI and HyperOS, allowing you to transfer not only media files, but also system settings, alarm clocks, voice recorders and even desktop layout.
The process starts with installing an app. On a new Xiaomi phone, it is often already built into the system and is in the Tools folder. If you change your device from another brand (such as Samsung or Honor), the app must be downloaded from the Google Play Store or through the built-in GetApps store. After launching on the new device, you need to select the role “I am the recipient”.
- 📲 Run the application on both smartphones and select the corresponding roles: “Sender” on the old and “Recipient” on the new one.
- 🔗 The new device will appear on the new device QR-code that needs to be scanned by the camera of an old phone to create a secure communication channel.
- 📂 After connecting, select data categories for transfer: contacts, messages, gallery, applications and system settings.
Mi Mover transfer speeds are much faster than Bluetooth or cloud storage, because direct Wi-Fi connections are created between devices. The bandwidth allows gigabytes of data to be pumped in minutes. During the process, screens can go out, but you shouldn't interrupt the connection until a successful completion message appears.
What if the Mi Mover can’t see the device?
Synchronization through Google account
An alternative and classic method is to use Google’s cloud profile, which is ideal if you switch from any Android smartphone, as it is native to the operating system. When you first set up the new Xiaomi, the system will offer to restore data from the backup.
To implement this method, you need to make sure that your old phone is synced. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google and make sure that you check the boxes against contacts, calendar, notes and other important items.
When you turn on a new device, log in to the same Google account, and the system will offer to restore applications and data. It is important to understand that photos and videos in this way are not copied directly to the phone, but are uploaded from the Google Photo cloud if the corresponding feature is enabled, which saves space, but requires the Internet to view the archive.
| Parameter | Mi Mover | Google Account | Manual method (PC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed. | High (locally) | Depends on the Internet. | Medium (USB 2.0/3.0) |
| Contacts | Yes. | Yes. | Yes (via vCard) |
| Annexes | Yeah (APK files) | Yes (market references) | No (files only) |
| System settings | Partially. | Minimum. | No. |
Manual transfer of files via computer
If automated systems fail or require the transfer of specific files of large volume (for example, folders with game cache or documentation), the most reliable is the “old-fashioned” method through the computer. USB-Cable and PC, but gives full control over the structure of the files.
Connect your old phone to your computer and select USB File Transfer (MTP) mode. Copy the required folders (usually DCIM for photo, Download for downloads, Documents) to your computer's hard drive. Then connect the new Xiaomi and move the files to the appropriate directories.
⚠️ Note: When you manually copy structured databases (such as WhatsApp or Telegram database files) without using the built-in backup function inside the applications themselves, it may not be possible to restore the correspondence history. This method is only suitable for media files and documents.
For advanced users, there is the option of using the ADB command line, which allows you to make full partition backups. However, for the average user, it is enough to simply copy through Windows Explorer or Finder macOS. The file system of modern smartphones allows you to work with them as with ordinary flash drives.
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Use a USB 3.0 cable or higher if your computer and phones support this standard, which will speed up the transfer of large files several times compared to older USB 2.0 cables.
Transferring the history of correspondence WhatsApp and Telegram
Messengers deserve special attention, as they store their correspondence history in their secure databases. For WhatsApp, the standard procedure requires you to create a backup inside the application itself before switching to a new phone.
Go to Settings → Chats → Backup chats on your old device and click “Create.” Make sure the copy has downloaded to Google Drive. Once you install WhatsApp on the new Xiaomi and type in the same phone number, the system will prompt you to restore the story from the cloud.
With Telegram, everything is simpler: the history of correspondence is stored on the messenger servers. You just need to install the application and log in to the phone number. Secret chats, however, are not portable and remain only on the old device, since they are tied to a particular gadget and do not sync with the cloud.
- 💬 On WhatsApp, make sure to create a fresh backup before resetting your old phone.
- 🔐 Secret chats in Telegram can not be restored on a new device.
- 📸 Telegram’s stickers and privacy settings are synchronized automatically.
Possible problems and solutions
Even if all instructions are followed, there can be technical difficulties, and users often find themselves stuck in a certain percentage of the process or some apps don't get installed, most of the time due to incompatible Android versions or lack of space.
If Mi Mover makes an error, try restarting both phones and disabling VPN or antivirus software that can block a local network connection, and check if the router is running client isolation mode, which prevents devices from seeing each other online.
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If you have a critical data transfer error, you'd better break it down into stages: first move the contacts and the photos, and then install the applications separately.
Some banking applications or corporate clients may not be able to survive security concerns, but they will have to be re-installed and logged in, which is normal Android security behavior that requires verification of the user’s identity on the new hardware.