Buying a new smartphone is always a thrill, but migrating content from an old device can turn joy into a headache. The owner of the new Xiaomi Redmi 9 wants to start using the gadget right away, rather than spending hours copying contacts and searching for forgotten passwords. Fortunately, the Android ecosystem and the MIUI shell offer several effective ways to solve this problem.
Modern methods allow you to clone almost everything from call lists to desktop icons. In this article, we will discuss how to transfer data from an old phone to the new Android Xiaomi Redmi 9 using built-in tools and third-party services. You will learn about the nuances of working with Mi Mover, Google account and cloud storage.
Whether it’s an old Samsung, Huawei or even an iPhone, the right approach to file preparation will ensure seamless integration into the new digital experience. We’ll look at each step in detail to avoid losing important information in the process.
Preparing devices for migration
Before running any software, you need to do basic training on both smartphones: make sure that the old and new device has at least 50-60% battery charge, and copying large amounts of data, especially photos and videos, can be energy-intensive.
Check for space on Xiaomi Redmi 9. The amount of internal memory of the new phone should exceed the amount of data you plan to transfer.If you move from a device to 64 GB and the new phone has 32 GB, you will have to clean the archives first.
⚠️ Note: Do not interrupt the data transfer process by abruptly removing the battery or restarting the device, this can cause damage to the file system and loss of some information.
It is also recommended to update the system software on both devices to the latest available version, which minimizes compatibility and errors in the operation of port utilities, and a stable connection to Wi-Fi will accelerate the synchronization of cloud data.
For users switching from iOS, you will need to make sure that the iPhone has the latest version of WhatsApp installed and backup enabled in iCloud, a critical step to preserving your correspondence history.
☑️ Ready for transfer
Use of the Mi Mover app
The most efficient and quickest way is to use the proprietary Mi Mover app, which is pre-installed on all Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones, including the model 9. For older Android devices, the app can be downloaded from Google Play or scanned. QR-code on the screen of a new phone.
Run the program on both devices. On Xiaomi Redmi 9, select Receiver, and on the old phone, Sender, and the app will create a temporary Wi-Fi network that the old smartphone needs to connect to to start direct data transmission over the air.
Once connected, the system will suggest selecting data categories to copy.
- 📞 Contacts and call history
- 📸 Photographs, videos and music
- 💬 Communications SMS and MMS
- 📱 Applications and their data (for some programs)
- 📅 Calendar and notes
Transfer speeds depend on the size of the files and the distance between the devices. For large video files, it is better to use cable if the application supports a wired connection, or just be patient. Wi-Fi Direct provides a fairly high speed for most tasks.
What to do if the Mi Mover is frozen?
Synchronization through Google account
A classic method that works seamlessly for any bundle of Android devices. When you first set up Xiaomi Redmi 9, the system will prompt you to log in to your Google account. If you used the same address on your old phone and enabled sync, the data will automatically pull up.
This method is ideal for saving contacts, calendar events, Google Keep notes and photos through Google Photos. It is important to make sure that the old device in the account settings are ticked against all the necessary sync points.
To activate a full backup of settings and application list, go to Settings → System → Backup. Here you can create a fresh copy of data in the cloud before changing your device, ensuring that even if the physical transfer is imperfect, the copy remains on the network.
Transferring Multimedia through Computer
If wireless methods seem too slow or unstable to you, the good old USB cable remains the king of reliability: Connect your old phone to your computer in file transfer mode (MTP) and copy the DCIM, Download, Music and Documents folders to your hard drive.
Then, plug in Xiaomi Redmi 9 and transfer those folders to the appropriate internal memory directories, a technique that is particularly relevant for transferring huge archives of video to 4K, which can be copied over Wi-Fi for hours.
When working with a file system, it is important to keep the folder structure in order for media players and galleries to correctly display content. /DCIM/Camera, And the music is in /Music.
| Method | Speed. | Reliability | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Mover | Tall. | Tall. | Low. |
| Google Sync | Medium | Very high. | Low. |
| USB Cable | Very high. | Tall. | Medium |
| Bluetooth | Low. | Medium | Low. |
Switching Nuances from iPhone (iOS)
iPhone owners are less fortunate because of the closed iOS system, but there is a solution. Apple's Move to iOS app or using Mi Mover in copy mode from the iPhone will help to throw the bulk of the data.
However, there are important limitations: Apps purchased from the App Store won’t be automatically migrated to Google Play, but will have to be re-searched, often in paid form or as analogues, and free apps may require re-authorization.
To transfer photos and videos from the iPhone to Redmi 9, it is best to use the computer as an intermediate, since direct copying of large libraries through the air is often interrupted due to the security features of iOS.
⚠️ Note: iMessage and FaceTime messages won't work on Android. SIM-Deactivate iMessage on your iPhone so you don’t lose it. SMS from other Apple users.
💡
Before selling or disposing of your old iPhone, log out of iCloud and break the device’s link to your account, otherwise the new owner will not be able to activate it.
Restore WhatsApp and Viber
For WhatsApp on Android, it is critical to back up your old phone in Google Drive. When you install the app on Redmi 9 and log in to the same number, the system will offer to restore your correspondence history from the cloud.
The situation is similar with Viber, but backup is created locally or in Google Drive. Make sure you remember the password from your Viber account if you have two-factor authorization, otherwise you can lose access to correspondence.
If you're switching from an iPhone, the process is more complicated. You'll need the Move to iOS app during the initial setup of Redmi 9 to migrate WhatsApp data. Once you set up your phone, you won't be able to move the chats without resetting the settings.
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A backup of WhatsApp in Google Drive must be made from the same Google account you use on the new Xiaomi Redmi 9.