How to Transfer All Data from One Android to Xiaomi Redmi: Full Guide

Buying a new Xiaomi Redmi smartphone is always a pleasant thrill, but the inevitable task ahead is to transfer all digital life from the old device. Modern technology allows you to perform this procedure as quickly as possible, but there are many nuances that depend on the version of the operating system and the manufacturer of the previous gadget. If you move from another Android smartphone, the process will be smoothest thanks to the built-in tools of the ecosystem.

In this article, we will take a look at all the ways you can migrate information, from using the Mi Mover utility to Google’s cloud services, how to keep your folder structure, Wi-Fi passwords, and even your desktop icons in place, and getting both devices ready before you start is a guarantee that no photo or important contact will be lost when you change your device.

It’s worth noting that switching to a MIUI shell or a new HyperOS has its own peculiarities in managing permissions and file access. So standard copying methods may work differently than on Android’s stock. We’ll look at proven action algorithms that guarantee the integrity of your data and minimize downtime.

Preparing devices for data migration

Before you start any manipulation, make sure that both smartphones are ready to work. Charge the old phone and the new Xiaomi Redmi to at least 60-70%, as the process of transferring a large amount of data can significantly consume battery power.

Clean up the memory of your old device from unnecessary garbage to speed up the process of scanning and transferring files. Remove unused apps and duplicate photos that you no longer need. This will not only save time, but also avoid transferring system debris to the clean system of the new Redmi.

Make sure both devices are USB debugging enabled (although this is not always critical for wireless methods, sometimes required) and allow unknown sources to connect if you install utilities manually. Check for free space on the new Xiaomi - the amount of memory available should exceed the size of the data being ported.

Using the Mi Mover app for full cloning

The most effective and recommended way for Xiaomi app owners is to use the Mi Mover app, which is designed specifically for data migration between devices running MIUI, but also supports working with other Android smartphones, the main advantage of the method is the ability to transfer not only media files, but also system settings, alarm clocks, notes and even app placement.

To get started on the new Xiaomi Redmi, find the app in the Tools folder or download it from Google Play if it is missing. On the old Android device, you will also need to install Mi Mover. After you start on the new phone, select the Recipient role, and on the old one, the Sender. The application will create a Wi-Fi hotspot that the old device will need to connect to.

⚠️ Note: During the creation of a Wi-Fi hotspot, the Internet on both phones may temporarily disappear, as the communication module will be busy transferring data between devices directly.

Once the connection is successful, the system will suggest selecting data categories to transfer, and you can select all of them at once, or you can only mark specific file types, such as Contacts, Messages, Applications and Files, and the copying process is quick enough by using the direct data protocol, bypassing external servers.

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If the process is stuck in the scanning phase, try restarting both smartphones and disabling VPNs or antivirus programs that may block the local connection.

Sync through Google Account and Cloud Services

An alternative and often more reliable way is sync through a Google account, ideal for those who want to save contacts, calendar, Google Keep notes and Chrome browser history. When you first turn on the new Xiaomi Redmi, the system will prompt you to log into your Google account, after which you will automatically download data from the cloud.

For photos and videos, Google Photos is the best option. Make sure your old device has Autoboot and Sync enabled. Once all the images are displayed in the cloud, just log in to the same account on the new Redmi and the entire library is instantly accessible, taking up minimal space in the phone’s memory thanks to the “Saving Space” feature.

However, it is worth remembering that this method will not tolerate the settings of the applications themselves, logins in social networks (except those using Google login) and files stored outside the system folders, which is more a way to store important information than a complete cloning of the system.

Manual transfer of multimedia and documents

Sometimes, automatic systems can malfunction or miss certain types of files, like documents in the Downloads folder or files from messengers, in which case manual copying helps. You can connect both phones to your computer through a computer. USB-cable and copy the contents of folders DCIM, Download and Pictures.

Another effective method is to use the “Sharing with the environment” (formerly Nearby Share), built into Android, which allows you to quickly transfer files between any Android devices without installing additional software. Just highlight the desired files in the gallery or file manager, click “Share” and select a new Redmi from the list of available devices nearby.

When manually transferring, it is important to keep the folder structure, especially for media files. If you just put photos in the root folder, Xiaomi may not immediately index them or sort them by date, breaking the albums.

For those who are active in document management, it is recommended to check the folders of specific applications, for example, files from Telegram or WhatsApp are often stored in hidden directories Android/media or Android/data, access to which is limited in new versions of Android, and you may need a special file manager with extended rights.

Migration of data messengers: WhatsApp and Telegram

Messengers deserve special attention, as they store correspondence and media files in their secure databases. For Telegram, the process is as simple as possible: all chats, channels and media are stored in the cloud. You just install an application on the new Redmi, enter a phone number and confirmation code, and the entire history of correspondence will be downloaded automatically.

WhatsApp is more complicated, as the default correspondence history is stored locally or in Google Drive. Before switching to a new phone, be sure to back up in WhatsApp settings on your old device (Settings → Chats → Backup).

⚠️ Note: When restoring WhatsApp to a new device, use the same phone number and Google Drive account, otherwise the backup will not be found or offered for recovery.

When you first run WhatsApp on Xiaomi Redmi, the app will detect the backup in the cloud and offer to restore the message history. If you use a local backup (on a memory card or in internal memory), it must first move to the folder. WhatsApp/Databases on a new phone before installing the app.

Solving problems and errors during transfer

Users may face various difficulties migrating, often due to incompatibility of Android versions or aggressive power savings on Xiaomi, which can kill the background transfer process. If the transfer is interrupted, try disabling battery optimization for the Mi Mover app in the new phone settings.

Another common problem is that some apps are missing after the port, which happens if the app was not installed from Google Play but downloaded from a third-party source, or if it is not compatible with the new version of Android, in which case the system will have to be manually updated through the app store.

If contacts are not displayed correctly (duplicate or unnamed) after transfer, check the display settings in the Contacts app. SIM-The card, and the phone defaults to the Google account, you need to select the option "All contacts" or import data from the Google account. SIM-memory-card.

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The most common mistake is interrupting the process because of the transition to sleep screen mode: do not lock the screens of phones until the data transfer is complete.

The final step should always be to check the integrity of the data, go through the gallery, contact list and main applications to make sure nothing is lost, and then you can start actively operating the new Xiaomi Redmi and customize personalization for yourself.