How to transfer data to the new Xiaomi Redmi from your old phone

Buying a new smartphone is always a celebration, but it is often overshadowed by the need for a long and tedious migration of information. Owner Xiaomi or Redmi can face confusion when he sees a blank screen of a fresh device, while the old phone stores thousands of photos and important contacts. Fortunately, modern technology allows you to solve this problem in just a few touches using built-in tools of the ecosystem MIUI or HyperOS.

The process of cloning information has become much easier in recent years, so you no longer have to manually create lists of numbers or transfer files through cloud storage, although these methods have not been canceled either. The main task is to choose the right way that will save you time and ensure the safety of all media files. Below we will discuss in detail all the options available, from wireless transmission to PC use.

The most important thing is to take your time and prepare in advance. Make sure both devices have sufficient battery life, as the process can take anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours depending on the amount of data. The Wi-Fi access point created by a new phone can be unstable, so keep the devices no more than 1-2 meters apart during transmission. This is a critical nuance, ignoring which often leads to errors in the final stages of copying.

Preparation of devices before the migration

Before you run any program-migrants, you need to do basic training of both gadgets. the old phone should be cleaned of garbage, remove unnecessary applications and check for system updates. on the new Xiaomi is also worth checking the version of MIUI, as older versions of the firmware can contain bugs that interfere with the correct connection.

Be sure to connect both devices to a power source or make sure the charge is at least 60-70%.The data transfer process, especially over Wi-Fi Direct, actively consumes energy.If the phone runs out in the middle of the process, you risk getting damaged archives or losing some contacts.

⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to interrupt the transmission process by turning off the screen or running other heavy apps on your old phone.This can cause the transmission service to freeze and you need to start the procedure again.

It's also worth freeing up space on a new device if it's already been used.The built-in port utility requires a certain amount of free memory to temporarily buffer data. Check if Bluetooth and geolocation are enabled, as they're often used for the initial handshake between devices.

Using the Mi Mover app for Android

The most effective and native way for owners of Xiaomi equipment is to use the system application Mi Mover. It is preinstalled on all modern models of Redmi and Poco, and also available for installation on older versions of Android. This tool allows you to transfer contacts, messages, call logs, photos, videos, music, documents and even system settings.

You can run the program through the settings menu or find it in the Tools folder. When you first start, the application will ask permissions to access files and contacts. You will need to choose the device role: "Sender" (old phone) or "Recipient" (new Xiaomi).

• 📱 On your old phone, select “I am the sender” and scan. QR-code displayed on the screen of the new device.
• 📂 Select data categories to transfer: you can eliminate large video files if you want to speed up the process.
• 🚀 Press the “Send” button and wait until the end (progress bar) without unlocking the device screens.

The Mi Mover can transfer data speeds up to 20-40 MB/s, which is much faster than Bluetooth. However, some system applications and passwords from banking programs cannot be ported for security reasons. Once the process is complete, the new phone will offer a reboot to apply all settings.

Transferring data from iPhone (iOS) to Xiaomi

iPhone owners who choose to switch to Android often worry about data loss, but Xiaomi has this scenario in mind. The Mi Mover app has an iOS version that needs to be downloaded from the App Store. The process is similar to porting to Android, but has its limitations dictated by the closedness of Apple's operating system.

Once you install the app on your iPhone and connect to the Wi-Fi network created by the new phone, you will start scanning, and you will be able to migrate contacts, photos, videos and calendar events. Note that apps purchased from the App Store will not work on Android, as these are different ecosystems with different.ipa and.apk file formats.

To transfer media and contacts, follow the instructions:

1. Run Mi Mover on Xiaomi and select Recipient.
2. On the iPhone, launch the app and scan. QR-code.
3. Confirm the connection on both screens.
4. Select the data and start the process.

⚠️ Note: iMessage and FaceTime messages cannot be ported to Android devices, and you can’t move in-app purchases and save game progress unless they support cross-platform sync.

Sync with Mi Account and Google Account

Cloud sync is the gold standard for anyone who wants to access their data from any device. If you’ve used Xiaomi before, all your contacts, notes, and voice recordings can already be saved to Mi Cloud.

For users switching from another Android, Google Account is critical. When you enter a Google account on a new device, the system automatically prompts you to restore your contact list, calendar, and even the placement of icons on your desktop. Photos and videos, if Google Photos is enabled, will also be automatically downloaded.

The advantages of the cloud method:

• ☁️ The data is stored securely and is independent of the physical condition of the old phone.
• 🔄 Automatic update: added contact on the tablet – it appeared on the phone.
• ⚙️ Minimum user participation: Entering a password is sufficient.

But there's a downside to this method, which is that the speed depends on the Internet connection, and if you have a tariffed traffic or a weak signal, it can take a long time or cost money to download gigabytes of photos, and it's recommended that you do the initial sync over Wi-Fi.

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Use the Find Device feature in Mi Account, which not only helps you find your lost phone, but also allows you to remotely lock it or erase data in case of theft, which is especially important when selling an old phone.

Manual copying through a computer

Sometimes wireless methods are unstable, or you need to transfer a very large amount of data (for example, the data is not very reliable, 200+ In such cases, the good old-fashioned method of connecting via USB-The cable remains the most reliable. You will need a computer with drivers installed (usually Windows). 10/11 It is installed automatically and a high-quality cable.

Connect your old phone to your PC, select File Transfer (MTP) mode in notifications. Copy DCIM (photo and video), Music, Download, and others to your computer's hard drive. Then plug in the new Xiaomi, wait for its definitions in the system, and copy the data to the appropriate directories.

The structure of folders on Android is important for the correct display of media files:

The good thing about this is that you create a local backup on your computer, and if something goes wrong in the process of transferring to a new phone, the original files will stay intact on your hard drive, and the USB 3.0 transfer speed can be many times faster than Wi-Fi.

Solving Frequent Problems and Errors

Despite the fact that the processes are fine, users sometimes face difficulties, such as a new phone may not see the old one, or the transmission is cut off by 99%. Often the reason lies in energy saving: the Android system on the old device can “kill” the background transfer process, considering it to be excessively consuming battery.

To avoid this, on the old phone, in the battery settings, find the Mi Mover app and select No Limits mode. VPN-If the error repeats, try restarting both devices and clearing the cache of the migratory application.

Another common problem is format incompatibility: some specific files from very old phones (like Nokia or Sony Ericsson) may not be recognized, so you might want to use PC copying, where you can manually rename file extensions or convert them.

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If the transmission is interrupted constantly, try the cold start method: turn off both phones completely, turn on only the new one, start the Mi Mover, and only then plug in the old phone.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)