How to transfer all data from Android to Xiaomi Redmi: from contacts to apps

The transition to a new Xiaomi Redmi smartphone is always an exciting moment, especially if the old device has accumulated years of photos, correspondence and important files. Many users are afraid of losing data or spending hours manually transferring each contact.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to migrate data between Android devices, including Xiaomi’s proprietary tools and Google’s versatile solutions, how to transfer not only media files, but also SMS, call log, Wi-Fi settings and even some application data – without loss of quality and with minimal time.

1.Mi Mover proprietary tool: fast transfer without a computer

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s official application, which is installed by default on all Redmi and POCO smartphones. It allows you to transfer data directly over Wi-Fi, without using cables or cloud services. The main advantage is support for transferring data applications (for example, saves in games or chats in Telegram), which standard Android tools do not know.

To take advantage of the Mi Mover:

• 📱 Make sure that both phones have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled (even if the connection is via cable).
• 🔌 Connect your old phone to your new Redmi USB-OTG Adapter (included in some models) or use wireless mode.
• 📲 On the new Redmi, run Mi Mover (you can find it in the Tools folder or search it for it).
• 🔄 On the old phone, select "Send" mode, on the new one - "Receive".

Important: Mi Mover doesn’t work with all brands, such as Samsung or Huawei, which may have problems transferring app data (only media files and contacts), and the tool can’t tolerate Wi-Fi passwords — you’ll have to type them manually.

Charge both phones at least 50% | Delete unnecessary files from old device | Connect to the same Wi-Fi | Disable VPNs and firewalls

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⚠️ Note: If the old phone is Android 10 or older, and the new Redmi — MIUI 14+, Update Mi Mover to the latest version via Google Play before transferring. Otherwise, the application may “hang” during the connection stage.

2.Move over Google Account: The universal way for any Android

If Mi Mover doesn’t work for some reason (like a non-Chinese brand phone), the most reliable option is Google sync, which works on any Android device, including the Redmi Note 12, Redmi 10C or POCO X5, and the main advantage is that the data is stored in the cloud and can be restored even a month after you set up your new phone.

What exactly is carried through Google:

• 📇 Contacts (including groups and tags)
• 📅 Calendar and events
• 📧 Letters and settings Gmail
• 📸 Photos and videos (if Google Photos is enabled) → Backup)
• 🔑 Wi-Fi Passwords (only on Android 10)+)
• 🎮 Data from some games (if they support Google Play Games)

Step-by-step:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Google → Backup and turn on the option “Download data to Google Drive”.
2. Wait for the sync to complete (the progress can be seen in Settings → Accounts → Google → Sync).
3. On the new Redmi, when you first turn on, select “Copy Data from Old Device” → “From the Cloud” → sign in to the same Google account.
4. Choose which data to restore (you can mark all or only individual categories).

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If contacts are not displayed after the transfer, check the Settings → Annexes → Contacts → Contact Storage – Your Google Account should be selected there, not SIM-map.

OTG Cable Transfer: For Large Data Volumes

If you have tens of gigabytes of photos, video in the 4K Or music files, wireless methods can take too long, and that's where direct connectivity can help. OTG-Most Redmi models (starting with the Redmi Note 8) support USB OTG, This allows you to connect your old phone like a flash drive.

You'll need:

• 🔌 OTG-Adapter (usually included with Redmi, if not, buy for the 100-200 ruble).
• 📱 Old phone with unlocked screen (to confirm access).
• 🔋 Charging of both devices is not less than 30% (when transferring large files, the battery dies quickly).

Instructions:

1. Connect. OTG-Adapter to the new Redmi and to it – cable from the old phone.
2. On the screen of the old phone, select File Transfer (or MTP) mode.
3. On the new Redmi, open Explorer (or any other file application, such as Total Commander).
4. Copy the right folders (DCIM for photo, download, etc.) to internal memory or SD-mapping.

⚠️ Note: Some Redmi models (e.g. Redmi) 9A Redmi 8 has a speed limit on the transmission of OTG — No more than 10 MB/s if you need to move 100+ GB, use the memory card as an intermediate storage or break the transmission into parts.

Mi Mover|Google Account|OTG|Cable Cloud Services (Dropbox, Yandex Drive)|Another way

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4. Computer Transfer: Reliable but Longer

If you have a laptop or a PC on hand, you can use it as a data intermediary, and this is a good way to do this when you:

• 🖥️ You need to make a backup before selling your old phone.
• 📂 Data volume exceeds 50 GB (Wi-Fi may not be able to cope with the problem).
• 🔄 The old phone doesn't support OTG Mi Mover.

Algorithm of action:

1. Connect your old phone to your computer through USB-cable and select the "File Transfer" mode".
2. Copy all the folders you need (DCIM, Pictures, Music, etc.) to your PC hard drive.
3. Disable the old phone, connect the new Redmi and transfer the files back.
4. For contacts and SMS, use programs like MyPhoneExplorer or Samsung Smart Switch (yes, they work with Xiaomi as well).

The advantage of this method is that you have complete control over the process: you can see which files are being copied, you can rename folders or archive data, and minus it, you need an additional device (PC) and more time.

5. Cloud services: Dropbox, Yandex Drive, Telegram

If you have slow internet or little space on Google Drive, alternative cloud services are suitable for transferring individual files (such as documents, archives or small videos), but are inconvenient for full migration.

Comparison of popular services:

There is no strict limit on Telegram, but files are stored only until you delete them.

How to transfer data through Yandex Drive:

1. Install the Yandex Drive app on both phones.
2. On your old phone, upload files to the cloud (you can select the Autoload folder for photos).
3. On the new Redmi, download files back to the device’s memory.

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Cloud services are convenient for transferring individual files, but are not suitable for full system migration. For contacts, SMS and applications, it is better to use Mi Mover or Google Account.

6. Applications and their data portability: what you need to know

One of the hardest things to do when you switch to a new phone is to save the app data, and not all programs can sync through Google or Mi Mover. Here's what you can do:

Methods of transferring data applications:

• 🎮 Games: Most mobile games (e.g. Genshin Impact, Clash of Clans) are linked to a Google Play account, Facebook or a special game profile.
• 💬 Messengers: WhatsApp, Viber and Telegram have built-in backup (see spoiler above).Signal or Skype will require manually exporting chats.
• 📊 Banking applications: Most banks (Sberbank, Tinkoff, VTB) are tied to a phone number. After installing on the new Redmi, you just need to log in via SMS code.
• 📅 Calendars and Notes: If you have used Google Keep or Evernote, the data is synced automatically. MIUI Notes will need to be exported to the file.

For applications that do not support cloud synchronization, you can use:

• 📱 Titanium Backup (requires root rights).
• 🔧 Swift Backup (works without root on some firmware).
• 🖥️ ADB-Backup commands (for advanced users).

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi Redmi with firmware MIUI 13/14 Some system applications (e.g. Calendar or Notes) are not exported through standard means. To transfer their data, use the Backup function in Settings. → The phone. → Backup and reset.

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

Even with proven methods, users face challenges.-5 errors and ways of solving them:

Problem 1: Mi Mover can't see an old phone

• 🔌 Check the cable – it should support data transfer (not all charging cables are suitable).
• 📶 Turn it off. VPN Power saving mode on both devices.
• 🔄 Reboot both phones and try again.

Problem 2: SMS cannot be transferred

• 📱 Install the app SMS Backup & Restore and backup manually.
• 🔧 Some Redmis. SMS stored in a folder /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony — It can be copied through root access.

Problem 3: Photos moved but not displayed in the gallery

• 🖼️ Go to Settings. → Annexes → gallery → Storage and click "Clear Data" (this will reset the cache).
• 🔍 Check if files are hidden in the.nomedia folder (delete this file if you have one).

Problem 4: Applications are installed, but data is lost

• 🎮 For games, check if your account is linked to Google Play or social media.
• 📥 For other apps, try to find the “Restore from Backup” option in their settings.

Problem 5: New Redmi slows down after data transfer

• 🧹 Clear the cache in Settings → Warehouse → Cleanup.
• 🔋 Check if your memory is full (optimal to leave). 10-15% free-flow).
• 🔄 Restart your phone – sometimes the system needs to restart after massive file downloads.

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If you lose your wallpaper or screen settings after you migrate to Redmi, go to Settings → Screen → Screenstyle and select the theme again. Often, system settings are reset when you migrate.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions