How to transfer data from Xiaomi phone to Xiaomi Redmi: all the ways 2026

Transferring files between smartphones in the same ecosystem should be easy — but in practice, Xiaomi and Redmi users face speed, compatibility, or connection stability restrictions. If you need to transfer photos, videos, contacts, or documents from one MIUI device to another, it is important to choose a method that takes into account the amount of data, the firmware version and even the phone model. For example, Mi Share (formerly Mi Drop) runs faster than Bluetooth, but may not be supported on older versions of MIUI 10 or lower, and cloud services like Mi Cloud limit free storage to 5 GB.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to transfer data between Xiaomi and Redmi, including hidden settings to speed up the process and avoid common errors (for example, when devices “can’t see” each other). We will focus on transferring large files (from 10 GB) without loss of quality and with minimal traffic costs. If you switch to the new Redmi Note 13 Pro+ or Xiaomi 14 Ultra, here you will find the best option for your situation.

1. Mi Share (formerly Mi Drop) – a proprietary way from Xiaomi

Mi Share is built into the MIUI A wireless file transfer application that uses a combination of Wi-Fi Direct and Bluetooth to connect. 20-30 MB/s (depending on the model) that 5-10 It's faster than standard Bluetooth, but there's some nuances:

• 📱 It only works on devices with MIUI 11 and newer (on MIUI 10 and old Redmi may be missing).
• 🔗 Requires Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled on both phones (even if they are not connected to the network).
• 📁 Limit on the size of one file – up to 10 GB (for folders – up to 50 GB).

To transfer data via Mi Share:

1. Open the Mi Share app (or find it through a menu search).
2. On the sender phone, select files and click “Send”.
3. On the receiving phone, confirm the reception (the devices should be nearby, within a radius of 5-10 meters).

⚠️ Note: If Mi Share does not find the second device, check if the “Visibility for All” feature is enabled in the app settings (Mi Share) → Settings → Visibility. On some firmware, this option is reset after rebooting.

Turn on Bluetooth on both phones

Activate Wi-Fi (not necessarily connected to the network)

Update Mi Share to the latest version on Google Play

Check the visibility of devices in the application settings-->

2. Bluetooth transmission: when Mi Share is not available

If your devices are running on outdated firmware (MIUI 9 or lower) or Mi Share for some reason does not work, Bluetooth will remain a universal solution. The transfer speed is low - only 1-2 MB / s, but the method is reliable and does not require Internet.

• 📇 Contacts (export to.vcf file).
• 📄 Documents (PDF, DOCX up to 50MB).
• 🎵 Music or small photos (up to 100 pcs.).

Instructions:

1. On the sender phone, open the file manager (Files or Explorer).
2. Select files → Share → Select Bluetooth.
3. Select your target device from the list (if not, turn on Bluetooth visibility on the second phone).
4. Confirm Redmi.

To speed up the process, you can archive files in ZIP (through the same file manager), which will reduce the number of transfers, but will not affect the speed.

⚠️ Attention: Xiaomi/Redmi s MIUI 14 Bluetooth can automatically shut down via 10 minutes of inactivity. To avoid this, go to Settings → Bluetooth → Additionally. → Time-out connections and set “Never».

Mi Share (Wi-Fi Direct)

Bluetooth

Cloud services (Mi Cloud, Google Drive)

Cable OTG/adapter

Another option-->

3. Wi-Fi Direct: Mi Share alternative for large files

Wi-Fi Direct allows you to transfer files at speeds up to 50 MB/s (in theory, but in practice) Xiaomi/Redmi it rarely exceeds 10-15 MB/s. The main advantage is that there are no limits on file sizes (unlike Mi Share), but setting up a connection requires more action:

How to set up Wi-Fi Direct:

1. On both phones, go to Settings → Wi-Fi → Wi-Fi Direct.
2. Activate the function and wait for the devices to detect each other.
3. On the sender phone, select the target device and confirm the connection (entry may be required). PIN-code).
4. Open the file manager, select files, and select the “Send via Wi-Fi Direct” option.

If the connection is interrupted, try:

• 🔄 Reboot both phones.
• 📶 Disable mobile data (they may interfere with the stability of Wi-Fi Direct).
• 🔋 Make sure your battery is above 20% (on some Redmi models, Wi-Fi Direct shuts down when you are low-charged).

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If Wi-Fi Direct doesn’t work, try using Send Anywhere (available on Google Play), which creates a temporary local area network and transfers files at up to 10MB/s with no size restrictions.

4. Cloud services: Mi Cloud vs Google Drive

If you need to transfer data over a distance (for example, each other is in another city) or save a backup, cloud services will be the best solution. Xiaomi offers its own Mi Cloud, but it has strict restrictions:

• 📦 Free storage – only 5 GB (vs. 15 GB of Google Drive).
• 🔄 Download/download speed depends on the Internet connection (mobile traffic can be slow).
• 📱 Contact and Note Sync only works between devices with a Mi Account tied.

How to transfer files via Mi Cloud:

1. On the sender phone, go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Select the data type (such as “Gallery” or “Files”) and enable synchronization.
3. Wait for the download to be completed (you can check the progress in the “Storage Management” section).
4. On the recipient phone, log in to the same Mi Account and download files via Mi Cloud → Gallery/Files.

The alternative is Google Drive or Yandex Disk.

• 📁 Google Drive gives you 15GB free and integrated with Google Photos (easy for transferring media files).
• 🔗 Yandex Disk offers 10GB for free + Invitation bonuses (up to 32 GB).

⚠️ Note: When transmitting video via Mi Cloud in resolution 4K or 8K can shrink 1080p, If you have the option "Storage Optimization" enabled, to avoid loss of quality, turn it off in Mi Cloud. → Settings → Photo optimization.

5. Transmission via OTG cable or adapter

If you don’t have time to set up wireless connections or need to transfer tens of gigabytes (like a.zip backup or 4K video), a physical connection via an OTG cable or USB-C → USB-C adapter will be the most reliable way, with transfer speeds of 40-60 MB/s (depending on the USB version).

What you need:

• 🔌 Cable USB OTG (If you have a microUSB connector on one of the phones).
• 🔄 adapter USB-C → USB-C (modern Redmi/Xiaomi s USB Type-C).
• 📁 File Manager with Support OTG (for example, FX File Explorer or standard files from Xiaomi).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the sender phone to the receiver phone via cable/adapter.
2. On the receiving phone in the notification line will appear a message «USB-tap it and select "File Transfer» (MTP).
3. Open the file manager on the sender phone, find the files you need, and copy them to the Internal Storage folder of the second device.

If the phone does not recognize the connection:

• 🔄 Try another cable (cheap) OTG-Cables often do not support data transmission).
• 📱 Reboot both devices.
• 🔧 Turn on "Debugging by" USB» In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Tap 7 times on the build number, then return to the additional → For developers).

6. Transfer of contacts, SMS and applications

Files are only a part of the data, and if you move to a new Redmi, you'll also need to migrate:

• 📞 Contacts (from the phone book or SIM-map).
• 💬 SMS/MMS (standard application).
• 📱 Installed applications (without data loss).

Method 1: Mi Account (for contacts and SMS)

1. On an old phone: Settings → Mi Account → Synchronization → Contacts/SMS (switch on sync).
2. On the new phone, log in to the same account and wait for automatic synchronization.

Method 2: Export/import via file (works on all versions of MIUI):

1. Contacts: Open Contacts → Contact Management → Import/Export → Export to Device (a.vcf file will be saved).
2. SMS: Use the SMS Backup & Restore app from Google Play (saves messages in XML).

Method 3: Transfer applications with data

To port applications without losing data (for example, progress in games or setting up messengers) use:

• 🔄 Mi Mover (built-in) MIUI, It works very poorly on new models).
• 📦 Titanium Backup (requires root rights).
• ☁️ Backup to the cloud (e.g. Google Drive for some applications).

⚠️ Note: When transferring applications via Mi Mover to Redmi MIUI 14 compatibility errors may occur. Before you start, check if your model supports this feature in Settings. → The phone. → Version. MIUI (It should be marked "Support for Mi Mover»).

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To transfer data from apps (such as WhatsApp or games), it is better to use their built-in backup features. For example, on WhatsApp: Settings → Chat → Backup → save to Google Drive.

Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

The choice of method depends on three factors:

1. The volume of data (small files or tens of gigabytes).
2. Speed (urgent or unlimited time)
3. Convenience (be near devices or transmit data remotely).

Recommendations:

• 📸 For photo/video (up to 10 GB) → Mi Share.
• 📄 For documents/contacts → Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct.
• 💾 For large archives (from 20 GB) → cable OTG.
• 🌍 For remote transmission → Google Drive or Mi Cloud.

FAQ: Frequent questions