How to Transfer All Data from Old Xiaomi Redmi to New Android: Full Guide 2026

Why standard data porting on Xiaomi often works crooked

Have you bought a new Xiaomi Redmi smartphone or another Android device and want to transfer everything from your old phone: contacts, photos, messages, apps and even Wi-Fi settings? Most users are faced with the fact that built-in migration tools (such as Mi Mover or Google Backup) either do not copy some of the data or give out errors during transfer. In this article, 5 proven ways that are guaranteed to work on Redmi Note 12/13, Redmi 10/11, POCO X5 and others, including devices from Samsung, Realme or Honor.

The main problem with portability is that different versions of MIUI and Android on old and new devices can block the transfer of certain types of files (for example, notes from Mi Notes or data from Mi Fit). In addition, if the old phone was root access or custom firmware, standard methods often fail to work. We will analyze not only official solutions from Xiaomi, but also workarounds for complex cases - while preserving the history of calls, passwords from Wi-Fi and even progress in games.

Method 1: Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s official tool (quickly but with limitations)

The Mi Mover app is pre-installed on all Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones and is designed to wirelessly transfer data between devices of this brand.

• 📞 Contacts (including groups and selected groups)
• 📷 Photo and video (in original resolution)
• 💬 Communications (SMS and MMS)
• 📱 Annexes (APK-file + data from some of them)
• 🔊 Sound files and alarm settings

However, there are nuances: Mi Mover does not carry Wi-Fi passwords, data from some banking applications (due to security restrictions) and files from secure folders, and the tool can “hang” during the transfer stage if there is little free space on the old phone (you need at least 10% of the volume of data transferred).

Install Mi Mover on both phones (if removed)|

Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network|

Battery charge >50% on both smartphones |

Free up 1-2 GB of memory on your old phone |

Turn it off. VPN Firewalls (e.g., Avast)-->

Step-by-step:

1. Open Mi Mover on both phones.
2. In the old one, select “I am the sender” and in the new one, “I am the receiver.”
3. Scan it. QR-code from the new phone old (or enter the code) PIN-manually).
4. Select data types for transfer (you can tick everything).
5. Confirm the start of transmission. The process will take 5 to 30 minutes depending on the volume.

⚠️ Note: If the transmission is interrupted 90-99%, Don't restart the process right away. 10 Sometimes the system will doss out the data in the background. If it doesn't work, restart both phones and try again.

Method 2: Google Account – Universal backup (works even for different brands)

Syncing through Google Account is the only method that is guaranteed to work when transferring data from Xiaomi Redmi to a smartphone from another manufacturer (for example, Samsung Galaxy or OnePlus).

• 📇 Contacts (including avatars and birthdays)
• 📅 Calendars and reminders
• 📎 Notes from Google Keep
• 🎵 Music and books (if downloaded to Google Play)
• 📱 Some system settings (language, wallpaper, brightness)

But there are critical limitations: Google does not backup SMS, call history, and most third-party apps (except those that explicitly support cloud sync like WhatsApp or Telegram) and a free Google account only provides 15GB of space – if you have a lot of photos and videos, you will either have to pay for the extension or use another method.

How to set up synchronization:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Google Accounts → Sync.
2. Include sliders for all types of data (contacts, calendar, Chrome, etc.).
3. Wait for the synchronization to be completed (check in Settings → About Phone → Account Status).
4. On the new phone, log in to the same Google account and wait for the automatic download.

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If Google Photos doesn’t upload the video in its original quality, go to the app’s settings and select “High Quality (Unlimited)” instead of “Original” to save space in the cloud without critical loss of detail.

Method 3: Direct transmission over cable (fastest and most reliable)

If you have OTG-cable USB-C → USB-C), You can transfer data directly, like a flash drive. 100% In some cases, even if the phones have different versions of Android or the system is damaged. 40-60 MB/s - in 5-10 faster than Wi-Fi.

What you need:

• 🔌 OTG-cable or adapter (stands) 100-300 ₽)
• 📱 Old phone with unlocked screen
• 🔋 Charging both phones >30%

Instructions:

1. Connect. OTG-cable to the new phone and the old phone to the other end of the cable (like a flash drive).
2. On your old phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. On your new phone, open the File Manager (e.g., Mi File Manager or Files by Google).
4. Copy the right folders: DCIM — Photos and videos Download - Pictures downloads - screenshots Android/data — play-off

.vcf

Contacts

⚠️ Warning: Do not copy the folder Android/obb The whole thing, it could cause a game crash on the new phone, so you better reinstall the games on Google Play and download the data again.

Method 4: Third-party applications (for advanced users)

If the built-in tools didn't work, you can use specialized applications, and we tested 5 popular solutions and selected the best ones:

Recommendation: For most users, Send Anywhere is optimal – it does not require registration and transfers files over a direct Wi-Fi connection (without the cloud). SMS better SMS Backup & Restore with export to XML.

Method 5: Full backup via TWRP (for power users)

If your Xiaomi Redmi has a custom TWRP recap on it, you can create a complete system image and restore it to a new phone.

• 📱 System and application settings
• 🔑 Passwords from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices
• 🎮 Preserve games (even without rooting)
• 📂 Hidden files and folders

Warning: This method is only suitable for phones with an unlocked bootloader and the same processor architecture (e.g., with the Redmi Note 11 on the Redmi Note 12, but not on Samsung).Incorrect backup recovery can lead to a device blink!

Instructions:

1. Install TWRP on both phones (see instructions for your model on 4PDA).
2. On an old phone, go to TWRP and select "Backup".
3. Mark the System, Data, Boot sections and start the backup.
4. Copy the received file to a computer or flash drive.
5. On your new phone in TWRP, select "Restore" and specify the path to the backup.

⚠️ Note: After the recovery of the backup through TWRP The new phone may be unstable (e.g. overheating or rapidly discharged) due to mismatching drivers, in which case reset to factory settings and set the phone manually.

What to do if the data is not moved or damaged

Even if you do the right things, sometimes you have problems, and here are the typical mistakes and the solutions.

• 🔄 Contacts are duplicated: Delete repeated entries through Contacts → Management → Combining and correcting.
• 📸 Photos do not open: Check file extensions (sometimes.jpeg turns into a file extension.jpg_1>). Rename them manually.
• 🎮 Games do not keep progress: For most games (e.g. Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile) link your account to Facebook or Google Play Games before transferring.
• 🔊 No sound in the video: It's because of different codecs. Set up MX Player with support for all formats.

If the phone is slowing down after the transfer, clear the app cache in Settings → Apps → Clear the cache. Also check the free space - sometimes the data takes up more space on the new phone due to a different file system.

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Always check the compatibility of Android versions before transferring data. For example, if the old phone is running Android 10 and the new one is running Android 14, some apps may not recover their data due to changes in the API.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions