How to Transfer All Data from Android to Xiaomi Redmi Note: Complete Guide 2026

The transition to a new Xiaomi Redmi Note smartphone is always an exciting moment, but with the joy of updating the gadget comes a headache: how to transfer all the data from an old Android device without loss? Contacts, photos, messages, applications — all this needs to be transferred to the new device quickly and safely.

Many users mistakenly believe that it is enough to simply copy files to a flash drive or send them via a messenger. However, this approach can lead to loss of data structure, duplicate files or even loss of important information. For example, transferring contacts through a.vcf file often leads to the loss of associated profile photos, and manual installation of applications does not save their settings and data.

In this article, we will discuss 5 Proven ways to transfer data from any Android to Xiaomi Redmi Note (including Note models) 10/11/12/13 Each method is suitable for different scenarios, from full migration through Mi Mover to selective migration through cloud services, and you will learn how to avoid typical errors and what to do if data is not copied.

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1.Preparation for transfer: what to do before the beginning

Before you start migrating, make sure both devices are ready for the procedure.Neglecting preparation can cause a new smartphone to malfunction or data loss.

On an old Android device, you need to:

• 🔋 Charge the battery to at least 50% (when using wired transfer, the discharge may interrupt the process).
• 📶 Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network (if you plan to use cloud services or Mi Mover).
• 🔒 Delete unnecessary files (cache, duplicate photos) to reduce the amount of data transferred.
• 📱 Check the Android version: on devices older than Android 8.0, some methods may not work (for example, Nearby Share).

On the new Xiaomi Redmi Note:

• 📦 Unpack the device and turn it on. If the smartphone is already configured, reset to factory settings (Settings) → The phone. → Resetting settings. This will eliminate possible data conflicts.
• 🔑 Enter your Mi Account (if any) – you will need it for synchronization.
• 📡 Activate Developer Mode (optional, but will help in case of failure): 7 times click on the Version MIUI In Settings → The phone.

⚠️ Note: If the old phone has data encryption enabled (Settings) → Security → Encryption, transfer via Mi Mover or cable can take 2-3 times longer.

Also check the compatibility of the devices. for example, Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ It supports Wi-Fi 6, and older smartphones may not connect to such networks. In this case, use the access point on the new phone to transfer data.

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2. Method 1: Mi Mover is the official tool from Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a Xiaomi-branded app that allows you to transfer almost all data from the old Android to the new Redmi Note without loss.

• 📞 Contacts (including profile and group photos).
• 📷 Photo and video (folder structure is saved).
• 💬 Communications (SMS and MMS, But not messengers like WhatsApp).
• 🎵 Music and documents.
• 📥 Annexes (only) APK-files, without data inside them).

How to use Mi Mover:

1. On the new Redmi Note, when you first turn on, select Transfer Data to the settings menu. If your smartphone is already configured, download Mi Mover from Google Play.
2. On your old phone, install Mi Mover (available for all Android versions 5.0)+).
3. Run the app on both devices and select Me sender (old phone) and I receiver (new Redmi).
4. Scan it. QR-code from a new phone or connect via Wi-Fi Direct.
5. Select data to transfer and wait until it is completed (can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours).

⚠️ Warning: If the transfer is interrupted, don't start the process again - wait until Mi Mover suggests continuing.

Important: Mi Mover does not transfer data from some Chinese firmware (for example, the data is not transferred to the port, MIUI China ROM). In this case, use the method with Google Account or cable. OTG.

Charge both phones|Install Mi Mover on an old device|Connect to a single Wi-Fi network|Free up space on the new Redmi (at least 10% of the data transfer volume)|Shut down. VPN both-device-->

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Method 3: Transfer through Google Account (for contacts, calendar, notes)

If you only need to migrate contacts, calendar, notes and some settings, syncing through Google Account is the easiest and most reliable way to do this, and it works on any Android device and doesn’t require any additional apps.

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Accounts → Google.
2. Select your account and enable sync for Contacts, Calendar, Google Keep and other services.
3. Wait for the sync to complete (check in Settings → Accounts → Google → Sync).
4. On the new Redmi Note, add the same Google Account to Settings. → Accounts.
5. Turn on sync – the data will automatically be downloaded to the new phone.

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Fast (depending on internet speed).
• 🔄 Automatic update (if you add a contact on a new phone, it syncs with the old one).
• 🌐 It works even if your old phone is broken (restore your account).

Limitations:

• 🚫 Does not tolerate photos, videos, music (use Google Photos separately).
• 🚫 It's not. SMS call-book.
• 🚫 Applications are not portable (only list installed through Google Play).

To transfer photos and videos via Google:

1. On your old phone, install Google Photos.
2. Enable Backup and Synchronization in the application settings.
3. On the new Redmi, log in to the same account – photos will be uploaded automatically.

⚠️ Note: If your old phone has two-factor authentication enabled for Google Account, check for backup codes before the penos.

💡

If you have slow internet, upload your photos to Google Photos in “High Quality” mode before syncing, which will save traffic and time.

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Method 3: Direct transfer via cable OTG adapter

If you don’t have Wi-Fi access or data is too big for the cloud, you can use a direct cable connection. OTG adapter USB-C → USB-C (This method is suitable for transferring any files, including large videos and backups.

What you need:

• 🔌 Cable OTG or adapter (e.g, USB-C to USB-C For the Redmi Note 12).
• 📱 Old phone with support USB Mass Storage (most Android since version 4.0).
• 🔋 Charging (transferring large amounts of data drains the battery).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the OTG cable to the new Redmi Note.
2. Connect your old phone to the cable (you may need an adapter).
3. The new Redmi will be notified USB-The device is connected. Click on it and select File Transfer.
4. Open Explorer (or Files) on a new phone and a folder with the old device will appear.
5. Copy the files you need (for example, folders) DCIM For photo, Download for downloads).

Advantages of the method:

• 🚀 Maximum speed (up to 480 Mbps when used) USB 3.0).
• 📁 Transfers any files, including system backups.
• 🔒 Doesn't require the Internet.

Disadvantages:

• 🔌 Additional cables/adapters are needed.
• 📱 Not all old phones support the same. USB Mass Storage (such as some Samsung models with Android 10)+ Require manual activation).
• 🔄 Does not transfer applications and their data (files only).

⚠️ Note: When connecting through OTG Do not remove the cable until you have finished copying. On some Redmi Note models, this may cause a file system error. ext4, rebooting.

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5. Method 4: Wireless transfer via Nearby Share or Bluetooth

If you don’t have a cable but you have stable Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, you can use Android’s built-in tools to transfer files, a method that works for small amounts of data (up to 2 to 5 GB).

Nearby Share (formerly Android Beam) is a technology from Google that allows you to quickly share files between Android devices. It works on all smartphones with Android 6.0+, including Xiaomi Redmi Note.

How to transfer data through Nearby Share:

1. On both phones, turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
2. On an old phone, open Files (or Gallery), select the files you want and click Send → Nearby Share.
3. On the new Redmi Note, accept the file in the notification.
4. Repeat for all the data you need.

Limitations of Nearby Share:

• 📶 Slower than cable (speed) ~5-10 MB/s).
• 📁 Does not support folders – only individual files.
• 🔋 He's a big battery drain.

For Bluetooth:

• 🔵 Suitable only for small files (contacts, documents up to 50 MB).
• 🐢 Speed. ~1-2 MB / s (transfer 1 GB will take ~15 minutes).
• 📱 Redmi Note may need to enable Visibility for everyone in Bluetooth settings.

How to transfer contacts via Bluetooth:

1. On the old phone, open Contacts, select Export/Import. → Send via Bluetooth.
2. Select contacts and send them to the new Redmi.
3. On your new phone, accept the.vcf file and import contacts.

💡

Nearby Share is the best choice for transferring files without cable, but only if the data volume does not exceed 1-2 GB.

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Method 5: Transfer data through a computer (for a full backup)

If you need to back up your old phone or migrate data selectively, you can use a PC (Windows, Mac or Linux).

• 🖥️ Transfer all files (including hidden system).
• 🔄 Creating an archive copy in case of data loss.
• 📂 Selective copying (for example, only music or documents).

Instructions for Windows:

1. Connect your old phone to your PC via USB and select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Open this computer and your phone will appear as a removable disk.
3. Copy the right folders (DCIM, Pictures, Music, etc.) on PC.
4. Disable your old phone, connect a new Redmi Note, and transfer files back.

For full backup (including apps and settings):

• 🔧 Use it. ADB Backup (requires developer mode enabled):

adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab

• Backup.ab file backup on PC, then restore on the new Redmi:

adb restore backup.ab

Limitations of the method:

• 🖥️ Requires a computer and cables.
• 🔒 ADB Backup doesn’t work on some firmware MIUI (for example, MIUI China ROM).
• ⚠️ Not all applications support backup through ADB (WhatsApp needs to be backed up separately).

For the Mac:

• Use Android File Transfer (official software from Google).
• For backup applications suitable Syncios or Dr.Fone (paid solutions).

⚠️ Attention: When in use ADB Backup on Xiaomi may appear error adb: unable to open sync connection. In this case, restart the phone and try again, pre-executing the command adb kill-server.

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7. Transfer of specific data: WhatsApp, SMS, password

Some of the data needs a special approach, because it's not carried by standard methods.

WhatsApp (and other messengers):

• 📱 On your old phone, back up in Google Drive: WhatsApp Settings → chat → Backup copy.
• 🔑 Make sure you have a copy (check the date of the last backup).
• 📲 On the new Redmi Note, install WhatsApp, log in to the same account and restore chats from Google Drive.

SMS and call log:

• 💬 Use the app. SMS Backup & Restore:

Passwords and browser data:

• 🔐 If you use Google Chrome, your passwords are automatically synced when you add Google Account.
• 🦊 For Mozilla Firefox, sign in to your Firefox account on both devices.
• 🔑 For third-party password managers (for example, 1Password or Bitwarden) export data to.csv and import on a new phone.

Game and application data:

• 🎮 If the game supports Google Play Games or Facebook Login, progress is automatically synced.
• 📱 For local saves, use Titanium Backup (requires root) or manually copy the folder. /Android/obb/.

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8. Frequent errors and their solutions

Even if you follow the instructions, you can have problems, and we'll look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

1 Mi Mover doesn't find old device

• 🔄 Reboot both phones.
• 📶 Make sure both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (not mobile data).
• 🔒 Turn it off. VPN and Firewall, if any).
• 📱 On your old phone, turn on the debugging. USB (Settings → For developers).

2.The transfer is interrupted in the middle

• 🔋 Check the battery charge (should be) >30%).
• 📡 If you use Wi-Fi, go closer to the router.
• 📁 When copying via cable, try another port. USB PC-only.
• 🔄 If the error repeats, break the transfer into parts (for example, first photo, then video).

3: The new Redmi Note is running out of space

• 🗑️ Free up space by removing unnecessary apps (Settings) → Annexes → Delete).
• 📁 Move some files to microSD (if supported).
• ☁️ Upload some data to the cloud (Google Drive, Mi Cloud).

4.Apps are not restored after the transfer

• 📥 Check if automatic download is enabled in Google Play (Settings) → Auto-update).
• 🔑 Make sure that the new phone has the same Google Account.
• 📦 If apps aren’t installed, download them manually from Google Play.

5.Photos and videos don't open on new phone

• 📷 Check the file formats (for example,.HEIC It is not supported on older versions. MIUI).
• 🔧 Install a codec from Google Play (for example, HEIF Image Viewer).
• 📂 If the files are damaged, try to copy them again.

⚠️ Note: If contacts are lost after transfer to Redmi Note, check if sync is disabled in Settings → Accounts. → Google → Contact synchronization, sometimes when the device is changed, it's reset.

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FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions