How to Transfer Data From One Xiaomi Redmi to Another: From Contacts to Apps

The switch to the new Xiaomi Redmi smartphone is always exciting, but data porting often becomes a headache. Contacts, photos, messages, apps, and even settings need to be saved to keep important information in check. Fortunately, Redmi owners have several reliable ways to migrate, from embedded tools to cloud services.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 proven methods, including Mi Mover, Google Account Sync, OTG cable, and even manual computer transfer, which is faster, which saves more data, and where common errors lie in wait, and how to avoid data loss when you switch from Android to MIUI or between different versions of firmware.

Whether you're changing the Redmi Note 12 to the Redmi K60 or transferring files to a backup device, our instructions will help you do that without loss, starting with the easiest and most reliable way.

1.Mi Mover is Xiaomi's official tool for fast transfer

Mi Mover is a proprietary application from Xiaomi, specially designed for data migration between devices on MIUI. It works on a point-to-point principle (without the cloud), which speeds up the process and reduces the risk of data leakage. The main advantage is support for porting applications with their data (for example, saving in games or setting up messengers), which most alternatives can not.

To use the Mi Mover, both phones must be on MIUI 9 or later (on Redmi after 2018, this condition is met automatically).

• 🔌 Charge of both devices at least 50% (process can take up to 30 minutes).
• 📶 Stable Wi-Fi connection (data is transmitted over a local network).
• 📱 Free space on the new phone (the volume must exceed the size of the data transferred).

Step instructions:

1. Install Mi Mover on both phones (if it is not in firmware) from the Mi App Store or APKCombo.
2. On the old phone, select “I am the sender” and on the new phone, “I am the receiver.”
3. Scan it. QR-The code from the screen of the new phone is old (or enter) PIN-manually).
4. Select data types to transfer: contacts, messages, photos, video, audio, applications or system settings.
5. Confirm the start of the transfer and wait until it's done. Don't interrupt the process! Once it's done, the new phone will restart.

Battery charge >50%|Both phones on the same Wi-Fi network|There's plenty of room on the new phone.|Disabled. VPN firewalls|Google Sync is disabled (to avoid conflict)-->

⚠️ Warning: If the new phone already has data (for example, you have partially configured it earlier), Mi Mover will suggest erasing it before transferring. This is irreversible.

2.Move over Google Account: a universal but incomplete way

If you use Google services, some of the data is already synced automatically, a method that can transfer contacts, calendars, mail, notes and certain settings, but does not apply to multimedia or applications, but it works even between different brands (for example, Samsung on Redmi).

What exactly is transferred through Google Account:

How to transfer data:

1. On your old phone, check that sync is enabled: go to Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync and activate all the switches.
2. On the new Redmi, when you first turn on, select “Copy Data” and log in to the same Google Account.
3. Select “Cop from the Cloud” and wait until sync is complete.

⚠️ Note: If you haven’t used Google Photos for backup, photos and videos won’t be transferred, they’ll have to be transferred separately (see the following sections).

Mi Mover|Google Account|Cable OTG|Cloud services (Google Drive, Mi Cloud)|Other-->

3. Using an OTG cable or adapter: for large data volumes

If you don’t have Wi-Fi access or need to transfer tens of gigabytes of photos and videos, the physical connection is through the Internet. OTG-cable USB-The adapter is the best solution, and it's faster than the cloud, and it doesn't depend on the speed of the Internet. 4X (support USB OTG).

What you need:

• 🔌 OTG-cable (Type-C) → Type-C or Micro-USB → Type-C, depending on the port of the phone).
• 📁 File Manager (e.g., embedded Files or Solid Explorer).
• ⚡ Charging at least one phone (when transferring large volumes, the battery goes down quickly).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your new one OTG-The new Redmi will be notified "USB-plug-in".
2. Open the file manager on your new phone and select "USB-The storage device (this is the memory of an old phone).
3. Copy the folders you want: DCIM for photos and videos. Download for downloaded files. WhatsApp/Media for messenger media.

contact

.vcf

Contacts → Settings → Exports

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If the phone doesn't recognize. OTG-cable, check the developer settings: turn on debugging by USB In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Tap 7 times according to version).

⚠️ Note: Not all application files can be simply copied, such as game saves or Telegram chats stored in secure folders (/data/data/), For this data, you should use Mi Mover or backup inside the applications themselves.

4. Cloud services: Mi Cloud vs Google Drive

Cloud storage is convenient if you have slow internet or not on hand cables. Xiaomi offers its own Mi Cloud service (5 GB for free), and Google Google Drive (15 GB).

Mi Cloud (better for MIUI):

• ✅ Keeps it. SMS, notes, settings MIUI (Google Drive doesn't do that).
• ✅ Automatic synchronization of contacts and photos.
• ❌ Only 5GB is free (for photos in original quality, this is not enough).

Google Drive (more universal):

• ✅ 15GB free (you can download more photos).
• ✅ Integration with Google Photos (automatic backup).
• ❌ Does not save settings MIUI and SMS.

How to transfer data through Mi Cloud:

1. On your old phone: Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Backup → Select data and click “Create a backup”.
2. On a new phone: Log in to the same Mi Account and restore data from the backup.

For Google Drive:

1. Install Google Photos and enable backup photos.
2. Copy other files manually through the web version of Drive.
3. On the new phone, download the files back.

5. Computer Transfer: Reliable but Longer

If you prefer full control of the process, porting over a PC (or Mac) is the most reliable way, and it's suitable for selectively copying files, creating archives or transferring data to other brands' phones.

• 💻 Computer with Windows/macOS.
• 🔌 USB-cables for both phones.
• 📂 Enough hard disk space (if data weighs tens of gigabytes).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your computer in File Transfer mode (when a request appears on your phone).
2. Copy the folders you need (DCIM, Download, Music, etc.) to your computer.
3. Connect the new phone and transfer the files back.
4. For contacts, export them to.vcf via Mi Contacts or Google Contacts.
5. For apps, use APK Extractor (remove APK from your old phone) and install them manually on your new phone.

⚠️ Note: When copying photos, check if date and geolocation tags are saved. Some file managers (e.g., standard Windows Explorer) can reset them.

💡

Transferring over a computer is the only way to save folder structure and file attributes (date of creation, tags).

6. Transfer of specific types of data: contacts, SMS, applications

Not all data is transferred in the same way. Let's look at the nuances for the most important types:

Contact:

• 📇 Google Account: automatically synced if the option is enabled in the settings.
• 📱.vcf: Export/import works on all phones, but doesn’t save call history.
• 🔄 Mi Mover: transfers contacts and call history.

SMS and MMS:

• 💬 Mi Mover is the only way to transfer messages in full (including attachments).
• 📄 Backup copy through SMS Backup & Restore (Play Market app).
• ❌ Google Account does not save SMS!

Annexes and their data:

• 📦 Mi Mover - carries and APK, data (e.g., saved in games).
• 🔗 Google Play – Restores only the list of applications (without data).
• 🛠️ Titanium Backup (requires root) – for power users.

Photos and videos:

• 📸 Google Photos – Automatic Backup (High Quality) Free).
• 🖼️ Manual transfer through OTG or computer for original quality.
• 🔄 Mi Cloud – saves photos but compressed (if “Storage Optimization” is enabled").

7.Typical mistakes and how to avoid them

Even with detailed instructions, users often encounter problems, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

1 Mi Mover does not find the device

• 🔌 Check that both phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (not mobile data!).
• 📵 Turn it off. VPN Firewall (they can block the connection).
• 🔄 Reboot both phones and try again.

2.There is not enough space on the new phone

• 🗑️ Clear the application cache (Settings) → Annexes → Clear the cache).
• 📁 Move the files to SD-card (if supported).
• ☁️ Upload some data to the cloud (Google Photos or Mi Cloud).

3.Apps are not restored

• 🔍 Check if they are compatible with the new version. Android/MIUI.
• 📥 Install them manually from the Play Market or APK-file.
• 🔄 If you are using Mi Mover, make sure that there is enough room in the section on the new phone. /data.

4.Photos lost date or geotags

• 📅 Use Google Photos to transfer – it saves metadata.
• 🖼️ When manually copying, check the file properties (right-click). → "Properties" → "Details").

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Always check backups before transferring data, for example, export contacts to.vcf and save them to your computer, which is insurance against failure.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data portability to Xiaomi Redmi