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

The transition to a new Xiaomi Redmi smartphone is always an exciting moment, especially when it comes to saving all the important data from the old device. Even if both phones run on Android, the transfer process can raise questions: what are the fastest methods, how to avoid file loss, and what to do if the new Redmi does not see the old device?

We tested all the current portability methods on the Redmi Note 12/13 Pro, POCO X5 and other devices from 2022-2026 so you can choose the best option. Particular attention will be paid to transferring data from Samsung, Huawei and other brands to Xiaomi — there are often compatibility problems. And if you are afraid of losing something important, at the end of this article you will find a checklist for backup.

1.The official way: Mi Mover by Xiaomi

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s default app for all new smartphones, which allows you to migrate almost everything: contacts, messages, photos, videos, music, apps (including their data), and even some system settings, the main advantage being simplicity and integration with MIUI.

How it works:

• 📱 On the new Redmi, select Data Portability when you first turn on (or find Mi Mover in the Settings menu). → The phone. → Data portability).
• 🔄 On your old phone, download Mi Mover from Google Play (if it’s not by default).
• 📶 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network or use an access point (on your old phone).
• 🔗 On the new Redmi, select “I’m the sender” (if you transfer from another Xiaomi) or “I’m the recipient” (for other brands).

The speed of the transfer depends on the amount of data and the stability of the connection. For example, 30 GB of photos and videos will be transmitted in ~40-60 minutes over 5 GHz Wi-Fi.

⚠️ Note: If your old phone is running Android 10 or lower, Mi Mover may not port some apps (like WhatsApp or Viber) in which case, use a separate backup for messengers.

2. Transfer through Google Account (for contacts, photos and applications)

If you've used Google on an old phone, most of the data is already in sync with the cloud, and it's universal and works regardless of the brand of the device.

• 📇 Contacts (via Google Contacts)
• 📅 Calendar and reminders
• 📸 Photos and videos (via Google Photos)
• 🎮 Application data (if it supports backup in Google Drive)
• 📍 Notes (via Google Keep)

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, check that sync is enabled: Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync.
2. On the new Redmi, when setting up, select “Restore from backup” and log in to the same Google account.
3. Select the latest backup (the date of creation can be seen in the menu).

The advantage of this method is that data can be recovered even if the old device is broken or lost, but there are limitations:

• 🚫 Not all apps support backup in Google Drive (e.g. Telegram or banking apps).
• 📉 Google Photos Cloud Free Photos Condenses to 16 MP if you don’t have a subscription.

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Before transferring, check how much space the backup takes up in Google Drive. If the volume exceeds 15 GB (free limit), delete unnecessary copies or buy additional space.

3. Wire Transfer: OTG cable or adapter

The fastest way is to connect both phones directly via an OTG cable (or USB-C to USB-C adapter for modern models), which is true if you have a lot of data (50+ GB) and don’t have time to wait for Wi-Fi transmission.

What you need:

• 🔌 Cable USB-C to USB-C (New Redmi and most Android smartphones after 2020).
• 🔄 adapter USB-C to Micro-USB, if the old device with a Micro-USB connector.
• 📱 File transfer application (e.g. Files by Google or Xender).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the cable to both phones. On the screen of the old device, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. On the new Redmi, open Files and find the connected device in the Devices section.
3. Copy the right folders (DCIM for photos, downloads, etc.) for internal memory or SD-map.

Cable transmission speeds are 3 to 5 times faster than Wi-Fi, for example, 50 GB of data is copied in ~20 to 30 minutes, but there are important nuances:

⚠️ Note: Some apps (such as WhatsApp or games) will not carry their data simply by copying folders.

4.Move over Xiaomi Cloud (for owners) MI-account)

Xiaomi Cloud is a cloud storage device from the manufacturer that automatically syncs contacts, notes, photos and even some MIUI settings. If you already have a Mi Account, this method may be more convenient than Google.

How to turn on synchronization:

1. On an old Xiaomi (or other phone with Xiaomi Cloud installed) go to Settings → Mi Account → Xiaomi Cloud.
2. Turn on synchronization for the desired categories (contacts, gallery, notes).
3. On the new Redmi, log in to the same Mi Account and wait for the sync to complete.

Advantages:

• 🔄 Automatic updates (e.g. new contacts appear immediately on both devices).
• 📁 Selective recovery (e.g., last month’s photos only).

Limitations:

• 📉 Free rate gives only 5 GB (for Redmi with the price). MIUI 14+ Sometimes give 10GB bonuses).
• 🚫 Not all application data is synchronized (e.g. game saves).

5. Transfer of applications and their data (WhatsApp, games, instant messengers)

Conventional transfer methods (via Mi Mover or cable) do not always correctly copy application data.

WhatsApp:

• 📱 On your old phone, back up: WhatsApp settings → chat → Backup copy.
• 🔄 Install WhatsApp on the new Redmi and sign in to the same account.
• 📥 When you request, restore chats from Google Drive or a local file.

Games (e.g. Genshin Impact, PUBG):

• 🎮 Most games are linked to a Google Play account, Facebook or your own gaming profile, and you just need to log in to the same account on your new phone.
• 💾 For offline games, copy the folder Android/obb From old device to new (via cable or cloud).

Banking applications (Sberbank, Tinkoff, etc.):

• 🏦 Most banks prohibit data transfer via backups, you need to install the application again and log in (sometimes you need confirmation of the data). SMS or).
• 🔐 Some applications (for example, Sberbank Online) allow you to export the history of operations to a file - this can be done in advance.

Make a backup of WhatsApp|Synchronize your contacts with Google|Copy the folder. DCIM (photo/video)|Export notes from Google Keep|Check out the free space on the new Redmi-->

6. Alternative methods: computer, third-party applications, SD-map

If standard methods don’t work (for example, because of incompatibility of Android versions or corrupted files), alternatives can be used.

Through the computer (Windows/Mac):

1. Connect the old device to the PC via USB and copy the files to the hard drive.
2. Connect the new Redmi and transfer the data back.

Any file manager or even Windows Explorer is good for this, and remember to enable file transfer (MTP) on both phones.

Third-party annexes:

• 📲 Xender – Wi-Fi transmission without internet (speed) ~10 MB/s).
• 📲 Send Anywhere – 6-digit code generation for fast transfer.
• 📲 CLONEit – specializes in data transfer between Android devices.

SD-card (if there is a slot):

Copy files to a MicroSD on an old phone, then paste the card into a new Redmi.This method is suitable for photos, videos and documents, but not for applications or system data.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party data applications (e.g. ShareIt), disable the antivirus on both devices – it can block file transfers, mistaken for an attack.

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For maximum reliability, use a combination of methods: for example, transfer contacts through Google, photos – over the cable, and restore applications from backups.

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

Even if you follow the instructions, you can get errors, and let's look at the typical situations and how to fix them:

Problem 1: Mi Mover doesn’t see the old device.

• 🔌 Check that both phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (not mobile data).
• 🔄 Reset Mi Mover on both devices.
• 📱 On the old phone, turn on the option "Debugging by" USB" (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Press 7 times, then return to the Additional Settings → For developers).

Problem 2: Application data (e.g. Viber or games) is not portable.

• 🎮 Check if the application supports backup (for example, in Viber this is done manually in the settings).
• 📥 For games with local saves, copy the folder Android/obb manually.

Problem 3: Slow Wi-Fi transmission.

• 📶 Switch to 5 GHz network (if the router supports).
• 🔌 Use the cable. USB-C speed up.
• 📴 Close all background apps on both phones.

Problem 4: The new Redmi doesn’t have enough space to carry.

• 🗑️ Delete unnecessary files through Settings → Warehouse.
• 📁 Move some of the data to SD-card (if there is a slot).
• ☁️ Upload some files to the cloud (Google Drive or Xiaomi Cloud) and restore them later.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions