How to transfer data from old Android to the new Xiaomi Redmi: 5 proven ways

The transition to a new Xiaomi Redmi smartphone is always exciting, but the process of data transfer often raises more questions than the purchase itself. How to save all contacts, not lose precious photos, restore correspondence in messengers and not waste hours setting up applications from scratch? Especially when it comes to switching from another Android device — there are nuances that manufacturers often keep silent about.

In this article, we will look at all the current ways to migrate data, from the official Mi Mover tool to manual transfer over the cloud, learn what is right for your case, how to avoid typical errors (for example, losing your call history), and what to do if smartphones “don’t see” each other, and also hidden chips that will speed up the process by 2-3 times.

Important: instructions adapted to the latest versions MIUI 14/15 It also takes into account the features of the new Redmi Note models. 13/12T/11 Pro+. If you have an older firmware version, some items may be different – we’ll mention that too.

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

Data portability isn't just about copying files. To avoid crashes, check in advance:

✅ Device compatibility. Mi Mover only works between Android 5.0 smartphones+. If you have an older version, use alternative methods (see Section 3).

✅ Battery charge: Both devices must be charged at least 50 percent, and at low charge, Redmi can interrupt the process, causing some data to be lost.

✅ Free space. The new Xiaomi should have at least 10-15% free memory from the amount of data being transferred. For example, 30 GB of photos need 3-4 GB of free space.

✅ Turn off optimization. In the old smartphone settings, deactivate Adaptive Battery or Power Optimization for Mi Mover and Google Drive applications. Otherwise, the system may “sleep” them down during transmission.

⚠️ Note: If the old phone has data encryption enabled (Settings) → Security → Encryption, some transfer methods (e.g. via cable) OTG) In this case, use a cloud backup.

Also, make a list of critical data that you need to move first:

• 📞 Contacts (including groups and notes to numbers)
• 📸 Photos and videos (especially from folders) DCIM/Camera and Pictures/Screenshots)
• 💬 Correspondences to WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber
• 🎵 Music and playlists (if stored locally)
• 📁 Documents (PDF, Excel, Word from Downloads folder)
• ⚙️ Wi-Fi settings and passwords (if not synced with Google)

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

Mi Mover is a proprietary migration application preinstalled on all Xiaomi, Redmi and other smartphones. POCO. It allows you to migrate almost everything from contacts to call history and even some system settings, the main advantage is that you don't need a PC or a cloud.

How it works:

1. On the new Redmi, when you first turn on, select Data Transfer (or find Mi Mover in Settings → About Phone → Data Transfer).
2. On your old phone, install Mi Mover from Google Play (if not).
3. Select the role: new smartphone - Recipient, old - Sender.
4. Connect devices to a single Wi-Fi network or create an access point on an old phone.
5. Scan it. QR-The code from the screen of the new Redmi old device.
6. Select the data to transfer and confirm the start of the process.

⏳ Transfer time depends on the amount of data:

• 📱 5-10 GB: ~15-20 minutes
• 📱 20–30 GB: ~40-50 minutes
• 📱 50+ GB: 1.5-2 hours (we recommend using a cable) OTG)

⚠️ Warning: If the process is stuck in the Preparation stage, check if the antivirus (e.g., Avast or 360 Security) is blocking the transmission.

What Mi Mover is carrying:

Mi Mover does not transfer data from some Chinese applications (such as WeChat or Alipay), as well as files from the memory card, if it is encrypted.

Install Mi Mover on your old phone|Shut down. VPN/proxy|Connect both devices to charging|Release. 10% memory|Enable debugging on USB (if you use a cable)

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Method 2: Transfer through Google Account (for contacts, photos and apps)

If Mi Mover doesn’t work for some reason (like you have a very old device), the best alternative is syncing with a Google Account.

What can be transferred:

• 📇 Contacts (including groups and tags)
• 📅 Calendar and reminders
• 📎 Notes (from Google Keep)
• 📷 Photos and videos (via Google Photos)
• 🎮 Data from some games (if you support Google Play Games)
• 🔑 Wi-Fi passwords (if synchronization is enabled)

Step-by-step:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Accounts → Google and enable sync for all the right categories.
2. Wait for the sync to be completed (check in Google Drive or Google Photos).
3. On the new Redmi, when you first turn on, select Restore from a backup and log in to the same Google Account.
4. Select the latest backup and confirm the recovery.

⚡ Speed depends on the Internet: with a slow connection (for example, the Internet is not fast, 3G) 10GB photo downloads can take hours.We recommend using Wi-Fi.

Limitations of the method:

• 🚫 SMS and call history are not transferred (use this). SMS Backup & Restore).
• 🚫 Applications are restored without data (for example, game progress will be lost).
• 🚫 Files from the Downloads folder are not automatically synced.

💡

If you have a slow internet connection, download photos and videos from Google Photos to your PC in advance and then transfer them to the new Redmi via Google Photos. USB-It'll save you time.

Method 3: Transfer over OTG cable (for large data volumes)

If you have more than 50 GB of data (for example, a video collection in the 4K or RAW-And the wireless methods are going to be too slow, and the cable will help. OTG (adapter USB-C to USB-C).

What you need:

• 🔌 Cable OTG (Adapters, if the ports are different)
• 📱 Old smartphone with support USB Mass Storage (most Android 10)+)
• 🔋 Charging for the new Redmi (process can drain battery)

Instructions:

1. Connect the OTG cable to the new Redmi.
2. Connect your old phone to the cable OTG (he'll figure out how USB-accumulator).
3. On the new Redmi, open Explorer (Files) and copy the desired folders: DCIM (Photo/video) Download (downloads) Pictures (images) Music (music) WhatsApp/Media (media)
4. To transfer applications, use APK Extractor (remove the APK from your old phone and install it on a new one).

⚠️ Important: Not all folders are visible by default. To see hidden files, in Explorer, turn on the option to Show hidden files (⋮ → Settings → Show hidden files).

Pros of the method:

• ⚡ Maximum speed (up to 40 MB/s with USB 3.0).
• 🔒 Security – data is not transmitted via the Internet.
• 📁 Selective transfer – only the necessary files can be copied.

Cons:

• 🔌 Cable required OTG (not always complete).
• 📱 System settings and application data are not transferred.
• 🛠️ On some smartphones you need to manually enable file transfer mode (MTP).

5. Method 4: Transfer over a computer (for full control)

If you want to have full control of the process or you have custom data (like application databases), the best option is to use a PC (Windows, Mac, or Linux).

What you need:

• 💻 Computer with USB-port
• 🔌 USB Type C C Cables (or Adapters)
• 📂 Backup program (optional: Titanium Backup for rooted devices)

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your PC and copy all the files you need to a separate folder (e.g., file file, D:\Redmi_Backup).
2. Turn off the old phone, plug in a new Redmi.
3. Transfer files from your PC to your new smartphone (to the appropriate folders: DCIM, Downloads, etc.).
4. To port data applications: 📱 On Rooted Devices: Use Titanium Backup. 📱 No root: Use Helium (requires installation on both phones).

🔹 To move WhatsApp:

1. On the old phone, make a backup in Settings → chat → Backup copy.
2. Copy /sdcard/WhatsApp folder on your PC.
3. Move it to the new Redmi in the same directory.
4. Install WhatsApp and restore chats from local copy.

⚠️ Note: If you are migrating WhatsApp from Android to Android but changing your phone number, activate a new number in the app first and then restore the chats.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔧 Full control over the data transferred.
• 📂 You can edit files before copying (e.g., delete unnecessary photos).
• 🔄 Suitable for devices with damaged screen (if) USB-debugging is on).

💡

Use a computer if you want to transfer data from a phone that is not turning on or has a damaged display. USB-The debugging was activated in advance.

Method 5: Cloud Services (for backup)

If you don't have a cable. OTG Or you prefer a cloud-based approach, you can use third-party services, and the key is to make sure you have enough space in advance.

Popular services and their capabilities:

🔹 How to transfer data over Yandex Drive (example):

1. Install Yandex Drive on both phones.
2. On an old phone, upload files to the cloud (Shoot up or manually).
3. On the new Redmi, download files from the cloud to the desired folders.

⚠️ Beware:

• 🚫 Some services (e.g. iCloud) are incompatible with Android.
• 🚫 With slow internet, 10GB downloads can take more than 5 hours.
• 🚫 Free space is quickly over – clear the cloud of unnecessary files in advance.

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

Even if you follow instructions, you can make mistakes, and here are the most common problems and ways to solve them:

🔸 Mi Mover can't see old device:

• 📶 Check that both phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (not mobile data).
• 🔄 Reboot both devices.
• 🔧 On the old phone, turn on Developer Mode and activate Debugging by USB.
• 📱 If you use Xiaomi, EU ROM, Update the Mi Mover to the latest version.

🔸 No SMS or call history is tolerated:

• 📲 Use the app. SMS Backup & Restore (Save the backup to Google Drive and restore it to your new phone).
• 🔄 Check if the antivirus is blocking access to system files.

🔸 WhatsApp does not restore chats:

• 📁 Make sure that the WhatsApp folder is copied to the memory root (not to the memory root). SD-map).
• 🔑 Sign in to the same WhatsApp account as your old phone.
• 📱 If chats don’t show up, reinstall WhatsApp and re-restore.

🔸 New Redmi brakes after transfer:

• 🧹 Clear the cache in Settings → Annexes → Application management → Clear the cache.
• 🔄 Reboot the phone.
• 📉 Check if the memory is full (in Settings) → Memory).

🔸 Photos and videos are not displayed in the gallery:

• 🖼️ In Explorer, check if the folders have a.nomedia file (delete it).
• 🔄 Restart your phone or upgrade your media library through the Gallery (⋮ → Update).

💡

If the wallpaper or screen settings are lost after the transfer, check if they are reset due to differences in display resolution. On the new Redmi Note 13 and Redmi 12, the aspect ratio often changes (for example, from 16:9 to 20:9).

8. FAQ: Answers to popular questions