How to transfer data from one phone to Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S: a complete guide to comparing all methods

Why porting data to the Redmi Note 10S requires a special approach

The switch to a new smartphone is always exciting, especially when it comes to saving valuable data. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S with its MIUI 12.5+ and the MediaTek Helio G95 hardware platform offers some unique migration opportunities, but also hides the pitfalls. For example, not everyone knows that the standard Mi Mover can incorrectly transfer data from devices to Android 13+, if not updated system applications.

In this article, we will analyze 5 proven methods of transfer – from the official Xiaomi tool to universal solutions like Google Account or physical copying through the Internet. OTG-We will pay special attention to the transfer of data from the iPhone to the Redmi Note. 10S — Here are some nuances about contact and media formats that are rarely mentioned in standard instructions, and you'll find a method comparison table for speed, reliability, and supported data types.

Before you start, answer the key question: what data do you need to migrate? It depends on the choice of method. For example, for applications and their settings, only Mi Mover or Titanium Backup (for rooted devices) will work, and for photos and videos you can do with the cloud or the cloud. SD-card.

📊 What data do you most often transfer to a new smartphone?

Contacts and communications

Photos and videos

Applications and their settings

Music and documents

All of the above.

Method 1: Mi Mover is the official tool from Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a pre-installed app on all Xiaomi smartphones, including the Redmi Note 10S. It allows you to transfer data over Wi-Fi Direct (without an Internet connection) between two Xiaomi devices, as well as from some models of other brands (for example, Samsung or Huawei), the main advantage is support for porting applications (including their data), which is not possible most alternative methods.

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

📱 Open the Mi Mover app on both phones (on the old one it can be called "Transfer Data" or "Migration").
🔄 On the Redmi Note. 10S Select "I'm new" on the old phone, "I'm old".
📶 Connect to a single Wi-Fi network (or use an access point on an old phone).
🔍 Scan on your old phone. QR-The code that will appear on the Redmi Note 10S.
📁 Select data types for transfer (contacts, messages, photos, apps, etc.).
⚡ Click "Start Transfer" and wait until the end (time depends on the amount of data).

⚠️ Note: If the old phone is installed MIUI 11 or older, and on the Redmi Note 10S — MIUI 13+, In this case, update Mi Mover on both devices via Google Play or App Gallery (if available).

Charge both phones at least 50 times%|Update Mi Mover to the latest version|Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network (or create an access point)|Free up space on the Redmi Note 10S (minimum 1.5× from the amount of data transferred)|Shut down. VPN firewalls

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Mi Mover transfer speeds are around 10-15MB/s, which is faster than cloud uploads but slower than cable copying, and the main drawback is that not all apps support data transfer (e.g. WhatsApp or banking programs require separate authorization).

Method 2: Transfer through Google Account (universal method)

If you use Google, it's going to be the easiest and most reliable way to do this, and it's going to be able to transfer contacts, calendars, notes, photos, emails, and some of the app settings, and the advantage is that data is automatically synced and can be restored on any Android device, not just the Redmi Note 10S.

Instructions for transfer:

On your old phone, go to Settings → Accounts → Google and make sure that sync is enabled for the data you want (contacts, calendar, Google Drive, etc.).
On Redmi Note 10S, when you first turn on, select “Copy Data” and log in to the same Google Account.
If your phone is already set up, go to Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync and enable the necessary options.
For photos and videos, install the Google Photos app and enable autoload on both devices.

⚠️ Note: Google’s free account only provides 15GB of cloud storage, and if you have more data, you’ll either have to clear the space or buy more. Also note that apps and settings on your Google Account don’t carry over, you need Mi Mover or Titanium Backup.

What if Google Photos doesn’t upload high-quality videos?

By default, Google Photos compresses video to 1080p if High Quality is enabled. To keep the original resolution (like 4K with Redmi Note 10S), go to the app's settings and select Original Quality. Note that this will quickly exhaust your cloud storage.

Advantages of the method:

🌐 It works on any Android device, as well as iPhone (via Google Drive).
🔄 Automatic synchronization – no need to repeat the process when changing the phone.
🔒 Data protected by Google’s two-factor authentication.

Disadvantages:

❌ Not tolerated. SMS/MMS (You need to use separate applications like SMS Backup & Restore).
❌ Storage limit (15 GB for free account).
❌ Applications and their data are not portable.

Method 3: Physical Transfer through OTG-cable SD-map

If you do not have access to the Internet or prefer offline methods, you can copy the data directly through the Internet. OTG-cable (for telephones with USB-C) It's a microSD card that can be used to transfer photos, videos, music, documents and other files, but it can't handle applications, contacts or other things. SMS.

For transfer through OTG-cable:

Buy it. OTG-adapter (e.g, USB-C to USB-C or USB-C Micro-USB, depending on the port of the phone).
Connect your old phone to the Redmi Note 10S via an adapter.
On Redmi Note 10S, open Explorer (Files) and select the connected phone as an external drive.
Copy the files to the memory of Redmi Note 10S.

For transfer through SD-map:

Insert a microSD into an old phone and copy the data to it.
Remove the card and paste it into the Redmi Note 10S (or use an adapter if the slot is hybrid).
Transfer files to internal memory through Explorer.

⚠️ Note: When copying through OTG or SD-Do not remove the cable/card before the operation is completed - this may result in data loss or damage to the file system. 10S Supports microSD up to 512 GB, but read/write speeds on class cards A1 It may be lower than the internal memory.

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Comparison of transfer speed:

Method	Speed.	Max. Volume.	Supported data
OTG-cable	40-60 MB/s	Limited to phone memory	Photos, videos, music, documents
SD-map (UHS-I)	20-30 MB/s	Up to 512GB	Photos, videos, music, documents
Wi-Fi (Mi Mover)	10-15 MB/s	Limited by memory	Everything, including apps
The Cloud (Google Drive)	2-5 MB/s	15GB (free)	Photos, contacts, documents

Method 4: Transfer from iPhone to Redmi Note 10S (features and nuances)

Transferring data from iPhone to Android is a more difficult task because of ecosystem differences. Xiaomi offers a special application Mi Mover, which can work with iOS, but there are limitations. For example, applications can not be transferred (they will have to be installed again through Google Play), and HEIC photos may not open on the Redmi Note 10S without converting.

Step-by-step:

On your iPhone, install the Mi Mover app from the App Store.
On the Redmi Note 10S, open Mi Mover and select "I'm New."
On your iPhone, select “I’m old” and scan. QR-Redmi Note screen code 10S.
Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network.
Select data for transfer (contacts, photos, videos, notes) and wait for completion.

⚠️ Attention: SMS You can't transfer your iPhone to Android through Mi Mover, and you can use third-party apps to do that:

iSMS2droid (for SMS)
Backuptrans iPhone WhatsApp Transfer (for WhatsApp)

Also note that HEIC (standard iPhone format) photos are not supported by Android by default. To open them on the Redmi Note 10S, do one of the following:

📱 Convert HEIC into JPG on iPhone before transfer (via Settings) → Photo Photo → Move to Mac or PC → Automatically).
📲 Install it on the Redmi Note. 10S attachment HEIF Viewer from Google Play.

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Method 5: Cloud Services (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox)

If you prefer universal cloud solutions, you can use Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox, which is suitable for transferring documents, photos, videos and contacts, but has limitations on the amount of free storage, for example, Google Drive gives 15 GB, OneDrive gives 5 GB, and Dropbox only 2 GB.

Instructions for Google Drive:

On your old phone, install Google Drive and log in.
Click "+" → "Download" and select files to transfer.
On Redmi Note 10S, open Google Drive, find uploaded files and download them.

For contacts:

On your old phone, export your contacts to.vcf (via Contacts → Settings → Export).
Upload the file to Google Drive.
On Redmi Note 10S, download the file and import contacts through Contacts → Settings → Import.

The advantages of cloud services:

🌍 Access to data from any device.
🔐 Automatic backup.
📱 Support for cross-platform portability (for example, with Windows Phone or iPhone).

Disadvantages:

❌ Limited free amount.
❌ Slow download/download speeds with poor internet.
❌ Not all services support transfer SMS or application settings.

Comparison of all methods: which one to choose?

To determine the best way to transfer, evaluate your priorities:

🔄 Minimum effort: Use Mi Mover (if both phones are Xiaomi) or Google Account (if you only need to transfer contacts and photos).
⚡ Maximum speed: OTG-cable SD-card (up to 60 MB/s).
🌐 Universality: Cloud services (Google Drive, Dropbox) for cross-platform transfer.
📱 Delay from iPhone: Mi Mover + third-party utilities SMS WhatsApp.
🎮 Games and applications portable: Mi Mover or Titanium Backup only (requires root).

If you are in doubt about which method to choose, answer the following questions:

How much data do you need to move? (If > 50GB, avoid cloud services.)
Do you have any? OTG-cable SD-(If so, the physical transfer will be faster.)
Do I need to port apps with their data? (Then only Mi Mover.)
Is there access to stable Wi-Fi? (If not, eliminate Mi Mover and clouds.)

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Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even when following instructions, users often encounter problems, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to solve them:

Mi Mover doesn't find the old device: Make sure both phones have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on. Reboot both devices. Update the Mi Mover to the latest version.
Photos and videos are not transferred through Google Photos: Check if autoload is enabled in the app settings. Make sure there is enough space on your Google account. Try uploading files manually through Google Drive.
SD-The card is not defined in Redmi Note 10S: Check that the card is formatted in FAT32 Or exFAT. Reboot your phone. Try another card (maximum supported capacity: 512GB).

Applications have been moved but are not working:

Update your apps through Google Play.
Check the permissions in Settings → Apps.
Reinstall problematic applications manually.

If your passwords don’t show up, upgrade Chrome to the latest version or check your sync settings in Settings → Google → Managing your Google Account → Sync.

Why did some contacts disappear after the Redmi Note 10S transfer?

This can happen for several reasons: Contacts were not saved in a Google Account, but in the phone’s memory or in the phone’s memory. SIM-Check on the old phone: Contacts → Settings → Import/Export: An error occurred when transferring via Mi Mover.Try repeating the process or use Google Contacts for backup. 10S Contact sync is disabled. Enable it in Settings. → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization of contacts.

Can I transfer data from the Redmi Note 10S to the iPhone?

Yes, but with limitations. Apple doesn't support direct migration from Android, but you can: Move contacts through Google Account (on iPhone add account to Settings → Passwords and accounts); Move photos and videos through Google Photos or iCloud for Windows (set on PC); Move music through iTunes or streaming services (Apple Music, Spotify); To transfer SMS, you will need third-party utilities such as Backuptrans or iMazing.

How to clean an old phone after transferring data?

Before selling or disposing of an old phone: Make a complete reset (Settings) → The phone. → Reset settings. Delete all accounts (Google, Mi Account, social media). SIM-map SD-If the phone is Android 9+, turn on "Plant lock" (FRP) data protection. ⚠️ For Xiaomi, untie the device from Mi Account in Settings → Mi Account → Delete your account or the new owner will not be able to use the phone!