How to transfer photos from your phone to Xiaomi Redmi

Replacing an old smartphone with a new Xiaomi Redmi is always a welcome development, but it is often overshadowed by the need to transfer accumulated media over the years. Users often face a situation where gigabytes of important images need to be quickly and without loss moved to a new device. Fortunately, the Android ecosystem and Xiaomi proprietary tools offer many solutions to this problem.

The choice of method depends on the amount of data, the speed of the Internet connection and the availability of additional accessories. You can use wireless technology for fast synchronization or prefer a reliable wired connection to back up huge archives. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods in detail.

Using the Mi Mover app for quick migration

The most efficient and quickest way for Xiaomi owners is to use the built-in Mi Mover tool, which is specifically designed to transfer data between devices without using Internet traffic, creating a direct Wi-Fi Direct connection, which takes a minimum of time even with a large amount of files.

To get started, you need to run the app on both smartphones, and on an older device that can run any version of Android, you need to select Sender mode, and on the new Redmi, Recipient mode, the system will automatically create a secure connection.

After the scan. QR-And if you're using a new phone's camera, you'll see a data selection menu on the old device, and you can see not only the gallery, but also the contacts, messages and apps that you've installed. You can get up to 40MB/s, which is much faster than standard Bluetooth.

⚠️ Warning: While running Mi Mover, do not turn off the device screens and keep them close to the device so as not to break the Wi-Fi connection.

Sync with Google Photos and Cloud Storage

If you have stable Wi-Fi access, the most convenient way to sync through cloud services is to use Google Photos pre-installed on all Xiaomi smartphones and offers unlimited storage in compressed format, ideal for those who want to have access to images from any device.

On an old phone, you need to open the app, go to settings, and activate Autoboot and Sync. Once the process is complete, all images will appear in the cloud. On the new Redmi, you just need to log into the same Google account, so that the gallery instantly updates.

Alternatively, Yandex.Disk or MI Cloud, which is particularly convenient for users of the Xiaomi ecosystem, as it allows you to back up system settings and messages in addition to photos. However, free space in the MI Cloud is limited to 5 GB.

Data transfer via Bluetooth and Quick Share

To transfer a small number of photos, such as a few dozen pictures, you can use classic Bluetooth, which does not require the installation of additional applications or the availability of the Internet, working at the Android level.

Modern Xiaomi Redmi smartphones support Quick Share (formerly known as Nearby Share by Google), which works on the principle of Airdrop from Apple, allowing you to instantly share high-quality files, just to enable Bluetooth and geolocation on both devices.

The process is this: you select the photos you want in the gallery, click the Share button, and select the name of the target device in the list of available ones, and the receiving Redmi will have a confirmation request that you must accept.

• 📸 Open the gallery on your old phone and highlight the images.
• 📡 Click the Share button and select Quick Share or Bluetooth.
• ✅ Confirm the pairing on the screen of the new Xiaomi smartphone.

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When transferring video files over Bluetooth, it is better to use batch sending so as not to interrupt the process with each new file separately.

Wireless: USB-cable

The most reliable way to ensure the preservation of the original quality without compression is the use of USB-This is a method that is indispensable if you want to move hundreds of gigabytes of data, or if the wireless modules on the devices are unstable.

Connect your old phone to your PC and select File Transfer (MTP) mode from the notification menu. Copy the DCIM folder, which usually stores photos from the camera, to your computer's hard drive. Then connect the new Xiaomi Redmi and copy the data to the appropriate directory.

There is also the option of directly connecting two phones via USB if you have an OTG adapter. By connecting an old phone with a cable to a new one, the MIUI system can recognize an external device and suggest copying files through the built-in file manager.

Use of third-party applications and messengers

If you don't want to deal with system settings, you can use popular messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp. Telegram has a file-sending feature called "No Compression" that allows you to transfer photos in their original quality. The created chat "Favorites" acts as a personal cloud storage.

There are specialized applications like Send Anywhere or SHAREit that work in a similar way to Mi Mover, generating a digital key to connect devices, which is a good cross-platform option if you're switching from, say, an iPhone to Xiaomi.

When using instant messengers, it is important to keep in mind the limits on the size of a single file. For mass transfer of thousands of photos, this method can be inconvenient due to the need for manual selection and a limit on the number of files in a single package.

Problem Solving and Frequent Transfer Errors

Sometimes the copying process may be interrupted or files may not be displayed in the gallery of a new phone, often due to a lack of space in the memory of Xiaomi Redmi. Before starting the operation, make sure that the amount of free memory exceeds the size of the data transferred.

Another common problem is the “broken” file system on the SD memory card. If the photos are stored on an external drive, it is recommended to first copy them to the computer for verification, and then transfer to the internal memory of the new device.

In rare cases, antivirus or MIUI power saving settings can block background data transmission. If the transmission stops when the screen is off, try turning off the Battery → Energy Saving option for the application you are using.

⚠️ Note: Do not remove the memory card or USB-cable during data recording, this can cause file damage and loss of part of the archive.

Organization of the gallery after the transfer

Once the data migration is completed, it is recommended to clean up the new gallery.The Gallery app on Xiaomi can automatically group photos by person, place and date, which will help you quickly find the right pictures in a new array of information.

It's worth checking if all the albums are correctly displayed. Sometimes hidden folders or system caches can be transferred along with the photo. Use the Hidden Albums feature in the gallery settings to remove the extra from view without deleting the files.

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Regular cleaning of duplicates and screenshots after transfer will free up to 20% of space on the new smartphone.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)