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

Switching to a new Xiaomi Redmi smartphone is always an exciting moment, but transferring data from an old Android device can turn into a real headache if you do not know the proven ways. Many users lose hours manually copying files, encounter synchronization errors, or forget about important settings. Meanwhile, the manufacturer has provided several official and alternative migration methods, from built-in tools. MIUI Up to Universal Cloud Services.

In this article, we will discuss 7 working ways to transfer data – from contacts and messages to Wi-Fi applications and passwords – taking into account the features of the firmware MIUI 14/15. You'll learn which method is the fastest, which one saves the most information, and how to avoid typical synchronization errors. And if your old smartphone is from Samsung, Huawei or another brand, don't worry: the instructions are adapted for any Android device with an OS version that is not lower than Android. 8.0.

1.The official way: Mi Mover by Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a proprietary application from Xiaomi, which is installed by default on all Redmi smartphones and POCO. It allows you to transfer up to 10 types of data without loss, including:

• 📞 Contacts and call log
• 💬 Communications (SMS/MMS)
• 📷 Photos and videos (including Google Photos albums)
• 🎵 Music and audio files
• 📥 Applications (with data retention if supported)
• 🔑 Wi-Fi settings and passwords
• 📅 Calendars and notes

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

1. On the new Xiaomi Redmi go to Settings → The phone. → Data Transfer (Mi Mover).
2. Select the option “I am the receiver” on the new phone and “I am the sender” on the old one.
3. Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (or create an access point on an old smartphone).
4. Scan it. QR-code from old phone to new.
5. Select the data types to transfer and wait for the process to be completed.

Charging both phones >50%|Clear the cache on the old device|Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network|Shut down. VPN both phones|Remove the screen lock during the transfer-->

Important nuance: if the old phone has firmware from another manufacturer (for example, One) UI Samsung may need to pre-download Mi Mover from Google Play. ~15 MB and compatible with Android 5.0+.

⚠️ Note: If the old phone has data encryption enabled, Mi Mover may not see some files, in which case it is recommended to temporarily disable encryption in the security settings.

2. Transfer through Google Account (the most universal method)

Syncing through a Google account is a standard method that works on any Android device, including the Xiaomi Redmi. The advantage of the method is that the data is automatically updated on a new phone if you add the same account.

• 📇 Contacts (from Google Contacts)
• 📅 Calendars (Google Calendar)
• 📝 Notes (Google Keep)
• 📷 Photos and videos (if you have autoloaded in Google Photos)
• 🎮 Progress in games (if the games support Google Play Games)
• 🔑 Wi-Fi Passwords (via Google Smart Lock)

Instructions for transfer:

1. On your old phone, check that sync is enabled: Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync.
2. On the new Xiaomi Redmi, when you first turn on, select the “Recover Data” option and log in to the same Google account.
3. If the phone is already configured, go to Settings → Accounts. → Add an account → Google and log in.
4. Wait for the synchronization to be completed (it can take up to 30 minutes depending on the amount of data).

Critical information: If the old phone used an account from another manufacturer (e.g. Huawei) ID or Samsung Account, data from these services are not synchronized with Google, but must be transferred separately through export/import.

3. Transfer via OTG cable or adapter

If you don’t have Wi-Fi access or want to transfer large files (e.g. video to the Internet) 4K The most reliable way to connect your old phone to the new Xiaomi Redmi via cable OTG or USB-It's gonna take an adapter:

• 🔌 Cable USB-C → USB-C (If both phones are modern)
• 🔌 adapter USB-C → Micro-USB (if old phone with Micro-USB connector)
• 🔌 OTG-cable (if you need to connect a flash drive or hard drive)

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the cable to both phones. The new Redmi will have a notification on its screen "USB-Connection - select "File Transfer".
2. On the old phone in the notification curtain, click "Share data over" USB" (or "MTP").
3. Open Explorer on the new Xiaomi (the Files app from Xiaomi or Google Files).
4. Go to section "USB-Device and copy the required folders (DCIM for photo, download, etc.) to internal memory or SD-map.

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If the phone doesn't recognize the connection, try restarting both devices or using a different cable. Cheap. OTG-Adapters often do not support data transfer, only charging.

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Maximum speed (up to 480 Mbps when used) USB 3.0).
• 📦 Transfer files of any size (unlike cloud-based services with limitations).
• 🔒 Security: Data is not transmitted via the Internet.

⚠️ Note: When you copy your Android folder (where app data is stored), some files may not open on your new phone due to firmware differences.

4. Use of cloud services (Google Drive, Mi Cloud, Yandex Disk)

Cloud storage is convenient because it allows you to transfer data wirelessly and even remotely (for example, if the phones are in different places).

Google Drive|Mi Cloud (Xiaomi)|Yandex Disk|Dropbox|Other-->

4.1. Google Drive

Suitable for transferring any files, but has a limit of 15 GB at a free rate.

1. On your old phone, install Google Drive and log in.
2. Press "+" → Download and select files.
3. On the new Redmi, download files through the same app.

4.2. Mi Cloud

Xiaomi's branded cloud with 5GB of free space, with the advantage of deep integration with the company MIUI:

• 📱 Automatic synchronization of contacts, notes and SMS.
• 📷 Backup photo in original quality.
• 🔄 The ability to recover data when resetting the phone.

To enable Mi Cloud, go to Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud and activate synchronization of the necessary data.

4.3. Yandex Disk

Russian service with 10 GB of free space, convenient for transferring documents and photos, as it supports automatic downloading. SMS.

5. Transfer SMS call-book

Messages and call history are some of the most important data that is often lost when changing phones, and unlike contacts, they are not synced through a Google account by default.

Annex 5.1. SMS Backup & Restore

A free app with a rating of 4.7 on Google Play that allows you to:

• 📤 Export SMS/MMS file.xml or.json.
• 📥 Recover messages on a new phone.
• 🔒 Encrypt backup copies with a password.
• ☁️ Automatically upload copies to Google Drive or Dropbox.

Instructions:

1. Install Backup & Restore SMS on your old phone.
2. Click "Create a backup" and select the format XML.
3. Transfer the file to the new Redmi (via cable, cloud, or email).
4. Install the same app on your new phone and click "Restore".

5.2 Built-in function of Mi Mover

If you are using Mi Mover (described in the first section), then SMS And the call logs will be automatically transferred, but there's a caveat: some firmware. MIUI The messages can be duplicated to avoid this:

1. Before the penos, clean the folder. SMS In the appendix "Messages" from unnecessary dialogues.
2. After the transfer, check the doubles in Settings → Annexes → Communications → Warehouse.

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When transferring SMS through third-party applications (for example, SMS Backup & Restore) messages can be displayed without contact names. To fix this, first sync your contacts through Google and then restore them. SMS.

6. Transfer of applications and their data

It is easy to migrate the apps themselves to the new Xiaomi Redmi, just log in to the same Google account and they will automatically appear in the Play Store under "Installed." However, application data (e.g. save in games, messaging settings) are not always portable. Here's how to do this:

Backup through MIUI

MIUI has a built-in backup function:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Select the applications whose data needs to be saved.
3. Click "Create a backup" and wait until it is completed.
4. Transfer the backup file (located in /MIUI/backup/AllBackup) new phone.
5. On the new Redmi, restore data through the same settings section.

Helium (universal backup)

The Helium app (formerly Carbon Backup) allows you to back up any applications, including their data.

• 📱 Installation of Helium on both phones.
• 🖥️ Installation of Helium Desktop on PC (for some models).
• 🔌 Connecting phones to a computer USB.

The downside is that not all apps support backup (for example, WhatsApp blocks copying its data).

6.3 Transfer through application accounts

Many popular applications have their own synchronization mechanisms:

• 💬 WhatsApp: Settings → chat → Backup (save in Google Drive).
• 📘 Viber: synced via Viber account (you need to confirm your phone number).
• 🎮 Games: Most games keep progressing on Google Play Games or Facebook.
• 📌 Telegram: all chats and media files are synced automatically when you log in to your account.

⚠️ Note: If you are porting WhatsApp from Android to Android, use the official backup function in Google Drive (.crypt14) This can lead to loss of chat history.

7. Transfer Wi-Fi passwords and other settings

One of the most frustrating things about changing phones is having to re-enter Wi-Fi passwords, especially if there are many, and fortunately there are ways to transfer them automatically:

7.1. via Google Smart Lock

If the old phone has Google Smart Lock enabled, the Wi-Fi passwords are synced with the Google account:

1. On your old phone, check that password saving is enabled: Settings → Google → Smart Lock for Passwords.
2. On the new Redmi, log in to the same Google account.
3. When connecting to Wi-Fi, select the network from the list – the password will be pulled automatically.

7.2. With the configuration file

On phones with root access, you can export the file wpa_supplicant.conf, which contains all the stored networks. MIUI It doesn't work without root rights, and the alternative is to use applications like WiFi Password Viewer. ADB):

adb pull /data/misc/wifi/WifiConfigStore.xml

But this method is suitable only for experienced users.

Manual transfer through QR-code

If there are few networks, you can manually transfer passwords:

1. On your old phone, open Settings. → Wi-Fi.
2. Click on the desired network and select "Share" (entering required). PIN-code-print).
3. Scan it. QR-code for the new Xiaomi Redmi.

To transfer other settings (such as email accounts or system settings), use built-in backup MIUI (section Settings → The phone. → Backup. It keeps it:

• 📧 Mail settings.
• 🎨 Themes and wallpaper.
• ⚙️ System parameters (sound, notifications, gestures).

8. Frequent errors and their solutions

Even when following the instructions, users face problems, and consider common mistakes and ways to fix them:

If neither method worked, try resetting the new phone to factory settings and repeating the data transfer from the clean system, which often helps with firmware conflicts.

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Before resetting your phone, make sure all important data is transferred.Reset deletes all information without the possibility of recovery!

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions