How to transfer data from Xiaomi to Realme: 5 proven ways

Moving from Xiaomi to Realme is not just about changing your brand, it's also about migrating all your data, from contacts to your message history. Many users are afraid of losing important information or spending hours manually transferring files. In fact, you can automate it by 90 percent if you know the right tools and the right sequence of actions.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to transfer data, from official utilities (Mi Mover and Realme Clone Phone) to universal solutions through Google Account and physical connection, and focus on porting applications with data storage (for example, WhatsApp chat history or game progress), as this is the most problematic part of migration between Android devices from different manufacturers.

Whether you’re switching from Xiaomi’s flagship 14 Ultra to Realme GT 6 or from the budget Redmi Note 12 on the Realme 11 Pro+, The instructions below are suitable for any model, the main thing is to prepare both smartphones in advance and choose the best method depending on the amount of data and the availability of additional accessories (cable) OTG, computer).

1. Preparing smartphones for data transfer

Before migrating, there are several critical steps to take on both devices, and neglecting preparation can lead to data loss, incomplete portability, or disruption of new applications.

On Xiaomi:

• 📱 Update your firmware to the latest version through Settings → The phone. → System updates, which will eliminate any bugs in the Mi Mover.
• 🔋 Charge the battery to minimum. 50% — transfer of large amounts of data (for example, 100+ GB photo may take 1-2 hour.
• 🔒 Make sure that the device does not have a print lock (if you use a corporate profile.
• 📁 Free up space: delete unnecessary files or transfer them to a memory card.Mi Mover requires at least 1 GB of free space to run smoothly.

On Realme:

• 🛠️ Reset the device to factory settings (if it's new) and it will avoid conflicts with the previous owner's data. → Additional settings → Recovery and discharge → Resetting all settings.
• 📶 Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network (if you plan to use cloud services) Mobile Internet may not be able to handle the transfer of large files.
• 🔌 Prepare the original cable USB-C (Cheap cables often don't support data mode.

⚠️ Note: If Xiaomi has enabled data encryption (in the security settings), some portability utilities may not work. OTG.

2. Method 1: Official Mi Mover utility (for new Realme models)

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary solution for porting data to other Android devices. Although it was developed for the Xiaomi ecosystem, it is compatible with most Realme smartphones released after 2021, the main advantage of the method is the preservation of folder structure and file metadata (dates of creation, photo tags).

Step-by-step:

1. On Xiaomi, open the Mi Mover app (if not, download from Google Play).
2. Select the option I am the sender.
3. On Realme, install Mi Mover (available in the Play Market or through the Play Store) APK) and choose I am the recipient.
4. Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network or use the access point on Xiaomi.
5. On Xiaomi, scan. QR-code that appears on the Realme screen.
6. Select data types to transfer: contacts, messages, photos, videos, audio, apps (without their data!) or notes.
7. Confirm the transmission. The process can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours depending on the volume.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ Application data (for example, game saves or chat history in instant messengers) are not transferred).
• ❌ On some Realme models (for example, Realme) C55) manual installation may be required APK Due to lack of official support.
• ❌ Maximum transmission capacity is 200 GB. Use cable for large volumes. OTG.

Both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.|There is plenty of space available in Realme.|Disabled. VPN firewalls|Battery charge above 30%-->

3. Method 2: Realme Clone Phone (alternative to Mi Mover)

The Realme Clone Phone is an analogue of the Mi Mover, but from the manufacturer Realme. utility pre-installed on all new devices of the brand and supports data transfer from most Android smartphones, including Xiaomi. The main difference from Mi Mover is the ability to transfer some application data (for example, call history and the ability to transfer information to the user). SMS).

How to use:

1. On Realme go to Settings → Additional settings → Telephone cloning.
2. Select this phone and follow the instructions on the screen.
3. Download Realme Clone Phone from Google Play (or scan) QR-Realme screen code).
4. Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network or use a cable OTG (recommended for large volumes).
5. Select data to transfer. There are more options available here than in the Mi Mover, including: 📞 Log of calls 💬 SMS and MMS 📁 Files and documents 🎵 Music and ringtones

Wait until the process is complete. Don't interrupt the connection!

The advantages of the Realme Clone Phone are:

• ✅ Supports transfer of system settings (wallpaper, sound schemes, screen brightness).
• ✅ It works more stable Mi Mover on devices with Realme UI 4.0+.
• ✅ It can even transfer data from your iPhone (if you have files on your old iOS device).

⚠️ Note: If you have a mistake when transferring via Realme Clone Phone "Incompatible version of Android", update the firmware on Xiaomi to the Android version. MIUI 13+. Older versions may require manual transfer via computer.

Method 3: Transfer through Google Account (universal method)

Synchronization through Google Account is the most reliable way to transfer basic data: contacts, calendars, notes and parts of files. The main advantage is that you do not need to install additional applications, minus applications and their data, as well as large files (video, archives), are not portable.

Instructions:

1. On Xiaomi, open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Enable synchronization for all categories: 📇 Contacts 📅 Calendar 📝 Notes (if you use Google Keep) 📷 Photo and video (via Google Photos - separately)

Wait for the synchronization to complete (check in the top notification bar).

Realme

Google Account

Settings → Accounts

Turn on automatic synchronization. Data will start to load in 5-10 minutes.

To transfer photos and videos through Google Photos:

• 📸 On Xiaomi, open the Google Photos app and enable backup in the settings.
• 🖥️ Wait for all files to download (check in Photos section) → Library → Devices).
• 📲 On Realme, install Google Photos and log in to the same account. Files will start downloading automatically.

Limitations of the method:

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If you have more than 15GB of photos, buy extra space on Google One (2TB worth) ~300 rubles/month) or use physical transfer via cable OTG.

5. Method 4: Transfer over cable OTG or computer (for large volumes)

If you need to move tens of gigabytes of data (like a movie collection, RAW-Photos or projects from applications, the best option is a physical connection via cable OTG This method guarantees 100% file security and works even when there is no Internet connection.

Option A: Cable OTG (direct-connection)

• 🔌 Buy a two-way cable OTG (USB-C to USB-C or USB-A to USB-C depending on the port of the device).
• 📱 Connect Xiaomi to Realme via cable.
• 📂 On Xiaomi, select File Transfer Mode (MTP) plug-in.
• 📁 On Realme, open Explorer and copy the files you need from Xiaomi’s Internal Storage (or SD-card) folder.

Option B: Through a computer (for backup)

1. Connect Xiaomi to your PC via USB-cable and select File Transfer Mode.
2. Copy all the important folders (DCIM, Download, Pictures, etc.) to the hard drive of the computer.
3. Turn off Xiaomi and connect Realme.
4. Transfer files from PC to Realme to the appropriate folders.

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ Works with any file, including system files (e.g. Titanium Backup).
• ✅ Transfer speeds 5-10 times faster than Wi-Fi.
• ✅ You can selectively transfer only the necessary folders.

⚠️ Note: If Xiaomi has memory encryption enabled, your computer won’t see files without entering your password, in which case you can first decrypt your device in the security settings or use the method using the Realme Clone Phone.

6. Method 5: Transfer applications with data (WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.)

The hardest part of migration is moving apps with their data. Standard utilities (Mi Mover or Realme Clone Phone) only carry the same functionality. APK-files, but they don't save settings, chat history, or game progress.

WhatsApp portability:

• 📱 On Xiaomi, make a backup chat: WhatsApp → ⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup copy.
• 📁 Copy the folder. /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases computer or external storage.
• 📲 Install WhatsApp on Realme and sign in to the same account.
• 🔄 When the app offers to restore chats, copy the Databases folder back to the /sdcard/WhatsApp/ and confirm the recovery.

Telegram portability:

• ☁️ In Telegram on Xiaomi, enable synchronization of media files: Settings → Data and memory → Preservation of media.
• 📎 Export chats: Settings → Chat data export (available in desktop version).
• 📥 On Realme, log in to the same account – all chats and files will be automatically downloaded.

Portability of games and other applications:

• 🎮 For games, use Google Play Games (if supported) or Helium (requires root rights).
• 📱 For other apps, try Titanium Backup (rooted devices only) or Swift Backup.

If the application does not support cloud storage, the only way is to manually backup its data through the cloud. ADB:

adb backup -f backup.ab -apk -obb -shared -all -system

Then restore to Realme:

adb restore backup.ab

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To migrate your application data, always check if it supports cloud sync. If not, use manual folder copying with settings or specialized backup utilities.

7. Frequent errors and their solutions

Even when following instructions, users often encounter problems.-5 errors and ways of eliminating them:

If none of these methods worked, try alternative solutions:

• 🔄 Use Shareit or Xender to transfer files over Wi-Fi Direct.
• 💾 Create an archive of all data on Xiaomi through Explorer and transfer it to Realme.
• 🖥️ For a full backup, use it. SP Flash Tool (for advanced users only).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions