How to Transfer All Data From Your Old Phone to the New Xiaomi Redmi: From Contacts to Wi-Fi Passwords

Why migrating data to Xiaomi Redmi requires a special approach

The transition to a new smartphone is always an exciting moment, especially when it comes to Xiaomi Redmi with its branded shell. MIUI. Unlike the “bare” Android, there are nuances here: from integration with the Xiaomi ecosystem to the features of working with the Mi Account. Many users find that standard portability methods (such as Google) do not save the design settings, battery consumption data or even call history, and these are the little things that make a new phone “own” from the first minutes of use.

Another trap is the amount of data. If you have 50 on your old device.+ GB photo in original resolution, 100+ With cache and saves in games, simply moving through the cloud can take hours or even days, especially for Redmi models with budget chipsets (e.g. Redmi). 12C or Redmi A2+), where processing speed is limited by hardware, in this article we will discuss the only officially supported Xiaomi method of transfer without loss, through Mi Mover, as well as alternative methods for different scenarios.

It is important to consider the version. MIUI And on both devices, for example, in MIUI 14 and later, the portability process is optimized for HyperOS models, whereas on older versions (e.g., for example, the portability process is optimized for HyperOS models, MIUI 12.5) synchronization errors can occur. We tested all methods on current firmware in 2026 and identified those that work consistently even with phones from other brands (Samsung, Honor, Realme).

⚡ Method 1: Mi Mover is the official tool from Xiaomi

Mi Mover is an application built into Xiaomi that allows you to transfer almost all data from your old phone to a new one over a direct Wi-Fi connection (without the cloud or the Internet), the main advantage is to save system settings that are not in Google backups, such as Game Turbo settings, battery consumption profiles, or even the location of icons on the desktop.

How it works:

• 📱 Old phone (any brand) becomes a source of data.
• 🆕 The new Xiaomi Redmi – “receiver".
• 🔗 There is a direct Wi-Fi connection between them (like AirDrop on iPhone).

In our testing, the Mi Mover is best at portability:

• 📞 Contacts (including photos and groups).
• 📸 Photos and videos in original quality (without compression).
• 🎵 Music and documents from internal memory.
• 📱 Annexes (APK-file + data if the old phone on Android 10+).
• 🔧 System settings (Wi-Fi passwords, wallpaper, sound schemes).

Limitations of Mi Mover:

• ❌ Does not transfer messages from messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.) – they need separate backup copies.
• ❌ Phones with Android 9 and below may not transmit data to some apps.
• ❌ If there is not enough space on the old phone, the process can be interrupted (at least 10% of free space is needed).

Charge both phones at least 50 times%|Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (at the time of setting up)|Free 1-2 GB of memory on an old phone|Shut down. VPN firewalls|Make sure the new Redmi has the latest version installed MIUI-->

Step-by-step instruction

1. On the new Xiaomi Redmi, when you first turn on, select Data Portability from the settings menu. If your phone is already configured, open the Mi Mover app (see in the Tools folder).

On an old phone:

• For Xiaomi: Open Settings → The phone. → Data portability.
• For other brands: download Mi Mover from Google Play.

3. On the new Redmi, select "I am the receiver" and on the old one, "I am the source."

4. Scan it. QR-code from the screen of the new phone with the old device (or enter PIN-manually).

5. Select data for transfer. We recommend that you turn off:

• 🗑️ Application cache (takes up a lot of space, but not important).
• 📁 Downloads (if there are temporary files).

6. Press Move and wait until it's done. Don't interrupt, it can lead to loss of data. On average, 30 GB takes 30 to 40 minutes.

💡

If the transfer is 0% or 100%, reboot both phones and repeat the process. Most often, it helps.

☁️ Method 2: Transfer through Google Account (for contacts, calendar, and portions of apps)

If Mi Mover doesn’t work for some reason (like an old iOS phone), you can use Google Account, which is universal but has limitations:

• ✅ Transfers: contacts, calendars, notes (from Google Keep), part of the app settings.
• ❌ I can't stand it: SMS, Photos in original quality, game data, settings MIUI.

How to set up synchronization:

On an old phone:

• Open Settings → Accounts → Google.
• Select your account and enable synchronization for all items.
• Wait until completion (check in Settings) → System system → Backup).

On the new Xiaomi Redmi:

• When you first turn on, select “Restore from backup” and log in to the same Google Account.
• If your phone is already set up, go to Settings → Accounts → Google → Sync and enable all options.

3. To restore applications:

• Open Google Play → Library → Installed
• Click Update All – this will restore previously installed apps (but not their data!).

Speed and limitations

An important nuance: if you used Mi Account on old Xiaomi, some data (for example, notes from Mi Notes or Mi Browser history) can only be restored through it.

1. On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account (Settings) → Accounts. → Mi Account).

💡

Google Account is the most reliable way to transfer contacts and calendars, but it is useless for multimedia and settings. MIUI. Use it as an addition to the Mi Mover.

🔄 Method 3: Transfer over a computer (for large amounts of data)

If you've got it. 50+ GB photos, videos or other files, airborne transfer (Wi-Fi/Bluetooth) It can take a few hours, and in this case, wired PC connection is the fastest option. USB 3.0 reach 40–60 MB/s and the risk of data loss is minimal.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 🔌 Cables. USB (preferably original).
• 📁 External drive (optional if data is more than 100 GB).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the old phone to the computer via USB. Select the "File Transfer" mode" (MTP).

2. Copy the necessary data:

• 📸 Photo/video: folder DCIM or Pictures.
• 🎵 Music: folder Music or Media.
• 📄 Documents: Documents folder or Download folder.
• 📱 Backups: If you use Titanium Backup or Swift Backup, copy the backup folder.

3. disable the old phone and connect the new Xiaomi Redmi. drag and drop the copied files into the corresponding folders.

4. To restore applications:

• Install. APK-Manual files (allow installation from unknown sources in Settings) → Annexes → Special access).
• To restore these applications, use Swift Backup (root rights are required on your old phone).

1. Change the mode. USB to "File Transfer" (swipe down) → USB-linkage).

2. Install Xiaomi drivers from the official website (link).

3. Use another USB-port (preferably) USB 3.0 blue).-->

Wi-Fi Password Transfers

One of the most frustrating things about changing phones is having to re-enter Wi-Fi passwords, which can be exported, luckily:

On Android 10+:

1. Install WiFi Password Viewer (root required) or use it ADB-team:
2. Copy the file. WifiConfigStore.xml new phone.
3. Use the same app or ADB, file-import.

No root:

• Take a picture. QR-Network codes (in Wi-Fi settings) → Share).
• Scan on your new phone. QR-camera-code.

💡

Wired transfer over PCs is the only reliable way to handle large amounts of data (100)+ However, it does not restore application settings and system settings.

📱 Method 4: Transfer from iPhone to Xiaomi Redmi (via Move to iOS)

If you move from an iPhone to a Xiaomi Redmi, the process is complicated by the closed Apple ecosystem.The official Move to iOS app only works one way (from Android to iPhone), so you have to use workarounds.

What can be transferred:

• 📞 Contacts (via iCloud or Google Account).
• 📸 Photo/video (via iCloud or computer).
• 🎵 Music (if not protected) DRM).
• ❌ Not portable: iMessage messages, notes, call history.

Step-by-step:

Export of contacts:

• On iPhone: Settings → [Your name] → iCloud → Contacts → Turn on.
• Go to iCloud.com, select contacts and export to.vcf.
• Import a file to a new Redmi via Contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports.

Photo/video transfer:

• Download Google Photos on your iPhone and enable backup.
• On Redmi, log in to the same Google account and wait for sync.
• Or connect your iPhone to your computer, copy the photos to a folder, and then transfer them to Redmi.

3. Music transfer:

• Use iTunes to export songs to your computer, then copy them to Redmi.
• Or upload music to Google Play Music (if it’s still available in your area).

Transfer of messages (optional):

• Install iMazing or AnyTrans for export on iPhone SMS file.
• Import messages to Redmi via SMS Backup & Restore.

🔐 Method 5: Transfer through third-party applications (for advanced users)

If standard methods don’t work, third-party tools can be used, offering more flexibility but requiring caution (especially when dealing with root rights).

The best applications for transfer:

Instructions for Swift Backup (without root):

On an old phone:

• Install Swift Backup from Google Play.
• Connect your phone to your PC and do it. ADB-backup team:
• Create a backup copy (Applications) + data).

On the new Xiaomi Redmi:

• Install Swift Backup and Repeat ADB-team.
• Transfer the backup file to your new phone (via PC or cloud).
• Recover the backup data.

1. Is the debugging mode on USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times press → Return to the Extra → For developers → Debugging by USB).

2. Whether drivers are installed ADB (You can download it on Android. SDK).

3. Is the phone connected in "File Transfer" mode" (MTP).-->

Transfer through TWRP (power-user)

If both phones have custom recavery installed TWRP, You can make a full backup and restore it to a new device. Attention: this method is only suitable for phones with the same architecture (for example, the Redmi Note 11). → Redmi Note 12) and can lead to unstable performance if the models are very different.

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, make a full backup in TWRP (Backup → Select all sections → Swipe to confirm).
2. Copy the folder. TWRP backup to a computer or external disk.
3. On the new phone, install it. TWRP and restore the backup (Restore) → Select a file → swipe).

⚠️ Attention: Backup recovery TWRP On another model, Xiaomi can lead to bootloop ( looped boot).This method is recommended only for the same models or phones on the same chipset (for example, Snapdragon 680).

🔄 Method 6: Cloud Services (for backup)

If you don't need instant transfer, you can use cloud services to gradually synchronize data, which is useful if you don't want to spend time manually configuring or don't have access to a computer.

The best cloud services for transfer:

• 🌐 Google Drive: 15GB free, Android integration.
• ☁️ Mi Cloud: 5GB free, optimized for Xiaomi.
• 📦 Dropbox: 2 GB free, user-friendly interface.
• 📁 Yandex Disk: 10 GB free (relevant for users from Russia).

How to move data through the cloud:

On an old phone:

• Upload files to the cloud (photos, videos, documents).
• Create a backup of your contacts and calendars (via Google Account).
• Export. SMS/call-up SMS Backup & Restore.

On the new Xiaomi Redmi:

• Log in to the same cloud account and download the files.
• Restore contacts and calendars through your Google Account.
• Import. SMS/backup calls.

Comparison of cloud services:

⚠️ Note: When downloading large amounts of data (e.g. 50GB photos) via mobile internet, you may exceed the traffic limit or face operator restrictions.

❓ FAQ: Answers to frequent questions