Data portability from Android to Xiaomi Redmi: the full guide 2026

Why migrating data to Xiaomi Redmi requires a special approach

The transition to the new Xiaomi Redmi smartphone is always a joy from fresh technology, but also a headache with the migration of data. Unlike devices of the same brand (for example, from Samsung to Samsung), where proprietary tools like Smart Switch work, when switching from Android to Xiaomi, users face nuances. MIUI, which does not always interact correctly with standard Google tools or third-party utilities.

The main problems faced by owners of Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 or Redmi 10C when transferring data:

• 🔌 Protocol incompatibility: Some Xiaomi models do not support direct Wi-Fi Direct transmission with devices from other brands (e.g. Huawei or Realme).
• 📱 Limitations MIUI: The shell blocks access to system folders through MTP, This makes it difficult to copy files through a computer.
• 🔄 Data loss: when using Google accounts are not always synced SMS, call log and application settings.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods for transferring data – from the official Mi Mover to manual copying via ADB – taking into account the specifics of Xiaomi Redmi.

Method 1: Mi Mover – the official solution from Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a proprietary utility from Xiaomi designed to migrate data between devices to MIUI. It is pre-installed on all Redmi and POCO smartphones (starting with MIUI 9).

• 📞 Contacts, call log, SMS/MMS
• 📸 Photo, video, audio files
• 📱 Applications (including their data, if authorized by the developer)
• 📍 System settings (Wi-Fi, wallpaper, sound profiles)

How to use Mi Mover:

1. On an old Android smartphone, download Mi Mover from Google Play (if it is not by default).
2. On Xiaomi Redmi, go to Settings → About Phone → Data Transfer (Mi Mover).
3. Select the New Phone role on Redmi and Old Phone on your old device.
4. Scan it. QR-code from Redmi screen with an old smartphone or connect via Wi-Fi Direct.
5. Select the data to transfer and wait for completion (time depends on the volume).

Charge both phones at least 50% | Connect to the same Wi-Fi |Free 10-15% of memory on Redmi | Disable VPN/proxy on both devices-->

Limitations of Mi Mover:

• ⚠️ Does not work with Android Go devices (such as Nokia 1.4 or Samsung Galaxy) J2 Core).
• ⚠️ On the Redmi models with MIUI 14+ You may need to disable Data Protection in the developer settings (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to tap → Allow debugging by USB).

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If the Mi Mover is stuck in the connection phase, try rebooting both phones and turning on the plane mode for 30 seconds, which will reset the network settings cache.

Method 2: Google Account – Universal but Incomplete

Syncing through Google Account is the easiest way, but it is only suitable for basic data: contacts, calendar, Google Keep notes and parts of photos (if Google Photos are enabled: SMS, Call log and application settings through Google are not portable!

Step-by-step:

1. On your old phone, check that sync is enabled: Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync.
2. On Xiaomi Redmi, add the same Google account and enable sync.
3. For photos: Open Google Photos, wait for the media files to download, then download them to Redmi.

⚠️ Note: If the old phone used a Huawei account ID or Samsung Account for backup, the data from them is not synchronized with Xiaomi. you will have to first export them manually (for example, contacts in a file.vcf).

Method 3: OTG + USB Cable for Large Data

If you need to move tens of gigabytes of photos, videos or music, the best option is to use a USB-OTG adapter and flash drive (or external SSD), which works on all Redmi models, including the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ and POCO F5, and is independent of the MIUI version.

What you need:

• 🔌 USB-OTG Adapter (Type-C or Micro-USB, depending on the Redmi connector).
• 💾 Flash drive or external drive (exFAT recommended for files) >4GB).
• 📱 The old phone must have access to the file system (permission to use the file system) USB-accumulator).

Instructions:

1. Connect the flash drive to the old phone via OTG and copy all the necessary files to it (DCIM folders, Downloads, WhatsApp/Media, etc.).
2. Turn off the flash drive, connect it to Xiaomi Redmi.
3. In the Redmi Explorer (Files) → Device) find the flash drive and transfer the data to internal memory or to the SD-map.

⚠️ Attention: Redmi with MIUI 13+ plug-in OTG-You may have a formatting request. You may disagree, but you may choose "Use as an external drive," or the data will be erased from the flash drive!

Method 4: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct – Slowly but Wireless

Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct data transfer is suitable for small files (contacts, multiple photos), but is completely inefficient for large volumes. Transfer speeds rarely exceed 2-3 MB / s, and Xiaomi with MIUI 12+ has a file size limit of no more than 500 MB per session.

How to transfer data over Bluetooth:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on both phones and pair them.
2. On an old phone, select files (e.g. in a gallery) → Send → Bluetooth.
3. On Redmi, confirm file acceptance.

Wi-Fi Direct (faster than Bluetooth):

1. On Redmi, open Settings → Connection and Sharing → Wi-Fi Direct.
2. On an old phone, find Redmi in the list of available devices and connect.
3. Use any file manager (e.g. Files by Google) to transfer data.

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Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct are convenient for transferring contacts or multiple photos, but use an OTG or Mi Mover cable to carry tens of gigabytes.

Method 5: ADB and computer for power users

If standard methods don’t work (e.g., on Redmi with an unlocked bootloader or custom firmware), you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires a computer and basic command-line knowledge, but allows you to transfer all data, including system files.

What you need:

• 💻 Computer with installed ADB Tools.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 📱 Both phones are debugging on. USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to tap → For developers → Debugging by USB).

Data transfer commands:

Connecting to an old phone


adb pull /sdcard/ ~/android_backup/




Connect to Xiaomi Redmi and send data



adb push ~/android_backup/ /sdcard/

To transfer applications with data, use:

adb backup -f backup.ab -apk -all


adb restore backup.ab

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi with MIUI 14 by default, access to the /data/data through ADB. To turn it on, do: adb shell setenforce 0 But this is a temporary solution - after the restart, access is blocked again.

Comparison of methods: which one to choose for your Redmi model

The choice of method depends on the Xiaomi Redmi model, MIUI version and data type. Below is a table with recommendations for popular scenarios:

For models of 2020 and older (e.g. Redmi) 9A Note 8 Pro: Mi Mover should be avoided – it may not support older versions MIUI. In this case, the best option — OTG + flash-drive ADB.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When migrating data to Xiaomi Redmi, users often face typical problems.

• 🚫 "Mi Mover can't see old device": "Check out that both phones have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on. VPN and power saving mode. Go to Settings on Redmi. → Connection and sharing → Laboratory → Insert "Detection of devices".
• 🚫 "Lack of space on Redmi": Clear the cache before perenosom (Settings) → Warehouse → Clear the cache. Use it. SD-map (if supported) Transfer data in parts (e.g. photo first, video later).
• 🚫 "Photos moved but not displayed in the gallery": Open Files, find folder DCIM manually update the media library (Settings) → Warehouse → Update your media files. Install Google Photos, which will show all media files, even if the standard gallery doesn't see them.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi Redmi with MIUI 14 after transferring data via Mi Mover may be lost DAV-synchronization (calendar, contacts) To fix, go to Settings → Accounts. → Google → Synchronize now.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions