Transferring data from one phone to Xiaomi Redmi: a full guide to 2026

The transition to the new Xiaomi Redmi smartphone is always an exciting moment, especially when it comes to protecting personal data. Last-time photos, instant messengers, saved passwords and notes all need to be transferred without loss and with minimal time. Fortunately, Xiaomi’s ecosystem offers several built-in migration tools, and alternative methods allow you to bypass compatibility restrictions.

Many users mistakenly believe that data transfer necessarily requires a computer or deep technical knowledge. In practice, even a beginner will cope with the task in 10–30 minutes, if you choose the right method. The main thing is to assess the amount of information transmitted and the available resources in advance: for example, when using Mi Mover, the transfer speed through Wi-Fi Direct reaches 20-30 Mb / s, which is 2-3 times faster than Bluetooth 5.0. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods, taking into account their pros, cons and nuances for specific Redmi models.

It is worth noting that the transfer procedure may differ depending on the version of MIUI (for example, MIUI 14 changed the Mi Mover interface) and the device model. If your old phone is not from Xiaomi, some methods will not be available - but we will provide alternatives. Also note that account-based applications (for example, banking) will have to be reconfigured regardless of the method chosen.

1.Official way: Mi Mover for Xiaomi phones

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary solution, optimized for transferring data between devices to MIUI. This tool is built into the firmware and does not require installing additional applications. It supports the transfer of contacts, messages, photos, videos, music, calendars and even some system settings. However, there are important limitations: Mi Mover only works between Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones, and does not support the transfer of installed applications (only their data).

To use the Mi Mover, both phones must be charged at least 20%, and the new device must complete the initial setup (but not login to the Mi Account).

• 📱 On the new Redmi, when you first turn on, select Transfer Data to the Settings menu. If your phone is already configured, go to Settings → The phone. → Data portability.
• 🔄 On an old phone, open Mi Mover (find through search in the settings or app menu).
• 📶 Select the device role: the new phone will be the Receiver, the old one will be the Sender".
• 🔗 Click on Next and wait for the appearance QR-Scan the code on the new phone with the old device.
• 📋 Select data types to transfer (you can mark everything or select selectively).
• ⚡ Confirm transmission. Do not interrupt the connection or block the screens!

If Mi Mover does not find the device, check:

1. Both phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (or use Wi-Fi Direct).
2. On the old phone, data mode is enabled in the Mi Mover settings.
3. Disable VPNs and firewalls that can block the connection.

Charge of both phones >20 percent |Reset network settings on the new Redmi|Disable power saving |Check free space on the new device-->

⚠️ Note: Mi Mover does not transfer data from some third-party applications (such as WhatsApp or Viber), they will require a separate backup through the messengers themselves, and the tool may not work correctly on custom firmware.

2.Move over the Xiaomi cloud (Mi Cloud)

The Mi Cloud is a universal backup and synchronization solution, which, unlike the Mi Mover, allows you to transfer information not only between Xiaomi phones, but also restore it to other brands (subject to manual unloading), the main advantage of the method is the ability to save a backup copy on Xiaomi servers and restore it at any time, even if the old phone is already unavailable.

There are also disadvantages: the free tariff provides only 5 GB of space (that's ~1,500 high-resolution photos), and the download speed depends on the quality of the Internet connection. You will need a Mi Account to transfer (if you don't have one, register in advance).

• ☁️ On your old phone, go to Settings. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
• 🔄 Enable synchronization for the desired categories: Contacts, Notes, Calendar, Gallery (photo / video).
• 📤 To back up applications and their data, click Backup and select Create Backup.
• 📥 On the new Redmi, log in to the same Mi Account and go to Mi Cloud. → Restore.
• 🗂️ Select the latest backup and confirm the recovery.

If you are transferring data from an iPhone or other Android device, first export the contacts to a.vcf file (via your contacts settings), and upload the photos to Google Photos or Mi Cloud manually. For music and documents, it is convenient to use Google Drive or Yandex Disk.

Mi Mover|Mi Cloud| OTG/PC|Bluetooth/Wi-Fi Direct| Another way-->

3. Transfer via OTG cable or computer

If you don't have access to Wi-Fi or cloud services, physical cable connectivity is the most reliable way. OTG-Adapter (if you transfer from Android to Redmi) or computer with USB-The method is universal and works even with phones of other brands, but it takes more time to prepare.

For computer transfer:

1. Connect both phones to the PC via USB-Cables (use original cables for stability).
2. On your phones, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. Copy the folders you want (DCIM for photos, Downloads for downloads, etc.) from one device to another via Windows/macOS Explorer.
4. For contacts, export them to the.vcf file on the old phone and then import them on the new one.

For transfer through OTG-Adapter (only between Android devices):

• 🔌 Connect. OTG-Adapter to the new Redmi and to it – the old phone cable.
• 📁 The new phone will open a file manager (MIUI File Manager. Go to the section USB-device.
• 📋 Select the files you want and click Copy, then select the destination folder on the new phone.

⚠️ Note: When connecting through OTG The old phone should be in the mode. USB Mass Storage (old models may not be recognized) and avoid copying system folders (Android, data) - this can lead to crashes.

1. Reinstall Mi PC Suite drivers (download from the official Xiaomi website).

2. Use another USB-port (preferably) USB 3.0 for speed).

3. Enable Debugging by USB In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Press 7 times on the version, then return to the optional version. → For developers).-->

4. Wireless transmission: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct are the most accessible methods, but they are only suitable for transferring small amounts of data (up to 1-2 GB). Bluetooth 5.0 speeds up to 2 Mb / s, and Wi-Fi Direct – up to 10 Mb / s, but the connection can be interrupted. These methods are convenient for transferring individual files or contacts, but are not suitable for full migration.

For Bluetooth transmission:

• 🔵 Turn on Bluetooth on both phones (Settings) → Bluetooth).
• 🔍 On the new Redmi, click Device Search and select an old phone.
• 🔑 Confirm pairing (code must match on both screens).
• 📎 In the file manager, select files, click Share. → Bluetooth and select the target device.

For transmission via Wi-Fi Direct:

1. On an old phone, activate Wi-Fi Direct in your Wi-Fi settings.
2. On the new Redmi, in the same settings, find the name of the old device and connect to it.
3. Use any file manager (such as MIUI File Manager or ES Explorer) to transfer files over the local network.

The main disadvantage of these methods is the lack of the ability to port applications and their data, and some Redmi models (such as the Redmi Note 12) can automatically turn off Wi-Fi Direct when the screen is locked, which interrupts the transmission.

5. Data transfer from messengers and social networks

Apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, or Viber store data (chats, media files) in secure folders that are not portable by standard methods. Migration requires built-in backup tools. For example, WhatsApp backups are created in Google Drive (for Android) or iCloud (for iPhone), but you can only restore them on the same phone number.

Instructions for WhatsApp:

• 📱 On your old phone, open WhatsApp. → ⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup copy.
• ☁️ Click Create a copy and wait until completed (check that the correct Google account is listed).
• 📲 On the new Redmi, install WhatsApp, log in under the same number and restore data from Google Drive when you request it.

For Telegram, the process is simpler:

• ☁️ All chats and media files are automatically synced to the Telegram cloud.
• 🔄 It is enough to install the application on a new phone and log into your account - the data will be downloaded by yourself.

The situation is more complicated with Viber and Signal:

1. In Viber, backups are created manually (Settings → Account → Backup), but you can only restore them on Android.
2. Signal requires manual transfer of the backup via the computer (signal-backup.ab file).

⚠️ Note: If you transfer WhatsApp from iPhone to Redmi, there is no official way – you will have to use third-party tools like Dr.Fone or Backuptrans, but they are paid and require a connection to a PC.

💡

For instant messengers, always use official backup tools. Hand-over folders (e.g. /Android/media/com.whatsapp) will result in the loss of chat history!

6. Transfer of applications and their data

Standard methods (Mi Mover, Mi Cloud) don’t carry installed applications (.apk files) — only their data (if the application supports backup) — you’ll need third-party tools like APK Extractor (to retrieve.apk) and Swift Backup (to back up data), but this requires rooting on the old phone, which voids the warranty.

An alternative option is a list of installed applications:

• 📋 On your old phone, export the app list through the App List Backup (free app in the Play Market).
• 📥 Transfer the list file to the new Redmi and import it in the same app.
• 🛒 Play Market will automatically offer to install missing programs.

To transfer these applications without root rights:

1. Use built-in backup tools (for example, in MIUI it’s Settings → Applications → Backup).
2. For cloud-saving games (like Google Play Games), simply log in to the same account on your new phone.

Importantly, some applications (banking, DRM-protected) block data transfer for security reasons, and they will have to be reconfigured.

7. Frequent errors and their solution

Even when following instructions, users encounter problems, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to fix them:

If none of these methods worked, try resetting your new Redmi and repeat the transfer from the clean system, and check if the antivirus or energy-saving mode is blocking the transmission.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions