How to transfer all applications from one Xiaomi Redmi phone to another: the complete guide

Introduction

The transition to the new Xiaomi Redmi smartphone is always exciting, but porting apps can be a real headache, especially if you want to save not only the programs themselves, but also their settings, account data and game progress. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways of migrating applications between Redmi devices, from standard MIUI tools to advanced methods for power users.

It's important to understand that just copying a folder of applications through a Explorer is not an option. Most programs today store critical data in protected memory areas that are not available without root rights, so we'll focus on methods that run on stock firmware without risking data loss or system disruption.

This article is relevant for all Redmi models based on MIUI 12-14 and HyperOS, including the latest flagships and budget devices. If you move from Redmi Note 12 to Redmi K70 or from POCO X5 to Redmi 13C, here you will find working solutions.

1. Official method: MIUI Migration (most reliable method)

Xiaomi has built-in data portability tool MIUI Migration, which is suitable for switching between any device on MIUI/HyperOS, including Redmi, POCO and Xiaomi, the main advantage of saving not only the list of applications, but also their data (where possible).

How it works:

• 📱 Both phones must have Wi-Fi Direct and Bluetooth enabled
• 🔄 The transfer is done wirelessly, but you can also use a cable OTG
• 📁 Supported: apps, contacts, SMS, photos, videos, music, notes
• ⚠️ Not portable: some banking application data, Wi-Fi passwords, settings for some games

Step-by-step:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Data Transfer
2. Select the role "Sender" (old phone)
3. On the new phone, during the initial setup, select “Receiver” or find this section in the settings.
4. Scan the QR- code from the old device
5. Select data to transfer (required to mark "Applications")
6. Wait for the process to be completed (it can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour depending on the amount of data)

⚠️ Warning: If a new phone has already created a Mi Account, you need to reset to factory settings before transferring the data, otherwise the migration function may not start.

Make sure that both phones have at least 30% charge.

Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network

Turn off VPN and energy saving modes

Backup important data to your computer

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2. Transfer through Google Account (universal method)

If you use Google services, most applications can be restored automatically, which works not only between Xiaomi devices, but also when you move to other brands, but there is a nuance: not all apps support data synchronization through Google.

What exactly is being transferred:

• 📱 List of installed apps from Google Play
• 🔑 Data from some applications (if the developer has implemented support for Android Backup Service)
• 📝 Contacts, calendars, notes (if synced with Google)
• 🎮 Progress in games (if the game supports Google Play Games)

Instructions for transfer:

1. On your old phone, check that backup is enabled: Settings → Google → Backup → Backup to Google Drive
2. Click “Create a backup now” and wait until it is completed.
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Google account for the first time.
4. During the setup process, select “Restore from backup” and specify the last copy.
5. After booting the system, wait for the automatic installation of applications from the Play Market

⚠️ Warning: Some banking applications (Sberbank, Tinkoff, VTB) block new devices from working after being restored from backup, in which case you will have to reinstall them manually and log in again.

MIUI Migration

Google Account

Third-party programs (Titanium Backup, CloneApp)

Manual transfer via computer

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3 Transfer through physical memory (SD- card or OTG)

If you don’t have Wi-Fi access or prefer physical data porting, you can use a SD- card or a USB-OTG drive, which is suitable for porting.apk files of applications and their data (if the application supports export).

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ Not all apps can be copied (many require installation via the Play Market)
• ❌ Application data (settings, cache) is not usually portable
• ✅ Suitable for transferring photos, videos, music and documents
• ✅ You can transfer.apk files for later installation

Step-by-step:

1. On old phone: Download the APK Extractor app from Play Market Select the apps you want to transfer and extract their.apk files Copy files to SD- card or USB- drive
2. On new phone: Insert SD- card or connect USB- drive through OTG- adapter Enable installation from unknown sources: Settings → Applications → Special rights → Install unknown applications Through any file manager find.apk files and install them

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If you’re porting big data games (like Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile), download special utilities like Xiaomi’s Game Turbo on your new phone to help optimize performance after the transfer.

Advanced Method: Titanum Backup (requires root)

For root-right users, Titanium Backup is the best solution, which allows you to back up all applications with their data and settings, but only for advanced users, as it requires unlocking the bootloader and obtaining root rights.

The benefits of Titanium Backup are:

• 🔄 Complete portability of applications with all data (including system)
• 📅 Selective recovery capability
• 🔒 Encryption of backup copies
• ⚡ Support for batch processing

Instructions for use:

1. Install Titanium Backup on your old phone (root required)
2. Launch the application and provide root access
3. Click on "Reserve/Restore"
4. Select the apps you want to save and click Save
5. Transfer the backup file to your new phone (via the cloud or physical media)
6. On the new phone, install Titanium Backup and recover data.

⚠️ Warning: Using Titanium Backup on HyperOS devices may cause some system applications to run problems. Create a full backup via Fastboot before using it.

5. Transfer data through Xiaomi Cloud (cloud storage)

Xiaomi offers its own cloud storage, the Xiaomi Cloud, which can be used to transfer data between devices, but this method has limitations: only 5 GB of memory is available for free, and some data (for example, applications) are not automatically synchronized.

What can be transferred through Xiaomi Cloud:

• 📱 Contacts, SMS, call-up
• 📅 Calendar and notes
• 📸 Photos and videos (if autoload is enabled)
• ❌ Applications and their data are not portable (only their list for re-installation)

How to use Xiaomi Cloud for migration:

1. On old phone: Open Settings → Mi Account → Xiaomi Cloud Enable sync for all available data Wait for download completion (can be checked in the "Storage Management" section)
2. On new phone: Log in to the same Mi Account Enable sync in Settings → Mi Account → Xiaomi Cloud Wait for the data download to be completed

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Xiaomi Cloud is not suitable for porting the applications themselves, but it does a great job with contacts, SMS and multimedia. For a full migration, combine this method with others (for example, MIUI Migration).

6.Manual transfer via ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB) to back up applications, which doesn’t require root rights, but requires a computer and basic command line knowledge.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔧 Complete control of the backup process
• 📦 Ability to selectively save application data
• 🖥️ Does not require root rights (but does not kop all data)

Instructions for creating a backup copy through ADB:

1. Install ADB and Fastboot Tools on your computer
2. On your phone, turn on “Debugging by USB”: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times), then Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging by USB
3. Connect your phone to your computer and confirm your debugging permission.
4. In the command line, run: adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f C:\backup.ab (where C:\backup.ab is the path to the backup file)
5. On the phone will be a request to create a backup copy – confirm and set the password (optional)
6. Once completed, copy the backup.ab file to your new phone.
7. On the new phone, repeat steps 2-3 and perform recovery: adb restore C:\backup.ab

⚠️ Warning: Some applications (especially system ones) may not recover via ADB, and this method does not transfer data from applications that prohibit backups (such as WhatsApp or banking apps).

7. Transfer of game data and progress

If you play mobile games, simply migrating the app won't save you progress, which requires special sync services, and most popular games are linked to social media accounts or gaming services.

How to transfer game data:

• 🎮 Google Play Games is a universal service to keep progress: Link the game to your Google account on your old phone, and on the new phone, just log in to the same account and install the game.
• Facebook 📘 – Many games (like Clash of Clans or Candy Crush) allow you to save progress through Facebook binding.
• 💾 Own game accounts – some games (such as Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail) have their own account systems.
• 🔄 Manual export/import – Some games (e.g. Minecraft) allow you to save worlds to files for later transfer.

An example of progress transfer in Genshin Impact:

1. On your old phone, open the game and go to Settings → Account → Link your account
2. Link the game to an email or miHoYo account
3. On the new phone, install the game, log in through the same account and download the data.

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If the game doesn’t support cloud storage, try using apps like GameGuardian (requires root) to manually export saves, but this can be game-breaking and lead to account bans.

Frequently asked questions