Buying a new smartphone always causes mixed feelings: on the one hand, the joy of owning a modern gadget, and on the other, the fear of losing contacts, photos and correspondence accumulated over the years. Ecosystem owners Xiaomi and Redmi are in an advantageous position, since the manufacturer has built powerful tools for seamless migration into the MIUI shell (now HyperOS). You don’t need to look for third-party applications or worry about setting up complex synchronizations via a computer.
Modern methods allow you to copy the entire contents of an old device to a new one in a matter of minutes, even preserving the arrangement of icons on the desktop. The process becomes as simple as possible if both devices are running the same operating system Android. In this article, we will analyze all the available methods, from a standard application to cloud services, so that you can choose the most suitable one for your situation.
It is important to understand that the volume of transferred data can vary from several megabytes to hundreds of gigabytes. The choice of method depends on this: a Google account will be enough to quickly transfer contacts, but a local connection will be required to completely clone the system. Let's look at how to prepare for the process so that it goes without errors and failures.
Preparing devices for data migration
Before starting the copying process, you need to perform a number of preparatory steps. This is a critical step, ignoring which can lead to the process freezing or losing some files. First of all, make sure that on both smartphones - both the old and the new - the battery level is at least 50-60%.
⚠️ Attention: If during the process of transferring data via Wi-Fi Direct, one of the phones runs out of power and turns off, the session will be interrupted, and you will have to start the procedure again, which can take a lot of time.
It is also worth freeing up space on your phone. receiving device. Check available memory in storage settings. If your new phone is already partially full, delete unnecessary files or transfer them to a memory card to avoid the "Not enough space" error. Make sure that the module Wi-Fi and Bluetoothare turned on on both devices, as they are used to create a communication channel.
☑️ Check before transfer
Don't forget to check the operating system version. Although the tools Mi Mover are usually compatible with different versions of Android, up-to-date software guarantees better stability. Go to Settings → About phone and check for updates. This is especially important for new models Redmi Note or Xiaomi with the HyperOS shell, which may have differences in data transfer protocols compared to the old MIUI 12 or 13.
Using the Mi Mover application for full cloning
The most effective and fastest way to transfer data between Xiaomi devices is the standard application Mi Mover. It is preinstalled on all brand smartphones and allows you to transfer contacts, messages, call history, applications, music, photos and videos without compression or loss of quality. Transfer speed is achieved by creating a direct Wi-Fi connection between devices, bypassing the Internet router.
To get started, open the application on both phones. On the new device, select the “Recipient” (or “New Phone”) role, and on the old device, select “Sender”. The system will ask for permission to access the data that needs to be agreed upon. Next, a QR code will appear on the screen of the new phone, which you need to scan with the camera of the old device.
What to do if Mi Mover does not find the device?
If the automatic search does not work, make sure that GPS and Bluetooth are turned on on both phones. Sometimes manually entering the connection code, which is displayed on the screen of the receiving device, helps. Also try turning off your mobile data while searching for a pair.
After successful pairing, you will see a list of data categories to transfer. You can select everything at once or select only the necessary items, for example, only the gallery and contacts. Start the process and do not turn off your smartphone screens. Copying time depends on the amount of data: 100 GB can be transferred in about 30-40 minutes.
| Data type | Transfer speed | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts, SMS | Instant | Bluetooth/Wi-Fi |
| Applications (APK) | High | Enough space |
| Photos and Videos | Medium/High | Stable channel |
| System settings | Fast | Same MIUI |
Synchronization via Mi and Google account
An alternative and very reliable method is to use cloud services. This is not just copying files, but synchronizing your digital profile. If you actively used Mi Cloud or Google services on the old phone, then on the new one you just need to log into your account so that the data “arrives” automatically.
To activate this method, go to the settings of the old phone, select the section Mi Account and make sure that the synchronization sliders for contacts, notes, voice recorder and gallery are active. Click the "Sync" button to upload the latest changes to the cloud. On the new device, log in with the same username and password.
Use cloud synchronization for regular backups. Even if you don't change your phone, this will save your data if the device is stolen or broken.
Google Account also plays a key role. It saves Chrome history, passwords, purchased applications from the Play Market and contact list (if they are saved in Google and not on the SIM card). When you first set up a new Xiaomi or Redmi the system itself will offer to restore data from a Google Drive backup. This is especially convenient if you are switching from a phone from another manufacturer to Xiaomi.
Manual transfer of multimedia and documents
Sometimes automatic systems may not work correctly with certain file formats or large archives. In such cases, the good old manual method comes to the rescue. You can connect both phones to the computer via a USB cable and copy folders DCIM (photos and videos), Download and Documents as from a regular flash drive.
Another option is to use microSD memory cards, if both smartphones support this format. Copy the files to the card on your old device, remove it, and insert it into your new phone. After that, through a standard explorer Files move the data to the internal memory. This is slower than Wi-Fi Direct, but reliable for very large amounts of data without the risk of losing the connection.
To transfer individual heavy files (4K videos, projects), you can use fast transfer technologies such as ShareMe (formerly Mi Drop) or Nearby Share from Google. These tools work on the principle of Bluetooth search and transfer files over a high-speed Wi-Fi channel. They are ideal if you need to transfer a couple of gigabytes of data, but not the entire system.
Transfer of messages and call history
The transfer of SMS messages and call logs deserves special attention. This data is often not synced across standard cloud services as easily as contacts. Here again the application comes to the rescue Mi Mover, which can transfer the history of correspondence, saving the date and time of the sender.
If you use third-party instant messengers such as WhatsApp, Telegram or Viber, they have their own backup mechanisms. For WhatsApp, you need to create a backup copy to Google Drive in the chat settings on your old phone. When installing the application on a new device and entering the same phone number, the system will offer to restore the correspondence history from the cloud.
⚠️ Attention: When transferring messenger data, make sure that you remember the password for the Google or Mi Cloud account where the copy was downloaded. Without authorization in the same account, history restoration is impossible.
The call log is usually transferred along with contacts if they are saved in the phone or SIM card memory. However, if the numbers are stored on the SIM card, it is better to first copy them to the device’s memory through the contacts menu, so that during transfer additional data (photos, email, addresses) that the SIM card does not support are saved.
Solving common problems during transfer
Despite the streamlined processes, users may encounter difficulties. For example, a process may freeze at a certain percentage. Most often this is due to an unstable connection or background processes consuming resources. Try closing all applications on both devices and try again.
Another common problem is the “Out of Memory” error on the receiving device. The system may incorrectly calculate the required volume. In this case, free up 10-15% more data on the new phone than the amount of data on the old one. Also check if the system cache is full.
The main cause of errors during transfer is an unstable connection or lack of space. Always leave a buffer of free memory on the receiving device.
If the application Mi Mover crashes or does not see the device, try restarting both smartphones. Sometimes temporarily disabling the mobile data (3G/4G/5G) helps, as the phone may try to switch to it instead of the local Wi-Fi connection. Also make sure that the screens do not have aggressive energy-saving themes or live wallpapers that can block background services.
Completing setup and checking data
After the progress indicator reaches 100%, do not rush to deal with the devices right away. Give the system a few minutes to finalize processes, install application shortcuts, and index media files. The new phone may warm up slightly - this is a normal reaction of the processor to active work with the file system.
Go through the main sections: open the gallery, check the presence of all albums, go to contacts and make sure that the numbers are not lost. Pay special attention to banking applications and two-factor authentication - they often have to be configured again for security purposes, even if the applications themselves have been transferred.
It is better not to reset your old phone to factory settings yet. Walk around with your new device for a couple of days to make sure all the data is there and working correctly. Only after complete confidence can you clean your old gadget for sale or transfer to relatives.
Do you need to delete your Mi account from your old phone before selling it?
Yes, definitely. Before resetting the settings, you must log out of your Mi and Google accounts. If this is not done, the new owner will not be able to activate the device due to Anti-theft protection, and the phone will turn into a “brick.”
Is it possible to interrupt the data transfer process in the middle?
It is highly not recommended. Interruption may result in file corruption or application failure. If the process is frozen, it is better to wait for a timeout or try a soft reboot, but a normal shutdown is the only safe way.
Are passwords from Wi-Fi networks transferred?
When using Mi Mover and synchronizing via Mi Cloud, passwords from saved Wi-Fi networks are usually transferred automatically. However, application passwords may require re-entering for security purposes.