Changing your smartphone is always stressful, not only because you get used to a new interface, but also because you have to transfer a huge amount of user information. When you move from a Samsung device to a Xiaomi gadget, there's a natural question about ecosystem compatibility and migration methods. Fortunately, modern Android operating systems make this process as transparent and automated as possible.
There are several proven ways, each with its own advantages depending on the amount of data you transfer and the speed of your Internet connection: you can use the Mi Mover app, sync through Google’s cloud service, or even a direct cable connection. It is important to understand that the choice of method affects which types of files will be transferred without errors.
In this article, we will take a closer look at each of the available action algorithms, focusing on the nuances of media transfer and system settings, and look at how to avoid common mistakes in cloning data between different brands, allowing you to start using a new device immediately after it is turned on without spending hours manually setting it up.
Preparing devices for data migration
Before any file manipulation begins, both smartphones must be trained in basic ways, a critical step that can lead to a process interruption or loss of information, and make sure that both the old Samsung and the new Xiaomi devices have at least 50-60% battery charge.
It is also recommended to check for free space on the target device. The amount of free memory on Xiaomi should exceed the amount of data you plan to transfer from Samsung. If internal memory is not enough, some of the files can be temporarily stored on a microSD card, if the model supports it, or in cloud storage.
⚠️ Warning: Do not interrupt the data transfer process, even if it seems to be suspended. Forced reboot can damage the file system or lose some contacts and messages.
Both smartphones need to be connected to a stable Wi-Fi network if you plan to use cloud sync methods. For local transmission via Wi-Fi Direct, connection speed is also important, although in this case, Internet is not required. Make sure that the screens of both devices do not go out during setup, for which you can temporarily increase the display timeout in the settings.
☑️ Ready for transfer
Using the Mi Mover app for full cloning
The most effective and specialized tool for solving your problem is the Mi Mover utility. This is the official application from Xiaomi developers, which is optimized for working with the MIUI and HyperOS shell. It allows you to transfer contacts, messages, calls, notes, voice recordings, as well as images, videos, music and documents.
The process starts with installing the app on both devices, and on the new Xiaomi smartphone, it is often already built into the system and is in the Tools folder. On the old Samsung, it must be downloaded from the Google Play Market, and once the app is launched on both phones, you must accept the terms of the user agreement.
Next, select the role of each device in the transfer process. On Xiaomi, select the option "I am the recipient" (or "New phone"), and on Samsung, "I am the sender" (or "Old phone"). Devices will start searching for each other. QR-code that will appear on the screen of the new smartphone, the camera of the old.
- 📱 Select the data type to transfer: the system will offer a list of categories where you can configure in detail what exactly to copy.
- 🚀 Start the process: after the selection confirmation, the transfer will begin, the speed of which depends on the volume of files.
- 📂 Wait for completion: Do not leave the app or lock screens until a success message appears.
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When you transfer large amounts of data (over 50 GB), it is better to break the process down into stages: first contacts and messages, then media files, which will reduce the risk of a connection timeout error.
The Mi Mover feature is the ability to port even some settings and the location of icons on the desktop if the Android version on both devices is similar, but applications from Google Play may require re-authorization or updates already on the new device.
Synchronization through Google account
The universal method, which does not require additional software, is synchronization through a Google profile, which is ideal for transferring contacts, calendar events, notes and list of installed applications, it works at the operating system level and does not depend on the smartphone brand.
On an old Samsung, you need to make sure that sync is enabled. Go to settings, find the Accounts and Archiving section or just the Accounts section, select your Google account and make sure the switches opposite contacts, calendar and other data are active. Click the Sync button to make sure all data is uploaded to the cloud.
When you first turn on the new Xiaomi, the system will prompt you to enter your Google account details, enter the same log and password, you will have access to all your digital life, the phone will automatically start to tighten contacts and offer you to install previously used applications.
| Type of data | Synchronization of Google | Mi Mover | Manual method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Automatically. | Yes. | File.vcf |
| Photo/Video | Google Photos (cloud) | Yes (locally) | USB-cable |
| SMS messages | No (backup required) | Yes. | Hardly. |
| Wi-Fi passwords | Yes (via account) | Yes. | No. |
It is important to note that photos and videos are often uploaded to Google Photos, so that they appear in the gallery of a new phone, you either have to wait for them to download from the cloud or use the “Free space” feature on the old device after checking.
What to do if your contacts are not synchronized?
Multimedia transmission through USB-cable
If you don't have access to fast Wi-Fi, or if you have hundreds of gigabytes of data, the most reliable option is to use a personal computer as an intermediary. USB-cable and allows you to control each file that is moved.
Connect Samsung to your computer and select the USB File Transfer (MTP) mode in the notification. Open the Explorer on your PC, find the device and copy the DCIM (camera photos and videos), Pictures (screenshots and images from apps) and Download folders to your computer’s hard drive.
Then disable your old phone and connect your new Xiaomi. Also select file transfer mode. Copy previously saved folders from your computer into the appropriate directories on your new smartphone. Android folder structure is standardized, so there should be no problems with displaying media files in the gallery.
For users who prefer command line or advanced tools, there is the option of using the adb protocol. This requires the inclusion of USB debugging in the menu for developers.
adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/Camera/ C:/Backup_Samsung/
adb push C:/Backup_Samsung/Camera/ /sdcard/DCIM/Camera/It guarantees a bit-by-bit copy of data without compression and loss of quality, which is critical for professional photographers or videomakers, but it requires more time and technical knowledge.
Message transfer nuances and call history
The most difficult part of migration is often to transfer the history of SMS and call logs, and standard Android tools are not always willing to share this data between different device manufacturers without the use of specialized tools.
The Mi Mover app does this best because it has system-level rights on the target device. If you use the method with a computer, you’ll need to do a full backup on your old phone using third-party utilities like SMS Backup & Restore, save the archive to your PC or the cloud, and then restore it to Xiaomi.
⚠️ Note: When you restore a backup of messages on a new device, the process can take a long time, and the phone may temporarily stop responding to clicks.
Also, you should consider that messengers like WhatsApp, Viber or Telegram have their own backup system. WhatsApp needs to back up Samsung in Google Drive, and when installed on Xiaomi agree to restore from this copy. Local WhatsApp backups from one phone to another can not be easily transferred without changing the path to the folder or using the function "Move chats" inside the application.
Solving and completing the setup
After the basic data is transferred, additional configuration may be required, for example, some banking or corporate security applications may require re-assignment of the device or reset of passwords due to a change in the hardware ID.
Check the multimedia: open the gallery and make sure all photos are displayed correctly. Go to the phone book and check that the numbers are not lost and are distributed in the correct fields (mobile, work, home).
- 🔄 Update all apps in Google Play and GetApps (Xiaomi Store) to the latest versions.
- 🔒 Set up biometric protection: fingerprint and facial recognition will need to be re-registered.
- 📶 Check the mobile network: sometimes you need to manually write the settings APN your operator to work 4G/5G.
If you’ve used Mi Mover, the new device may offer to optimize the system after mass recording, as this will help you redesign the file system indexes for faster operation.
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The full migration cycle takes 15 minutes to 2 hours depending on the amount of data, take your time and check the results at each stage.