Switching to a smartphone from another brand often causes users to fear losing important contacts, photos or settings. However, modern technologies developed by Android manufacturers make this process as simple and fast as possible. If you bought a new gadget from Xiaomi and want to transfer all the content from your old Samsung, you do not need to be a technical specialist.
The data migration process takes 10 to 40 minutes depending on the amount of information and the speed of the Wi-Fi connection. The main tool in the Miui ecosystem is the Mi Mover app, which is specially designed for such tasks, which allows you to clone contacts, messages, call history, media and even some system settings without loss of quality.
In this article, we will take a closer look at all the preparation steps, the process of transferring through the application, and also look at alternative ways to use Google cloud services, you will learn how to avoid typical errors and what to do if the data transfer is interrupted halfway.
Preparing devices for data migration
Before you start the cloning process, you need to properly prepare both smartphones, which is a critical step, because an unstable connection or lack of space can lead to a failure. Make sure that both devices are charged at least 50%, or better connect them to the power source for the duration of the operation.
The new Xiaomi already has the Mi Mover app installed by default. It can be found in the Tools folder or through a menu search. On the old Samsung app you need to download. Go to Google Play Market and type in "Mi Mover" in the search. Make sure you download the official app from Xiaomi Inc.
Also check for free space on the new device. The amount of free memory should exceed the amount of data you plan to transfer. If you only transfer contacts and photos, a couple of gigabytes will suffice, but it can take tens of gigabytes to fully copy the system.
- 🔋 Charge both smartphones to at least 60% or connect chargers.
- 📶 Make sure both phones have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules enabled.
- 📲 Install the Mi Mover app on a Samsung device from the Play Market.
- 🔒 Unlock the screens of both smartphones and keep them close to each other.
⚠️ Attention: During the data transfer process, the screens of the phones can burn constantly, and the devices themselves can heat up.
Once you have the app installed on both devices, you can go directly to configure the connection between them.
Connection settings via Mi Mover
Run the Mi Mover app on both smartphones. On the new Xiaomi, you have to select the role of the device. Press the "I'm a recipient" button. QR-the code and name of the device that will be visible in the list of available networks.
On the old Samsung, select the role "I'm a sender" (or "I'm a sender"). The app will ask you to allow access to contacts, storage and other data. Without these permissions, the program will not be able to read the information for transfer. Once the permissions are confirmed, the phone will prompt you to scan. QR-code.
Hover your Samsung camera over the code displayed on the Xiaomi screen. The devices will automatically create a secure Wi-Fi Direct hotspot. This means that data will be transmitted directly between phones without consuming your mobile traffic or requiring a connection to your home router.
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If QR-The code is not being read, try to brighten the screen on the recipient phone or bring the cameras closer, and you can also choose to manually connect by the device name in the Wi-Fi list.
Once paired successfully, the sender screen will have a data selection interface, and it's important to navigate the categories correctly so you don't have to carry any extra garbage or forget important files.
Selection of data categories for copying
The Mi Mover interface offers you to select specific data types, you can migrate everything at once or select categories, and the system automatically shows how much space the selected amount of information will take.
The first thing you should look at is the Contacts, Messages and Call logs, which are the base without which your phone makes no sense, and then you have the multimedia files, Images, Video, Audio, and if you have a lot of high-resolution photos, it can take a lot of time.
The app section deserves special attention. Mi Mover will try to find analogues of programs installed on Samsung in the GetApps store or Google Play and download them to Xiaomi. However, the data inside the applications (logins, game progress, cache) is not always portable. Banking applications and instant messengers often require separate authorization.
- 📞 Contacts and call history are almost always error-free.
- 📸 Videos and photos can take a lot of time with a lot of time.
- 📱 Apps are downloaded again, but their settings can reset.
- 🎵 Music and documents are transferred as is, preserving the folder structure.
Once you have ticked all the necessary checks, click the "Send" button at the bottom of the screen and the process of analyzing and preparing data packets will begin.
Transfer process and possible nuances
Starting the process will initiate direct file transfers. Both devices will display progress bar and approximate remaining time. The transfer speed depends on the version of Wi-Fi modules in phones. Current 5GHz models can reach speeds of 20-30 MB/s.
It's important not to switch to other apps or lock your smartphone screens while you're running the Mi Mover. While Android tries to keep the process a priority, aggressive energy saving on some shells can interrupt transmission. If you see that process is up, check if the screen is asleep.
| Type of data | Transmission speed | Risk of loss | Demands the Internet. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contacts (VCF) | Instantly. | Low. | No. |
| Photo (JPEG/RAW) | Medium/High | Medium. | No. |
| Annexes (APK) | Depends on size. | High (reinstall needed) | Partially. |
| Messages (SMS) | Quickly. | Low. | No. |
If the transmission is interrupted, for example, due to battery discharge or out of range, do not panic. Mi Mover has a resumption function. When you restart and connect, the application will prompt you to continue from the stop or start again.
⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to delete files on your old phone until the new device has fully verified the data.
Once the process is complete, Xiaomi will have a successful migration report on its screen, and you can now move on to the final setup.
Alternative method: Google Account
If for some reason, Xiaomi’s proprietary app doesn’t work or causes errors, there’s always a reliable backup option — sync through Google Account.This method is universal for any pair of Android-based devices.
On an old Samsung, make sure you're fully synced. Go to Settings → Accounts → Google. Select your inbox and click Sync. Make sure the ticks are in front of Contacts, Calendar, Notes and other important sections.
What to do if your contacts are not synchronized?
On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on (or in your account settings), log in to the same Google account. The system will automatically prompt you to restore data from the backup. Select the last date you created the copy.
This is ideal for contacts, calendar events and notes, but it only transfers photos and videos if you have Google Photos enabled and you have space in the cloud. For large media files, Mi Mover is preferable, since it does not require Internet or cloud space.
Completion of migration and verification of results
Once all the data has been moved, you need to do a thorough check. Open the Contacts app and make sure the numbers are displayed correctly, without unnecessary characters or duplicates. Check the gallery if all the albums are in place.
Pay special attention to messengers. WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber require a separate login. WhatsApp, when installing an app on a new phone, will offer to restore the history of correspondence from a local copy or Google Drive. If you moved data through Mi Mover, the local copy may be already in place, but it is more reliable to back up to the cloud on the old phone before resetting.
- 📲 Check the banking applications – often require re-binding the device.
- 🔑 Restore access in two-factor authentication (Google Authenticator and analogues).
- 🎨 Customize wallpaper and widgets, as they may not be fully transferred.
- 📶 Check the work. NFC Contactless Payment (Mi Pay/Google Pay).
☑️ Final check
Only when the new Xiaomi is stable and all data is available can you start cleaning up the old Samsung before selling or transferring it.