How to transfer information from Samsung to Xiaomi: a step-by-step guide

Changing your smartphone is always stressful, especially when you have to move gigabytes of photos, contacts and settings from one device to another. The transition from the Samsung ecosystem to Xiaomi seems difficult because of the different shells, but modern technology makes it as simple and fast as possible. You don't have to manually rewrite numbers or search for each file individually.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can migrate data, from the built-in Mi Mover tool to Google’s cloud services. We’ll look at the nuances of porting instant messengers, Wi-Fi passwords, and system settings so that your new phone is an exact replica of the old one, but with improved performance. Be prepared to take no more than 30 minutes of your time.

Preparing devices for data migration

Before you start the copying process, you need to make sure that both smartphones are ready to work. Charge Samsung and Xiaomi to at least 60%, as active data transfer over Wi-Fi Direct can quickly consume battery power.

Both phones should be connected to the same Wi-Fi network or have Bluetooth enabled for an initial handshake.Make sure both devices have the latest security level and updated system components of Google Play Services.This will help avoid errors when logging in.

Back up critical data to an external medium just in case, and while the likelihood of data loss using regular means is minimal, backing up critical information is never superfluous, especially for work documents and unique family archives.

⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to interrupt the transmission process, turn off the screen, or switch between applications during migration, this may cause files to be damaged or the system to freeze on the receiving device.

Using the Mi Mover app for full cloning

The most effective way to migrate information is to use the official Mi Mover app, designed specifically for the Xiaomi ecosystem. It is pre-installed on all new smartphones of the brand in the Tools folder and allows you to transfer contacts, messages, call logs, photos, videos, music, documents and even Wi-Fi settings.

To get started, open the app on both devices. On the old Samsung, it will need to be downloaded from the Google Play Store if it is not installed. Once launched, select the device role: on Xiaomi, click "I am the recipient" and on Samsung, "I am the sender." QR-code that will appear on the screen of the new phone.

Once you connect devices via Wi-Fi Direct, you'll see a list of data categories to transfer, you can select all at once, or you can select only the right items, such as only the gallery and contacts, the transfer speed depends on the amount of data and can reach 20-40 MB/s, which is much faster than Bluetooth.

It is important to note that some of Samsung’s One UI system settings may not display correctly on the MIUI or HyperOS shell, in which case the app will suggest finding similar settings or ignore incompatible settings by focusing on user-generated content.

Synchronization through Google Account and Cloud Services

If you’ve been using Google services on your Samsung, half the work is done. When you first set up Xiaomi, it will prompt you to log in to your Google account. Once you log in, you’ll automatically sync your contacts, calendar events, Google Keep notes, and passwords stored in Google’s password manager.

For photos and videos, Google Photos is the best option. Make sure your old phone has Autoboot and Sync enabled. Once you install the app on your new device, all your photos will appear in the gallery automatically, taking up space in the cloud instead of in the phone's internal memory.

Some app data, such as game progress or program settings, can also be stored in the Google Drive cloud, and when you install an app from the Play Market on a new phone, it will automatically pull up that data if the developer has made it possible, eliminating the need to reconfigure each program.

Transfer of messengers: WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber

Messengers deserve special attention, as they store correspondence in their databases. Telegram will not have any problems at all: just enter a phone number, and all chats (except secret ones) will be downloaded from the servers. The entire history of correspondence will be preserved, including media files, if they were not deleted.

WhatsApp is a little more complicated. Samsung needs to back up chats in the app settings by selecting Google Drive. When you install WhatsApp on Xiaomi and log in to the same account, the system will prompt you to recover your history from the cloud. Make sure you use the same phone number and Google account.

Viber also requires local or cloud copying. Once you install the app on your new device and confirm the number, follow the on-screen instructions to restore from the backup. If you use two-factor authorization, remember in advance. PIN-code.

⚠️ Note: When you transfer WhatsApp via Google Drive, media files (photos and videos) may not be saved in the phone gallery unless you turn on the appropriate option when you restore.

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To move WhatsApp without losing data, use the Chat Transfer feature inside the WhatsApp app itself on your old phone (Settings -> Chats -> Chat Transfer) if both phones are nearby.

Working with files, music and documents

Large files such as movies, music albums and document archives are best transmitted via a file manager or computer. The built-in MIUI Explorer allows you to connect to a computer over a network, but it is more convenient to use a USB-C cable for fast transfer of large amounts of data (over 10 GB).

Connect Samsung to your computer in file transfer mode (MTP) and copy the desired folders (usually DCIM, Download, Music) to the hard drive. Then connect Xiaomi and transfer the files to the appropriate directories. The folder structure on Android is standard, so the music is automatically determined by the player.

If you don’t have a cable, use the Explorer app on Xiaomi, which can scan the network and connect to shared folders on your PC or old phone, which is convenient when you need to quickly throw several Word or PDF documents without unnecessary wires.

Don’t forget to check the Bluetooth and Downloads folder on your old device — there are often forgotten but important files, and it’s also worth checking the Android/data folder if any apps store cache or offline cards there, although modern versions of Android restrict access to this directory.

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Using a USB-C to USB-C cable is the fastest and most stable way to transfer heavy files, regardless of the speed of the Wi-Fi router.

Problem Solving and Application Compatibility

After the data transfer, you may find some apps not working properly or are not in store.This is because Samsung has its own exclusive apps that are not installed on Xiaomi.For example, Samsung Health or Bixby won't work, but they're easy to find counterparts on Google Play.

Banking applications may require re-binding the device or additional security checks due to hardware and fingerprint changes, and be prepared to re-enter online banking and confirm login via SMS or push notification.

If you find that some contacts are displayed twice (from the SIM-Google Maps and Google Accounts, use the Contacts Merger feature in Google’s Contacts app, which removes duplicates and combines the person’s information into a single card.

The final step will be to check the basic functions of calls, the Internet, cameras and sensors. Make sure that all the data you need is available. The transition to Xiaomi opens up new customization capabilities that are not available on Samsung, so take time to learn new features of the shell.