Changing your smartphone is always stressful, with the risk of losing important photos, correspondence and settings. When you move from the MIUI ecosystem to the One UI interface, the process can seem complicated because of the differences in shells. However, modern tools allow you to migrate data in just a few touches, preserving the structure of folders and even the location of icons.
In this article, we will take a look at all available methods, from official utilities to manual copying via PC. You will learn how to avoid typical errors that lead to the loss of your call history or SMS messages. Proper preparation of devices before starting the procedure is the key to successfully completing the process without failure.
Whether you buy a new flagship or a budget model, the algorithm will be similar, the main thing is to ensure a stable connection and sufficient battery power on both gadgets, let’s look at what tools the market offers and which one will suit you.
Preparing devices for data migration
Before you start any manipulation, make sure that both smartphones are ready to work. Charge Xiaomi and Samsung to at least 60-70%, as the process of transferring a large amount of information can take considerable time and consume energy.
Both phones should be connected to the same Wi-Fi network, preferably in the 5 GHz band for maximum speed. If the router is far away, it is better to use the direct connection feature created by special applications, but stable home Internet is still preferable for primary account synchronization.
Remember to unlock the screens of both devices and allow access to files when connected. On an old phone, it is worth closing heavy applications so that they do not consume CPU resources while packing data.
⚠️ Note: Do not interrupt the transfer process or leave the assistant applications until a successful completion message appears.
☑️ Checklist for transfer preparations
Use Samsung Smart Switch Mobile
The most effective and official way to transition is the Smart Switch app, which is designed specifically for migration to Galaxy devices and can port not only media files, but also system settings, alarm clocks and even the location of widgets. To get started, you need to install the app on both smartphones, although on new Samsungs it is often built into the system.
Run the program on both devices. On the new phone, select the role of Data Receiver, and on the old Xiaomi one - Data Sendor. The application will suggest choosing the method of connection: wireless (via Wi-Fi Direct) or via a USB-C cable. The cable method is much faster and more reliable if you have a USB-C to USB-C or USB-OTG adapter.
Once connected, the system will scan the content, and you will see a list of categories: contacts, messages, images, videos, apps, and more. Smart Switch does not carry passwords from some banking applications and Google Pay access keys for security reasons, they will have to be re-entered.
- 📲 Select Wireless for wireless transmission, but it can be slow for large videos.
- 🔌 Use the cable to transfer gigabytes of data quickly and stably.
- 📁 Mark only the right categories to avoid clogging your new phone with garbage.
It’s important to note that some MIUI-specific apps may not install on One UI automatically, in which case the Smart Switch will simply leave them on the unavailable list and you’ll have to find counterparts in Google Play manually.
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Use the original cable from the new Samsung kit to connect phones – this guarantees maximum data transfer speed and no connection errors.
Transfer via Google Account and Cloud
An alternative and often more reliable way is to use sync through a Google account.This method is ideal for contacts, calendar and notes. Make sure that the old Xiaomi has sync enabled in the Settings menu → Accounts and sync → Google. Check that the ticks are opposite all important items.
Photos and videos are best transferred via Google Photos. Turn on Autoboot and Sync on your old device and wait until the process is over. On the new Samsung, just log in to the same account and the entire library will appear in the gallery.
For applications, this method works partially: Play Market will have a list of previously installed programs, and you can download them all at once, but data inside applications (game saving, cache) is not transferred in this way unless the developer uses cloud storage.
| Type of data | Google's method | Smart Switch Method | Reliability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Automatically. | Yes. | Tall. |
| Photo/Video | Through Google Photos | Direct transmission | Tall. |
| SMS messages | No (no backup) | Yes. | Only Smart Switch |
| Annexes | List of installations | Installation + Data | Medium |
Working with messengers: WhatsApp and Telegram
Messengers require special attention, as they store their correspondence history in their databases. Telegram is simple: just enter a phone number, and all cloud chats will be downloaded automatically. Local chats (Secret Chats) are not portable by any method because of encryption.
WhatsApp is more complicated. When you switch from Android to Android (Xiaomi to Samsung), natal porting via Smart Switch now works. When you set up a new phone or in the WhatsApp chat menu, select “Chat port.” QR-The code you need to scan with your old phone’s camera.
If the automatic port didn't work, you can use local backup. On an old phone, in WhatsApp settings, back up to Google Drive. When you install the app on a new phone and type in the number, the system will prompt you to restore data from the cloud.
⚠️ Warning: Make sure the new phone uses the same phone number and Google account as the old one, otherwise it will be impossible to restore from the backup.
What if WhatsApp’s history has not been restored?
Manual copying of files through a computer
For users who prefer full control of the process, a PC copy method is suitable. Connect Xiaomi to your computer in file transfer mode (MTP). Copy the DCIM (photo and video), Download, Documents and Music folders to your hard drive.
Then plug in Samsung and transfer those folders to the appropriate internal memory directories, a technique that is particularly good for transferring heavy video files in their original quality without the compression that cloud services sometimes use.
But remember, this is not going to be a way to reset your system settings, alarm clocks, or call history, which is a solution for multimedia content and documents only. After copying, be sure to check the integrity of your files by opening a few.
- 💾 Copy files with folders so you don’t disrupt the structure of the albums.
- 🔍 Check files for errors after writing to a new disk.
- 🗑️ Do not delete data from your old phone until you have seen it working on your new phone.
Decision and possible errors
There may be technical difficulties in migrating, and users often experience a 99 percent shutdown, so don't panic, and usually there's an unstable Wi-Fi signal or energy saving that kills the background transmission.
If the app closes itself, try disabling the MIUI Optimization option in the Developer Menu on your old phone, although this is rarely required, and rebooting both devices before trying again helps.
Sometimes, after the transfer, the contacts can be displayed twice, and this happens if you synchronize them and through the SIM-Map, and through Google Account. This is solved in the Contacts app with the Contact Management function» → «Combine duplicates».
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The most common reason for a connection reset is that the screen goes out and the Wi-Fi module goes to sleep, so keep the screens on or connect the phones to charge during the process.