Changing a smartphone is always stressful, not so much with buying a new gadget, but with the fear of losing important files, contacts and familiar habitat. Samsung ecosystem owners who move to Xiaomi often fear difficulties, as the interfaces of One UI and MIUI (or HyperOS) are significantly different. However, modern technology allows you to migrate data almost without user intervention, preserving the structure of folders and even the location of icons.
The process of transferring information has become the most automated in recent years, so you no longer have to manually rewrite phone numbers or search for every photo in the cloud, just choose one of the proven methods described below and trust the algorithms of the Android operating system. All that matters is to properly prepare both devices for the procedure, to avoid synchronization errors or losing some media files.
In this article, we will look at all the current ways, from the regular Mi Mover app to Google cloud services, SMS-We will also focus on the intricacies of working with instant messengers, as this is the most critical part for most users, requiring separate attention and careful approach.
Preparation of devices for the migration procedure
Before you start any copying tools, you need to do basic training on both smartphones, which is a critical step that is often ignored and then wondered why the process was interrupted halfway or took too long, make sure that both devices are charged at least 50-60% of the battery, and ideally connect them to power sources.
Check the space available on the new Xiaomi. The amount of free memory should exceed the size of the data you plan to transfer from the old Samsung. If the old device is occupied by 100 GB, and the new one is free only 80 GB, the process will either not start or end in error. Delete unnecessary files or use the memory card for temporary storage.
Also make sure that both smartphones are connected to a stable Wi-Fi network. Transferring large amounts of data over the mobile Internet is not recommended due to low speed and high traffic consumption. If the Wi-Fi router supports the 5 GHz standard, it is better to use it to speed up file transfer.
☑️ Checklist before start
Use of the Mi Mover application
The most effective and native way for Xiaomi owners is to use the built-in Mi Mover app, which is designed specifically for migrating from any Android smartphone, including Samsung, and allows you to migrate most system settings, contacts, call history and media files.
The process starts with running an app on both devices. On the new Xiaomi, you choose the role of "I'm the Receiver" and on the old Samsung, you choose the role of "I'm the sender." Smartphones will create a local Wi-Fi network for direct data transfer, so access to the Internet at this point can temporarily disappear, which is normal behavior of the system.
What if the Mi Mover doesn’t see Samsung?
Once connected, you’ll see a list of data categories that can be copied. Mi Mover can even port the desktop structure if Android versions are compatible. However, be careful with apps: some Samsung system applications (such as S Health or Bixby) won’t be installed on Xiaomi or will not work properly because they depend on the manufacturer’s services.
- 📱 Contacts and calendar: carry over in full, including avatars and notes.
- 💬 Communications SMS/MMS: The history of correspondence is preserved, but group chats can be reset.
- 📸 Gallery: photos and videos are copied in original quality, albums are saved.
- ⚙️ System settings: Wi-Fi passwords, alarm clocks and some interface settings are transferred.
Importantly, the app doesn’t carry authorization data in banking apps and instant messengers for security reasons, you’ll have to re-enter Telegram, WhatsApp and banking accounts, a standard security practice for all Android smartphones, preventing data theft when you change devices.
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When transferring via Mi Mover, do not lock smartphone screens. screen brightness can be minimized to save energy, but devices should remain active until the process is complete.
Synchronization through Google account
If you don’t want to use third-party or specific apps, the most reliable cloud-based method is sync through your Google account, ideal for transferring contacts, notes, calendar and installed app lists, and when the new Xiaomi is first activated, the system will offer to restore data from a backup created on Samsung.
To do this, you need to make sure that sync is enabled on your old device. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google and check if the ticks are right in front of the right items: Contacts, Calendar, Keep (Notes), Photos. After that, click Sync to send the data to the cloud.
| Type of data | Synchronization method | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Google Contacts | Limit 25,000 contacts |
| Photo/Video | Google Photo | 15 GB free, then paid |
| Annexes | Google Play Store | Not all applications are available in Russia |
| Wi-Fi passwords | Google Keychain | Only between Android 10+ and |
The new Xiaomi will automatically download the app list when you log in to the same Google account, and the phone will offer you to install all the apps that were on Samsung, a convenient way to remember any important utility, but the application files will be downloaded from the Internet, which will take time and traffic.
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Google sync is the best way to move contacts and calendars, as this data is tied to your account forever and is not dependent on your phone brand.
Transfer of multimedia and documents via PC
When it comes to gigabytes of photos, videos in 4K And in heavy documents, wireless methods can be too slow. USB-The cable and the computer are the fastest and most reliable option. USB Type-C (preferably original or high-quality analogue with data transmission support).
Connect Samsung to your computer, select File Transfer (MTP) mode in the notification. Copy the DCIM (camera photos and videos), Pictures, Download and Documents folders into a separate folder on your PC hard drive. Then disable Samsung and connect Xiaomi by transferring the files to the corresponding internal memory directories of the new device.
This method ensures that the metadata of the files (date of shooting, geolocation) is preserved unchanged, and you can immediately audit the files on your computer, removing duplicates or debris before downloading to a new phone, which is a great opportunity to clean up the digital archive.
Remember that when you copy through your PC, you don't transfer your application settings and system data, it's only file sharing. Once you've finished copying, start scanning your media files on Xiaomi (usually automatically when you reboot or through the Gallery app) so that new photos appear in the feed.
Features of transferring WhatsApp and Viber
Separate and very careful consideration requires transferring the history of correspondence in messengers. Unlike conventional applications, WhatsApp and Viber store the history of messages locally or in specific cloud storages, and simply reinstalling the application is not enough. WhatsApp on Android is critical to have a backup in Google Drive.
On the old Samsung, open WhatsApp → Settings → Chats → Chat backup. Make sure the copy is created right now, and remember the Google account it is saved to. When you install WhatsApp on the new Xiaomi, log in to the same phone number. The app will find the backup in the cloud and prompt you to restore the history.
⚠️ Note: Do not run WhatsApp on a new phone until you have made sure that the backup on the old device is successfully downloaded to Google Drive.If you create an empty copy on the new phone, it can overwrite your old history in the cloud and it will be impossible to recover messages.
Viber is similar, but there are nuances. Viber backups on Android also go through Google Drive. However, if you change your phone number, the standard portability may not work. In that case, use the built-in Chat Transfer feature inside Viber's settings, which creates the default portability. QR-code for data transfer between devices on the same Wi-Fi network.
- 🔒 Two-factor authentication: Make sure you remember the PIN if it was installed in the WhatsApp/Viber.
- 📞 Phone number: SIM card must be inserted into new phone to receive SMS confirmation code.
- ☁️ Cloud Place: Check that Google Drive has free space for temporary backup storage.
Problem Solving and Data Compatibility
While there is a high degree of automation, there may be specific compatibility issues when switching from Samsung to Xiaomi, one of the most common being the incorrect display of fonts or the “gotten” layout in some applications, which is because Samsung uses its own fonts and rendering engine, which can conflict with the MIUI shell.
Another problem is the lack of some Samsung system applications, features like Bixby Routines are unparalleled, although Xiaomi has its own task automation. Files created in proprietary formats (such as Samsung's voice recorder in.sec format) may not open on Xiaomi without converting (.mp3,.txt,.jpg).
⚠️ Note: When you transfer data through Mi Mover, some applications may stop opening or crashing, which often happens with banking applications or enterprise security clients. In this case, remove the application and download it again from the official store, without relying on the ported version.
If you notice a fast battery drain or a new Xiaomi heating up after the transfer, give the phone 1-2 days to run. The system indexes files and optimizes ported applications in the background. If the problem persists longer, try clearing the cache of the Google Play Services app or resetting the network settings.