Transferring data from Samsung phone to Xiaomi Redmi: all working ways

The transition from Samsung Galaxy to Xiaomi Redmi is not only about changing the ecosystem, but also the need to transfer tens of gigabytes of personal data: photos, chats, contacts and even app settings. Many users lose hours on manually copying files or encounter errors when using standard tools. In this article, we will analyze 8 proven ways to transfer data between devices of different brands, including hidden MIUI functions and workarounds for sharing large files (4K video, archives).

The cross-platform port feature is that Samsung and Xiaomi use different synchronization protocols: the first is focused on Samsung Cloud and Smart Switch, the second is on Mi Mover and Xiaomi Account. We tested each method on pairs of devices (including the Galaxy S23 Ultra and Redmi Note 12 Pro+) and found the only way that saves the history of SMS and calls without loss – its description in the section about Local Backup.

1. Official method: Mi Mover (with restrictions)

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary data migration tool, but it doesn’t work with all Samsung models, and it supports touch, SMS, photos and some apps, but it doesn’t:

• 📁 Folders with user files (for example, downloads from Telegram)
• 🎵 Music and video (except for camera footage)
• 🔑 Passwords from Wi-Fi and accounts
• 📱 Screen settings and gestures

To take advantage of the Mi Mover:

1. On Xiaomi Redmi go to Settings → About Phone → Data Migration.
2. Select a new user and follow the tips.
3. On Samsung, download Mi Mover from Google Play (the app may not show up on older versions of Android).
4. Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network and scan QR-code.

⚠️ Note: If Android 12 or lower is installed on Samsung, Mi Mover may be stuck in the Preparation phase.

2.Samsung's Smart Switch: Backshift

Samsung Smart Switch is designed to transfer data to Samsung devices, but with trickery it can be used for export.

Instructions:

1. Install Smart Switch on both phones.
2. On Samsung, select Send Data → External Drive.
3. Connect. USB-memory-card (FAT32/exFAT).
4. Transfer files to Xiaomi Redmi via Explorer.

The advantage of the method is that call logs and SMS (in.sbk format) are saved, and the disadvantage is that an additional device (a flash drive or a PC) is required.

Connecting to a single Wi-Fi network|Battery charge >50%|Free space on the storage device|Shutdown VPN both phones-->

Direct cable: USB OTG + adapter

The fastest way to transfer large files (video, backups) is to connect directly via cable.

• 🔌 Cable USB-C — USB-C (adapter USB-A → USB-C for older Samsung models)
• 📱 Included debugging by USB Xiaomi Redmi (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to tap)
• 🔧 Mode File Transfer (MTP) both-device

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Samsung to Xiaomi via cable.
2. On Xiaomi, in the notification panel, select USB to transfer files.
3. Open Explorer on Redmi – a Samsung partition should appear.
4. Copy the folders you want (DCIM, Downloads, etc.).

⚠️ Note: Some Redmi models (e.g. Note 11) may have a "Device not supported" error when you connect to Samsung. Solution: use the cloud service (section 5) or FTP-server (section 6).

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If the cable doesn’t recognize, try rebooting both phones and using the original Xiaomi cable – cheap counterparts often don’t support MTP mode.

Bluetooth 4: Slowly but without internet

Bluetooth is suitable for transferring small files (up to 50 MB) or contacts if other methods are not available. speed is about 1-2 MB / s, so it is not suitable for video or backups.

How do I tell you?

1. Turn on Bluetooth on both phones.
2. On Samsung, select files → Share → Bluetooth.
3. Confirm acceptance on Xiaomi Redmi.

For contacts:

1. Open Contacts on Samsung.
2. Press. ⋮ → Imports/Exports → Send contacts.
3. Select Bluetooth and specify Xiaomi in the list of devices.

5. Cloud services: Google Drive vs Mi Cloud

Cloud storage is easy to transfer data if you have a stable Internet.

Google Drive:

• ✅ Free 15GB (shared with Gmail).
• ✅ Automatic synchronization of contacts and photos through Google Photos.
• ❌ Restriction on File Downloading >5 TB.

Mi Cloud (Xiaomi):

• ✅ Free 5 GB (expands to 10 GB when you link mail).
• ✅ Quick synchronization with Redmi.
• ❌ There is no automatic backup with Samsung.

Instructions for Google Drive:

1. On Samsung, upload files to Drive (Folder My Drive).
2. On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account.
3. Download data through the Files app.

6. FTP-Xiaomi server: for advanced users

If you need to transfer tens of gigabytes without clouds, set up FTP-server directly on Xiaomi Redmi, which will allow you to connect to the phone as a network disk.

Instructions:

1. Install the FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer app on Redmi.
2. Launch it. FTP-server in application settings.
3. Remember the address (e.g. ftp://192.168.1.10:2221) and the login details.
4. Connect to Samsung via any FTP-client, ES Conductor).

The speed of transmission over FTP depends on the router:

• 📶 Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac): up to 50-70 MB/s.
• 📶 Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax): 100+ MB/s.

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FTP-Server is the only way to transfer files >100GB without loss of quality and no cloud services. RAW-photo 8K or.

7.Samsung Local Backup: Saving SMS and Logs

The only method that is guaranteed to transfer SMS history, call logs and application settings is to create a local backup on Samsung and then restore it to Xiaomi through third-party utilities.

Steps:

1. On Samsung, go to Settings → Accounts and Archiving → Archiving and Recovery.
2. Create a backup to a memory card or internal memory (.spb format).
3. Copy the backup file on Xiaomi.
4. Install SMS Backup & Restore on Redmi and import data.

Limitations:

• 🚫 Not all apps support settings recovery.
• 🔄 Call logs may be duplicated.

8.Cloning Apps: Clone Phone and SHAREit

Third-party applications often do better than proprietary tools at migrating data. Let's look at two options:

Clone Phone (from Xiaomi):

• ✅ Transferring contacts, SMS, Photos, videos and applications.
• ✅ It works without root rights.
• ❌ It does not support some Samsung models on Android 13+.

SHAREit:

• ✅ Up to 20 MB/s on Wi-Fi Direct.
• ✅ Transfer of games and their data (for example, progress in Genshin Impact).
• ❌ Advertising and collection of user data.

How to use Clone Phone:

1. Install the app on both phones.
2. On Samsung, choose I'm an old phone, on Xiaomi I'm a new phone.
3. Scan it. QR-code and select data to transfer.

⚠️ Note: Apps like SHAREit may conflict with antivirus software (e.g., Avast blocks transmission due to “suspicious activity.

FAQ: Frequent questions