How to Flip Data from Xiaomi to Samsung: A Complete Guide to Photos and Videos

Why Data Transfers between Xiaomi and Samsung Need a Special Approach

The transition from Xiaomi to Samsung is not just a change of gadget, but a migration between two different ecosystems with unique features. Unlike data transfer within the same brand (for example, from Redmi Note 10 to Poco X5), here you will find nuances: from differences in backup formats to the limitations of proprietary services MIUI and One UI.

The main problem is that there is no universal solution. What works for the Galaxy S23 may not work for the Xiaomi 12T due to the difference in the Android version or the customization of the shell. For example, Samsung’s Smart Switch service does not support direct data transfer from Xiaomi phones to models older than 2021 without prior preparation. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods, from official tools to workarounds for complex cases.

It's important to consider the type of data, too: contacts are the easiest to move (just sync with Google Account), but messages, Mi Notes, or Mi Home settings are a bit of a mess, and we structured the instructions by priority, from the most reliable and fastest methods to the ones that require additional action.

Method 1: Using Smart Switch (official method from Samsung)

Samsung Smart Switch is a proprietary tool for data migration, but its work with Xiaomi has limitations.The program supports the transfer of contacts, photos, videos, music, messages and even some settings, but only if you meet the conditions:

• 📱 Both phones should run Android 8.0 or later (on Xiaomi with a newer version) MIUI 12+ There's no problem).
• 🔌 Connection through USB-cable (Samsung's original cable with support is recommended) USB 3.0).
• 📶 Xiaomi should be off mode USB-Debugging (otherwise, the Smart Switch will not recognize the device).
• 🔋 Battery charge on both phones – at least 50%.

Step-by-step:

1. Download Smart Switch to both phones: Xiaomi: from Google Play (if not available, use APK from Samsung's official website). Samsung: pre-installed by default (update via Galaxy Store).

Samsung

Get the data. → With Android devices

Xiaomi

File Transfer (MTP)

Xiaomi

Annexes

Move over

Turn it off. USB-debugging|Make sure there is enough memory on Samsung|Use the original cable|Close all background apps on both phones-->

⚠️ Note: If your Xiaomi Smart Switch doesn’t see your Xiaomi, check if it’s on mode OTG in the settings Additional → Special facilities → Physical buttons: On some models (e.g. Redmi Note 11), this option is hidden and requires activation via the engineering menu.

Method 2: Sync with Google Account (universal method)

If Smart Switch doesn’t work, or you want to transfer only key data (contacts, calendar, email), the most reliable way to do this is to use Google Account, which works on any Android phone, including Xiaomi and Samsung, and requires no additional software.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 Automatic synchronization: data updated in real time.
• 🔒 Security: Information is stored in encrypted form on Google servers.
• 📱 Cross-platform: you can restore data even on iPhone or tablet.

Instructions for transfer:

1. On Xiaomi, open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Select your account (or add a new one) and activate sync for: Contacts Gmail Calendar (if you use) Drive (for backup photos)

Wait for the synchronization to complete (check in the top notification bar).

Samsung

Recover data from backup

Google Account

Settings → Accounts and backups → Data recovery

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Before syncing, check if there is enough space in your Google Account. 15GB is free, but the photos in their original quality take up a lot of space. Use the "High Quality" option in Google Photos to save space.

To transfer photos and videos separately:

1. Install Google Photos on Xiaomi.
2. Open the app, click on the avatar → Photo settings → Backup and sync.
3. Choose High Quality (unlimited storage) or Original Quality (accounted for by Google Drive quota).
4. After downloading, install Google Photos on Samsung and wait for sync.

⚠️ Note: If you used Mi Cloud to back up on Xiaomi, the data from there is not synced with Google automatically. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Select data to download).

Method 3: Computer Transmission (for large amounts of data)

If you have to move tens of gigabytes of photos, videos or music, the most reliable way is to use your computer as an intermediary, eliminating the risk of data loss due to a connection break between your phones and filtering out unnecessary files.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows, macOS or Linux.
• 🔌 Two. USB-cable (preferably with support) USB 3.0 for speed).
• 📂 Enough free hard disk space (at least 50 GB is recommended for backup).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your computer via USB. In the window on your phone, select File Transfer (MTP).
2. Open This PC (Windows) or Finder (macOS) – your Xiaomi will appear as a removable drive.
3. Copy the folders you want: DCIM – photos and videos from the camera. Pictures – uploaded images. Download – downloaded files. MIUI → SoundRecorder – audio recordings. Android → data – data of some applications (root rights are required to access).

Xiaomi

Samsung

MTP

Samsung

DCIM

Smart Switch from Samsung|Sync through Google Account|Switching through your computer |Cloud services (Dropbox, Yandex Drive)|Another way-->

Method 4: Using cloud services (for remote transmission)

If you don't have a cable or a computer, you can use cloud storage, which is a method that can transfer photos, videos, documents, and even some applications, but requires a stable Internet connection.

Popular services for transmission:

• 🌥️ Google Drive – 15 GB free, Android integration.
• ☁️ Yandex Disk – 10 GB free, high download speed in Russia.
• 📦 Dropbox – 2 GB free, user-friendly interface.
• 🍎 iCloud – if you plan to switch to iPhone later (but not for Samsung).

Instructions on the example of Google Drive:

1. On Xiaomi, install Google Drive (if not installed).
2. Download files: Open the application, click + → Download. Select files or folders (e.g. DCIM for photo) Wait for the download to complete (you can track the progress in notifications).

Samsung

Google Drive

⋮ → Download

Download

Download

DCIM/Camera

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To speed up downloading large files, connect Xiaomi to a 5GHz Wi-Fi network or use mobile Internet with unlimited rates. If files weigh tens of gigabytes, break them into archives of 4-5 GB using the RAR or ZArchiver application.

To transfer contacts through the cloud:

1. On Xiaomi, export contacts to.vcf file: Open Contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Export to storage. Select a VCard file and save it to your phone's memory.

.vcf

Samsung

Contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Import from the device

⚠️ Note: When uploading files to the cloud, check if Xiaomi has enabled Traffic Saving in Mobile Network Settings. It can interrupt the loading of large files. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Saving traffic.

Method 5: Transmission over a local area network (Wi-Fi Direct or FTP)

If you don't have a cable, but you have access to a single Wi-Fi network, you can transfer files directly between phones, which is faster than cloud services and doesn't require Internet.

Transmission options:

• 📶 Wi-Fi Direct – Direct connection between phones (supported by most Xiaomi and Samsung models).
• 🌐 FTP-Server – converting one phone into a server for downloading files.
• 🔗 Applications for transfer - Send Anywhere, Xender, ShareMe.

Instructions for Wi-Fi Direct:

1. On Xiaomi: Open Settings → Connection and Sharing → Wi-Fi Direct. Enable the feature and wait for the phone to be searchable.
2. On Samsung: Open Settings → Connections → Wi-Fi Direct. Select your Xiaomi from the list and confirm the connection.

Xiaomi

Conductor

Send. → Wi-Fi Direct

Samsung

Instructions for FTP-server (through the application) FX File Explorer):

1. Install FX File Explorer on both phones.
2. On Xiaomi: Open up FX, Go to the Web. → FTP-Click Launch and write down the address (e.g, ftp://192.168.1.100:2221).
3. On Samsung: Open FX, go to the Web → Connect to the server. Enter the address from Xiaomi and connect. Copy the files you want to use on Samsung.

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FTP-The server is the most versatile way to transfer large files without loss of quality. 5 It can reach GHz. 50-70 MB/s.

Solving Typical Problems in Data Transfer

Even when following instructions, users often encounter errors, and we've collected the most common problems and solutions.

If none of these methods worked, try resetting to factory settings on Samsung and repeat transferring data from a clean phone. Sometimes conflicts arise because of previously installed apps or settings.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer from Xiaomi to Samsung