How to Move Data from Xiaomi to Samsung: A Complete 2026 Guide

Moving from Xiaomi to Samsung is not just about changing your brand, but also migrating all your data, from contacts and messages to photos and app settings. Many users have trouble migrating information between devices on different operating systems (MIUI and One UI). In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to transfer data, their pros and cons, and give tips on how to avoid losing important files.

The main difficulty is that Xiaomi uses its own cloud services (Mi Cloud), and Samsung uses Samsung Cloud and Smart Switch. In addition, some data (such as notes or call history) can be stored in proprietary formats. We tested all methods on current models from 2023 to 2026 (including Xiaomi 14, Redmi Note 13 Pro+, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy A54) and identified the most reliable options.

Important: If you plan to sell or rent out your Xiaomi after you switch, remember to completely clear your device of personal data.

1.Official method: Samsung Smart Switch

Samsung Smart Switch is a Samsung-branded app designed to transfer data from other devices, including Xiaomi, that supports contact, message, photo, video, music, calendars, and even some app settings. However, there are nuances: not all data can be transferred correctly (for example, the history of calls from Xiaomi to Samsung via Smart Switch is transmitted only when using a cable, not over Wi-Fi).

How it works:

• 📱 Install Smart Switch on both devices: download it from Google Play on Xiaomi and check for an embedded app on Samsung (usually preinstalled).
• 🔌 Connect your phones to each other with the help of USB-cable (Samsung’s original cable with support is recommended) USB OTG).
• 🔄 On Xiaomi, select Send Data, on Samsung, Receive Data".
• 📋 Select data types to transfer and wait for the process to be completed (can take 10 to 40 minutes depending on the volume).

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ Supports most types of data (except for some system settings).
• ✅ It works even without the internet (with cable connection).
• ✅ Minimum quality loss in media file transfer.

⚠️ Note: If Xiaomi has enabled the “Data Protection” function (in Settings) → Passwords and security, Smart Switch may not see some files.

2. Wireless transfer via Wi-Fi Direct

If you don't have a cable on hand or want to transfer data wirelessly, you can use Wi-Fi Direct technology, which is suitable for transferring photos, videos and documents, but does not always cope with contacts or messages, the main advantage is the speed (up to 10-15 MB / s), which is faster than Bluetooth.

Step-by-step:

1. On Xiaomi, open "Settings → Connection & Sharing → Wi-Fi Direct."
2. On Samsung, go to Settings → Connections → Wi-Fi Direct.
3. Activate device search on both phones and connect them to each other (code confirmation may be required).
4. On Xiaomi, select files to transfer (e.g., through Explorer or Gallery) and send them to Samsung.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ No applications and their settings are portable.
• ❌ Contacts and messages will have to be exported separately (for example, via.vcf and.xml files).
• ❌ On some Xiaomi models, for example, POCO F5) Wi-Fi Direct can be turned off when the screen is locked.

3. Cloud Transfer (Google Drive, Mi Cloud, Samsung Cloud)

Cloud storage is a universal way to transfer data, but it requires a stable internet connection and free space in the cloud.We recommend using Google Drive for contacts, calendars and media portions, and Mi Cloud for backing up data with Xiaomi before switching.

Comparison of cloud services for transfer:

How to transfer data via Google Drive:

1. On Xiaomi, open “Settings → Google → Backup” and enable synchronization of contacts, calendars and other data.
2. Upload photos and videos to Google Photos (enable Backup and Sync).
3. On Samsung, log in to the same Google account and wait for sync to complete.
4. To transfer messages, use the SMS Backup & Restore app (save backup to Drive and restore to Samsung).

⚠️ Note: If you used Mi Account to back up on Xiaomi, do not delete it immediately after the transfer.Some data (such as notes from Mi Notes) may only be stored there and not sync with Google.

4. Manual transfer via computer (PC or Mac)

If you need to transfer large amounts of data (such as 50+GB of photos or videos), the most reliable way is to use a computer as an intermediary, which guarantees 100% control over the files being transferred and minimal risk of loss.

What you need:

• 💻 Computer with Windows or macOS.
• 🔌 Two. USB-cables (preferably original).
• 📁 External drive (flash drive or hard drive) – optional if there is little space on the PC.

Instructions:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your computer and turn on the File Transfer mode (in the notification when you connect).
2. Copy the files you need (from DCIM, Downloads, Pictures, etc.) to your PC.
3. Disable Xiaomi and connect Samsung, also selecting file transfer mode.
4. Transfer data from your PC to Samsung (e.g., to the Internal Storage → DCIM folder for photos).
5. To transfer contacts, export them to Xiaomi in a.vcf file (via Contacts → Settings → Export) and import them to Samsung.

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ Full control over the transmitted data.
• ✅ There are no limits on volume (except free space on PCs).
• ✅ You can sort files before transfer (delete duplicates, unnecessary screenshots, etc.).

1. Install Mi PC Suite drivers for Xiaomi or Samsung USB Driver for Galaxy.

2. Use another USB-port (preferably) USB 3.0).

Insert "Debugging by USB" In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Click on version 7 times, then return to Additional → For developers).-->

5. Transfer of applications and their data

It is impossible to transfer the applications themselves from Xiaomi to Samsung due to the difference in the architecture of MIUI and One UI, but you can save their data (for example, progress in games, messenger settings).

• 🔄 Built-in backup features (for example, WhatsApp or Telegram has chat exports).
• 📦 Helium (a data backup application application that requires ROOT on some devices).
• ☁️ Cloud-based saves (many games and services are synced through Google Play Games or their own accounts).

To transfer data to WhatsApp:

1. On Xiaomi, open WhatsApp → ⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup and save backup in Google Drive.
2. Install WhatsApp on Samsung, log in to the same account and restore chats from backup.

To transfer these games:

• 🎮 Make sure the game supports cross-platform sync (e.g., via Google Play Games or Facebook).
• 🔑 If you need manual transfer, find a folder with saves (usually). /Android/data/[Title of the game) and copy it to Samsung.

⚠️ Note: Some applications (e.g., banking or two-factor authentication) may block access when migrating to a new device. Check in advance if the app supports changing phone without losing data.

💡

When transferring applications, the main thing is to save their data, not themselves. APK-Most programs can be reinstalled from Google Play, but custom settings and progress are often lost when migrating incorrectly.

6.Clean up Xiaomi before selling or surrendering

After a successful data transfer, remember to completely erase personal information from the old Xiaomi.Mere file deletion is not enough - you need to perform a factory reset and untie all accounts.

Step-by-step:

1. Make a final backup (in case you forgot to move something).
2. Untie Google Account: Settings → Accounts → Google → Delete account.
3. Untie Mi Account: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Sign out.
4. Perform reset: Settings → About Phone → Resetting → Erase all data.
5. If the phone is linked to Mi Cloud, go to i.mi.com and remove the device from the list.

What will be removed:

• ❌ All photos, videos and documents.
• ❌ Contacts, messages and call history.
• ❌ Installed applications and their data.
• ❌ Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other personal settings.

Once reset, the phone will return to a "out of the box" state, and if you plan to sell it, we recommend formatting the memory card (if it was installed).

FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer from Xiaomi to Samsung