How to transfer data from Samsung to Xiomi

Changing a smartphone, especially the transition between different ecosystems, always causes a slight panic. The owner of the flagship Samsung, decided to switch to a new product from Xiaomi, faces the question of saving all the accumulated data over the years. Fortunately, modern technology allows you to migrate profiles, photos and applications in just a few tens of minutes, minimizing the stress of changing the device.

The process of transferring information is as automated as possible, but it requires attention to detail. It is important not only to copy files, but also to properly configure new applications so that they work correctly on the shell of MIUI or HyperOS. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways, from cloud services to local copying, so that your new phone immediately becomes “native”.

Before you start, make sure that both devices are at least 50-60% charged. Active data transfer can be a significant energy drain, and a sudden disconnection of one of the smartphones will cause a failure or damage to files. Also check for free space on the new Xiaomi device, which should exceed the amount of information occupied on the old Samsung.

Preparing devices for data migration

The first step is to properly prepare both smartphones, and on a Samsung device, you need to check the operating system’s up-to-date and all the latest security updates, ensuring that the transmission protocols are compatible and eliminating errors associated with outdated drivers or system libraries.

On the new Xiaomi phone, when you first turn on, the system will suggest you start the setup process. However, if you have already logged in to the desktop, don't worry. You can run the portability utilities at any time through the settings menu or by finding the corresponding application in the Tools folder.

⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to port data if both devices are power-saving, which may cause the Wi-Fi Direct connection, which is used for fast file transfer, to break down.

Make sure that both devices have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled. Even if you don’t plan to use the internet, these modules are essential for device detection and channel organization. It’s also a good idea to clear the cache of heavy apps on your old phone to speed up the initial file verification.

Using the Mi Mover application for portability

The most effective and native way to migrate is to use the proprietary Mi Mover utility, which is designed specifically for users to move from other platforms to the Xiaomi ecosystem and supports the transfer of contacts, messages, call logs, photos, videos, music and even some system settings.

To get started, install the Mi Mover app on a Samsung smartphone. On Xiaomi devices, it is already preinstalled in the Tools folder or available in the About Phone settings section. Run the program on both devices at the same time.

On the new phone, select “I’m a recipient” and on the old Samsung, “I’m a sender.” QR-code or connect through device search. Once you have established the connection, you will see a list of data categories available for copying.

• 📱 Contacts and messages: A full copy of the phone book and SMS-archives, including attached media files.
• 📸 Multimedia: Photos, videos, audio files and documents from internal memory.
• 📲 Annexes: List of installed APK-Files (Settings within apps may not be moved due to differences in Android versions).
• ⚙️ System settings: Wi-Fi passwords, alarm clocks and some interface settings.

Select the points you need and click the "Send" button, and the speed of the transfer depends on the amount of data and the distance between the devices, and during the process, do not lock the screens of your smartphones and keep them close to each other.

Synchronization through Google account

If you have a stable internet connection, the most reliable way to save contacts, calendar and notes is to sync through Google Account, a method that is universal and ensures that your data remains secure even in the event of a physical device being lost or broken.

On the old Samsung, go to settings, find the Accounts and Archiving or Users and Acca section, then select your Google account. Make sure the switches opposite Contacts, Calengar, Drive and Notes are active. Press the sync button to let the data go to the cloud.

When you set up a new Xiaomi, simply enter the same email address and password, the system will automatically prompt you to restore data from the backup, and you can choose which apps and data to download.

It is important to note that synchronization through Google does not copy the application files themselves (cache, logins inside games), but only restores their list.

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Use Google Photos in Original Quality mode only if you have purchased additional storage capacity, otherwise select Save Space mode to avoid overflowing the cloud for free.

Transferring multimedia via USB and PC

For users with huge archives of 4K photos or movie collections, wireless methods may seem too slow, and the most rational solution would be to use a computer as an intermediate buffer.

Connect Samsung to your computer via USB-cable and select file transfer mode (MTP). Copy the folders. DCIM, Pictures, Download and Music to your PC hard drive. then disconnect your old phone and plug in Xiaomi.

Copy the stored data into the appropriate directories of a new smartphone, a technique that is especially useful if you want to transfer files of specific formats or heavy archives that can cause timeouts when wirelessly transferring.

• 💾 Folder Structure: Try to keep the logical folder structure so that the gallery on the new phone properly sorts images by date.
• 🔌 Cable: Use original or quality cable with support for high data rates (USB 3.0 and above) if both ports allow.
• 💻 File system: Make sure that the external drive is formatted in a compatible file system (exFAT or file system). NTFS), Avoid problems with reading large files.

After copying, run a media scan on Xiaomi or simply restart the device so that the system indexes new photos and music.

Working with messages and call log

Transferring the history of calls and SMS-Messages are often the most difficult, as this data is stored in secure databases of the system. Standard methods of copying files here will not work without root rights, so it is better to use specialized tools.

The Mi Mover app mentioned above does a great job of carrying SMS along with the attachments and sender contacts, but if you use third-party messengers like WhatsApp or Telegram, the approach should be different.

For WhatsApp on the old Samsung, back up chats in the app settings by selecting Google Drive. When you install WhatsApp on Xiaomi and type the same phone number, the system will prompt you to recover your correspondence history from the cloud.

⚠️ Note: WhatsApp backup is linked to a specific Google account and phone number. Make sure you sign in with the same data on the new device, otherwise recovery will not be possible.

Call logs are usually automatically carried along with contacts if you use Google or Mi Mover sync. In the rare cases where numbers are displayed without names, the phone book may need to be re-synchronized.

Solution and troubleshooting

During the migration process, users may encounter various technical nuances, for example, after transferring contacts, names can be displayed twice: once from the user's home. SIM-You can do this once from a Google account by going to your contact settings and selecting one source.

Another common problem is the lack of notifications from ported applications: on the MIUI shell, an aggressive energy saving system can kill background processes, you manually go to the battery settings, find the application and allow it to auto-start and operate in the background.

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Aggressive battery optimization in MIUI is the main reason for missed notifications.Always adjust permissions for instant messengers manually after transfer.

If the data transfer is interrupted in the middle, don't panic. Most utilities allow you to continue the process or start it over from the checkpoint, the main thing is not to delete data from the old phone until the new one is fully functional.

In case photos have been moved but are not displayed in the gallery, try clearing the Gallery app cache or restarting your smartphone.The file manager will also help check the physical presence of files in the device's memory.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions