How to transfer data from Xiaomi to Samsung Galaxy: from contacts to apps

The transition from Xiaomi to Samsung Galaxy is not only about changing the ecosystem, but also the need to transfer all the important data: photos, contacts, messages and even app settings. Many users face problems when trying to sync due to the difference in firmware (MIUI vs One UI) In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to transfer data, including official tools from Samsung and workarounds for complex cases.

The peculiarity of the process is that Xiaomi actively uses its own cloud services (Mi Cloud), and Samsung promotes Samsung Account and Smart Switch, while direct synchronization between them often works with errors. → Galaxy S23) And they've identified the only way that's guaranteed to carry history. SMS No losses – you will find it in the section about Samsung Smart Switch.

It’s important to consider the amount of data: if you have hundreds of gigabytes of high-resolution photos, cloud services may be too slow, so you can opt for a direct cable connection or a local Wi-Fi network. And porting applications with data storage (such as game progress) will require a separate setup via Google Play Games or manual backup.

1.Official method: Samsung Smart Switch

Samsung Smart Switch is a Samsung-branded solution that is billed as a universal migration tool that supports porting with Xiaomi, but there are nuances: the app must be installed on both devices, and Xiaomi will need to allow manual access to files and contacts.

The process works like this:

• 📱 Install Smart Switch on both phones (you can download from Google Play or Galaxy Store).
• 🔗 Connect devices over Wi-Fi (select "Wireless Transfer") or via cable OTG (need an adapter USB-C → USB-C).
• 📂 On Xiaomi, select data types to transfer: contacts, messages, photos, videos, audio, calendars, and even some system settings.
• ⚡ On the Samsung Galaxy, wait until the process is complete (can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours depending on the volume).

The main advantage of this method is the preservation of history. SMS and MMS, It's hard to handle in other ways, but there are limitations:

⚠️ Note: Smart Switch does not carry application data (for example, save in games or configure messengers). This will require separate synchronization through Google Account or backups of the applications themselves.

Install the latest version of Smart Switch on both phones

Charge both devices by at least 50%

Free up space on Samsung (transfer requires a temporary buffer)

Disable battery optimization for Smart Switch in Xiaomi settings-->

If wireless transfer is interrupted, try:

1. Restart both phones.
2. Use cable connection (more reliable, but requires an adapter).
3. Transfer data in parts (for example, first contacts, then media files).

2. Transfer through Google Account (for contacts, calendars and part of applications)

The most versatile, but not the most complete way is sync through Google Account.

• 📇 Contacts (including groups and labels).
• 📅 Calendars and reminders.
• 📱 Some app settings (if they support backup in Google Drive).
• 🎮 Progress in games (via Google Play Games).

Instructions:

1. On Xiaomi go to Settings → Accounts. → Google and enable sync for all categories.
2. Wait for the synchronization to be completed (check in Settings). → Google → Backup).
3. On Samsung Galaxy, log in to the same Google Account and wait for automatic data recovery.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ Not tolerated. SMS/MMS (They need Smart Switch or third-party applications).
• ❌ Media files (photos, videos) are synced only if they were uploaded to Google Photos separately.
• ❌ System settings (MIUI One UI too-fashioned).

💡

If contacts are not synced, check if they are duplicated in your Xiaomi (Mi Cloud) account. delete duplicates before transferring, otherwise they will appear multiple times on Samsung.

Direct Cable Transfer (for large amounts of data)

If you have tens of gigabytes of photos or videos, cloud services will be too slow, and Smart Switch can freeze, and then you can optimally use a direct cable connection using an adapter. USB-C → USB-C (or USB-A → USB-C For older Xiaomi models).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Xiaomi to Samsung Galaxy via cable.
2. On Xiaomi, in the notification that appears, select File Transfer Mode (MTP).
3. On Samsung, open a File Manager (such as My Files) and copy the folders you want (DCIM Photos, Downloads for downloads, etc.).

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Maximum speed (up to 40 MB/s when used) USB 3.0).
• 📁 Complete control over which files to transfer.
• 🔒 No risk of data loss due to cloud failures.

⚠️ Note: Some folders on Xiaomi may be hidden (e.g.,.miui with system settings).To see them, turn on the display of hidden files in the Samsung file manager.

For convenience, you can use the memory card as an intermediate storage:

1. Copy data from Xiaomi to microSD.
2. Insert the card into the Samsung Galaxy and transfer the files to internal memory.

4. Cloud services: Google Photos, Mi Cloud and Samsung Cloud

If you have stable Wi-Fi and unlimited traffic, cloud services can be a convenient solution, the main thing is to upload data to the cloud with Xiaomi, and then download it to the Samsung Galaxy.

Comparison of services:

Recommendations for use:

• 📸 For photos and videos, Google Photos is best suited (automatic download in original quality when paying for storage).
• 📞 For contacts and SMS You can use Mi Cloud, but you will have to export them manually (.vcf for contacts and.xml for messages).
• 📁 For documents and archives, Yandex Disk or Dropbox are more convenient (they support background loading).

Google Photo

Mi Cloud

Samsung Cloud

Yandex Disc.

iCloud (Yes, I am an Apple user)

Other-->

5. Transfer of applications and their data

The hardest part of switching from Xiaomi to Samsung is migrating installed apps and their data (e.g., game progress, messaging setups, chat history) and there is no one-size-fits-all solution, but there are a few working methods:

Method 1: Backup through Google

• On Xiaomi, enable backup in Settings → Google → Backup.
• Make sure the apps you want support reservations (you can see the list on the same menu).
• On Samsung, when you first start an application, select “Recover Data”.

Method 2: Manual copying of application folders

Some applications store data in folders on the device, such as:

• 🎮 Games: Android/obb/ and Android/data/.
• 💬 Messengers: WhatsApp/Databases/ (WhatsApp), Telegram/Telegram Data/.

Copy these folders on the Samsung Galaxy into the same directories. Importantly, WhatsApp will require additional recovery from local copy.

Method 3: Third-party tools (Titanium Backup, Swift Backup)

For rooted devices, you can use:

• 🔧 Titanium Backup (saves application data in.tar.gz format).
• 📦 Swift Backup (without root, but with limitations).

⚠️ Note: These methods require an unlocked bootloader and may disrupt some system applications. On the Samsung Galaxy with Knox, this will result in a loss of warranty.

💡

For most applications (VK, Telegram, Spotify, just log into the same account on a new phone - the data is synchronized automatically, except for games and some messengers (for example, WhatsApp), which require additional actions.

6. Transfer of specific data (notes, passwords, calls)

Some types of data require special attention because they are not carried in standard ways.

📝 Notes from Mi Notes or Xiaomi Notes

• Export notes manually through the app menu (.zip or.txt format).
• Import them to Samsung Notes or Google Keep.

🔐 Passwords from Mi Browser or Xiaomi Password Manager

• Use the built-in export in Settings → Passwords (.csv format).
• Import it to Google Password Manager or Samsung Pass.

📞 Call history

Unfortunately, Smart Switch and Google Account do not carry call history.

• 📱 Use third-party apps like Call Logs Backup & Restore (saves history to.xml file).
• 📧 Export calls to Google Contacts via the Call Management menu (not available on all Xiaomi models).

🎵 Music and playlists

• If the music is stored locally, move the folder. Music/ cable.
• For playlists from Mi Music, export them to.m3u And import it into Samsung Music.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When migrating data from Xiaomi to Samsung Galaxy, users often face typical problems.

❌ Smart Switch doesn’t see Xiaomi

• Check that Xiaomi has enabled Developer Mode and Debugging USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI — tap 7 times).
• Upgrade your Smart Switch to the latest version.
• Try another cable or USB port.

❌ Photos moved but not displayed in Samsung Gallery

• Open the Galaxy Gallery and click “Update” (swipe down).
• Check if files are hidden (the.nomedia folder can block the display).
• Reboot the phone.

❌ Contacts are duplicated after the transfer

• In Google Contacts, use the tool “Find and Combine Duplicates”.
• On Samsung, open your contacts. → Contact management → Connecting contacts.

❌ Applications are not restored from backup

• Make sure that Samsung has automatic recovery enabled in Settings → Google → Backup.
• Check that the apps support backup (the list is in Google Drive settings).

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If after transferring to Samsung Galaxy there were lags or applications began to close, reset the cache: → Caring for the device → Memory. → Clear the cache.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions