How to transfer photos from Samsung to Xiaomi: all ways of 2026

Transferring photos between smartphones of different brands is a challenge that every second user faces when changing devices. If you upgraded the Galaxy S23 Ultra to the Xiaomi 14 Pro or just want to share pictures with a friend who has a Redmi Note 13, it is important to choose the best method. Unlike transferring within the same ecosystem (for example, between Samsung devices via Quick Share), transferring between Samsung and Xiaomi requires considering the nuances of compatibility, speed and security.

In this article, we will discuss 7 working methods – from classic (via Bluetooth and cable) to modern (cloud services and specialized applications). You will learn what method is the fastest for transferring 100+ photos, how to avoid loss of quality during compression, and what to do if Xiaomi does not see Samsung via Wi-Fi Direct. All instructions are relevant for Android 12-14 devices and tested on Galaxy A54, Xiaomi 13T, Redmi 12 and others.

1. Transmission over Bluetooth: a simple but slow way

The method is suitable for transferring 10-15 photos of small size (up to 5 MB each), the main advantage is that there is no dependence on the Internet and additional applications. However, the transfer speed rarely exceeds 1-2 MB / s, and with a large amount of data, connection breaks are possible.

How it works:

• 📱 On Samsung: Open the gallery, select a photo → Press "Share» → Choose Bluetooth.

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi with MIUI 14 is the default limit on receiving files over Bluetooth — more than 10 MB at a time. To remove the limit, go to Settings. → Bluetooth → Additionally. → Allows the reception of large files.

Speed depends on the version of the protocol: Bluetooth 5.0 (there is in the Galaxy S21 and later, Xiaomi 12 and later) transmits data 2 times faster than Bluetooth 4.2. But even in ideal conditions, it will take 10-15 minutes to transfer 50 photos.

2. Wi-Fi Direct: fast transmission without internet

Wi-Fi Direct is a technology that allows devices to communicate directly over Wi-Fi without a router, with speeds of 10-20MB/s (10 times faster than Bluetooth), making it optimal for transferring 50-200 photos.

Step-by-step:

1. On Samsung: Open Settings → Connections → Wi-Fi → Wi-Fi Direct.
2. On Xiaomi: go to Settings → Wi-Fi → Additional → Wi-Fi Direct.

⚠️ If Xiaomi doesn’t see Samsung in the Wi-Fi Direct list, try it out: 🔄 Reboot both devices. 📶 Turn on Flight Mode for 10 seconds, then turn off. 🔧 On Xiaomi, disable Adaptive Wi-Fi in Settings → Wi-Fi → Additionally.

Enable Wi-Fi on both devices |

Disable mobile data on Xiaomi|

Make sure the battery is charged >30%|

Place phones in a distance <1?-->

3. USB OTG cable: reliable, but not always convenient

Use of the USB-Cables (e.g. Type-C) are one of the most reliable ways, especially if you need to transfer thousands of photos or videos in their original quality. 40-60 MB/s (nah) USB 3.0), a) the risk of connection breakdown is minimal.

What you need:

• 🔌 Cable USB OTG (If Samsung has a Type-C connector and Xiaomi has a Micro-USB connector).
• 📁 File Manager (e.g. Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).

Instructions:

1. Connect Samsung to Xiaomi with a cable.
2. On Xiaomi, select File Transfer (MTP) mode in the notification panel.
3. Open the file manager on Xiaomi, go to USB-device → DCIM → Camera.
4. Copy the folders you need into Xiaomi’s internal memory.

On Xiaomi with MIUI 14, you may need to unlock USB access in Settings → Additional → USB Resolutions. If the file manager can’t see Samsung, try a different cable or reboot both devices.

💡

If you’re transferring photos with a Galaxy S22 or later, use a USB 3.2 cable (usually blue inside the connector) to increase the speed to 100MB/s.

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

Cloud storage is convenient for sending photos from a distance or if you don't have physical access to both phones.

• 📸 Google Photos: compresses images if the High Quality option is enabled (free of charge.
• ☁️ Mi Cloud: Free 5GB, but downloading a large volume can take hours.
• 🌐 Samsung Cloud: no photo syncs since 2021 (backups only).

How to transfer via Google Photos:

1. On Samsung, open Google Photos → Click on the avatar → Photo Settings → Backup and Sync → Turn on.
2. Choose quality ("Original" or "High").
3. On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account and wait for sync.

⚠️ Note: If Samsung has photo compression enabled in camera settings (HEIF instead JPEG), Google Photos may not display them correctly on Xiaomi. Convert files to Xiaomi before downloading JPEG via Gallery app.

5. File transfer applications: ShareMe, Xender, Send Anywhere

Specialized applications often outperform embedded tools in speed and stability.-3 decision:

Instructions for ShareMe (the best choice for Xiaomi):

1. Install ShareMe on Samsung from Google Play.
2. Open the app on both phones → select “Send” on Samsung and “Get” on Xiaomi.
3. Scan it. QR-code or connect via Wi-Fi Direct.
4. Select a photo and confirm the transmission.

Xender is suitable if you want to transfer a photo between Samsung and Xiaomi via Hotspot:

• 📶 On Xiaomi, turn on Access Point.
• 🔗 On Samsung, connect to this point and open Xender.
• 🤝 Select "Connect to the computer» → «Access Point and follow the instructions.

💡

For maximum speed, use ShareMe or Xender via Wi-Fi Direct – it’s 3-5 times faster than Bluetooth and doesn’t require internet.

6. Messengers: Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber

Sending a photo via messengers is convenient for transferring 1-10 pictures, but has serious limitations:

• 📏 WhatsApp compresses the photo to 1600×1200 px (max. 16 MB per file).
• 💬 Telegram allows you to download files up to 2 GB, but without compression only in “Messages for yourself».
• 🎵 Viber limits file size to 200MB.

How to transfer without loss of quality in Telegram:

1. Open the chat "Saved Messages" (Saved Messages).
2. Click "Clip" → "File" and select a photo.
3. On Xiaomi, download files from the same chat.

⚠️ Note: When you send metadata via WhatsApp, photos (date of shooting, geotags) are deleted. If they are important, use an archiver (for example, ZArchiver) to pack the photo in the image. ZIP before shipment.

7. Computer Transfer: For Large Archives

If you need to move tens of gigabytes of photos (for example, when changing the main phone), the most reliable way is to use a PC or Mac as an intermediary, which eliminates the risk of connection breakdown and allows you to check the integrity of the files.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Samsung to your computer via USB and copy the photo to the folder (for example, D:\Samsung_Photos).
2. Disable Samsung, connect Xiaomi and transfer files back.
3. Check the hash amounts of files (via 7-Zip or WinMD5Free) to make sure there is no damage.

To speed up the process:

• 🖥️ Use it. USB 3.0 ports (usually blue).
• 🗃️ Archive the photo in ZIP or RAR before copying – this will reduce the number of files and speed up the transfer.
• 🔍 On Xiaomi, check the folder after copying DCIM/Camera — Sometimes files are duplicated.

💡

If Xiaomi is not enough space, move the photo to SD-To do this, select “Move” in the file manager instead of “Copy” in the file manager».

Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

The choice of method depends on your priorities:

• 🏆 Fastest one: USB-cable or Xender via Wi-Fi Direct.
• 🌍 For remote transfer: Google Photos or Telegram.
• 🔄 For regular sharing: ShareMe (if both phones are on Android).

FAQ: Frequent questions