How to transfer data from Samsung to Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

The transition from Samsung to Xiaomi is not just about brand change, but also about the migration of digital life: photos, chats, contacts, and even app settings. Many users fear this process, thinking they will lose important data or spend hours manually restarting. In fact, the transfer can be done in 15 to 40 minutes, if you know the nuances of both operating systems: One UI from Samsung and MIUI from Xiaomi.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods for data transfer, from official tools to workarounds for rare cases (for example, if one of the phones does not turn on), you will learn which method is the fastest, which saves more data, and how to avoid typical errors.

Importantly, the procedure differs depending on the Xiaomi model (e.g., the Redmi Note 12 and Xiaomi 13 Ultra have different versions of MIUI) and the Android version on Samsung.We took these nuances into account and prepared universal instructions that will be suitable even for devices from 2018 to 2026.

1.The official way: Mi Mover by Xiaomi

Mi Mover is an integrated application on all Xiaomi smartphones designed to migrate data from other Android devices. It supports the transfer of contacts, messages, photos, videos, audio, documents and even some settings of system applications (such as alarm clocks), the main advantage is that it does not require root rights and works without a computer.

How to use:

• 📱 Install Mi Mover on both phones (you need to download it from Google Play on Samsung).
• 🔗 On Xiaomi, select “I am a new user» → «Android, on Samsung - I'm an old user».
• 📶 Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network (or create an access point on Xiaomi).
• 🔄 On Samsung, select data to transfer and confirm the transfer.

The speed of transfer depends on the amount of data: 10 GB of photos will be transferred in ~20 minutes, and 50 GB – up to 1.5 hours. Limit: Mi Mover does not carry installed applications (only their data, if the application is already installed on Xiaomi).

⚠️ Note: If Samsung has enabled storage encryption (e.g., on Galaxy) S21+ Android 12+), Mi Mover may not see some files. Before transferring, disable encryption to Settings → Biometrics and safety → Encryption.

Samsung’s Smart Switch: Can You Use it for Xiaomi?

Samsung Smart Switch is a Mi Mover mirror tool, but from Samsung. It works great for data transfer between Galaxy devices, but with Xiaomi there are nuances. Xiaomi is not officially supported, but there is a workaround:

1. Download Smart Switch on Samsung (usually preinstalled).
2. On Xiaomi, install EasyMover (an app from Samsung for migrating to other brands).
3. Connect your phones with a USB-C → USB-C cable (or via an adapter if the ports are different).
4. On Samsung, select Send Data, on Xiaomi, Get Data.

What's going on?

• 📞 Contacts, call log
• 💬 Communications (SMS/MMS)
• 📷 Photos and videos (but not in original quality if they are in the DCIM/Cloud)
• 🎵 Music and documents

What won't happen:

• ❌ Applications and their data (except for standard: Calendar, Notes).
• ❌ Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings.
• ❌ Data of some messengers (for example, Telegram or Viber).

3. Transfer through Google Account: a universal method

If you don't need apps and media, just contacts, calendars and email, syncing through Google Account is the easiest solution, and it works on any Android device and doesn't require any additional software.

Instructions:

1. On Samsung, go to Settings → Accounts and Archiving → Account Management.
2. Select your Google account and enable sync to: 📇 Contacts 📅 calendar 📝 Notes (if you use Google Keep) 📧 Gmail and other data

Xiaomi

Settings → Accounts → Add an account

Wait for automatic synchronization (can take up to 10 minutes).

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ It works even if one of the phones does not turn on (it is enough to restore the account on a new one).
• ✅ Data is updated in real time (for example, new contacts on Samsung will appear on Xiaomi in a few seconds).

⚠️ Note: If your contacts are not saved to Google but to your Samsung account, you must export them first. → ⋮ → Contact management → Exports/imports → Export to.vcf file, then import this file to Google Contacts.

Contacts synchronized | Checked mail in Gmail|Exported notes from Samsung Notes (if you use)|Two-factor authentication disabled for transfer time (if interferes)

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4. Multimedia and large files transfer: clouds and cables

Photos, videos and documents often take up tens of gigabytes, and it's not always convenient to transfer them over Wi-Fi, and cloud services or direct cable connections can help.

4.1 Cloud Services: Google Photos vs Xiaomi Cloud

Compare the two popular options:

Recommendation: If you have more than 15 GB of photo/video, use Google Photos with the option “Original quality” (paid) or transfer files in parts. For 4K/8K video, you should use a cable.

Direct connection via OTG cable

If you have a USB-C → USB-C cable (or MicroUSB → USB-C adapter for older Samsung models), you can transfer files as a flash drive:

1. Connect Samsung to Xiaomi with a cable.
2. On Xiaomi, select File Transfer (MTP) in the notification bar.
3. Open Files on Xiaomi and copy the data from a connected Samsung.

Important: Some Xiaomi models (such as the POCO F5) require you to enable Developer Mode to display Samsung’s internal memory.

Settings → About the phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times)


Settings → Additional → For developers → Enable debugging by USB

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If Xiaomi doesn’t see Samsung through cable, try another cable (cheap) OTG-cables often do not support data transfers, or connect both phones to your computer and transfer files over your PC.

5. Applications and their data portability: what works and what doesn’t

The hardest part of migration is apps and their data, like saving in games, chat history in instant messengers, or settings in banking apps, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution, but there are proven methods for popular cases:

What is automatically transferred:

• 📱 Apps from Google Play (the list of installed can be restored through a Google account).
• 🎮 Save games if they are linked to Google Play Games or a developer account.
• 💼 Data from some messengers (for example, WhatsApp or Viber when backing up to the cloud).

What requires manual transfer:

• 🏦 Banking applications (e.g. SberBank or Tinkoff) – need to reinstall and log in again.
• 📊 Fitness tracker settings (e.g. Mi Fit or Samsung Health) – data is not compatible between ecosystems.
• 🎵 Playlists in music services (for example, Spotify or Yandex Music) – you need to synchronize again.

To transfer data to a particular application:

1. Check if it has an export/import function (e.g. Telegram: Settings → Data and Memory → Export History).
2. If the app supports cloud backup (like WhatsApp in Google Drive), back up on Samsung and restore to Xiaomi.
3. For games, use Google Play Games or Xiaomi Game Turbo (if the game is supported).

⚠️ Note: Some apps (such as Samsung Pay or Bixby) don’t work on Xiaomi because of their link to the Samsung ecosystem, and their data cannot be transferred – you will have to configure analogues (such as Mi Pay or Google Assistant).

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Most apps don’t transfer their data between different brands automatically. Always check for a backup feature in the specific app settings.

6. Data portability if Samsung is not enabled

If your Samsung is broken, broken, or unresponsive to charging, but you still need data on it, there are several ways to extract it:

Method 1: Extraction SD-cards (if used)

• 🔧 Remove the memory card from Samsung and paste it into Xiaomi (or a computer via card reader).
• 📁 Copy data from the card into the internal memory of the new phone.

Method 2: Connecting to a PC in Recovery Mode

1. Turn off Samsung (if it freezes, press Power + Volume down for 10 seconds).
2. Press Power + Volume + Bixby (or Power + Home + Volume on older models) to enter Recovery Mode.
3. Select Mount/system or ADB sideload (if available).
4. Connect your phone to your PC and use it ADB For copying files: adb pull /sdcard/ C:\Samsung_Backup\

Method 3: Service Center

If the phone is physically damaged (such as a broken screen or a flooded board) and the data is critical, contact the service center.

• 🛠️ Connect to the motherboard through JTAG or ISP.
• 💾 Remove the memory chip and read the data on special equipment.

The cost of such a service: from 3 000 to 15 000 rubles, depending on the model and type of damage.

7. Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

The choice of method depends on what data you need to transfer and what tools you have.

Selection recommendations:

• 👍 For most users: Mi Mover + Google Photos (for multimedia).
• 🔧 If you need to move everything, including apps: Cable OTG + manually configure each application.
• ⚡ If urgent: Google Account (for contacts) + cloud.
• 💻 If Samsung does not turn on: extraction SD-card-centre.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer