How to transfer data from Samsung phone to Xiaomi Redmi Note: 5 proven ways

Why migrating data between Android devices from different brands is not as easy as it seems

The switch from Samsung Galaxy to Xiaomi Redmi Note is a logical step for those who want more features for less money. But even within the same Android operating system, data transfer between devices from different manufacturers often turns into a headache. It’s all about proprietary add-ons: Samsung uses Samsung Account and Smart Switch, and Xiaomi uses Mi Account and proprietary cloud services. These ecosystems are not always friendly.

For example, a standard Google account syncs only basic data: contacts, calendar and some notes. SMS/MMS, Call logs, app settings, and even photos in their original quality often remain on the old phone. If you don't prepare in advance, the risk of losing important information reaches the end of the day. 30–40% — Especially when using "folk" methods such as copying files through a computer.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to migrate data, from official tools to manual methods for power users, how to save all (or almost all) data, avoid duplicates and save time, and what mistakes are most common when switching from Samsung to Xiaomi and how not to repeat them.

Method 1: Official transfer via Mi Mover (most reliable, but with limitations)

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s default app for all Redmi Notes, which can transfer data from other Android devices, including Samsung, but only works when you first turn on a new smartphone. If you’ve already set up Xiaomi, you’ll have to reset it to factory settings (at the end of the section).

What can be transferred through Mi Mover:

• 📱 Contacts (including groups and profile photos)
• 💬 Communications SMS/MMS (But not messenger messages)
• 📞 Call log (with the labels "incoming/outgoing/missing")
• 📷 Photos and videos (in original quality)
• 🎵 Audio files (music, recordings)
• 📁 Documents (PDF, Word, Excel, etc.)
• 📱 Some system settings (wallpaper, brightness, sound)

What you can't move through Mi Mover:

• 🚫 Applications and their data (cache, settings, game saving)
• 🚫 Notifications and notification history
• 🚫 Wi-Fi passwords (you will have to re-enter them)
• 🚫 Samsung ecosystem settings (Samsung Pay, Knox, Bixby)

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on the new Xiaomi Redmi Note and get to the “Data Transfer” stage in the setup wizard.
2. Select "Move from Android" → "No cable" (or "with cable" if available) OTG-adapter).
3. Download Mi Mover from Google Play on Samsung.
4. Run the app on both phones and follow the instructions (you will need to scan). QR-code).
5. Select the data to transfer and wait until it is completed (it can take up to 30 minutes).

⚠️ Note: If you have already set up Xiaomi, but want to use Mi Mover, you will have to reset through Settings → The phone. → Reset. After transferring, the data on the old phone is not deleted, but on the new phone it will be overwritten.

Make sure you are on Xiaomi ≥50% charge|Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network|Release me. ≥2 GB of memory on Xiaomi|Turn it off. VPN both-device|Check that Samsung has the latest version of the Mi Mover-->

Method 2: Transfer to a Google Account (universally, but not completely)

Syncing through Google is the most versatile method, but it only works with basic data, the main advantage of which is that you do not need to install additional programs, and the data is automatically updated on all devices.

What's transferable:

• 📇 Contacts (from the "Google Contacts" app")
• 📅 Calendar (events and reminders)
• 📝 Notes (from Google Keep)
• 📍 Chrome bookmarks and browser history
• 📧 Gmail emails (but not attachments)
• 🎮 Save some games (if linked to Google Play Games)

How to set up sync on Samsung:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Archiving → Account Management.
2. Select your Google account and enable sync for all items.
3. For contacts: open the "Contacts" app" → "Contact management" → "Synchronize with Google".
4. Wait for the sync to complete (check in Settings → Accounts → Google → Sync).

How to recover data on Xiaomi Redmi Note:

1. When you first turn on, select “Restore from backup” and log in to the same Google account.
2. If the phone is already configured: Settings → Accounts. → Google → Synchronize and turn on all switches.

⚠️ Note: If your contacts are saved to your Samsung account (not Google) on Samsung, they won’t be automatically transferred. VCF: Contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Exports.

Google Drive (Mi Cloud) and Mi Drive (Google Drive)|The Smart Switch (Mi Mover)|Manually copying files|I use third-party software (e.g. ShareIt)|Never transferred the data.-->

Method 3: Transfer files through cable OTG Computer (for experienced users)

If you need to transfer large amounts of data (photos to the RAW, video 4K, App backups, the best option is to connect directly via cable, which takes longer, but guarantees 100% control over which files are copied.

What you need:

• 🔌 Cable OTG (for direct telephone connection) or USB-cable + computer
• 💾 Enough space on Xiaomi (better to free up 10-20% more than the files on Samsung)
• 🔧 File Manager (e.g. Solid Explorer or standard Explorer on Xiaomi)

Instructions for connection via computer:

1. Connect Samsung to your PC via USB, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy the desired folders (DCIM for photos, Downloads for downloads, WhatsApp/Media for media from instant messengers) to your computer.
3. Disable Samsung, connect Xiaomi and transfer files to the same folders.
4. For music, use the Music folder, for documents, Documents.

Instructions for direct connection (through OTG):

1. Connect Samsung to Xiaomi via OTG-adapter.
2. On Xiaomi, open a file manager and select "USB-device".
3. Find folders with data on Samsung and copy them to Xiaomi’s internal memory.
4. For applications (APK) Use the Download folder, but note: application data (cache, settings) will not be transferred.

⚠️ Note: When copying the WhatsApp folder, don’t forget about the file msgstore.db.crypt14 — This is your message history. You can't restore chats without it. Also check that Xiaomi has the same version of WhatsApp as Samsung.

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If you are porting photos, use Google Photos for pre-optimization: it will automatically compress heavy files without loss of quality, saving space on the new phone.

Method 4: Transfer messages and contacts through third-party applications

If the Mi Mover failed to move SMS/MMS Or call logs, specialized applications will come to the rescue. 3 The most reliable options are free and do not require root rights.

1. SMS Backup & Restore (for messages and call logs)

• 📲 Install the app on Samsung from Google Play.
• 📥 Make a backup copy: "Backup" → choose "SMS + MMS + Call magazine" → "Backup".
• 📤 Transfer the backup file (.xml extension) to Xiaomi (via cable, cloud or messenger).
• 📲 Install the same app on Xiaomi and recover data from the file.

2. Super Backup & Restore (for contacts, SMS, applications)

• 🔄 Allows you to transfer not only messages, but also installed applications (APK-file).
• 📦 Backup copies are saved to the folder Sdcard/SuperBackup — It can be copied to Xiaomi.
• ⚠️ When you restore applications, their data will not be saved (only themselves). APK).

3. Samsung Smart Switch (alternative)

• 🔄 If Samsung has a Smart Switch installed, you can export the data to a file and then import it to Xiaomi.
• 📁 The file will be in.spb format – to open it on Xiaomi you will need third-party software (for example, Smart Switch). PC).
• ⚠️ Not all data will be restored correctly (for example, Samsung Pay settings will not be transferred).

Method 5: Transfer applications and their data (power users only)

Porting installed applications along with their data (settings, saves, cache) is the most difficult task, and standard methods do not work here, since Android stores application data in secure folders that are accessible only with root rights or through the use of the root. ADB.

If you do not have root rights, you can try the following options:

• 🔄 Backup through ADB (without root, but not for all applications):
• 📦 Titanium Backup (requires root): allows you to save and restore data of any application.
• 🎮 Google Play Games (for games): If the game supports cloud-based saves, link it to your Google account.
• 🔗 Export/import settings: Some applications (like Nova Launcher) have built-in backup functionality.

Instructions for ADB-backup):

1. Install ADB Tools on your computer.
2. Connect Samsung to your PC, turn on Debugging USB (Settings → The phone. → Build number - tap 7 times, then Settings → System system → For developers → Debugging by USB).
3. Run the command to create a backup: adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f C:\backup_samsung.ab
4. Connect Xiaomi, turn on debugging by USB Recover the data: adb restore C:\backup_samsung.ab

⚠️ Attention: Method ADB Backup does not work with some protected system applications and data DRM (Also, Xiaomi may not recover some of the settings due to differences in firmware Samsung and Xiaomi.

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Transferring data applications without root is only possible for those programs that do not store information in secure folders (/data/data). Most games and social networks require login via account (Google, Facebook) to restore progress.

Common Mistakes in Data Transfer and How to Avoid Them

Even experienced users make mistakes that lead to data loss or a new phone malfunctioning, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to prevent them:

1. Transfer of data over existing data

• 🚫 Problem: When you restore from a backup, new data overwrites old data, resulting in duplicates or losses.
• ✅ Solution: Before transferring, reset Xiaomi to factory settings or delete unnecessary data manually.

2. Ignoring file formats

• 🚫 Problem: Photos in format.HEIC (iPhone) or codec video H.265 You may not be able to open on Xiaomi.
• ✅ Solution: Before transferring files to universal formats (.JPG,.MP4) using applications like HEIC to JPG Converter.

3. Transfer applications without their data

• 🚫 Problem: Users only copy APK-files, forgetting about saves, which is why games and programs start from scratch".
• ✅ Solution: Use Titanium Backup (root) or cloud services (Google Play Games, accounts in games).

4. Unverified cloud services

• 🚫 Problem: Uploading personal data to unreliable clouds (such as obscure Chinese services) can lead to leakage of information.
• ✅ Solution: Use only proven services: Google Drive, Mi Cloud, Dropbox or Mega.

5. Missing the check after the transfer

• 🚫 Problem: Users don’t check the integrity of data on a new phone, which is why they later discover lost files.
• ✅ Solution: After transferring, compare the number of files, check for photo/video openings and synchronization of contacts.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions about Data Transfer