How to transfer data from Xiaomi to Samsung: all the ways 2026

The transition from Xiaomi to Samsung is not only about changing the ecosystem, but also about the need to transfer all the important data, from contacts and photos to the history of calls and notes. Many users face problems when trying to sync devices of different brands, especially if previously used only for the first time. MIUI In this article, we will discuss 7 working methods for data portability, including official Samsung Smart Switch tools and workarounds for cases where standard solutions do not work.

The main difficulty is that Xiaomi and Samsung use different cloud services (Mi Cloud vs Samsung Cloud), and also differ in backup formats. For example, the Mi Backup backup is not compatible with Samsung Smart Switch directly. But there are ways to get around these limitations, from manual file exporting to third-party applications, and we tested each method on current firmware. MIUI 14/15 one UI 6, to ensure that the instructions are operational.

It is important to consider that some data (such as app settings or messaging) may not be automatically transferred. It will require separate solutions, which we will also consider. If you plan to sell an old Xiaomi, remember to completely erase the data after the transfer (the instructions are given at the end of the article).

Preparation for transfer: what to do before the start

Before you start the transfer, follow a few critical steps to avoid data loss and speed up the process:

• 🔋 Charge both phones to at least 50% – transfer can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour depending on the amount of data.
• 📡 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (if you use wireless method). USB-C → USB-C cable (preferably original from Samsung).
• 📱 Update firmware: on Xiaomi check the relevance MIUI In Settings → The phone. → System Update, on Samsung - Settings → Update of the PO.
• 🔐 Turn off screen lock (or remember password) – some methods require unlocked access.

A critical mistake many users make is to try to move data through the cloud without first checking the free space, for example, if you have 100 GB of photos and only 15 GB of free space is left in Google Photos or Mi Cloud, the transfer will be interrupted in the middle.

It is also worth noting that Samsung Smart Switch does not tolerate:

• 🎵 Music downloaded not through Google Play Music or Spotify.
• 📝 Notes from Mi Notes (only if they are not synced with Google Keep).
• 🔑 Passwords from Mi Browser (you need to export them separately).

Charge both phones|Connect to one Wi-Fi network|Update firmware|Free up space in the cloud|Prepare. USB-cable if needed)

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2. Method 1: Samsung Smart Switch (official method)

Samsung Smart Switch is a proprietary data migration solution that supports porting from most Android devices, including Xiaomi.The program is available as a mobile app and for PC. We recommend using the wireless method (over Wi-Fi), as it is simpler and does not require additional cables.

Instructions:

1. Download Samsung Smart Switch on both phones: On Samsung: usually preinstalled (see app menu). On Xiaomi: download from Google Play.

Open the app on both devices.

Samsung

Get data → Android

Xiaomi

Send data → Wireless.

Hold the phones close together, and they should detect each other automatically.

Xiaomi

Confirm the transfer on both devices and wait until it is completed.

If the phones don't find each other:

• 🔄 Reboot both devices.
• 📶 Turn on Bluetooth and Geolocation on both phones.
• 🚫 Make sure that Xiaomi has power saving mode turned off for Smart Switch (Settings) → Annexes → Battery management → Auto-start).

Wireless (Wi-Fi/Bluetooth)|Wired (USB-cable)|Google Drive (Mi Cloud) and Mi Drive (Google Drive)|Manual transfer (flash drive, PC)|I don't know, I'll pick it by the instructions.

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Advantages of the method:

• ✅ Transfers almost all types of data (except for some application settings).
• ✅ Keeps the structure of folders and tags of photos.
• ✅ It works even on older Xiaomi models (starting with the new model). MIUI 9).

Disadvantages:

• ❌ It can process large amounts of data for a long time (e.g., 50).+ GB photos).
• ❌ Sometimes it “hangs” at the connection stage – in this case, restarting the application will help.

Samsung Smart Switch is the most reliable way, but for large amounts of data, it is better to use a wired connection.

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3. Method 2: Transfer through Google Account (for contacts, calendar, mail)

If you only need to migrate contacts, calendar events, notes and email, the easiest way is to sync through Google Account, which works on all Android devices and requires no additional applications.

Step-by-step:

1. On Xiaomi, open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Choose your account (or add a new one if you don’t have one).
3. Activate synchronization for: 📇 Contacts 📅 calendar 📝 Notes (if you use Google Keep) ☁️ Disk (for backup copies)

Wait for the synchronization to complete (check in the top notification bar).

Samsung

Google Account

If contacts are not moved:

• 🔍 Check if they are duplicated in the Contacts app on Xiaomi (combine duplicates).
• 📲 Make sure that your contacts are saved to your Google Account, not in your phone’s memory or SIM-map.
• 🔄 Restart both phones and start syncing again.

What is not tolerated by this method:

• 📷 Photos and videos (you need to use Google Photos separately).
• 💬 Communications SMS/MMS (third-party application required).
• 🎮 Game and application data (e.g. game progress).

If you have a lot of contacts with photos, check before syncing that they do not exceed the limit of Google Contacts (up to 25 MB per contact).

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4. Method 3: Porting photos and videos via Google Photos

Photos and videos usually take up the lion’s share of memory, so porting them requires special attention. Google Photos is the most convenient solution, since it automatically syncs media files and allows you to quickly restore them to a new device.

How to move:

1. On Xiaomi, set up Google Photos (if not installed) and log in to your account.
2. Open the application settings (Photos) → Settings → Backup and synchronization).
3. Enable Backup and select: 📸 High quality (unlimited space, but compression up to 16 MP for photos). 🎞️ Original quality (retains original resolution but takes up space in Google Drive).

Wait until the download is complete (you can track the progress in notifications).

Samsung

Google Photo

If the photos are not uploaded:

• 📶 Check Wi-Fi connection (mobile download may be disabled).
• 🔋 Make sure Xiaomi doesn’t activate power saving mode for Google Photos.
• 📁 Check if the photo folders are hidden in the Google Photo settings (Settings) → Backup of the device).

Alternative ways of transferring media:

• 💻 Through PC: Connect both phones to your computer and copy files manually.
• 📱 Through SD-If both phones support memory cards.
• ☁️ Through Mi Cloud: Upload photos to Xiaomi cloud, then download them to Samsung via browser.

5. Method 4: Deferral of communications (SMS/MMS) and call logs

Messages and call history are not synced through Google Account, so you will need a third-party app to carry them. SMS Backup & Restore is free, does not require root rights and works reliably on both brands.

Instructions:

1. Install it on Xiaomi. SMS Backup & Restore from Google Play.
2. Open the application and click Create a backup.
3. Choose what to save: 💬 Communications (SMS/MMS) 📞 Log of calls

Google Drive

Samsung

Samsung

Restore

If the messages are not restored:

• 📱 Make sure that the Samsung Messages app is installed by default.
• 🔄 Try restarting your phone after recovery.
• 📁 Check that the backup file is not corrupted (try opening it on your PC through the archiver).

Important: if you use messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram), their data is transferred separately:

• 💬 WhatsApp: Backup your Settings → chat → Backup, then restore to Samsung on first launch.
• 📌 Telegram: data synced through the cloud automatically (linked to the account).

For transfer SMS/MMS It is better to use specialized applications, as standard tools (like Smart Switch) often skip some messages.

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Method 5: Transfer of applications and their data

Transfer of the applications themselves (APK-The file between Xiaomi and Samsung is usually meaningless:

• 📱 Many apps are linked to a Google Account and will automatically install on a new phone.
• 🔒 Some of them APK-Files may not work on Samsung due to differences in architecture or firmware.
• 📦 Application data (e.g., saved in games) is not transferred with APK.

Instead, focus on transferring app data and reinstalling apps from Google Play. Here’s how:

For the transfer of application data:

1. Use the built-in backup function: On Xiaomi: Settings → The phone. → Backup and reset → Local backup. On Samsung: Settings → Accounts and backups → Backup and restoration. ⚠️ Note: these backups are not compatible between Xiaomi and Samsung, and will only be useful for recovery on devices of the same brand.
2. Use for games and critical applications: 🎮 Google Play Games (for saving in games). ☁️ Cloud-based application services (e.g. Evernote, Spotify) sync automatically).

Google Play

For transfer APK-files if necessary):

1. On Xiaomi, use a file manager (such as Mi File Manager) and find the file manager. APK-file /data/app (Root rights are required).
2. Copy. APK Samsung and install manually (allowing installation from unknown sources).

⚠️ Attention: transfer APK-Files can disrupt applications due to differences in Android API between MIUI One UI. For example, Xiaomi system apps (like Mi Browser or Mi Music) won’t work on Samsung.

Method 6: Manual transfer via PC (for full control)

If you have to migrate all the data selectively, or if previous methods have failed, manual computer transfer is the most reliable option. USB-cable 10-15 minute.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your PC via USB-cable.
2. On the phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode (notification will appear in the curtain).
3. Copy the right folders from Xiaomi to PC: Data Type Way on Xiaomi Notes 📷 Photographs and videos /DCIM/, /Pictures/ Includes screenshots and uploaded images. 🎵 Music. /Music/, /Download/ Files with extension.mp3,.flac etc. 📄 Documents /Documents/, /Download/ PDF, Word, Excel and other files. 💬 Messages (if there is a backup) /MIUI/backup/ or the root of the memory Files from SMS Backup & Restore.
4. Disable Xiaomi and connect Samsung to your PC.
5. Copy files from your PC to Samsung into the appropriate folders (e.g. photos in the file). /DCIM/).
6. Reboot Samsung and check the integrity of the files.

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ Full control over the data transferred.
• ✅ There are no limits on volume (unlike cloud services).
• ✅ You can transfer files selectively.

Disadvantages:

• ❌ It requires a computer and USB-cable.
• ❌ It takes longer than automatic methods.

If you are porting music, check the file formats. Samsung Music may not support some codeeki (e.g..ape or.flac high bitrate). VLC poweramp.

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8. Method 7: Transfer over Mi Mover (alternative to older models)

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary data porting app that used to be used to migrate between Xiaomi devices, but it may work with some Samsung models, especially if they support Wi-Fi Direct.

How to try it:

1. On Xiaomi, install Mi Mover (if not installed).
2. On Samsung, enable Wi-Fi Direct (Settings) → Connections → Wi-Fi Direct).
3. Run Mi Mover on Xiaomi and select I give.
4. On Samsung, in the list of available devices, find Xiaomi and connect.
5. Follow the instructions on the screen to select data and confirm the transfer.

⚠️ Note: this method does not work on all Samsung models.If the Mi Mover does not see the target device, use the other methods in this article.

What models Samsung can work on:

• 📱 Galaxy S series (starting with the S8).
• 📱 Galaxy A Series (starting with the A50).
• 📱 Galaxy Note Series (starting with Note 8).

If the Mi Mover is not working:

• 🔄 Reboot both phones.
• 📡 Turn on flight mode for 10 seconds, then turn off.
• 🔧 Update the Mi Mover to the latest version.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer from Xiaomi to Samsung