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

The transition from Samsung to Xiaomi is not just about changing the brand, but also the need to transfer all the important data: contacts, photos, messages and even app settings. Many users fear this process, thinking it will take hours or lead to loss of information. In fact, it is much simpler: modern smartphones offer several convenient ways to migrate, and some of them take no more than 10-15 minutes.

In this article, we'll look at all the current methods of data transfer, from the official Mi Mover and Samsung Smart Switch utilities to manual methods through cloud services and physical media, you'll learn which is the fastest, which is the most reliable for large amounts of data, and how to avoid typical errors. And if you have files on your old phone after you switch, we'll show you how to collect them without loss.

Preparation for transfer: what to do before the start

Before you start migrating, make sure both devices are ready for the procedure, which will save you from crashes and data loss.

• 📱 Battery charge: both smartphones must be charged at least 50%, data transfer can take up to an hour, and discharging in the process will interrupt the operation.
• 📶 Wi-Fi: for wireless methods (Mi Mover, Smart Switch), connect both phones to the same network. Mobile Internet will not work, the speed will not be enough.
• 🗃️ Cleaning up garbage: on Samsung, delete unnecessary files (cache, duplicate photos) so as not to carry excess. Use the built-in utility Optimization in the settings.
• 🔒 Backup: Create a backup on Samsung through Settings → Accounts and archiving → Archiving and recovery. It's crash insurance.

Pay special attention to the amount of data, and if you have more than 50 GB of photos and videos, wireless methods can be slow, so you'd better use an OTG cable or a physical memory card, which will speed things up by 3 to 5 times.

⚠️ Note: If Xiaomi already has data (e.g., you used your phone before porting), some methods (e.g., Mi Mover) can overwrite it.

2. Method 1: Mi Mover – official solution from Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a built-in utility in Xiaomi smartphones that is specifically designed to transfer data from devices of other brands, including Samsung. It supports the transfer of contacts, messages, photos, videos, music, notes and even some application settings.

How to use:

1. On Xiaomi, go to Settings → About Phone → Data Transfer (Mi Mover).
2. Select a new user and follow the tips.
3. On Samsung, scan it. QR-code that appears on the Xiaomi screen (or enter) PIN-manually).
4. Select data types to transfer and confirm the start of the process.

The speed of transmission depends on the volume of data and the stability of Wi-Fi. On average, 10 GB of information is transferred in 20-30 minutes. If the process is frozen by 99%, do not interrupt it, this is normal (the utility checks the integrity of files).

Both phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.|Xiaomi has enough free space|Power saving mode is disabled on Samsung|QR-code scanned correctly-->

⚠️ Note: If photos in the gallery are not displayed after transferring to Xiaomi, check the folder MIUI/Camera Sometimes media files are saved there, but not automatically indexed.

Method 2: Samsung Smart Switch – Backward portability

Samsung Smart Switch is usually used to transfer data to new Samsung devices, but it can also be used to migrate to Xiaomi, which requires a PC or Mac as an intermediary, a method suitable if the Mi Mover has not coped with some types of data (for example, notes or calendar).

Step-by-step:

1. Install Samsung Smart Switch on your computer.
2. Connect Samsung to your PC via USB-cable and back up (select all the data you need).
3. Turn off Samsung and plug in Xiaomi. In Smart Switch, select Restore and point the path to the saved backup.

This is slower than Mi Mover, but more reliable for structured data (calendar, tasks, notes), and the main drawback is that Xiaomi may not support some Samsung formats (for example, notes from Samsung Notes will open as text files).

💡

If Smart Switch doesn’t see Xiaomi, try enabling File Transfer Mode on it (MTP) customized USB-connection.

Method 3: Cloud Services – The Universal Option

If you don't want to mess with cables or utilities, you can use cloud storage, which is suitable for selective transfer (like just photos or contacts) and doesn't require both devices to be synchronized at the same time.

The most reliable services for migration:

• ☁️ Google Drive: syncs contacts, calendar, photos (via Google Photos) and some settings. On Samsung, enable autosynchronization in Settings → Accounts → Google.
• ☁️ Mi Cloud: cloud from Xiaomi, but to transfer you first need to download data from Samsung via the browser.
• ☁️ OneDrive or Dropbox: handy for manual file transfer (photos, documents). Download data from Samsung, then download to Xiaomi.

Use specialized applications to transfer messages through the cloud, for example SMS Backup & Restore. It's exporting. SMS into XML-A file that can then be imported to Xiaomi.

5. Method 4: OTG cable or memory card for large volumes

If you have tens of gigabytes of photos, videos or music, wireless methods will work too long, in which case physical transfer via an OTG or microSD cable is the optimal solution, with transfer speeds of 40-60 MB/s (10 times faster than Wi-Fi).

What you need:

• 🔌 Cable OTG (USB-C → USB-C or USB-C → microUSB, depending on the Samsung model).
• 💾 Memory card (if both phones support microSD).
• 📁 File Manager (e.g. Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).

Instructions for OTG cable:

1. Connect Samsung to Xiaomi via OTG-adapter.
2. On Xiaomi, open a file manager and select USB-The storage device (this is the internal memory of Samsung).
3. Copy the folders you want (DCIM for photos, Download for downloads, etc.) into Xiaomi’s internal memory.

For the memory card:

1. Transfer files from Samsung to microSD.
2. Insert the card in Xiaomi and copy the data to internal memory (or leave it on the map if the location allows).

⚠️ Note: When copying through OTG Avoid transferring system folders (Android, data) – this can cause conflicts in the work of Xiaomi: DCIM, Pictures, Music, etc.

💡

Physical transfer via OTG or memory card is the fastest and most reliable way for large amounts of data (from 20 GB).

Method 5: Manual transfer by data type

If you only need to migrate certain data (like just contacts or just music), you can do without complex solutions.

Contacts

The easiest way is to sync with your Google account:

1. On Samsung, go to Contacts → Settings → Contact Management → Import/Export → Export to.vcf.
2. Copy the file on Xiaomi and import it through the Contacts app.

Photos and videos

Use Google Photos:

1. On Samsung, enable autoboot in Google Photos → Settings → Backup and Sync.
2. On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account – photos will appear automatically.

Communications (SMS/MMS)

SMS Backup & Restore app:

1. Put it on both phones.
2. On Samsung, back up and export it to the cloud or memory card.
3. On Xiaomi, import the backup file.

Annexes

To transfer applications without data:

1. On Samsung, export the list of installed apps through Settings → Apps → Three Points → Export (if you have such an option).
2. Install it on Xiaomi. APK Extractor from Google Play to extract APK-Samsung files and transfer them to.

💡

To transfer passwords from the Samsung Internet browser, use export to HTML-File (in browser settings) and import to Google Chrome on Xiaomi.

7.Typical mistakes and how to avoid them

Even with proven methods, users face problems, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions.

If some features (such as fingerprint or Face ID) have stopped working after the Xiaomi port, check:

• 🔄 Update Xiaomi firmware to the latest version.
• 🔧 Reset the security settings in Settings → Passwords and security.
• 📱 Reboot your phone – sometimes it solves sensor problems.

8 What to do after data transfer

Data portability is only half the battle, and to keep Xiaomi stable, you can do a few extra steps:

1. Check storage: open Settings → Storage and make sure all files are in place. If something is lost, repeat the transfer for the specific type of data.
2. Set up sync: Enable autosynchronization for your Google account (Settings → Accounts → Google) so that contacts and calendar update automatically.
3. Optimize Memory: Use the built-in Cleanup utility in MIUI to delete temporary files after transfer.
4. Personalize the system: customize the main screen, gestures and theme to suit you. At Xiaomi, this is done through Settings → Screen → Screen Style.

If you have moved the application through APK-Update your files via Google Play to avoid version conflicts:

1. Open Google Play → Menu → My apps and games.
2. Press Update All.

⚠️ Warning: After a successful data transfer, don’t rush to dump or sell Samsung. Keep it on for another 2-3 days to make sure everything works correctly on Xiaomi. Sometimes missed files (such as voice recordings) are not immediately detected.

💡

After transferring the data, be sure to check the key functions: calls, SMS, camera, sensors, which will help to identify hidden problems at an early stage.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions