How to Move Data from Samsung to Xiaomi Poco X3: A Complete Guide to 2026

The transition from Samsung to Xiaomi Poco X3 is not just a smartphone change, but a complete migration of digital life. Photographs over the past 5 years, instant messengers, saved passwords and even alarm settings all need to be carefully moved so as not to lose the important thing. But how do you do it without loss and as quickly as possible?

Many users mistakenly think that it is enough to copy files to a memory card and the problem is solved. In practice, this approach leads to loss of folder structure, lack of synchronization in cloud services and problems with format compatibility (for example,.sms backups of Samsung Messages will not open in the standard MIUI application). In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods of data transfer, their pros/cons, as well as nuances that are not written in the official instructions.

The Xiaomi Poco X3 (M2007J20CG and M2007J20CI) is a hybrid firmware based on MIUI 12/13 with a POCO Launcher shell. It supports most data portability standards, but there are limitations. For example, the Mi Mover app (built into MIUI) doesn’t always work correctly with Samsung Smart Switch backups. So we tested alternatives, from cloud services to manual copying via ADB.

It’s important to consider the Android version on both devices. If your Samsung runs Android 10+ and your Poco X3 runs Android 11/12, some methods (like Google Drive) will work faster thanks to improved synchronization APIs. Older versions (Android 9 and below) may require additional software or even root access.

1. Preparation of devices before data transfer

Before you start migrating, you need to follow 4 mandatory steps on both smartphones, skipping at least one of them can lead to data loss, application version conflict or synchronization errors.

On Samsung:

1. Update your firmware to the latest version via Settings → Software Update. This will fix bugs in Samsung Smart Switch.
2. Clear the cache in Contacts, Messages and Gallery apps (via Settings → Apps).
3. Turn off battery optimization for sync applications (like Google Photos or Smart Switch).

On Xiaomi Poco X3:

1. Reset your smartphone to factory settings (if it’s new) or delete unnecessary data via Settings → Memory → Cleanup.
2. Activate Developer Mode (7 taps by Build Number in Settings → About Phone) and enable USB Debugging.
3. Install the latest MIUI updates through Settings → About Phone → System Update.

Critical: If Samsung has data encryption enabled, some portability techniques (e.g. ADB) may not work. To check this, go to Settings → Biometrics & Security → Encryption. When encrypting actively, we recommend using cloud services (Section 3).

2. data transfer via Mi Mover (official method)

Mi Mover is a MIUI-built data migration application, similar to Samsung Smart Switch, which supports portability.

• 📞 Contacts (including groups and notes)
• 📸 Photos and videos (keeps the structure of the albums)
• 💬 Communications (SMS and MMS, but not messengers)
• 📅 Calendars and reminders
• 🎵 Music and documents

Step-by-step:

1. On Xiaomi Poco X3, run Mi Mover (you can find it in the Tools folder or search).
2. Select I am a new user → Android.
3. On Samsung, install Mi Mover from Google Play.
4. Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network (required!)
5. On Samsung, select Send, on Poco X3, Receive.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ Applications and their data (for example, saves in games) are not portable).
• ❌ It doesn’t work for Samsung on Android 8 and below.
• ❌ It can be interrupted if Samsung has enabled traffic savings.

Charging both phones > 50%|Battery savings turned off|Both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.|Samsung has installed the Mi Mover app|Xiaomi has included debugging on USB (bug-in)-->

Important: If the process is stuck in the Preparation phase, restart both phones and try again, and 90 percent of the time, that solves the problem.

3. Use of Google Account and Cloud Services

The most versatile way is synchronization through Google Account, which works independently of the phone model and Android version, but has nuances with the amount of data.

What can be transferred:

• 📇 Contacts (in full, including avatars)
• 📅 Calendars and tasks
• 📎 Notes (if you use Google Keep)
• 📸 Photos and videos (via Google Photos, up to 15GB free)
• 🎵 Music (via YouTube Music or Google Play Music)

Instructions:

1. On Samsung, go to Settings → Accounts and Archiving → Accounts.
2. Select your Google Account and activate sync for all data.
3. For photos/video, set Google Photos and enable Backup.
4. On Xiaomi Poco X3, add the same Google Account to Settings → Accounts.
5. Run the synchronization manually (can take up to 24 hours for large volumes).

Challenges and solutions:

💡

If you have a lot of photos (>10GB), use Google One with a trial period of 15GB for free.

4. Transportation of messages, calls and applications

Standard methods don't always handle messages, call logs, and application data, and you'll need specialized tools to do that.

For SMS/MMS and call history:

• 📲 Install the application on Samsung SMS Backup & Restore.
• 📥 Create a backup (select.xml format for compatibility).
• 📤 Transfer the file to Xiaomi Poco X3 via Google Drive or cable.
• 📲 Install the same app on Xiaomi and recover the data.

For these applications (save games, settings):

• 🎮 Use Titanium Backup (requires root access).
• 📦 Alternative without root: Swift Backup (powered by Android 10)+).
• ⚠️ Not all apps support data transfer between different brands (e.g. Samsung Health does not sync with Mi Fitness).

Important for games:

⚠️ If you are playing Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile or Call of Duty: Mobile, don't carry over saving through backups! Use Facebook, Google Play Games or Mi Account binding. Otherwise, your account may be blocked for cheating".

5. Manual file transfer via OTG cable or PC

If cloud services are not suitable (for example, due to slow internet), you can use a direct connection via a USB-C → USB-C cable or a computer.

Method 1: OTG cable (without PC)

• 🔌 Buy a two-way one. USB-C cable USB-C → USB-A + OTG).
• 📱 Connect Samsung to Xiaomi Poco X3 cable.
• 📂 On Xiaomi, select File Transfer Mode (MTP).
• 📁 Open Explorer on Xiaomi and copy the files you need from Samsung.

Method 2: Computer (most reliable)

1. Connect Samsung to your PC and copy the data to a separate folder (e.g, D:\Samsung_Backup).
2. Turn off Samsung, plug in Xiaomi Poco X3.
3. Transfer files to the appropriate folders: 📸 Photo/video → DCIM/Camera 🎵 Music. → Music 📄 Documents → Documents or Download

Xiaomi

⚠️ Do not copy files directly to the folder Android/data! This can cause applications to crash. Use specialized utilities to transfer application data (section) 4).

💡

When manually transferring, check the file format: Xiaomi Poco X3 does not support.mkv video by default. Install MX Player or VLC to play.

6. Transfer over ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don’t work (for example, because of a corrupted firmware), you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires command line skills, but allows you to transfer all data, including system settings.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
• 📱 Included Debugging by USB both phones.
• 🔌 Cables. USB-C (Original to avoid connection problems).

Step-by-step:

Connect Samsung to your PC and do:


adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f C:\samsung_backup.ab




Disable Samsung, plug in Xiaomi Poco X3 and restore:



adb restore C:\samsung_backup.ab

Warnings:

• ❌ Not all apps will recover correctly (especially Samsung’s system ones).
• ❌ The process can take several hours with a large amount of data.
• ❌ Xiaomi must have the same apps as Samsung, otherwise the recovery will end with an error.

Alternatively (if adb restore does not work):

Copy specific folders (for example, photos):


adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/ C:\Samsung_Photos



Then transfer to Xiaomi:



adb push C:\Samsung_Photos /sdcard/DCIM/

7. Post-transfer validation and optimization

After the data migration, you need to check the integrity of the files and optimize the work of Xiaomi Poco X3.

Data verification:

• 📞 Open Contacts and make sure all numbers are in place (especially check groups).
• 📸 Launch the Gallery and wait for indexing of photos / videos.
• 💬 Send a test. SMS to check the history of the messages.

System optimization:

• 🧹 Clear the cache in Settings → Memory. → Cleanup.
• 🔄 Reboot your phone (this will speed up your work) MIUI post-transfer).
• 🛡️ Update all apps through Google Play.

Synchronization setting:

• 🔄 Enable automatic sync for Google Photos, Contacts and Calendar.
• 📱 Set up a backup in Mi Cloud (if you use a Xiaomi account).

⚠️ If after the transfer of Xiaomi Poco X3 Become slower, check the settings → Special facilities → Overclocking. Sometimes, after migration, performance settings are reset.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer