Moving from Xiaomi to the Samsung Galaxy A50 is not just a brand change, but also a migration of all your data, from contacts to call history. Many users face the problem of losing information when changing devices, especially if we are talking about different operating systems (MIUI vs One UI). In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to transfer data, including official tools from Samsung and Xiaomi, cloud services and manual methods.
The Galaxy A50 (released in 2019) features support for Android 11 with the One UI 3.1 proprietary shell, which puts restrictions on some synchronization methods. For example, Samsung’s Smart Switch may not recognize Xiaomi backups directly. We tested all methods on current firmware and highlighted the only method that is guaranteed to carry WhatsApp messages without loss, which you will find in the manual export section.
Before you start, check:
- 🔋 Charging both smartphones > 50% (process can take up to 1 hour).
- 📶 Stable Wi-Fi connection (for cloud-based ways).
- 📱 On Xiaomi, turn off battery optimization for sync applications (Settings) → Annexes → Permits → Auto-start).
1.Official method: Samsung Smart Switch
Samsung Smart Switch is a proprietary migration solution, but it doesn’t always work correctly with Xiaomi. It supports transferring contacts, photos, videos, music, notes and even certain settings. However, SMS/MMS messages and application data (such as WhatsApp) are only portable if a number of conditions are met.
How to use:
- 📱 Install Smart Switch on both devices (link for Android).
- 🔌 Connect your smartphones through USB-OTG Adapter (required for Xiaomi) or Wi-Fi.
- 🔄 Samsung. A50 Choose Get the data → Android, to Xiaomi - Send data.
- ✅ Wait for the scan to be completed and select files to transfer.
Install Smart Switch on both phones|Disable battery optimization for the application|Connect USB-OTG (cable)|Check the free space on Samsung A50 (minimum 2GB)|Do not interrupt the process until it is completed-->
Limitations of the method:
- ❌ Application data is not transferred (for example, saves in games).
- ❌ WhatsApp and other messengers require a separate backup.
- ❌ On Xiaomi MIUI 14+ You may need permission to debug USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI — tap 7 times).
⚠️ Warning: If the Smart Switch is stuck in the Preparing phase, restart both devices and try again. Common cause is a conflict with Mi Account on Xiaomi.
2. Cloud Transfer via Google Account
The most versatile way is sync through Google Account, which is suitable for transferring contacts, calendars, notes and parts of applications, the main advantage is that you do not need to connect devices to each other, but you will have to upload photos and videos separately through Google Photos.
Step-by-step:
- 📱 On Xiaomi go to Settings → Accounts. → Google and enable sync for all data.
- ☁️ Wait for the download to complete (check in Google Drive).
- 🔄 Samsung. A50 Add the same Google Account and enable sync.
- ⏳ Wait 10–30 minutes (depending on the amount of data).
| Type of data | Transferred? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts | ✅ Yes. | Synchronize automatically |
| Photo/video | ⚠️ Partially. | Only if backup is enabled in Google Photos |
| SMS/MMS | ❌ No. | Separate backup required |
| Annexes | ✅ Yes (list) | Sam Sam Sammy. APK-files are not transferred, only a list for installation |
| ❌ No. | Use Google Drive Backup manually |
How to transfer photos and videos:
- Open Google Photos on Xiaomi.
- Go to Settings → Backup and Synchronization and turn on the function.
- Choose the quality (original or high).
- On the Samsung A50, log in to the same account and wait for media files to download.
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If Google Photos doesn’t sync files, check the mobile traffic restrictions in Settings → Networks → Transfer data to Xiaomi. Turn off the restriction for the Google Photos app.
3.Move over Mi Cloud (for Xiaomi users)
Mi Cloud is Xiaomi’s cloud storage that allows you to create a full backup of your device, which is a good technique if you want to migrate SMS, call logs and system settings, but you can’t restore the backup directly on the Samsung A50, you need an intermediate step.
Instructions:
- ☁️ On Xiaomi go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Backup.
- 📁 Select data for backup (be sure to mark System settings and SMS).
- 🔄 Wait until completion (may take up to 1 hour depending on volume).
- 📥 Samsung. A50 Download the backup via your browser (i.mi.com) and extract the files manually.
⚠️ Note: Files from Mi Cloud are saved in the proprietary.mibak format. SMS Use the Mi app PC Suite on your computer or convert files through mi-tools.
What to learn from the backup of Mi Cloud:
- 📞 Call log (file) call_log.db).
- 💬 SMS/MMS (file).
- 📝 Notes (notes.db).
- 📁 Contacts (contacts.db).
How to Restore SMS from Mi Cloud on Samsung A50
4. Manual file transfer (photo, video, music)
If cloud services don't work, the most reliable way is to transfer files directly through a cable, memory card, or computer, which guarantees 100% control over data and works even without the Internet.
Manual transfer methods:
- 🔌 Through USB-cable: Connect Xiaomi to PC in File Transfer mode (MTP). Copy the folders. DCIM (Downloads, Music on your computer. Connect Samsung A50 and transfer the files to the same folders.
- 📁 Through the memory card: Insert microSD in Xiaomi and copy the data. Move the card to Samsung A50 (Supported cards up to 512 GB).
Through FTP-server (for large volumes):
- Install WiFi FTP Server on Xiaomi.
- Connect to it from a PC or Samsung A50 via your browser.
- Download the files you need.
Where to look for files on Xiaomi:
| Type of data | The way to the folder |
|---|---|
| Photos and videos | /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/ |
| Screenshots | /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Screenshots/ |
| Downloads. | /storage/emulated/0/Download/ |
| Music. | /storage/emulated/0/Music/ |
| Documents | /storage/emulated/0/Documents/ |
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Manual transfer is the only way to guarantee the structure of folders and metadata files (date of creation, geotagged, etc.).
5.Mobilization of WhatsApp and other messengers
WhatsApp, Viber and Telegram store data in encrypted databases that cannot be simply copied, and transferring chats will require backup and recovery through official tools.
Instructions for WhatsApp:
- 📱 On Xiaomi, open WhatsApp → ⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup copy.
- ☁️ Select Create a copy in Google Drive (make sure you have the same account as your Samsung account attached). A50).
- 🔄 Install WhatsApp on Samsung A50 and log in to the same account.
- ✅ When requested, restore chats from Google Drive.
For Telegram:
- ☁️ Enable chat synchronization in Settings → chat → Chat history → Exports.
- 📁 Export media files separately through Settings → Data and memory.
For Viber:
- 📱 Go to Settings. → Account. → Backup copy.
- 🔄 Create a backup on Google Drive or Viber Cloud.
- ✅ Restore to Samsung A50 after installation.
⚠️ Note: If WhatsApp doesn’t offer to restore chats on the first launch on Samsung A50, remove the application, clear the cache (Settings) → Annexes → WhatsApp → Memory. → Clear the cache) and re-installe the backup must be created no later than 7 days ago.
6. Transfer of applications and their data
Move it yourself. APK-Application files can be made via Smart Switch or manually, but application data (save in games, settings) require a separate approach, and this will help Titanium Backup (requires root) or Helium (works without superuser rights).
Methods of transferring applications:
- 📦 Through APK-Files: Use File Manager+ Xiaomi for export APK. Transfer files to Samsung A50 and set it up manually.
- ☁️ Google Play: On Samsung A50 Open Google Play → Library → Install the required applications again.
To save games:
- Use Google Play Games for sync (if the game supports).
- Or copy /Android/obb/ from Xiaomi to Samsung A50.
Optimization of the Samsung A50 after the transfer:
- 🧹 Clear the cache: Settings → Caring for the device → Memory. → Clean up.
- 🔋 Turn off unnecessary background processes: Settings → Battery. → Adaptive battery mode.
- 📶 Set up a mobile network: Settings → Connections → Mobile networks → Network mode (select) 4G/3G/2G better coverage).