How to transfer files from Samsung to Xiaomi: a step-by-step guide

Changing your smartphone is always stressful, not so much with getting used to a new shell as with the risk of losing important data. Samsung device owners moving to the Xiaomi ecosystem often face the issue of file system integration, as brands have different approaches to organizing memory and pre-installed software. Fortunately, modern Android operating systems provide powerful tools for seamless migration.

The process of migrating data from Samsung to Xiaomi has become much easier in recent years thanks to the development of cloud technologies and local transmission protocols. You do not need to be a technical specialist to perform this procedure, but it is important to understand the differences between multimedia porting and system settings. Below we will discuss all the available methods, from official utilities to manual copying.

The main goal of migration is to preserve the integrity of folder structure and file metadata, such as photo creation dates or contact tags. The wrong approach can lead to the gallery of a new device not seeing albums and duplicates appearing in the phone book.

Using the Mi Mover app for quick migration

The most effective other way to transfer information is to use a specialized tool Mi Mover, developed by Xiaomi engineers. This application is pre-installed on most new devices of the brand, but it can also be found in the GetApps store or download. APK-The utility works on the principle of creating a local Wi-Fi network, which provides high speed transfer without using Internet traffic.

To get started, you need to run the app on both devices. On the receiving Xiaomi smartphone, select the Receiver role, and on the transmitting Samsung, the Sender. QR-code or connect to the access point you created. Once you have established the connection, you will see a list of data categories that are available for copying.

The app allows you to select specific file types, which is especially useful with a new device’s limited memory. You can eliminate heavy video files or system debris by leaving only contacts, messages and photos. The process is automatic, and the device screens will show the progress bar in real time.

It is important to note that Mi Mover does not tolerate Wi-Fi passwords and some system security settings, as they are tied to a specific hardware or version of the MIUI / HyperOS shell. There may also be problems with transferring data from secure folders of Samsung Secure Folder - their contents are better copied separately before starting the main procedure.

Synchronization through Google Account and Cloud Services

If physical access to both devices is limited at the same time, or you prefer cloud-based solutions, syncing through a Google account is the ideal option, and it is the “gold standard” for the Android ecosystem, allowing you to restore a basic dataset immediately after you first log in to a new phone.

On an old Samsung, make sure that your Google account settings activate all the necessary sync points, usually contacts, calendar events, notes and data from some apps. For photos and videos, you’d better use a separate Google Photos app, including Autoboot and Sync.

• 📱 Contacts and calendar are saved instantly and restored when login is entered.
• 📸 Photos are uploaded in original or compressed quality depending on the storage settings.
• 📝 Notes and reminders are synced through the respective Google services (Keep, Tasks).
• 🔐 Passwords saved in Chrome will automatically appear in the browser on the new device.

However, there are limitations to this method: free space on Google Drive is limited to 15 GB, which may not be enough to fully back up a multimedia library, and the speed of recovering large amounts of data depends on the quality of the Internet connection, which can take several hours.

Manual transfer through USB-cable

For users who value full control over each byte of information, or if necessary, transfer terabytes of data, the PC method is the most reliable.It eliminates the risk of losing data packets due to unstable Wi-Fi and allows you to structure files on a new device even before they are loaded.

Connect your Samsung smartphone to your computer in file transfer mode (MTP). Open the device's internal memory in Windows Explorer or macOS. You need to copy the main directories: DCIM (camera photos and videos), Pictures (messaging images), Download and Music.

Once you copy files to your computer's hard drive, disable Samsung and plug in Xiaomi. Create a similar folder structure or put files into existing ones. Pay special attention to the DCIM folder - if you just add files to your existing folder, Xiaomi Gallery may not update thumbnails right away.

⚠️ Note: When manually copying, do not transfer system folders with names like Android/data or Android/obb manually, if you don't know exactly what you're doing, it can disrupt applications.

The advantage of the method is that it can clean up files from digital debris during the transfer stage, so you can sort files by date or size and not upload unnecessary screenshots or old videos to your new phone, saving precious internal memory space.

Use of Samsung Smart Switch app

Many forget that Samsung has developed one of the best migration utilities, the Smart Switch, which is now available for devices from other manufacturers, including Xiaomi, albeit with some limitations.

On a Samsung device, run a Smart Switch and select the option to create a backup. SD-However, the most effective way to transfer to Xiaomi is to use the "Send data" function» -> «Get the data» -> «Android (4.0 and higher)».

The app will create a special backup file that can be transferred to Xiaomi.It is important to understand that the Smart Switch on the Xiaomi side does not have a full-fledged client to “unpack” all Samsung settings, so this method is better used to create an insurance backup, rather than as a main migration channel.

Transferring messages, contacts and call history

The most sensitive part of moving is the phone book and the history of correspondence. Losing important SMS or customer numbers is unacceptable. Contacts are not a problem: they are tied to a Google account. Just log into your Xiaomi account and all numbers will appear automatically.

S SMS And the problem is more complicated, because Google, by default, doesn't sync text messages between devices as transparently as contacts. SMS Backup & Restore.

The process is as follows:

1. Install the app on both smartphones.

2.On Samsung, back up your SMS and call logs.

3. Save the backup file to the cloud (Google Drive, Dropbox) or transfer it over the local network.

4. On Xiaomi, restore the data from the created file.

After recovering call logs on Xiaomi, call history is integrated into the standard “calling phone.” Note that long SMS (MMS) formatting can sometimes get lost if the encoding on the devices differed, but this is rare on modern versions of Android.

Nuances of application and data portability

Transfer of the applications themselves (APK-Files are successfully passed through Mi Mover or when Xiaomi initially configures. However, the transfer of data within applications (game progress, correspondence in messengers, logins) depends on the developer's policy.

Messengers like WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber have their own backup mechanisms, for example, WhatsApp needs to create a backup in Google Drive on the old Samsung, and the new Xiaomi when installing the application, choose to restore from this copy. Without this step, chats will not appear.

⚠️ Attention: Banking applications and government services (public services, banking customers) will require re-authorization and biometrics adjustment on the new device, a security measure that cannot be circumvented by any transfer methods.

Game progress is saved if the game supports login through Google Play Games accounts, Facebook or a developer account. If the game was installed “bypassing” official stores or is a pirated version, the data is likely to be lost.

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Before you sell or sell an old Samsung, make sure to reset your Wipe Data completely only after you make sure that all the data is working successfully on the new Xiaomi.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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The most reliable result is the combined method: Mi Mover for photos and applications, Google Sync for contacts and manual backup of important documents.