How to transfer photos from Samsung to Xiaomi: all ways with detailed instructions

The transition from Samsung to Xiaomi is not only about changing the interface, but also about moving personal data. Photos tend to take up the lion’s share of smartphone memory, and losing them can be a tragedy. Fortunately, there are at least 5 reliable ways to move images between devices of different brands, from classic cable to modern cloud services.

In this article, we will discuss each method in detail, from preparing devices to solving possible problems, you will learn which method is the fastest, which keeps the original quality of images, and which is suitable if you do not have a computer at hand, and we will pay special attention to the nuances of transferring files between Android devices with different shells (One UI and MIUI), which often cause errors.

Whether you’re switching from the Galaxy S23 Ultra to the Xiaomi 14 Pro or from the Samsung A52 to the Redmi Note 12, the instructions below will help you avoid data loss and save time.

1. Transfer of photographs through USB-cable (the most reliable method)

Using USB Type-C cable (or Micro-USB for older models) is a classic method that works even without Internet access. The main advantage is the maximum transfer speed (up to 480 Mbps for USB 2.0 and up to 10 Gbps for USB 3.1) and no compression of images. However, there are nuances with the MIUI settings that many forget about.

You'll need:

• 🔌 Cable USB-C — USB-C (Adapters, if the ports are different)
• 📱 Two smartphones: Samsung (source) and Xiaomi (receiver)
• 🖥️ Computer (optional, but simplifies the process)

If you connect directly (without a PC), follow the following steps:

1. On Samsung, go to Settings → Connections → USB and select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. On Xiaomi in Settings → Additional → Developer settings activate “Debugging by USB” (if it is not, tap 7 times on the build number in About Phone).
3. Connect the cable. Xiaomi will see a notification, select File Transfer.
4. Open the file manager on Xiaomi (such as Google Files or Mi File Manager) and go to the section USB-accumulator.
5. Find the DCIM → Camera folder on Samsung and copy the photos to any folder on Xiaomi.

Is the cable connected to both devices | Selected MTP mode on Samsung | Activated USB debugging on Xiaomi | Is there enough space on Xiaomi to copy?

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If Xiaomi doesn't see Samsung as a drive,

• Try another cable (cheap cables often don’t support data transfer).
• Reboot both devices.
• On Xiaomi in Settings → Memory → USB settings, select “File Transfer” manually.

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If you have a lot of photos (more than 10 GB), break them into parts of 3-4 GB. This will speed up copying and reduce the risk of errors.

2. Transmission via computer (Windows/macOS/Linux)

Using a PC as a middleman is a reliable way to do this, especially if you have a large amount of photos (e.g., 50+GB), and the advantage is that you can sort files before transferring, delete duplicates, or convert formats.

Instructions for Windows:

1. Connect Samsung to your PC via cable and select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Open This Computer – Your phone will appear as a removable drive (like the Galaxy S22).
3. Go to Internal Storage → DCIM → Camera (or Pictures if the photos are saved elsewhere).
4. Copy files to the desktop or to a separate folder on the PC.
5. Turn off Samsung, plug in Xiaomi, and repeat steps 1–2.
6. Plug the photos into the DCIM → Camera folder on Xiaomi.

MacOS requires Android File Transfer (the official software from Google) to be installed; Linux (Ubuntu, Mint) simply plugs in the device and automatically mounts it as a drive.

⚠️ If the photos are not copied to Xiaomi with the error "Not enough space", check: File system format: Xiaomi with the MIUI 12+ Supports exFAT for flash drives, but internal memory is usually in F2FS or EXT4. Availability of rights to write: in Settings → Annexes → Permissions check file managers access to memory.

3. Wireless transmission via Wi-Fi Direct or Mi Share

If you don’t have a cable and you don’t have too many photos (up to 1-2 GB), you can use Wi-Fi Direct technology. This method works without the Internet, but the transfer speed depends on the Wi-Fi standard (up to 25 MB / s for 802.11n and up to 100 MB / s for 802.11ac).

Step-by-step:

1. On Xiaomi, open Mi Share (find through search by settings or in Settings → Connections and Sharing).
2. Click "Send" and select photos from the gallery.
3. On Samsung, activate Wi-Fi Direct in Settings → Connections → Wi-Fi → Wi-Fi Direct.
4. Wait for Xiaomi to detect Samsung (it may require proof of connection on both devices).
5. On Samsung, accept the file in the notification.

Challenges and solutions:

• 🔄 Devices can’t find each other: Restart Wi-Fi on both phones or turn on Flight Mode for 10 seconds.
• ⚡ Slow gear: bring devices closer (within 1 meter) or switch to 5 GHz Wi-Fi (if supported).
• 🚫 Reception error: Clear the Mi Share cache in Settings → Annexes.

4. Cloud services: Google Photos, Mi Cloud, Samsung Cloud

Cloud storage is a versatile way to back up and sync between devices, and the main advantage is that photos are available on any device, even if the original smartphone breaks, and the downsides are Internet dependency and volume restrictions (e.g. Google Photos only offers 15GB for free).

Comparison of services:

Instructions for Google Photos (recommended option):

1. On Samsung, install Google Photos from the Play Market.
2. Launch the app and log in to your Google account.
3. In the settings, turn on "Backup and Synchronization".
4. Select “Original Quality” (if it is important to keep the resolution) or “High Quality” (free, but compressed to 16 MP).
5. Wait until the loading is complete (may take hours with a large volume).
6. On Xiaomi, install Google Photos, log in to the same account and download photos.

⚠️ Attention! When using Mi Cloud, please note: The service is only available for devices with MIUI (Samsung can only download files via the web version of i.mi.com. The free 5GB runs out quickly - check the occupied space in Settings → Mi Account. → Mi Cloud.

5. Bluetooth transmission (for a small number of photos)

Bluetooth is the slowest, but most versatile way, and it works even on older models. It rarely goes faster than 2-3MB/s, so it only works for 10-20 photos. The main advantage is that it doesn't require Internet, cables or registration in services.

How to move:

1. On both phones, turn on Bluetooth in the notification panel.
2. On Samsung, open the gallery, select photos and click Share → Bluetooth.
3. Select Xiaomi from the list of available devices (password confirmation may be required).
4. On Xiaomi, accept the file in the notification.

How to speed up the process:

• 📶 Use Bluetooth 5.0+ (available on Samsung Galaxy S8 and newer, Xiaomi 11 and newer).
• 📁 Transmit photos one by one, not in packs – this reduces the risk of errors.
• 🔋 Make sure the battery is over 30% charged – a long transfer drains the phone.

6 Specialized applications: Send Anywhere, Xender, SHAREit

If standard methods don't work, then the side-by-side applications that are optimized for transferring files between Android devices come to the rescue, using Wi-Fi Direct or creating a local network, which speeds up the process compared to Bluetooth.

Send Anywhere:

• 🔗 No registration required.
• 📤 Speed up to 10MB/s.
• 🔒 Encryption of data.

Xender

• 📱 Supports transfer between Android, iOS and PC.
• 🎮 Built-in player for watching media.

SHAREit

• 🚀 Speed up to 20 MB/s (according to developers).
• 📂 You can transfer the entire folder.

Instructions for Send Anywhere:

1. Install the app on both phones from the Play Market.
2. On Samsung, select photos and click "Send".
3. 6-digit code is generated or QR-code.
4. On Xiaomi, enter the code or scan the QR.
5. Confirm file acceptance.

⚠️ Attention! When using third-party apps: Check permissions: the application should not request access to SMS, Avoid public Wi-Fi networks – transfer files through the hotspot on one of the phones. After transfer, delete the application if it is no longer needed (some collect data in the background).

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo transfer