How to transfer photos from Xiaomi to Samsung: the full guide

Changing your smartphone is always an exciting process, involving not only the joy of a new device, but also the need to transfer the accumulated data over the years. Especially relevant is the issue of migrating media files when you move from the MIUI shell to One UI from Samsung. Xiaomi owners often wonder how quickly and without loss of quality to transfer gigabytes of images to a new gadget, preserving the structure of folders and metadata.

Fortunately, modern technology allows you to do this in a number of ways, each with its own advantages depending on the amount of information and the speed of the Internet connection: you can use cloud storage for automatic synchronization, direct Wi-Fi connection for instant transmission, or classic cable for maximum reliability.

In this article, we will take a look at all the options available, from Google’s built-in tools to manufacturers’ custom tools, and we will look at the nuances of working with the Android file system so that you understand where your images are stored after transfer, and we will also discuss the issues of preserving the quality of images and solving typical errors that occur when synchronizing between different ecosystems.

Use of the built-in functionality of Google Photos

The easiest and most versatile way to do this is to use Google Photos, because both smartphones are Android-based, your gallery is already synced to the cloud if you’ve used the same account, and you just need to make sure that the old Xiaomi has Autoboot and Sync enabled in the app’s settings.

Once all the images are uploaded to the cloud, log into your Google account on the new Samsung. The photos will appear in the gallery automatically, taking up space in the cloud storage, but remaining available for viewing. If you need to free up space on your phone, you can use the “Free space” feature, which will delete local copies already stored in the cloud.

But it has its limitations in terms of quality and volume: a free Google account provides 15GB of space that is shared between mail, disk and photos. When you move a large archive in its original capacity, the limit can quickly run out, requiring you to buy extra space or choose a saving mode.

• 📸 Automatic synchronization of all new images in the background without user intervention.
• ☁️ Access to the archive from any device that has Internet access and account authorization.
• 🔍 Smart search by subject, person and location thanks to Google’s artificial intelligence algorithms.
• ⚠️ Note: When using the "Saving space" mode, the quality of photos can be reduced to 15 MP, which is critical for professional printing.

Migration through Google Account and Sync

An alternative to fully uploading to the cloud gallery is the standard data sync procedure when you initially set up Samsung. When you first turn on a new smartphone, the system will prompt you to restore data from a Google backup, at which point you can choose which types of data to transfer, including media files, if they were tagged for sync.

The good thing about this method is that it's integrated deep into Android. You don't have to install third-party apps or sign up for new services. Just type in the username and password from the account that Xiaomi used, and the system will find the latest backup. However, it's worth remembering that the standard Google backup doesn't always include the full size of the original photos unless the appropriate option is configured.

To check the sync settings on your Xiaomi device, you should go to the account settings section, where you need to make sure that the slider opposite the “Photo” or “Google Photo” option is activated, which ensures that when you log in to your account on a new device, the system understands what data it needs to pull from the cloud.

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Before you start migrating through your Google Account, connect Xiaomi to your Wi-Fi network and charger so that the synchronization process is quick and the phone does not run out at a critical moment.

It's important to understand the difference between simple contact and calendar synchronization and heavy media content. While contacts are restored in seconds, it can take a considerable amount of time to upload thousands of photos, especially if the Internet is unstable, in which case it's better to combine methods or use local data transfer.

Direct transmission via Mi Mover and Smart Switch

The most efficient way to move large amounts of data is through a combination of tools from manufacturers. While Xiaomi has its Mi Mover app and Samsung has its Smart Switch app, the best way to cross-platform the transition is to use the Smart Switch on the receiving device. This is an official solution from Samsung, optimized for receiving data from any Android smartphone.

The process starts with installing the Smart Switch Mobile app on your Xiaomi from the Google Play Store. On the new Samsung, it's usually pre-installed. Once you run it on both devices and select the role (Sender/Receiver), the phones will create a direct Wi-Fi connection, which provides a high transfer rate that is independent of the quality of home Internet.

In the Smart Switch interface on the receiving device, you can select specific data types to transfer. You can only transfer images, videos and audio files, leaving the settings of the system old. This is especially convenient if you want to keep the One UI settings familiar, but take the entire media archive with you.

• 🚀 High data transfer speeds through the use of direct Wi-Fi between devices.
• 📂 Preserve the original folder structure and albums created by the user on Xiaomi.
• 🛡️ Transfer security: Data does not leave your devices or upload to third-party servers.
• ⚠️ Warning: Do not leave the app or block smartphone screens during transmission, otherwise the connection may break.

Transfer files via USB cable and computer

If wireless methods seem too slow or unstable, there is always a time-tested wired way, and using a computer as an intermediary allows you to control the copying process and ensures that no bytes of information are lost when the network crashes. For this you will need a cable. USB and access to the PC file system.

Connect Xiaomi to your computer and select the USB File Transfer or MTP mode in the notification. The device will appear on your computer screen as an external drive. You need to find the DCIM folder, and inside it - the Camera, where the main pictures are stored, and the Pictures folder for screenshots and images from instant messengers.

Once you copy files to your computer's hard drive, disable Xiaomi and connect Samsung. Copy saved folders to the appropriate directories of the new phone. This method is especially good because it allows you to audit files: while you copy them, you can immediately delete blurred frames or duplicates, freeing up space on the new device.

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Wired copying through a computer is the only way to guarantee transferring files larger than 4GB without compression and the risk of communication breakdown.

Applications for local transmission (ShareMe, Send Anywhere)

Xiaomi’s owner often has a pre-installed ShareMe app (formerly Mi Drop), which is great at transferring files between phones of different brands, creating a local access point, and on the Samsung side, you can use either the web version of ShareMe or universal counterparts like Send Anywhere or Xender.

The principle of operation of such programs is simple: one device generates a computer. QR-A code or a digital key, another scans it, and it starts transferring over local Wi-Fi. The advantage of these utilities is that they don't require deep integration with the system, working like regular applications on top of the network.

However, it is worth considering that such applications can consume battery aggressively during the active transfer phase, and free versions often contain ads that can interrupt the process or require confirmation of actions, which is inconvenient when transferring thousands of files at once.

If you choose this method, make sure both phones are enabled with GPS (geolocation).In modern versions of Android, this is a mandatory requirement for Wi-Fi Direct, which is used by apps to detect devices nearby.

Problem Solving and Quality Preservation

When transferring photos between different Android shells, such as: MIUI one UI, There may be specific problems. Often users find that after the date is moved, the photos are confused and the photos are sorted in the gallery not by the time of shooting, but by the date of copying. To avoid this, use methods that save the photos. EXIF-Data such as wired copying or smart switch.

Another common problem is the loss of HEIC files or specific video formats if they were shot on the latest Xiaomi models. Samsung may not recognize some codecs without installing additional codecs or converting, in such cases it is better to pre-convert media files to universal JPG and MP4 formats during preparation.

And you also have to look at hidden folders, and in MIUI, there's a Second Space, or a hidden gallery, which is password protected, and it's not going to be transferred by standard methods, and it's going to have to be unlocked, shared, and then migrated to a new phone.

⚠️ Warning: Before starting any mass transfer, be sure to back up important photos on an external medium. Synchronization errors sometimes result in the originals being deleted on the old device if the settings were set incorrectly.