How to transfer photos from Samsung to Xiaomi: all ways from cable to cloud

The transition from Samsung to Xiaomi is not only a change in interface and familiar features, but also the need to transfer personal data. Photos, as a rule, occupy the lion’s share of smartphone memory, and their loss can be a real tragedy. Fortunately, there are several reliable ways to transfer pictures from one device to another – from the classic one. USB-Cables to modern cloud services.

In this article, we will discuss all the current methods of photo transfer, their pros and cons, and give practical tips on how to avoid typical errors. If you prefer wired connection or wireless technology, there is a solution for your needs.

Important: If you plan to sell or transfer your old Samsung, remember to completely delete your personal data after the transfer.

1.Photo transfer via USB-cable (the fastest way)

Use of the USB-And it's the most reliable and fastest way to transmit large amounts of data, and it's independent of the speed of the Internet, and it doesn't require any additional applications:

• 🔌 Cable USB Type-C — USB Type-C (or adapter if ports are different)
• 📱 Two smartphones: Samsung (source) and Xiaomi (receiver)
• 🔋 Charges at least 30% on both devices

Connect your smartphones with a cable. Samsung will have a connection notification — select File Transfer mode (MTP). On Xiaomi, open Explorer (or any other file application) and go to the section USB-There you will see folders of your Samsung, where photos are usually stored in the DCIM → Camera or Pictures.

Transfer speeds depend on the USB version: USB 3.0 and higher allows you to transfer up to 10 GB of photos in 10-15 minutes, whereas USB 2.0 can stretch the process for an hour or more. If the cable is not detected, try another one or check the port for debris.

Connect the cable to both smartphones

On Samsung, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.

Open Explorer on Xiaomi and find a folder USB-device

Select photos and copy them to Xiaomi memory

Check the integrity of the files after transfer-->

⚠️ Note: If Xiaomi doesn't have enough space for all the photos, pre-free up the memory or use a microSD card (if the slot is supported).Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro)+) have a hybrid slot where the memory card replaces the second SIM.

2. Transmission via computer (for large archives)

If you have thousands of high-resolution photos or videos, your computer will be the perfect middleman, a method that is suitable for those who want to back up before transferring or sort files before downloading to Xiaomi.

Connect Samsung to your PC via USB, select File Transfer mode, and copy the photos to a separate folder on your hard drive. Then plug Xiaomi in and transfer the files back. Alternatively, use a card reader if the photos are stored on a microSD.

To speed up the process, use Total Commander or FastCopy, which can copy files faster than standard Windows Explorer. If photos take up hundreds of gigabytes, break them into 50GB folders to avoid hanging.

Through USB-cable

Through the computer

Cloud services (Google Photos, Mi Cloud)

Special Applications (ShareMe, Xender)

Another option-->

3. Wireless transmission via Mi Mover (official solution from Xiaomi)

Xiaomi has developed its own Mi Mover app, which makes it easier to migrate data from other Android devices, and it supports not only photos, but also contacts, messages, notes.

• 📲 It only works on Android 5.0 and higher.
• 🔄 Requires installation on both devices
• 📶 Speed depends on the stability of Wi-Fi Direct.

Install Mi Mover from Google Play on Samsung and open it on both smartphones. On Xiaomi, select I'm the sender; on Samsung, I'm the recipient. Follow the on-screen instructions: the app will create a local network and suggest you choose the types of data to transfer. Mark photos and videos and wait for the completion.

The advantage of this method is to preserve the structure of folders and metadata (date of shooting, geotagged), but if the connection is interrupted, the process will have to start again, and Mi Mover may not see some Samsung models due to the features of the firmware, in which case use alternative applications like ShareMe (formerly Mi Drop).

4. Cloud services: Google Photos vs Mi Cloud

If you don't want instant transfer, cloud services are a convenient solution, allowing you to sync photos between devices automatically and can be accessed from any gadget.

Google Photos offers 15GB of free space (together with other Google services) to transfer photos:

1. Set Google Photos on Samsung and log in to your account.
2. Enable Backup and Synchronization in the application settings.
3. Wait for all photos to load (it can take hours with slow internet).
4. On Xiaomi, install the same app and log in to the same account – photos will appear automatically.

Xiaomi's Mi Cloud gives 5GB for free, but is integrated with the brand ecosystem. Upload photos from Samsung via the i.mi.com web version or the Mi Cloud app, then sync them to Xiaomi. Note: Mi Cloud can compress images when downloading, if you don't change your quality settings.

⚠️ Note: When using Google Photos in High Quality (not Original) mode, photos are compressed to 16 MP, which is critical for professional shots. To avoid loss of quality, choose Original Quality, but note that it ranks in your Google account.

5. Special applications for file transfer

If standard methods don't work, third-party apps will come to the rescue, and they often support transmission without loss of quality and even work on older versions of Android.-3 tested solutions:

• 📤 ShareMe (formerly Mi Drop) is a Xiaomi development, but works on any Android device. Up to 20 MB/s over Wi-Fi Direct.
• ⚡ Xender – supports transmission without the Internet, there is a function to continue after a communication break.
• 🔗 Send Anywhere – generates 6-digit code for fast transfer, you can send files even to iPhone.

Example of working with ShareMe:

1. Install the app on both smartphones.
2. On Samsung, select Send, on Xiaomi, Receive.

These apps are especially useful if you don’t have a cable or a computer on hand, but remember: some (like Xender) show ads, and Send Anywhere limits free transfer to 10GB per day.

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Before using third-party apps, check out reviews on Google Play – some may contain hidden ads or collect data about your files.

6. MicroSD card transfer (for supported devices)

If your Samsung and Xiaomi support microSD, this is a simple and versatile solution, and you’ll need a memory card with sufficient volume (we recommend class 10 or UHS-I for speed).

Insert the card in Samsung, go to Explorer → Device → Memory and copy the photos to a folder on a microSD. Then remove the card, paste it into Xiaomi and transfer the files to internal memory. This method is independent of the Internet and is suitable for transferring terabytes of data.

Important: If you use microSD as internal memory (Adoptable Storage), you won’t be able to transfer files directly – format the card as portable storage first.

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Using a microSD is the only way to transfer photos if you don't have access to the Internet, cable or computer, but memory cards can fail, so always back up important files.

7 How to avoid common mistakes when transferring photos

Even with proven methods, users often face problems, and here are the most common mistakes and how to prevent them:

• 🔌 Cable not defined: Try another cable or port USB. Samsung may need to unlock the screen for data transfer.
• 📁 Photos are not copied: Check if there is enough space on Xiaomi. some files (e.g., files, HEIC iPhones may not open on Android.
• 🔄 Wi-Fi Transfer Interrupted: Turn off power saving mode and make sure devices are nearby (no more than 5 meters).
• 🖼️ Loss of quality: In cloud services, select the settings Original quality. When transmitted over Bluetooth, photos are compressed automatically.

If photos are not displayed in the Xiaomi gallery after transferring, update the media library: open Explorer → Settings → Update media files. Also check if files are hidden (sometimes folders with a dot at the beginning of the name are not visible in the standard gallery).

Another common problem is duplicate photos, so to avoid this, sort your photos by date or folder before transferring, for example, in Google Photos, you can use the Remove Duplicates after synchronization function.

8.What to do after transfer: cleaning the old smartphone

When all the photos have successfully moved to Xiaomi, don’t rush to reset Samsung to factory settings.

1. Check the integrity of the files on the new device (open some random photos).
2. Delete photos from Samsung manually or through Settings → Storage → Free up space.
3. If you’ve used the cloud, delete files from there (if you don’t need them anymore) or archive them.
4. Perform reset via Settings → General Management → Reset → Data Reset.

For a complete cleanup, we recommend using SafeErase or similar applications that erase data without recovery, which is true if you plan to sell or transfer a smartphone.

⚠️ Warning: Simple factory reset does not guarantee complete removal of photos. Special programs (such as DiskDigger) can recover files even after reset. For reliability, encrypt the device before reset: Settings → Security → Encryption.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo transfer