Changing your smartphone, especially from one popular ecosystem to another, is often accompanied by concerns about privacy. The most valuable asset for most users is media: family snapshots, working scans of documents and videos. When you change your Samsung device to a new Xiaomi, you need to move gigabytes of information quickly and without loss. Fortunately, modern technology allows you to do this in several ways, each of which has its own advantages.
The process of data migration has become much easier in recent years, you don't need to be an IT expert to synchronize devices across different manufacturers, but the main task is to choose the method that fits your scenario: having fast Wi-Fi, having a cable at hand or wanting to use cloud storage. Below we will discuss all the current options.
Don't worry about your contacts or settings being lost. Android is unified, making it easy to move content across brands. However, there are nuances about folder structure and compression formats that you need to know about in advance, and properly preparing both devices is key to successfully completing the procedure without hanging or errors.
Preparing devices for data migration
Before you start directly copying files, you need to perform a number of preparatory steps, this will ensure the stability of the connection and prevent possible failures in the transmission process. First of all, make sure that both smartphones are charged at least 50-60% of the battery. Sudden power outage can lead to file damage or system freeze.
Both devices must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. The data rate depends on the quality of the wireless connection. If your router supports dual-band mode, it is advisable to use a frequency of 5 GHz, as it provides higher bandwidth for heavy video files.
⚠️ Warning: Before you start the transfer, free up enough space on your new Xiaomi phone. Make sure the amount of free memory exceeds the size of the data you plan to copy from your old device.
It’s also a good idea to check for the latest operating system updates on both devices, and developers often release patches that improve compatibility and data protocols, while Samsung does this through system settings, and Xiaomi does this through the MIUI or HyperOS update menu.
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Before starting the procedure, turn off the power saving mode on both devices, which can limit the background activity of applications, which will cause a connection to break when transferring large amounts of data.
Use of the official Mi Mover app
The most efficient and quickest way to transfer is to use a specialized tool from the manufacturer, Mi Mover. This application is designed specifically for migrating data to Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices. It allows you to transfer not only photos, but also contacts, messages, system settings and even the location of icons on the desktop.
The process starts with installing the app on both smartphones. On the new Xiaomi phone, it is often pre-installed in the Tools folder. On Samsung, it must be downloaded from the Google Play Market. Once the app is launched, you will need to select the role of the device: “I send” on the old phone and “I accept” on the new one.
☑️ Algorithm of Mi Mover operation
After the devices are connected through QR-The code will open the data selection menu, and you should be careful here, so you can select specific albums or tick the entire gallery. The app will automatically create a temporary Wi-Fi hotspot for direct file transfer, which provides high speeds independent of your home internet speed.
It is important not to switch to other applications or lock the screen during the process. Although modern systems are multitasking, active work of other programs can interrupt the background data flow. latency depends on the volume of photos; it can take from 15 to 40 minutes to transfer 10-20 GB.
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Mi Mover creates direct P2P-Connecting devices, making this the fastest method to transfer large amounts of data without using the internet.
Synchronization through Google Photos
Google’s ecosystem offers perhaps the most convenient way for those who value automation. Google Photos is the default on most Android smartphones, including Samsung and Xiaomi. The principle of operation is based on cloud storage: you upload pictures to the cloud from an old phone, and on a new one you just log in and download them.
To implement this method, Samsung must open the Google Photos app, click on the profile avatar, and enable Autoboot. Select High (no compression) or Save Space (with compression), depending on the volume of your cloud storage. Wait for full synchronization of all albums.
On the new Xiaomi, you just need to log in to the same Google account, and all the photos will appear in the gallery automatically as you download them, which is ideal if you haven't set up a new phone yet, or if the devices are far apart, but it requires a stable and preferably unlimited Internet connection.
- 📸 Security: All data is stored in Google’s secure cloud with two-factor authentication.
- 🔄 Automation: New images will sync instantly across both devices.
- 💾 Free up space: Free up space will delete copies from your device after downloading to the cloud.
Consider the limits of free storage on Google One, which is 15GB. If your photo archive exceeds this volume, you will need a subscription or selective download. For a one-time transfer of a large archive, this method may be less convenient due to download time.
⚠️ Note: When using cloud services, make sure you are using a secure connection. It is not recommended to perform mass downloads over public Wi-Fi networks without using a secure connection. VPN.
Transfer through USB-cable
A classic method that remains relevant because of its reliability and independence from wireless networks, and to implement it, you will need a computer (laptop or PC) and a computer. USB-cable, preferably original, supporting data transfer, not just charging.
Connect Samsung to your computer and select File Transfer (MTP) mode in the notification. Open your PC Explorer, find your device, and go to DCIM → Camera. This is where the images are usually stored. Select the files or folders you want and copy them to your computer's hard drive.
Then turn off Samsung and plug in Xiaomi. Select file transfer mode again. Open the internal memory of the new phone and find the DCIM folder. Put the copied photos in there. The system automatically recognizes the new media files, and they will appear in the gallery.
What to do if your computer can’t see your phone?
And the good thing about this is that you create a physical backup on your computer, and if you crash on your new phone, you'll have the source on your PC, and the wired connection is generally faster than Wi-Fi, although it requires a computer-assisted intermediary.
Use of Third-Party File Managers
If the built-in tools don't work for some reason, third-party apps come to the rescue, with Send Anywhere, SHAREit and Xender leading the way, using Wi-Fi Direct technology to allow files to be transferred directly between devices without the Internet.
So let's take a look at Send Anywhere, which is available in the Play Market for both systems, and when you install it on Samsung and Xiaomi, you select the files to send to the old device, and the app generates a 6-digit key or a 6-digit key. QR-code.
On a new device, you type in that code or scan the code, and the connection is instantaneous, and the transfer starts, and the thing about these managers is that they often do better with specific file formats and bypass some of the system limitations that you might encounter with standard tools.
| Annex | Speed. | Advertising | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Mover | Tall. | No. | Optimal for Xiaomi |
| Send Anywhere | Medium | There you are (in free version) | It works via the Internet (optional) |
| SHAREit | Tall. | Many. | Support for a wide range of devices |
| Google Photo | Depends on the network. | No. | Cloud storage |
When using third-party software, you should be ready for ad integrations, especially in free versions, but the functionality of these tools often goes beyond simple photo transfer, allowing you to manage the file system more flexibly.
Typical problems and their solution
Users may encounter a number of difficulties in migrating. One of the most common problems is interruption of connection. If the transfer is 99 percent frozen, don't panic. Often the process is simply completed by background file indexing. Wait 10-15 minutes. If progress is not moving, try to break the connection and start over with fewer files.
Another common situation is the absence of some photos after transfer, which may be due to the fact that some photos are stored in hidden folders or folders of messengers (for example, WhatsApp Images).
Users also complain about the loss of quality. Make sure that the transmission does not include automatic compression. In the settings of Mi Mover and when sending via messengers (if you suddenly decide to send a photo to yourself in Telegram as files), you need to choose the option “No compression” or “Like a document”.
⚠️ Note: If you are using the format HEIC (It is common on iPhones, but it can be on new Samsungs, make sure your Xiaomi supports this format or automatically converts it to a new Samsung. JPEG. Otherwise, the photo may not be opened.
To solve the problems with format compatibility, you can use the built-in converter in the Xiaomi gallery or third-party applications-converters. However, modern versions of MIUI and HyperOS usually cope with the conversion of HEIC to JPEG automatically when imported, which makes life easier for the user.