Why migrating data between Android smartphones of different brands is not as easy as it seems
The transition from Samsung Galaxy to Xiaomi Redmi/POCO is not just a change of gadget, but a migration between two ecosystems with unique chips. Even within the same Android OS, manufacturers are imposing their own shells: One UI from Samsung and MIUI/HyperOS from Xiaomi, which means that standard Google tools (like Data Recovery) may not transfer the settings of the themes, Samsung Notes branded notes or data from Secure Folder – they will have to save manually.
The second trap is protocol versionality. For example, Xiaomi is actively promoting its own Mi Mover (now part of Quick Share in new models), but it does not always work correctly with Samsung because of the differences in the implementation of wireless protocols. And Samsung’s classic Smart Switch refuses to see Xiaomi devices as compatible at all. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways, from official to bypass, taking into account the nuances of 2026.
Method 1: Wireless transfer via Mi Mover (Quick Share)
This is a proprietary solution from Xiaomi, which is integrated into Quick Share (similar to AirDrop) in the new firmware, and supports the transfer of contacts, messages, photos, videos and even some applications (APK-An important condition: Samsung must be installed Android version not lower than 8.0, and Xiaomi — MIUI 12+ or hyperos.
How it works:
- 📱 On Xiaomi, open Settings → The phone. → Mi Mover (or Quick Share) in HyperOS).
- 🔄 Select “I am a new user” and follow the prompts.
- 📲 Download Mi Mover from Google Play on Samsung (if it’s not in your area, use it). APK APKMirror).
- 🔗 Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network and scan QR-Xiaomi screen code.
⚠️ Note: Mi Mover can “hang” in the transfer phase of applications, if Samsung has enabled battery optimization for this application. → Caring for the device → Battery → Optimizing the operation of applications.
Turn off VPN on both devices
Battery Charge > 50% on both phones
Free space on Xiaomi ≥ the amount of data transferred
Turn off the firewall/antivirus (interfering) P2P-linkage)-->
Transfer speed depends on the version of Wi-Fi: on Xiaomi 13 Pro (Wi-Fi 6E) and Galaxy S23 Ultra 50 GB photo is transferred in ~20 minutes, and on budget models like Redmi Note 12 the same volume can take an hour.
- 🔌 Reboot both phones.
- 📶 Switch to a mobile hotspot (sometimes more stable than a router).
- 🛠️ Manually select only critical data (e.g. only contacts and data) SMS).
What if the Mi Mover doesn’t see Samsung?
Method 2: Transfer via OTG + adapter cable
If wireless methods fail, physical connection via USB-C OTG-cable (or lightning)→USB-C For old Samsungs, it's the most reliable option:
- 🔌 Cable OTG (For example, Baseus or the original from Xiaomi).
- 🔄 adapter USB-C → USB-C (If the Samsung Type-C connector is not symmetrical).
- 📱 X-Plore File Manager (or any file manager with a function) OTG).
Step-by-step:
- Connect Samsung to Xiaomi via OTG-On the Samsung screen, select File Transfer Mode (MTP).
- On Xiaomi, open X-Plore, go to the section USB-The storage device (will appear after connection).
- Copy the right folders: 📞 Contacts: /Phone/DCIM/Telegram (if exported to VCF) or /Phone/Contacts. 📷 Photo/video: /Phone/DCIM/Camera and /Phone/Pictures. 💬 Messages: Export through SMS Backup & Restore (see Method) 4).
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If Xiaomi doesn’t see Samsung through OTG, Try to plug them in backwards, first in Xiaomi, then in Samsung, and sometimes it works because of the initialization. USB-host.
⚠️ Note: Do not copy the entire Android folder, which can disrupt the system applications on Xiaomi. Android/data/com.whatsapp (Please note that WhatsApp will require a re-authorization).
| Type of data | The Way to Samsung | Where to copy on Xiaomi | nuance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photo/video | /DCIM/Camera | /DCIM/Camera | Metadata (date, geotags) will be saved |
| Contacts (VCF) | /Phone/Contacts | Import through Contacts → Settings → Import | Contact groups may not be moved |
| Downloads. | /Download | /Download | APK-Files must be installed manually |
| Notes (Samsung Notes) | /Phone/Samsung/Notes | Export to PDF via the application | Xiaomi Notes does not support SNOTE imports |
Method 3: Cloud Services – Google Drive vs Xiaomi Cloud
If you have a slow one. OTG-If you have a cable or no adapter, cloud services will save the day, but there are pitfalls:
- 🔒 Google Drive limits free storage to 15 GB. To transfer 100 GB of photos you will have to buy space or archive data.
- ☁️ Xiaomi Cloud gives 5GB for free, but not all files can be downloaded via a web interface (e.g., the company’s own website, APK blockage).
- ⚡ Samsung Cloud is closed to new users from 2021, but if you have a backup, it can be downloaded to your PC and downloaded to Xiaomi.
Optimal algorithm:
- Samsung: 📁 Archive the data in ZIP through the Files → Highlight everything → Squeeze. ☁️ Upload the archive to Google Drive (My Drive folder) → Downloads").
Xiaomi
- 📥 Install Google Drive.
- 🔍 Find the archive in the "Recent" section and download it.
- 🗃️ Unclose through Files → Extract.
Make sure that Xiaomi has the same Google account as Samsung.
🎮 Annexes and their data
To port APK and application data:
- 🛠️ Use Titanium Backup (requires root) or App Backup & Restore (no root).
- 📦 Export. APK + Data on Samsung, then import it to Xiaomi.
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To transfer these games (for example, saves in Genshin Impact), use the link to the developer account (miHoYo, Epic Games, etc.). Local saves will not be possible to transfer!
Method 5: Transfer over PC (for large amounts of data)
If you want to move >100GB (for example, a video collection in 4K), you should use a computer.
- 💻 PC Windows/macOS/Linux.
- 🔌 Two. USB-cables (preferably original).
- 📂 Syncthing (for synchronization) or simply a conductor.