How to transfer data from Xiaomi to Samsung: 5 proven ways

Moving from Xiaomi to Samsung is not just about changing your brand, it’s also about migrating all your data, from contacts and photos to your phone history and app settings, and many users fear this process for fear of losing important information or spending hours manually transferring files. In fact, modern tools allow you to complete this task in 15 to 30 minutes, with most operations automated.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to transfer data between Redmi, POCO or Mi smartphones to Galaxy S, Galaxy A or Galaxy Z devices. You will learn how to use the official Samsung Smart Switch software, Google cloud services and Mi Cloud, as well as alternative methods for transferring specific types of files.

Preparation for transfer: what to do before the start

Before you start migrating, follow a few critical steps to avoid data loss and speed up the process:

• 🔋 Charge both phones to a minimum of 50% (optimally up to 80%). Data transfer can take up to an hour, and discharging during the process will cause a failure.
• 📶 Connect both devices to a stable Wi-Fi network. Cloud methods require a high-speed connection (from 10 Mbps).
• 🧹 Make room on Samsung. Make sure the new phone has enough memory for all the files you carry. → Caring for the device → Memory.
• 🔑 Prepare accounts: On Xiaomi: sign in to Mi Account and Google Account if you plan to use cloud services. On Samsung: log in to Samsung Account and the same Google Account as Xiaomi.

If you are migrating data from Xiaomi to Samsung over 2020, check the Android version on both devices. Samsung Smart Switch requires Android 8.0 or later to run seamlessly. You can find out the version in Settings → About Phone → Android version.

⚠️ Note: If the application protection function is enabled on Xiaomi (in Settings) → Annexes → Application protection, disable it. It can block access to data for third-party portability utilities.

2. Method 1: Samsung Smart Switch Official Tool

Samsung Smart Switch is a proprietary solution from Samsung, optimized for transferring data from devices to Android (including Xiaomi) and iOS.

• 📞 Contacts, call history and SMS/MMS
• 📷 Photos and videos (including Google Photos albums)
• 🎵 Music and documents
• 📱 System settings (wallpaper, sound circuits, alarm clocks)
• 📦 Some applications (if compatible with Samsung)

To use Smart Switch, follow the following steps:

1. Download the app on both phones: On Samsung: usually preinstalled (see the app menu). On Xiaomi: download from Google Play.

Smart Switch

Samsung

Get data → Android

Xiaomi

Send data → Cable

USB-C — USB-C

Samsung

Xiaomi

USB-debugging

Select the data types to transfer and wait for the process to be completed.

⚠️ Note: If the Smart Switch is stuck in the Preparation stage, check if Xiaomi is blocking transmission through Battery Optimization. Turn it off for the Smart Switch app in Settings → Annexes → Permits → Optimizing the battery.

Download the app on both phones |

Charge devices up to 50%+|

Connect to one Wi-Fi network|

Disable battery optimization for Smart Switch on Xiaomi|

Prepare original USB-cable-->

Method 3: Transfer through Google Account (for contacts, calendar, photos)

If you are actively using Google services, this method will allow you to transfer most of the data without additional applications, the main condition is that Xiaomi must have the same Google Account as Samsung.

What can be transferred via Google:

• 📇 Contacts (synchronized automatically)
• 📅 Calendar and reminders
• 📷 Photos and videos (via Google Photos)
• 📝 Notes (if you use Google Keep)
• 🎮 Data from some games (via Google Play Games)

Step-by-step:

1. On Xiaomi, open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Make sure that sync is enabled for all the data you need (contacts, calendar, Google Photos, etc.).
3. Wait for the synchronization to complete (check in the top notification bar).
4. On Samsung, log in to the same Google Account and enable sync in Settings → Accounts and Backups → Account Management.
5. The data will start to load automatically. Google Photos may need to open the app and wait for the media files to load.

If the photos don’t appear on Samsung, check out:

• Google Photos Settings: Go to Settings → Backup and Sync and make sure the feature is active.
• Google Photos folder in Samsung Gallery – sometimes files are saved there instead of to the main gallery.

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If you have slow internet, connect Xiaomi to Wi-Fi before syncing and leave it to charge overnight, ensuring that all data is uploaded to the cloud.

Method 3: Using Mi Cloud (for Xiaomi backup)

Mi Cloud is a cloud service from Xiaomi that allows you to create a full backup of your phone and then restore it to another device, and while you can't restore the backup directly on Samsung, you can extract individual files from it.

How to make a backup copy on Xiaomi:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Backup to Mi Cloud.
2. Select data for reservation (contacts, messages, photos, applications, etc.).
3. Click Start Backup and wait until it is completed.

To get files from Mi Cloud on Samsung:

1. Open your browser to Samsung and go to i.mi.com.
2. Sign in with the same Mi Account as Xiaomi.
3. In the Backups section, find the latest copy and download the necessary files (photos, videos, documents).
4. For contacts and messages, export them in.vcf and.xml formats respectively, then import them to Samsung.

⚠️ Warning: Mi Cloud only provides 5GB of free space.If the amount of data exceeds this limit, buy extra space or use another port method.

5. Method 4: Direct transmission via cable (without software)

If you do not want to install additional applications, you can transfer files directly through the cable. USB-OTG It's a method that works for media files, documents and APK-applications, but not for system data (contacts, messages).

You'll need:

• 🔌 Cable USB-C — USB-C (adapter USB-A — USB-C old-model).
• 🖥️ Computer (optional, but convenient for file sorting).

Instructions for transmission via computer:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your PC via USB-cable.
2. On your phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode in the connection notification.
3. Copy the files you need (from DCIM, Downloads, Pictures, etc.) to your computer.
4. Turn off Xiaomi and plug in Samsung by repeating step 2.
5. Transfer files from your PC to Samsung.

For direct transfer between phones (without PC):

1. Connect Xiaomi to Samsung via USB-OTG adapter.
2. On Samsung, open the My Files app and go to the section USB-device.
3. Select the files and copy them to Samsung’s internal memory.

This is the most versatile method, but requires manual sorting, such as photos from Google Photos can be stored in the Pictures/Screenshots folder, and downloaded files can be stored in Download.

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Direct transmission over cable is the only way to transfer files in their original quality without compression, which occurs when uploaded to the cloud.

Method 5: Alternative applications (for specific data types)

If standard methods do not work, use specialized applications to transfer certain types of data:

Example of SMS transfer via SMS Backup & Restore:

1. Install the app on Xiaomi and create a backup (.xml file).
2. Export the file to Samsung (via cloud or cable).
3. Install the app on Samsung and restore messages from the file.

Use App Backup & Restore to port data applications (such as game saves), but note that not all apps support recovery on another device due to differences in Xiaomi and Samsung architecture.

Typical problems and their solutions

Even when following the instructions, there may be difficulties.

• 🔄 Smart Switch doesn't see Xiaomi: Check the cable - use the original from Samsung. USB-Debugging on Xiaomi (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Press 7 times, then return to Additional → Update your Smart Switch to the latest version.
• 📱 Apps not portable: Samsung does not support installation APK Download the apps again from Google Play. To transfer application data (for example, game saves), use Helium or Swift Backup (root rights are required).
• 🔒 Unblock requests: Xiaomi may request to unlock Mi Account. Enter password or disable account binding in Settings → Mi Account → Get out.
• 📸 Photos transferred in low quality: This happens when using Google Photos with the setting "High quality" (compression). Before transfer, change the setting to "Original quality" in Settings → Backup.

⚠️ Note: If contacts are missing after transfer to Samsung, check if they are duplicated. Sometimes Smart Switch creates a separate group of contacts called "Imported.

8 What to do after data transfer

Data portability is just the first step, and to make Samsung work optimally, you can do a few extra things:

• 🔄 Update: Go to Settings → Update and install the latest security patches.
• 📱 Set up accounts: Add all used mailboxes to Settings → Accounts. Enable sync for Google Drive, Calendar and Contacts.
• 🔒 Set up security: Activate Samsung Knox for data protection. Set up fingerprint or face unlock in Settings → Biometrics and safety.
• 🎵 Personalize the interface: Import wallpaper and themes from the Galaxy Store. customize the Edge panel for quick access to apps.

If you have migrated apps manually (via APK), update them via Google Play as they may be outdated. Also check for permissions for apps in Settings → Apps – some features (like camera access) may be disabled by default.

Finally, we recommend that you cache Samsung after transferring the data, which will help you avoid migration-related lags. Go to Settings → Device Care → Memory → Clear the cache.

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After transferring the data, perform a full Samsung restart (hold the power button → Reboot) to help the system apply all the settings correctly.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer from Xiaomi to Samsung