Samsung to Xiaomi Data Transfer: A Complete Guide to Photos and Videos

The switch from Samsung to Xiaomi is not just a smartphone change, but a full-fledged migration of digital life. Even if you bought the top-end Redmi Note 13 Pro+ or the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra, without transferring contacts, photos and chats, the new gadget will seem empty. According to Counterpoint Research, 38% of users lose some data when changing their brand – and most often this is due to the wrong method of transfer.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to transfer data, from the official Mi Mover tool to manual copying via PC, you will learn how to avoid typical errors (for example, loss of WhatsApp history) and what Xiaomi settings need to change before migrating. And for owners of older models of Samsung Galaxy S8/S9 or Note 10, we have prepared separate life hacks – these devices require a special approach.

1.Preparation for the transfer: what to do on Samsung before the start

The first and most important step is to prepare the old phone, and many users skip this step and then experience errors like "lack of space" or "unsupported file format." Here's what you should do on Samsung:

• 📱 Update your firmware. Go to Settings. → Update and install the latest patches. On Android 10 and older, this is critical for Mi Mover compatibility.
• 🔋 Charge both phones to at least 50%. Data transfer can take up to 2 hours, and discharging in the process will interrupt the operation.
• 🗃️ Clear the cache. → Caring for the device → Memory. → Clear the cache, it'll free up until 1-3 GB space.
• 🔒 Turn off the screen lock (if you use it) PIN/Some transfer methods require unlocked access.

Pay special attention to applications with protected data:

• 💬 WhatsApp/Telegram: Create a backup copy of chats manually (in the settings of the messenger).
• 📸 Google Photos: Check that all media files are synced to the cloud.
• 🎮 Games: save (e.g. Genshin Impact or Honor of Kings) by linking to your Mi Account or Google Play Games account.

⚠️ Note: If your Samsung has enabled data encryption (check Settings) → Biometrics and safety → Encryption, some portability techniques may not work. In this case, use the PC and cable method. USB-C (described in section 4).

2.The official way: Mi Mover by Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a Xiaomi-branded app that is installed by default on all new smartphones of the brand, and supports porting from Samsung, iPhone, Huawei and other Android devices, the main advantage of which is the preservation of folder structure and metadata (for example, the date of photo creation).

Step-by-step:

1. On Xiaomi: Open Settings → About Phone → Data Transfer (Mi Mover).
2. On Samsung: Download Mi Mover from Google Play (if it’s not in your area, use APK with APKCombo).
3. Select the “I’m a new phone” role on Xiaomi and “I’m an old phone” on Samsung.
4. Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (or use the access point on Xiaomi).
5. On Samsung, scan it. QR-code that will appear on the screen of Xiaomi.
6. Select data types for transfer (contacts, messages, photos, video, audio, applications).
7. Wait until the process is complete (time depends on the amount of data).

Important: If you have a Samsung Galaxy S22/S23 one UI 5.1+, Before using Mi Mover, disable the "Data Protection" function in Settings → Accounts and archiving → Archiving and recovery. Otherwise, the app won't be able to read SMS call-book.

Disable VPN on both phones |

Make sure that Xiaomi has enough space (minimum) +10% of the volume of data transferred)|

Close all background applications on Samsung|

Disable the power saving mode on both devices-->

3.Alternative: Samsung's Smart Switch

If Mi Mover didn’t do the job (like moving your call history or Samsung Notes notes), try the reverse method, using Samsung’s Smart Switch.This app is originally designed to port data to Samsung devices, but with some tricks it works the other way around.

Algorithm of action:

1. Install Smart Switch on Xiaomi from Google Play.
2. On Samsung, open the Smart Switch (already preinstalled) and select Send Data.
3. Connect your phones with a USB-C-USB-C cable (use the original cable from Samsung for stability).
4. On Xiaomi, in the developer settings (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times) → Additional), turn on “Debugging by USB”.
5. In Smart Switch on Samsung, select the data to export and wait until it is completed.

Advantages of this method:

• 📝 Stores notes from Samsung Notes (in.snb format, which can then be converted to PDF).
• 📞 Transfers the log of calls with tags (incoming/outgoing/missed).
• 🎵 Samsung Music Playlists (unlike Mi Mover).

⚠️ Note: When migrating over Smart Switch to Xiaomi, some Samsung system applications (such as Samsung Health or Bixby) may not show up, and they will have to be installed manually from the Galaxy Store (but they run unstablely on Xiaomi).

4. Computer Transfer: Reliable but Longer

If wireless methods don’t work (like slow Wi-Fi or big data), use a PC as an intermediary, which is universal and works even with very old models of the Samsung Galaxy J3 2016 or Note 5.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Windows computer 10/11 macOS.
• 🔌 Cable USB-C — USB-A (or adapter for MacBook).
• 📂 Programs: Samsung Smart Switch for PC and Mi PC Suite (or Xiaomi File Manager).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Samsung to your PC and run Smart Switch for PC. Select Backup and save the data to your hard drive.
2. Turn off Samsung, plug in Xiaomi and launch the Mi PC Suite.
3. In Mi PC Suite, select Recovery and specify the path to a Smart Switch backup.
4. Confirm the data transfer (the process can take from 20 minutes to 2 hours depending on the volume).

To transfer individual files (photos, music) you can do without the following programs:

1. Connect Samsung to your PC in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy the folders you want (DCIM, Downloads, Music) on your PC.
3. Connect Xiaomi and paste the files into the appropriate folders.

1. Switch the connection mode in the notification curtain (from "Charging" to "Transfer of files").

2. Install Mi PC Suite drivers manually through the official Xiaomi website.

3. Use another USB-port (preferably) USB 3.0 blue).-->

5. Cloud services: Google Drive, Mi Cloud and others

If you don't have a cable or a PC on hand, cloud storage is a lifeline, plus data is available on any device, minus volume limits (for example, free Google Drive only gives 15 GB).

Comparison of services for transfer:

Instructions for Google Drive (the most versatile option):

1. On Samsung, open Google Drive and click "+ → Download".
2. Select files for transfer (photos, videos, documents).
3. On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account and download files through the Google Drive app.
4. For contacts: sync them with Google Contacts on Samsung, then they will automatically pull up on Xiaomi.

For Mi Cloud (if you want to use the Xiaomi ecosystem):

1. On Xiaomi, go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Enable synchronization for the desired data types.
3. On Samsung, install Mi Cloud from Google Play and sign in to the same account.
4. Upload the data to the cloud, then it will automatically reach Xiaomi.

💡

Use Mi Cloud only for temporary storage – after transferring the data is better to download to the device. Xiaomi cloud has a restriction on free space (5 GB), and if you exceed the limit, files can be deleted after 30 days.

6. Transfer of applications and their data

The hardest part of migration is migrating installed apps and their data (such as saves in games or settings in social networks), there is no universal solution, but we have collected proven ways for popular categories:

Social networks and messengers:

• 📘 Facebook/Instagram: Data is linked to the account – just log in under the same login.
• 💬 WhatsApp: On Samsung, back up your Settings → chat → Backup. Copy WhatsApp folder from internal memory on your PC. Install WhatsApp on Xiaomi, but don't run it! Move WhatsApp folder to Xiaomi to memory root. Launch WhatsApp and restore chats from local copy.

Telegram

secret-chat

Games:

• 🎮 Genshin Impact/Honkai: Star Rail: Link your mail account or MiHoYo account.
• 🏆 Clash of Clans/Brawl Stars: sync through Google Play Games or Supercell ID.
• 🕹️ PUBG Mobile/Call of Duty Mobile: Use Facebook or Twitter binding.

Banking applications and 2FA:

• 🏦 SberBank Online/Tinkoff: reinstall the application and log in to the username/password. SMS push-notification.
• 🔐 Google Authenticator: Move codes through export/import (in app settings).
• 💳 Samsung Pay: Use Mi Pay or Google Pay on Xiaomi (cards will have to be added again).

⚠️ Note: Some apps (such as Samsung Health or Bixby) don't work on Xiaomi because of Samsung's proprietary technology: 🏃 Samsung Health → Mi Fitness or Google Fitness. 🗣️ Bixby → Google Assistant or XiaoAI (voice assistant from Xiaomi).

7.Setup Xiaomi after data transfer

After a successful migration, take your time to rejoice – Xiaomi requires additional adjustment to work correctly.

System optimization:

• 🔄 Update. MIUI Up to the latest version: Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🧹 Clear the cache: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Clear the cache.
• 🔋 Turn off unnecessary background processes: Settings → Battery → Energy saving regime → Setting up.

Personalization:

• 🎨 Set theme under Samsung One UI: In Themes, find the Samsung Style collection (there are simulations of the Galaxy interface).
• 🔔 Set up notifications: Xiaomi has disabled alerts by default for some apps. Check in Settings → Notifications.
• 🔊 Change the sound circuit: Settings → Sound. → Sound circuit → Classic (similar to Samsung).

Safety:

• 🔒 Set up Face Unlock or Fingerprint: Settings → Password and security → Add a print.
• 🛡️ Enable Virus Protection: Security → Scanning.
• 🔑 Backup in Mi Cloud: Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Backup.

For owners of Xiaomi with AMOLED-screen (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T Pro or Redmi K60):

• 🌗 Turn on Dark Theme Always: Settings → Display. → Dark subject. → Always (it will prolong the life of the screen).
• 🔄 Set Update Frequency: Settings → Display. → Frequency of update → 120 Hz (for smoothness).