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

Switching from Samsung to Xiaomi is not just about changing your smartphone, it's about migrating your entire digital life: contacts, photos, messages, even your settings, which many users fear for fear of losing data or having to set up a new device from scratch, but in practice, it takes 10 minutes to an hour to move depending on the method and amount of information you choose.

Modern Xiaomi offers built-in tools for migration, but not everyone knows how to use them effectively. For example, the standard Mi Mover application does not work with all Samsung models, and porting through a Google Account can “forget” some application settings. In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods of transferring – from the fastest to the most reliable, taking into account the nuances of specific models.

You'll know:

• 🔹 How to Transfer Data Without Loss Even If You Have an Old Samsung Galaxy S8 Or the new Xiaomi 14.
• 🔹 Why Not All Contacts Can Move Over Google and How to Fix It
• 🔹 How to keep your phone history and SMS, Which are usually lost when changing the brand
• 🔹 Hidden settings MIUI, This will speed up the adaptation to the new phone.

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

The first step is to clean and optimize the data on the old phone, which will speed up the process and prevent unnecessary garbage from being transferred. Start by checking the space: if Samsung has less than 15% of the memory left, some porting methods may not work smoothly.

Be sure to follow these steps:

• 📱 Update both phones. On Samsung, check Settings. → Update on Xiaomi - in Settings → The phone. → Update: Older versions of firmware may not support modern transmission protocols.
• 🔄 Sync your contacts with your Google Account (even if you plan to use another method).This is crash insurance. → Contact management → Synchronization.
• 🗑️ Remove duplicates in the gallery and contacts, and you can use apps like Files by Google or Clean Master.
• 🔋 Charge both phones to at least 50%.Transfer data over cable or Wi-Fi Direct drains the battery faster than usual.

A critical mistake many users make is that they forget to check the permissions for applications on Samsung. If you have access to files or contacts for system utilities disabled, the transfer will end with an error. → Annexes → Permissions and enable all rights for Smart Switch (if installed) or Mi Mover.

⚠️ Note: If your Samsung has enabled data encryption (optional in Settings) → Security, some transfer techniques may not work. In this case, use a physical cable. OTG cloud-storage.

2. Method 1: Mi Mover – official solution from Xiaomi (the fastest method)

Mi Mover is built into the MIUI It works with most Samsungs, but there are nuances: on some models (like the Galaxy) A10 J-series or J-series may require manual installation APK.

Step-by-step:

1. On Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select the option “Data Transfer” (or find Mi Mover in Settings). → Additionally).
2. On Samsung, download Mi Mover from Google Play (if it’s not on the system).
3. Run the app on both phones and select “I am the sender” on Samsung and “I am the recipient” on Xiaomi.
4. Scan it. QR-code from the Xiaomi screen with a Samsung camera or enter PIN-manually.
5. Select data types to transfer (contacts, messages, photos, videos, applications) and wait until it is completed.

The speed of the transfer depends on the amount of data:

• 📎 Do 5 GB — 5-10 minute
• 📎 5-20 GB — 15-30 minute
• 📎 20+ 40 GB+ Minutes (it is recommended to use the cable)

Mi Mover cannot handle Wi-Fi passwords, settings for some applications (such as WhatsApp) or data from secure Samsung Knox folders. If this data is critical, use additional methods from the following sections.

Method 2: Transfer through a Google Account (reliable, but not completely)

This is a good way to do it if you've already synced with Google to Samsung, and it transfers basic data, but not all settings and not all apps, and the main advantage is that you don't have to connect your phones to each other.

What exactly is being transferred:

Instructions:

1. On Samsung, check that sync is enabled: Settings → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization.
2. On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google Account when you first start up.
3. Wait for automatic synchronization (can take up to an hour).
4. Install the missing apps from Google Play (they will appear in the “My Apps and Games” section).

To transfer photos and videos that have not been uploaded to Google Photos, use a separate Files by Google app:

• 📁 Open the app on Samsung.
• 🔍 Select files for transfer (can be filtered by type: images, videos).
• 📤 Click “Send” and select “Save to Google Drive” or “Send to Device” (if the phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network).

⚠️ Warning: If Samsung had power saving enabled, sync with Google could be unstable. → Maintenance of the device → Battery.

Method 3: Cable OTG Adapter (for large amounts of data)

If you have more than 30 GB of data or weak Wi-Fi, you'll have faster and more stable cable transfers.

• 🔌 Cable OTG (s USB-C on USB-C or USB-A, depending on the Samsung model).
• 📱 Adapter (if Xiaomi does not have a port) USB-A).
• 💾 Flash drive (optional if you want to make an intermediate backup).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Samsung to Xiaomi via cable OTG. On Xiaomi, select the "File Transfer" mode" (MTP).
2. On Samsung, unlock the screen and confirm your trust in the device.
3. Open Explorer on Xiaomi (such as Files or Mi File Manager).
4. Go to the Internal Storage folder of the connected Samsung and copy the necessary data to Xiaomi memory.

Which folders should be copied manually:

• 📸 DCIM — photo-and-video.
• 🎵 Music, Podcasts - audio files.
• 📥 Download – Downloaded files.
• 📞 Android/data/com.android.providers.telephony — SMS and MMS (Root rights are required for access).

To transfer applications and their data (for example, save games) use ADB Backup:

adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab

This team will create a full backup on Samsung, which can then be restored on Xiaomi. Importantly, some apps (like banking) block such a transfer for security reasons.

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If Xiaomi doesn’t see Samsung through OTG, Try another cable or turn on the developer mode on both phones. To do this, click on the build number 7 times in Settings. → The phone.

5. Method 4: Samsung's Smart Switch (if Mi Mover doesn't work)

Samsung Smart Switch is a mirrored solution from Samsung that can also port data, but vice versa: from Samsung to other devices. It is less versatile than the Mi Mover, but sometimes saves if standard methods do not work.

How to use:

1. Download Smart Switch to Xiaomi from Google Play (not preinstalled).
2. Connect your phones via cable or Wi-Fi (select “Wireless” or “Connect Cable” in the app menu).
3. On Samsung, select data for export (contacts, messages, photos, etc.).
4. Wait for the transfer to be completed and check the data on Xiaomi.

The limitations of Smart Switch:

• ❌ Can't stand the settings. MIUI (Topics, gestures, system applications).
• ❌ Not all Xiaomi models are supported (the problems may be with the Redmi Note 12 and newer models).
• ❌ Slower Mi Mover with a lot of data.

If the Smart Switch freezes during the connection stage, try:

• 🔄 Reboot both phones.
• 🔌 Use the original cable from Samsung.
• 📶 Shut down. VPN Firewalls (they can block data transmission).

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Smart Switch is best used as a backup if the Mi Mover failed. For full portability, combine it with manual file copying through the file. OTG.

Method 5: Manual transfer through cloud storage (for advanced users)

If you need to migrate sample data or you don't trust automated tools, cloud services give you maximum control. → Xiaomi:

• 🌥️ Google Drive – 15 GB free, Android integration.
• 🌥️ Mi Cloud – 5GB free, optimized for Xiaomi.
• 🌥️ Yandex Disk – 10 GB free, convenient for Russian users.
• 🌥️ Telegram – you can send files to yourself in “Saved Messages” (limit 2 GB per file).

Step-by-step:

1. On Samsung, upload data to the cloud: Photo/video: Google Photos or Xiaomi Gallery (if already installed). Contacts: export to.vcf file via Contacts → Management → Exports. SMS: use SMS Backup & Restore (saves to.xml).

Xiaomi

To port data applications (such as WhatsApp or games), use specialized tools:

• 💬 WhatsApp: Backup in Google Drive (configure in Settings) → chat → Backup copy).
• 🎮 Games: sync through Google Play Games or Mi Account.
• 📊 Documents: Export from Samsung Notes to.pdf or.snote.

The advantage of the method is that you control each step and you can transfer data in parts, and the disadvantage is that it takes longer than automatic tools.

7.Setup Xiaomi after the transfer: what to do first

Even after successfully migrating data, the new phone needs to be fine-tuned, and this is what you need to do in the first few hours of Xiaomi’s use:

Mandatory steps:

• 🔒 Set up a screen lock: print, Face Unlock or PIN. Path: Settings → Password and security.
• 📶 Activate. 4G/5G: Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Network type (select the network type) 4G/5G).
• 🔔 Turn off unnecessary notifications: Settings → Notifications → Management of notifications.
• 🎨 Select the theme of design: Settings → Display. → Theme (in) MIUI There are built-in dark themes and options with accent colors).

Hidden chips MIUI, which many do not know:

• 👆 Navigation Gestures: Enable full-screen gestures in Settings → Display. → Full screen mode.
• 🔍 Search by settings: swipe down on the home screen and type in a query (e.g, "NFC" or “developer mode").
• 🔋 Battery Optimization: Activate “Super Energy Saving” in Settings → Battery to extend working hours.
• 📲 App cloning: Create a second account for WhatsApp or Telegram in Settings → Annexes → Cloning of applications.

If some apps are unstable after porting (such as Samsung Health or Bixby), they should be removed — they are optimized only for the Samsung ecosystem.

• 🏃 Samsung Health → Mi Fitness
• 🎵 Samsung Music → Mi Music
• 📅 Samsung Calendar → Google Calendar or Mi Calendar

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After transferring data, be sure to check permissions for applications in Settings → Confidentiality → Permissions: Many applications lose access to the camera, microphone or storage after migration.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Samsung’s move to Xiaomi