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

The transition from Samsung to Xiaomi is not just about brand change, but also about the migration of all digital life: contacts, photos, messages, even app settings, which many users fear, thinking they will lose important data or spend hours manually restarting, and in fact, the transfer can be done in 15 to 40 minutes, if you know the nuances.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to transfer data, from official utilities (Mi Mover and Samsung Smart Switch) to universal cloud services and manual copying, and pay special attention to typical errors that cause users to lose WhatsApp chats or get broken photos. And we also find out why transferring through a Google account does not always restore the user’s SMS Notes from Samsung Notes and How to Get Around It.

It doesn’t matter if you’re moving from the flagship Galaxy. S23 Ultra on Xiaomi 14 Pro or with budget Galaxy A14 Redmi Note 13 - instructions will be suitable for any Android 10 and later models.

1. Preparation of telephones before data transfer

Before you start any migration method, follow the mandatory steps on both devices, which will save you from data loss and speed up the process:

• 🔋 Charge both smartphones to at least 50% (preferably 80%), transfer can take up to an hour, and discharge during the process will interrupt it.
• 📶 Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network (if you use wireless), which is critical for both the Mi Mover and Smart Switch.
• 🧹 Clean Xiaomi of unnecessary files. If it already has data, reset to factory settings (Settings) → The phone. → Resetting settings).
• 🔐 Make sure Samsung has disabled the screen lock (or know the password).Some ways require unlocking during the transfer.

Pay special attention to memory on Xiaomi. if you are transferring more than 30 GB of data (for example, video to video). 4K or a large number of photos, check the free space through Settings → Storage: If space is scarce, the system may interrupt the transfer or miss some files.

⚠️ Note: If Samsung has enabled data encryption (Settings) → Biometrics and safety → Encryption, some transfer methods (e.g., via cable) OTG) In this case, use cloud services or Smart Switch.

2. Method 1: Mi Mover – official solution from Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a built-in utility in Xiaomi smartphones designed to transfer data from other Android devices. It supports the transfer of contacts, messages, photos, video, audio, applications and even some settings. The main advantage is that you do not need to install additional programs on Samsung.

How it works:

1. Enable Xiaomi and at the initial setup stage select Data Transfer (or find Mi Mover in Settings). → Additionally).
2. On Samsung, open the Play Store and install the Mi Mover app (if it’s not on the list of offered ones).
3. Run Mi Mover on both phones and select Me sender on Samsung and I receiver on Xiaomi.
4. Scan it. QR-code from the Xiaomi screen with a Samsung camera or enter the code manually.
5. Select data types for transfer (contacts, SMS, Multimedia, etc.) and confirm the beginning of the process.

The transfer speed depends on the amount of data and the type of connection:

Mi Mover does not transfer data from some proprietary Samsung applications, for example:

• 📝 Samsung Notes (Notes)
• 🎵 Samsung Music (playlists)
• 📅 Samsung Calendar (Reminder Events)

For this data, use manual export (see section 5) or cloud services.

Charging both phones > 50%|Installed Mi Mover on Samsung|Power saving mode is off|Both phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.|Xiaomi has enough free space-->

Method 2: Samsung Smart Switch – Backward portability

Samsung Smart Switch is commonly used to transfer data to Samsung devices, but with a little trickery it can be made to work in the opposite direction, which is suitable if the Mi Mover does not recognize your Samsung model or there are connection errors.

Instructions:

1. Install Samsung Smart Switch on Xiaomi from Play Store.
2. Connect your phones through the cable OTG (need an adapter USB-C to USB-C or USB-C Micro-USB, depending on the ports).
3. On Samsung, select Send Data, on Xiaomi, Receive Data.
4. Wait for the scan to be completed and select the files to transfer.

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Faster than Mi Mover (up to 40MB/sec cable).
• 📂 Portable Samsung Notes and Samsung Health (in format) PDF or CSV).
• 🔄 You can selectively transfer only the necessary folders (for example, only the DCIM/Camera).

⚠️ Note: If Xiaomi has custom firmware installed (e.g. LineageOS), the Smart Switch may not recognize the device. In this case, use the method with Google Drive (section 4).

Limitations:

• 🚫 Does not tolerate WhatsApp and other messengers (you need a separate backup).
• 🔌 Requires original Samsung cable (cheap Chinese adapters may not work).

💡

If the Smart Switch doesn't see Xiaomi, try connecting the phones in reverse order: first the cable to Xiaomi, then to Samsung. Sometimes this solves the recognition problem.

Method 3: Cloud Services (Google Drive, OneDrive, Mi Cloud)

If you don't have a cable or if your phones don't see each other on Wi-Fi, cloud-based migration is a big deal, but it requires stable Internet and free space in the cloud.

4.1. Google Drive (for contacts, photos, documents)

The most reliable way to transfer contacts, calendars and photos:

1. On Samsung, open Settings → Accounts and Archiving → Archiving and Recovery.
2. Select Archive Data and specify Google Drive as a save location.
3. After archiving, log in to the same Google account on Xiaomi – the data will be downloaded automatically.

4.2. OneDrive (for large files)

If you have a lot of videos or heavy documents:

• 📁 Upload files from Samsung to OneDrive (you can use the app or website).
• 📥 On Xiaomi, download them through Files → Cloud. → OneDrive.

Mi Cloud (Xiaomi only) 4.3

Mi Cloud is useful if you have already used Xiaomi smartphones before:

• 🔄 Backup to Samsung in Mi Cloud (you need to install the app).
• 📲 Recover data on the new Xiaomi through Settings → Mi Account. → Mi Cloud → Recovery.

Comparison of cloud services:

⚠️ Note: If you transfer photos through Google Photos, disable the original quality option on Samsung before downloading. otherwise files can shrink to 16 MP, which will worsen the detailing.

5. Method 4: Manual transfer via computer

If you need to migrate sample files or data from specific applications (such as Samsung Notes or Samsung Health), the manual method will be the most reliable. USB-cable.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Samsung to your PC and turn on File Transfer mode (in the notification curtain).
2. Copy the required folders from internal memory: 📸 Photos and videos: DCIM, Pictures 🎵 Music: Music 📄 Documents: Documents, Download 📱 Backup copies of applications: Android/backup

Samsung

Xiaomi

For the transfer of specific data:

• 📝 Samsung Notes: Export notes to the PDF via app menu (⋮ → Exports).
• 🏃 Samsung Health: Backup your.sph file and convert it to Google Fit through third-party utilities (e.g. Health Sync).
• 💬 SMS/MMS: use the app SMS Backup & Restore to create a.xml file.

Important: Do not copy the entire Android folder – this can lead to conflicts with applications on Xiaomi, Android/obb play-off).

6. Method 5: Transfer WhatsApp and other messengers

WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber chats are not portable in the standard ways, but they need special manipulations:

6.1. WhatsApp

Official method:

1. On Samsung, make a backup of chats: ⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup copy.
2. Copy the folder. WhatsApp/Databases computer.
3. Install WhatsApp on Xiaomi, but don’t run it!
4. Transfer Databases to Internal Storage/WhatsApp Xiaomi.
5. Launch WhatsApp and restore chats from local copy.

Challenges and solutions:

• 🔄 If WhatsApp doesn’t see a backup, check that the file has a name. msgstore.db.crypt14 (current-age).
• 📱 If chats don’t recover, delete WhatsApp on Xiaomi, clear the cache and repeat the process.

6.2. Telegram

Telegram is simpler:

• 🔄 Enable Cloud Sync: Settings → Data and memory → Synchronization of contacts.
• 📲 Sign in to Xiaomi – all chats and media files will be automatically downloaded.

6.3. Viber

For Viber:

1. On Samsung, make a backup: More → Settings → Account. → Backup copy.
2. Transfer the viber.bup file to Xiaomi (to the Download folder).
3. Install Viber on Xiaomi and restore chats from the file.

⚠️ Note: If you used Dual Apps on Samsung, the messenger backups from the cloned versions will not be restored to Xiaomi.

7.Typical mistakes and how to avoid them

Even when following instructions, users often encounter problems, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

• 📵 Phones can't see each other on Wi-Fi: Check that both devices are on Wi-Fi Direct. VPN Firewalls (like Avast or Kaspersky) reboot the router.
• 🔌 Transfer interrupted by 99%: This is a typical Mi Mover problem. Try disabling battery optimization for the app in Xiaomi settings. If you use a cable, check it for damage.
• 📂 No photos/video: Make sure Xiaomi has enough space (sometimes the system reserves space for cache) Check the file format: Mi Mover can't stand it.HEIC (use the converter in.JPG).
• 🔒 Requested a password from Samsung Account: If you forget your password, reset it via account.samsung.com. If the account is not yours (for example, a phone bought with hands), contact the previous owner to unlock it.

If none of these methods worked, try a combination approach:

1. Move your contacts and calendars through your Google Account.
2. Photos and videos via OneDrive or a computer.
3. Chat messengers – manually (as described in section 6).
4. Apps – Re-install from the Play Store (some apps will automatically reset via Google Drive).

💡

If the transfer is delayed or frozen, do not forcefully interrupt the process, this can lead to loss of data. Wait 10-15 minutes, if nothing changes, only then restart your phones and start again.

8. What to do after the data transfer?

Transfer is only half the battle, and after the process is complete, be sure to follow these steps:

• 🔍 Check data integrity: Open the gallery and make sure all photos/video are in place. Check the contacts in the phone book (sometimes duplicated). Run messengers and make sure chats are restored.
• 🗑️ Clean up garbage: Remove duplicate photos with Google Photos (Utilities) → Free up space. Clear the app cache in Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔄 Set up sync: Enable automatic sync of contacts and calendars in your Google Account. Set up backup in Mi Cloud (Settings) → Mi Account. → Mi Cloud → Autosynchronization).
• 🔒 Protect your data: Set a password or fingerprint in Settings → Lock screen. Enable device encryption (Settings) → Additionally. → Encryption).

If you notice that some data has not been moved or corrupted, don't panic.You have 3 days (sometimes up to 7) to recover it from Samsung, unless you have done a reset.After that timeframe, cache and temporary files can be deleted by the system.

We also recommend checking the key functions:

• 📞 Call another number to make sure the microphone and speaker are working.
• 📷 Take a test photo to check the camera.
• 🌐 Connect to mobile internet and Wi-Fi to make sure the network is stable.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Samsung’s move to Xiaomi