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

The transition from Samsung to Xiaomi is not just a smartphone change, but a complete migration of digital life. Even if you bought the new Redmi Note 13 Pro+ or the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra, without transferring contacts, photos, messages and applications, the device will remain an empty box. The problem is that the One UI (Samsung) and MIUI (Xiaomi) ecosystems use different synchronization mechanisms, and standard tools like Google Account often carry data incompletely or with errors.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 working ways to migrate data, from official utilities to manual methods for power users, how to avoid file loss, why Bluetooth porting can crop high-resolution video, and what to do if Xiaomi doesn’t see a backup with Samsung, and a multi-data compatibility table and FAQ response to frequent errors.

1.The official way: Mi Mover utility from Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a proprietary solution from Xiaomi that is installed on both phones and transmits data over a direct Wi-Fi connection.The method works for most Samsung models (starting with the Galaxy S7) and all Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO on the MIUI 10+.

Advantages of the method:

- Transfers contacts, SMS, photos, videos, music, calendars and even some settings of system applications (for example, alarm clocks).

No Internet connection – data is transmitted directly between devices.

- Stores folder structure (e.g. albums in the Gallery).

How to use Mi Mover:

• 📱 Install the Mi Mover app on both phones: from Google Play for Samsung and from the App Store MIUI Xiaomi.
• 🔗 Run the utility on both devices and select “I am the sender” on Samsung and “I am the recipient” on Xiaomi.
• 📶 Connect to a single Wi-Fi network or create an access point on Xiaomi (recommended for stability).
• 🔍 Scan it. QR-code from the screen Xiaomi on Samsung for pairing.
• 📁 Select data types for transfer and confirm the transfer.

⚠️ Note: If data encryption is enabled on Samsung (Settings) → Security → Encryption, Mi Mover may not see some files.In this case, use the backup method via Smart Switch (Section 3).

Charging the battery of both phones > 50%|Disabled. VPN firewalls|Xiaomi has enough free space (data is taken up by the 10-15% more)|Both phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi (or hotspot created)|Old Mi Mover backups removed (they may conflict)-->

2.Move over Google Account: Pros and pitfalls

Syncing through Google Account is the most versatile way, but it doesn’t work perfectly. For example, photos are only transferred in compressed quality (unless you use Google Photos in the original resolution), and SMS and call log may not sync on some Samsung firmware.

What exactly is carried through Google:

Contacts (in full, including groups and notes)

- Calendars and reminders.

- Google Keep notes.

Applications (list only, without data inside them).

Wi-Fi settings and some system settings (such as keyboard language)

Step-by-step:

1. On Samsung, go to Settings → Accounts & Archiving → Account Management and select your Google Account.
2. Activate synchronization for all data categories (especially Contacts, Calendar, Google Photos).
3. On Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select “Recover Data” and log in to the same Google Account.
4. Wait for the synchronization to be completed (it can take up to 30 minutes depending on the amount of data).

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If contacts are not displayed on Xiaomi after synchronization, check your account settings: go to Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync and manually update the data.

3. backup via Samsung Smart Switch + restore on Xiaomi

Samsung Smart Switch is the official app for backing up data from Samsung phones.Although it is designed to be ported to other Samsung devices, the backup can be extracted and transferred to Xiaomi manually.

Suitable for transfer:

SMS, call log, contacts (in.spb format).

Photos, videos, music (in original quality)

Documents and files from internal memory.

Instructions:

• 📲 Install Smart Switch on Samsung (usually preinstalled).
• 💾 Connect your phone to your computer through USB and back up (select “Pack Backup»).
• 🖥️ The backup file will be saved in.spb format (e.g, SM-G975F_20260515.spb).
• 🔍 Use the Samsung Backup Extractor (for example, SPB Extract) to extract data from.spb into readable format.
• 📁 Copy the extracted files to Xiaomi via USB cloud.

⚠️ Note:.spb backup files are encrypted and not opened by standard archivers. Data retrieval will require specialized software, such as Samsung Backup Extractor (paid) or SPB Extract (free but with limited).

4. File transfer via OTG cable or adapter

If you only need to transfer photos, videos or documents, the quickest way is to connect Samsung to Xiaomi. OTG-adapter (or cable) USB-C to USB-C, This method bypasses the limitations of cloud services and works even without the Internet.

What you need:

- OTG-adapter (e.g, USB-C (male) to USB-A (female)).

USB cable to connect Samsung to the adapter.

File Manager on Xiaomi (e.g., standard Files or Solid Explorer)

Step-by-step:

1. Connect. OTG-Xiaomi adapter.
2. Connect Samsung to the adapter via USB-cable.
3. On Samsung, select File Transfer (MTP) mode in the Connection Notification.
4. On Xiaomi, open the file manager – in the Devices section, the folder of Samsung’s internal memory will appear.
5. Copy the files you want (like the DCIM folder with a photo) into Xiaomi’s internal memory.

The transfer speed depends on the USB version:

USB 2.0 (older models): ~10-15 MB/s.

USB 3.0+ (new flagships): up to 40-50 MB / s.

5. Applications and their data portability: what works and what doesn’t

You can transfer installed applications from Samsung to Xiaomi, but with reservations:

- APK-Application files are easily copied (via file manager), but the data inside them (save games, settings) – no.

Some applications (such as banking) are tied to the device and will require re-authorization.

System applications (such as Samsung Health) will not work on Xiaomi.

How to move applications:

• 📌 Use it. APK Extractor on Samsung to save APK-file.
• 📲 Copy. APK on Xiaomi and install manually (allow installation from unknown sources in Settings) → Annexes → Special rights).
• 🔄 To transfer data within apps (e.g., progress in games), use: - Built-in sync with your account (e.g., Google Play Games for games). - Backup via Swift Backup (root rights required).

Exceptions:

DRM-protected apps (e.g. Netflix, Disney+) will not be portable – they must be installed from Google Play.

Samsung’s branded services (Samsung Pay, Bixby) on Xiaomi do not work fundamentally.

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Porting apps without data is pointless for games and instant messengers. Always check if the app supports cloud sync (like WhatsApp — yes, some banking apps — no).

6. Alternative methods: clouds, messengers and third-party utilities

If standard methods don't work, alternative services can be used, with cross-platform capabilities being the main plus, and data volume or speed limits being the minus.

Popular options:

• ☁️ Google Drive: Suitable for transferring documents, photos (up to 15 GB free).How to use: - Upload files from Samsung to Google Drive. - Download them to Xiaomi via an app or browser.
• 📤 Telegram: You can send files up to 2 GB to Save Messages. - Plus: no restrictions on the number of files. - Cons: slow loading with a large volume.
• 🔄 SHAREit or Xender: Wi-Fi Direct transmission. – Speed is faster than Bluetooth, but requires you to install the app on both phones. – Warning: Some antiviruses block these utilities due to ad modules.
• 💾 Local Cloud (e.g. Nextcloud or Syncthing): - Suitable for tech-savvy users. - Allows data to be synchronized between devices without restrictions.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party utilities (e.g. SHAREit), disable battery optimization for these apps on both phones. otherwise, transmission may be interrupted due to background activity restriction.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions