How to transfer all data from Samsung to Xiaomi Poco X3: 5 Proven Methods

Switching from Samsung to Xiaomi Poco X3 — It's not just about brand change, it's about saving all the important data, from contacts to message history, and many people worry that it's going to take hours or loss of information, but in fact, with the tools that we have today, we can do it in 15 to 30 minutes. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways of data migration, including official utilities from Xiaomi, cloud services and manual methods.

Poco's Feature X3 — It's a hybrid firmware on the base. MIUI, But what's not known is that it works not only with other Xiaomi smartphones, but also with Samsung, Huawei and other brands. S21, Galaxy A52 POCO X3 Pro (relevant to the standard version of Poco) X3) — The results are shown in the comparative table below.

If you've never moved data between Android devices before, don't worry: we've detailed every step, including pitfalls you might encounter, like why Google accounts aren't portable. SMS Notes from Samsung Notes, or how to get around the Mi Mover limit on the amount of files transferred (spoiler: you will need to use it) OTG-cable).

1. Preparation of telephones before data transfer

Before you start migrating, you have to take a few critical steps, and if you skip them, you run the risk of errors like "Unconnected" or losing some data.

On Samsung:

• 🔋 Battery charge of at least 50% (at low charge, the process can be interrupted).
• 📁 Free up 2-3 GB of storage – temporary files can take up a lot of space.
• 🔄 Upgrade your Samsung Smart Switch to the latest version (if you plan to use this method).
• 🔒 Make sure the power saving mode is turned off in Settings → Maintenance of the device → Battery.

On Xiaomi Poco X3:

• 📱 Reset your smartphone to factory settings (if new) or back up your current data.
• 🔌 Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network (for Mi Mover and Google Account).
• 🛠️ Install the latest version MIUI through settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🔐 Put the debugging on. USB In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Press 7 times on "Version" MIUI", Then go back to the extra. → For developers).

⚠️ Note: If Samsung has enabled data encryption (Settings) → Biometrics and safety → Other security parameters → Encryption, the process of transferring via cable can take 2-3 times longer.

2. Method 1: Mi Mover is the official tool from Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a built-in utility in Poco X3, It allows you to transfer data from other Android devices, including Samsung:

• 📞 Contacts (including groups and tags).
• 💬 Communications (SMS and MMS, But not messages from messengers like WhatsApp).
• 📷 Photo and video (in original resolution).
• 🎵 Music and audio files.
• 📅 Calendar and reminders.
• 📱 System settings (wallpaper, brightness, sound profiles).

However, there are limitations:

• ❌ Not portable: apps (only their data if installed on both devices), notes from Samsung Notes, data from some messengers.
• ⚠️ Maximum amount of data transmitted – 4 GB (if exceeded, you will need to use the data) OTG-cable).
• ⏳ The process can take up to 40 minutes with a large amount of files.

Step-by-step:

1. On Poco. X3 When you first turn on, select Data Transfer. If your phone is already set up, go to Settings. → The phone. → Data Transfer (Mi Mover).
2. On Samsung, install the Mi Mover app from Google Play.
3. On both phones, select Me the sender (on Samsung) and I the receiver (on Poco). X3).
4. Scan it. QR-Poco screen X3 on Samsung or connect via the Wi-Fi hotspot created by Xiaomi.
5. Select data types to transfer and confirm the start of the process.

Charging both phones > 50%|Power saving mode is off.|Free 2.+ GB on Poco X3|Wi-Fi or mobile internet is stable|Samsung has the latest update installed-->

⚠️ Warning: If Mi Mover is “hanging” during the “Data Preparation” phase, try turning it off. VPN On both devices or restart the process, also check if the antivirus (e.g. McAfee on Samsung) is blocking data transmission.

3. Method 2: Google Account – Universal but Incomplete Transfer

Syncing through Google Account is the easiest way, but it has significant limitations.

• 📞 Contacts (in full, including profile photos).
• 📅 Calendar and tasks.
• 📧 Letters from Gmail.
• 📷 Photos and videos (if uploaded to Google Photos).
• 🔑 Passwords from Google Smart Lock.

What's not going to happen:

• 💬 SMS and MMS.
• 📱 Apps and their data (except those synced through an account, such as Chrome or Google Keep).
• 📝 Notes from Samsung Notes (they must be exported manually).
• 🎵 Music and audio files (unless downloaded to Google Play Music).

How to transfer data:

1. On Samsung, go to Settings → Accounts and archiving → Manage your accounts and select your Google Account.
2. Make sure that sync is enabled for Contacts, Calendar, Google Photos and other services.
3. On Poco. X3 When you first turn on, select Restore from backup and log in to the same Google account.
4. Select a backup from Samsung (it should show up automatically if sync is successful).

💡

If you use Google Photos to transfer media files, turn on the option “Original quality” in the backup settings. Otherwise, photos and videos will be compressed to 16 MP and the user will be able to use the same option. 1080p respectively.

Method 3: Samsung Smart Switch is an alternative for loyal users

Samsung Smart Switch is a Samsung-branded utility that is originally designed to transfer data to new devices of the brand, but it can also be used to migrate to Xiaomi if you export data correctly.

Advantages of the method:

• 📲 Transferred all. SMS/MMS, attachment.
• 📝 Notes from Samsung Notes (exported in.snb format).
• 📱 Application data is stored (if installed on Poco) X3).

How to transfer data via Smart Switch:

1. On Samsung, install Smart Switch from Google Play.
2. Connect Samsung to your computer via USB and select Backup in Smart Switch.
3. Save backup to your PC (the file will have the.spb extension).
4. Download the Smart Switch program for PC and open a backup.
5. Export the data you need (contacts to.vcf, SMS in.xml, notes in.snb).
6. Transfer Exported Files to Poco X3 through USB-cable.

⚠️ Note: Smart Switch (.spb) backup files cannot be opened directly on Xiaomi, but must be converted to a PC or retrieved through official software.

5. Method 4: Manual transfer through OTG-plug-in

If you don’t have Wi-Fi access or want to transfer a lot of data (over 4GB), the best option is to use it. OTG-cable or external drive (flash drive, SSD). This method is universal and works even when wireless protocols fail.

What you need:

• 🔌 OTG-cable (Type-C) → Type-C or Type-C → USB-A, depending on the connector).
• 💾 File system flash drive FAT32 or exFAT (if files are larger than 4 GB).
• 📂 File Manager (e.g. Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the flash drive to Samsung via OTG-adapter.
2. Copy the files you need: Contacts: export to.vcf via Contacts → Management → Exports. Photo/video: copy folders DCIM and Pictures. SMS: use the app SMS Backup & Restore to backup.xml. Applications: Use APK Extractor for extraction APK-file.

Samsung

Poco X3

Copy files into internal memory or SD-map.

• Contacts: Contacts → Management → Imports.
• SMS: restore through SMS Backup & Restore.
• Annexes: install APK-Manual files (allow installation from unknown sources in Settings) → Annexes → Special rights).

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Manual transfer through OTG — The only way to transfer data over 10 GB without losing quality is to take more time and attention to detail (e.g., the right file system on a flash drive).

Method 5: Transfer over a computer (for power users)

If you prefer to work with a PC, you can transfer data through the ADB (Android Debug Bridge, or standard tools like Windows Explorer, is a good way to do this:

• 🖥️ Full backup of all data (including hidden files).
• 🔧 Transfer of system settings (e.g, APN mobile-internet).
• 📂 Work with large volumes (more than 50 GB).

Instructions via ADB:

1. Install ADB and Fastboot on PC.
2. Put the debugging on. USB on both phones (see section "Preparation").
3. Connect Samsung to your PC and execute the command to create a backup: adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f C:\backup_samsung.ab (where C:\backup_samsung.ab — backup).
4. Disable Samsung and connect Poco X3.
5. Recover the data: adb restore C:\backup_samsung.ab

⚠️ Note: Backup copies created through ADB, Xiaomi may not recover due to firmware differences, in which case extract data from the.ab file using the android-backup-extractor tool.

7. Data transfer from specific applications

Some applications require special attention because their data is not carried by standard methods.

WhatsApp:

• 📱 Use the built-in chat function → Backup in Google Drive.
• ⚠️ Make sure you're on Poco. X3 The same phone number and Google account are used.
• 🔄 After installing WhatsApp on the new phone, the system will offer to restore chats.

Telegram:

• ☁️ All chats and media files are synced automatically through the cloud.
• 📁 To transfer local files (such as downloaded documents), copy the Telegram folder from Samsung’s internal memory to Poco. X3.

Samsung Health:

• 🏃‍♂️ Export data to.srh via Settings → Export of data.
• 📱 On Poco. X3 Install Mi Fitness or Google Fit and import the file.

Games (e.g. Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile)

• 🎮 Use a Google Play Games, Facebook or Mi Account link.
• 💾 For local saves, copy folders Android/obb and Android/data.

8. Frequent errors and their solutions

Even when following instructions, users often encounter problems, and we've collected some of the most common errors and ways to fix them:

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

1. Move your contacts and calendar through your Google Account.
2. Copy photos and videos through OTG-cable.
3. Restore. SMS assisted SMS Backup & Restore.
4. Install apps manually from Google Play.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions