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

Switching from Samsung to Xiaomi is not just about changing your brand, but also migrating all your data: contacts, photos, messages, notes, and even app settings. Many users fear this process, thinking they will lose important information or spend hours manually transferring. In fact, modern smartphones offer several convenient ways to sync, and manufacturers have provided tools for a painless transition in advance.

In this article, we will analyze all current methods of data transfer – from standard functions. MIUI to third-party applications that will cope with the task even in difficult cases (for example, when switching from the old Galaxy) S8 New Redmi Note 13 Pro+). You will learn how to keep your phone records and SMS lossless, why cloud services can be unreliable, and what to do if the phone does not see another device over Wi-Fi Direct, and also - how to avoid the typical errors that cause users to lose chats on WhatsApp or photos from Google Photos.

Preparation for transfer: what to do before the start

Before you start migrating, follow a few critical steps that will save you time and prevent data loss.

First, check the space available on both devices. Xiaomi should have at least one. 10-15% free memory from the amount of data being transferred, for example, if you move 30 GB photos and videos, on the new phone should remain at least 4-5 GB of free space, otherwise the process may be interrupted in the middle.

Second, update the firmware on both smartphones: outdated versions of Android or MIUI This may not support modern transmission protocols, especially for owners of Samsung Galaxy on Android 9-10 and Xiaomi MIUI 12 below.

• 📱 On Samsung: Go to Settings → Update of the PO → Download and install
• 📱 On Xiaomi: Open Settings → The phone. → Updating the system
• 🔋 Charge both phones to at least 50% (preferably up to 80%) to avoid being turned off during transmission
• 📶 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (if you plan to use wireless methods)

⚠️ Warning: If Samsung has Battery Optimization enabled for data applications (such as Smart Switch or Mi Mover), turn it off. Otherwise, the process may be interrupted due to background energy savings. → Caring for the device → Battery → Optimizing the operation of applications.

We also recommend backing up critical data to a third device (PC, external drive or cloud) to insure against the disruptions that sometimes occur when large volumes are transferred (for example, video files to the cloud). 4K application databases).

2.The official way: Mi Mover by Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a proprietary application from Xiaomi, designed specifically for transferring data from other smartphones (including Samsung, iPhone, Huawei), it supports transmission over Wi-Fi Direct, which eliminates the need for cables or cloud services, the main advantage is the preservation of folder structure and metadata (for example, the date of creation of photos).

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

1. Install the app on both phones: It’s pre-installed on Xiaomi (see Settings). → Additionally. → On Samsung download from Google Play (link: Mi Mover for Android)

Launch the application

• On Samsung: I'm the sender
• On Xiaomi: I'm the recipient
• Scan it. QR-code that will appear on the screen of Xiaomi, using the camera Samsung.
• Select data for transfer: contacts, messages, photos, videos, audio, applications (not all supported).
• Confirm transmission and wait until it's complete.

The speed of transmission depends on the volume of data and the model of the phones, 10 GB photos and videos from Galaxy S21 Xiaomi 13 Ultra carries over 15-20 minutes, and with the Galaxy A50 on the Redmi Note 10 — before 40 minute.

Turn off the power saving mode on both phones |

Make sure there is enough space available on Xiaomi |

Connect both devices to charging|

Close background apps that consume the Internet (such as YouTube or Telegram)|

Check that Samsung has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled-->

⚠️ Note: If Mi Mover fails to connect during transmission, try:

• 🔄 Reboot both phones
• 📶 Connect to another Wi-Fi network (e.g., create an access point on a third device)
• 🛠️ Manually indicate IP-Xiaomi address in Mi Mover settings on Samsung (see below) IP You can set up → The phone. → Status. → IP-address)

3.Alternative: Samsung Smart Switch (for reverse portability)

If Mi Mover doesn’t work for some reason, try Samsung Smart Switch, the official Samsung app that is commonly used for backups. It’s not meant to be ported to other brands, but there’s a workaround:

First, back up your data from Samsung to your PC via Smart Switch, and then manually transfer files to Xiaomi, a method that is longer but more reliable for larger volumes (e.g. if you have 100).+ GB media files).

Instructions:

1. Install Samsung Smart Switch on your PC (official website).
2. Connect Samsung to your computer via USB-Cable (use the original cable for stability).
3. In the application, select Backup and mark the necessary data (contacts, messages, photos, etc.).
4. After you complete the copy, connect Xiaomi to the PC in file transfer mode (MTP).
5. Copy the backup (smartswitchback folder) to internal memory or SD-Xiaomi.
6. Use a file manager (such as Files by Google or Mi File Manager) to unpack and recover data.

The main disadvantage of this method is that not all data is automatically restored, for example, messages and contacts will have to be imported manually through the corresponding applications on Xiaomi.

4. Cloud Services: Google and Alternatives

If you have a stable Internet, you can move data over cloud storage, which is universal, but has limitations in volume and speed.

Method 1: Google Account (Contacts, Calendar, Notes)

The easiest way to sync basic information is to use a Google Account:

1. On Samsung, go to Settings → Accounts and Archiving → Accounts.
2. Select your Google account and enable sync for Contacts, Calendar, and Google Drive.
3. On Xiaomi, add the same account to Settings → Accounts. → Add an account.
4. Turn on sync – the data will automatically be downloaded to the new phone.

Method 2: Google Photos (media files)

For photo and video transfer:

1. On Samsung, install Google Photos and enable Backup and Sync.
2. Wait for the download to complete (check in Photo → Library → Devices).
3. On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account and wait for sync.
4. To save a photo to your device, select albums and click Save on your device.

Method 3: Alternative clouds (for larger volumes)

If you have more than 15GB of data and Google Drive only offers 15GB for free, use:

• 🌥️ Yandex Drive (up to 10GB free, but there are shares up to 1TB)
• 🌥️ Mega (20GB free, data encryption)
• 🌥️ OneDrive (5GB free, Microsoft 365 integration)

⚠️ Note: When uploading video files to the cloud 4K or RAW-Photos can be compressed (e.g. in Google Photos when selecting the High Quality option) to avoid loss of quality, choose Original Quality (but this will take up more space in the cloud).

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If the internet is slow, upload data to the cloud at night or use mobile internet with unlimited rates, for example, Tele2 and MTS have no-limit nighttime for social networks and cloud services.

5. Transfer of applications and their data

Move the apps themselves (APK-files are simple, but their data (save games, settings, cache) is more complicated:

Method 1: Backup through ADB (for advanced)

If you are willing to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge, you can create a full copy of the applications with data:

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

This team will create a backup.ab file on a PC, and restore it to Xiaomi:

adb restore backup.ab

Please note: Some applications (e.g. banking) block backups for security reasons.

Method 2: Backup applications

For users without experience with ADB Specialized utilities will be suitable:

• 📱 Swift Backup (requires root rights for full backup)
• 📱 Titanium Backup (Old, but Supports Older Android Versions)
• 📱 Helium (runs without root, but not all apps are supported)

Method 3: Transfer data from specific applications

Some applications have built-in export/import features:

• 💬 WhatsApp: Settings → chat → Backup copy (save in Google Drive)
• 📝 Samsung Notes: Settings → Exports (save to.sbn or.pdf)
• 🎵 Spotify: Data synced through the account, but offline playlists will have to be downloaded again

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Most banking applications (SberBank, Tinkoff, VTB) and encrypted messengers (Telegram Secret Chats, Signal) do not support data transfer for security reasons.

6.Cable transfer OTG computer

If wireless methods are not suitable (for example, due to slow Wi-Fi or a large amount of data), use a direct connection via cable.

• 🔌 USB-Type-C cable (if both phones are modern)
• 🔌 adapter OTG (If the phones have different connectors, for example, Samsung with Micro-USB and Xiaomi with Type-C)
• 💻 Computer (if direct transfer is not working)

Method 1: Direct connection (requires) OTG)

1. Connect Samsung to Xiaomi via OTG-cable.
2. On Xiaomi, select File Transfer Mode (USB).
3. Open the file manager on Xiaomi and copy the folders you need (DCIM, Downloads, Pictures, etc.) with Samsung.

Method 2: Using a computer (more reliable)

1. Connect Samsung to your PC and copy all the data to your hard drive.
2. Disable Samsung, connect Xiaomi and transfer files back.
3. For contacts and messages, use export in.vcf (contacts) and.xml formats (SMS).

The advantage of this method is the maximum speed (up to 40 MB / s when using it). USB 3.0) and no dependence on the Internet, but it takes more time to prepare.

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

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

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

1. Contacts and calendars through Google Account.
2. Photos and videos via Google Photos or cable.
3. Messages through SMS Backup & Restore.
4. Apps – Install manually from Google Play.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions