How to transfer all data from Xiaomi to Samsung Galaxy A71: 5 proven ways

Why Shifting Data Between Xiaomi and Samsung Is Not As Easy as It Seems

Switching from Xiaomi to Samsung Galaxy A71 — It's not just a gadget change, it's a migration between two different ecosystems, and unlike the transfer between devices of the same brand (for example, from Mi 11 to Mi 12), you'll find nuances here, from differences in branded cloud services (Mi Cloud vs Samsung Cloud) to the features of backup in the company. MIUI one UI. Even standard tools like Google Accounts don’t always manage to transfer messages from your account. MIUI-Applications "Messages" or notes from "Notes".

The main problem is that there is no universal solution. What works for contacts may not be suitable for high-resolution photos or call history. For example, Samsung Smart Switch does not officially support direct migration with Xiaomi, and manual transfer through the computer requires knowledge of hidden folders of the system. In this article, we will examine all the current methods, from automated to “grandfather” methods with cable and memory card.

Method 1: Transfer through Google Account (most universal, but incomplete)

This method is suitable for basic data: contacts, calendar, mail and parts of applications. However, it does not carry SMS, notes from Mi Notes, system settings or files from internal memory.

How it works:

• 📱 On Xiaomi: Open Settings → Google accounts → Sync and turn on all switches (contacts, calendar, Gmail, Chrome, Drive, etc.) wait until sync is complete (check in the top notification bar).
• 🔄 Samsung. A71: When you first turn on, select "Copy data" → "Google Account" and log in to the same account. If your phone is already set up, go to Settings → Accounts. → Google → Synchronize and start the process manually.
• ⚙️ For apps: on Google Play on Samsung, open the menu → "My apps" → "Library and install the necessary programs.

⚠️ Note: If Xiaomi used the branded Contacts app (not Google Contacts), the data may not sync. VCF-File: Contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Exports.

Contacts (if saved in Google)

Calendar

Gmail mail

Notes from Google Keep

Some application settings (e.g. Chrome)

-->

The advantage of the method is speed and no additional programs. The disadvantage is that SMS, call history, files from internal memory and MIUI settings (such as themes or gestures) cannot be transferred, and you will have to combine this method with others to fully migrate.

Method 2: Samsung Smart Switch (official but limited)

Samsung Smart Switch is a proprietary data porting solution, but it’s not perfectly compatible with Xiaomi. Officially only contacts, photos, videos, music and some documents are supported. SMS, notes and apps are not always portable – it all depends on the version of MIUI and the firmware of the Galaxy A71.

Step-by-step:

1. Download Smart Switch on both phones: 📱 For Xiaomi: Google Play (if not available in your area, use it) APK APKMirror). 📱 For Samsung. A71: App preinstalled (see menu or download from Galaxy Store).

• 🔌 Cable: Use the original cable USB-C cable from Samsung and adapter USB-C → USB-A (If you are on Xiaomi Type-C connector).
• 📶 Wi-Fi: Both phones must be connected to the same network.
• On Xiaomi, select the role of “Sender”, on Samsung – “Receiver”.
• Select data to transfer (we recommend that you note everything except the "Application" - it may not work on the new firmware).
• Wait until the end (time depends on the amount of data - from 10 minutes to 1 hour).

⚠️ Note: If Xiaomi is operating under management MIUI 14+, Smart Switch can’t be seen SMS Because of changes in the structure of the database, in this case, use specialized applications like SMS Backup & Restore.

Through Google Account

Samsung Smart Switch

Manual transfer via computer

Local backup to memory card

Another option-->

Method 3: Local backup to memory card (reliable, but long)

This is a good method if you have a microSD card (recommended capacity from 64 GB), the advantage is full control over the data you carry, the disadvantage is manual configuration. Importantly, the Samsung Galaxy A71 supports memory cards up to 512 GB, but the read/write speed depends on the card class (optimally - UHS-I U3).

Instructions for Xiaomi:

1. Insert the memory card into the slot (if Xiaomi supports a hybrid slot, temporarily remove the SIM2).
2. Open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
3. Select data for the backup: 📞 Contacts (exports to VCF) 💬 Communications (in format) XML) 📷 Photo/video (copy manually from folders) DCIM and Pictures) 📝 Notes (export from Mi Notes to the TXT or PDF) 🎵 Music and documents (copy from Download folder)

Samsung A71

• Contacts: Contacts → ⋮ → Management → Imports/Exports
• Photo/Video: Copy from the map to the DCIM/Camera folder
• SMS: use SMS Backup & Restore for import XML-file.

⚠️ Attention: Folder Android/data It contains cache and application settings, but without root rights, you only copy part of the data. Some programs (such as WhatsApp or games) require additional backup through their settings.

To transfer applications without data loss, use APK Extractor (for extraction) APK-Swift Backup (for data backup applications, root is required).However, note that some programs (for example, banking) may block work on a new device due to a change in identifiers.

Method 5: Cloud Services (for individual data types)

If you don't have to migrate everything at once, you can use specialized cloud services for different types of data, which is convenient if you have slow Internet or little space on your devices.

What services will do:

• 📁 Google Photos: automatically uploads all photos and videos from Xiaomi (enable autosynchronization in the app settings). A71 They will appear after you log in to the same account.
• 💬 SMS Backup & Restore: Retains SMS/MMS Google Drive or locally. On your new phone, restore the backup using the same app.
• 📝 Mi Notes → Google Keep: Export notes from Mi Notes to the PDF, Then upload them to Google Keep or Samsung Notes.
• 🎵 Spotify/YouTube Music: Move playlists through your account (if music has been downloaded locally, copy files manually).
• 📅 Mi Calendar → Google Calendar: Export events from Xiaomi calendar to the next ICS-File, then import it to Google Calendar.

The advantage of cloud services is that data is available from any device, and the disadvantage is that not all data types are supported, and you have to use multiple services at the same time to fully migrate.

💡

For maximum reliability, combine methods: for example, transfer contacts and calendar through Google Account, photos through Google Photos, and SMS and applications through a local backup to a memory card.

What to do if the data is not moved or damaged

Even with the exact instructions, you can have problems, and here are the typical scenarios and their solutions.

Problem 1: Smart Switch doesn’t see Xiaomi over Wi-Fi

• 🔄 Restart both phones and router.
• 📶 Connect to 5 GHz (if the router is dual-band).
• 🛠️ On Xiaomi, turn off "Adaptive Wi-Fi" in Settings → Wi-Fi → Additionally.

Problem 2: Transferred photos are not displayed in the Samsung Gallery

• 📁 If the photo is in format.HEIC, Install the codec from Google Play (for example, HEIF Image Viewer).

Problem 3: SMS cannot be restored

• 📱 Make sure that on Samsung A71 a recovery application is installed (for example, SMS Backup & Restore).