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

Moving from Samsung to Xiaomi is not just about changing your brand, it's also about migrating all your data, from contacts to call history. Many users fear losing important information when changing their device, especially if it's years of accumulated photos, messaging, or saved passwords. Fortunately, transferring data between Android devices is as simple as possible, so you need to choose the right method.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current portability methods (including the official Mi Mover and Samsung Smart Switch tools), compare them in speed and reliability, and also explain how to avoid typical errors. For example, did you know that when using Mi Mover, some files may not be transferred if you have an unofficial firmware installed on Xiaomi? Or that Google Photos automatically compresses images when you back up?

Whether you’re upgrading from the flagship Galaxy S23 Ultra to the Xiaomi 14 Pro or from the budget Galaxy A12 to the Redmi Note 13, the instructions below are suitable for any model, the main thing is to prepare both devices in advance (as we’ll discuss in the first section) and choose the method that covers your needs: whether it’s only transferring contacts or full migration with applications and settings.

1. Preparation of telephones for data transfer

Before you start migrating, there are a few critical steps you need to take on both devices, and neglecting them can lead to data loss, slow transmission, or even a process failure.

• 🔋 Charge both phones to at least 50 percent. Data transfer is a resource-intensive process, and discharging during transmission can interrupt it.
• 📶 Connect to stable Wi-Fi. For wireless methods (like Mi Mover), network speed is critical. Mobile Internet is not suitable!
• 🗑️ Clean up unnecessary files on Samsung. It's pointless to transfer garbage (cache, duplicate photos) - it will slow down the process.
• 🔑 Make sure that the Android versions are compatible. MIUI 14 is Android 13 and Samsung is Android 12, it won't be a problem, but Android 10 and below might need workarounds.

Pay special attention to memory on the target device. If Xiaomi has less than 20% of free space, the transfer can end in an error. Check this in the Settings → Memory menu. Also turn off battery optimization for portable applications (such as Mi Mover), otherwise the system may force them to close while they are running.

⚠️ 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.

To speed up the process, we recommend you disable the synchronization of unnecessary data in your Google or Samsung account. For example, if you do not need browser bookmarks or notes, uncheck Settings → Accounts → Google → Synchronization. This will reduce the amount of information transmitted.

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

Mi Mover is a Xiaomi-branded app designed to migrate data from other Android devices, which supports the transfer of contacts, messages, photos, videos, audio, apps and even some settings, the main advantage of which is that it does not require root rights and works on most Samsung models.

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

1. Download Mi Mover on Samsung from Google Play (if it is not by default).
2. On Xiaomi, open the Mi Mover app (usually preinstalled) or download it from the App Store.
3. On both phones, select “I’m the sender” (on Samsung) and “I’m the recipient” (on Xiaomi).
4. Scan it. QR-code from the Xiaomi screen on Samsung or connect via Wi-Fi Direct.
5. Select the data to transfer and confirm the start of the process.

The speed of transmission depends on the volume of data and the stability of the connection, an average of 10 GB of information is carried in 20-40 minutes.

• 🚫 Data from some applications (such as WhatsApp or Viber) are not transferred – they need separate backups).
• 🚫 Samsung’s Settings (e.g. DeX or Bixby modes) don’t migrate.
• 🚫 If Xiaomi has little memory, the process may be interrupted.

⚠️ Note: If photos from the gallery are not displayed after transferring to Xiaomi, check the folder DCIM/.thumbnails — Sometimes thumbnails don't update automatically.Reboot your device or use a file manager to force scans.

Download Mi Mover on both devices|Shut down. VPN firewalls|Connect to a single Wi-Fi network|Charge phones to 60%+|Free up 20% of memory on Xiaomi-->

Method 2: Samsung Smart Switch (reverse portability)

Samsung Smart Switch is commonly used to transfer data to Samsung devices, but with tricks it can be used to reverse migration, which is suitable if the Mi Mover for some reason does not work or you want to transfer specific Samsung data (for example, Samsung Notes notes or S Health data).

Instructions:

1. Install Smart Switch on Xiaomi from Google Play.
2. Connect your phones via an OTG cable (you’ll need a USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to Micro-USB adapter, 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.

An important nuance: Smart Switch may not transfer some system data (for example, Wi-Fi passwords or lock screen settings), as they are tied to Samsung firmware. APK-files that will have to be reconfigured.

If the Smart Switch doesn’t see Xiaomi, try:

• 🔄 Reboot both phones.
• 🔌 Use the original Samsung cable (low-quality cables often cause failures).
• 📱 Insert the "Debugging by" mode USB" on Xiaomi (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to unlock the developer menu).

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If Smart Switch freezes during the Preparation stage, disable the ad blocker (for example, AdGuard) - it can interfere with the application.

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

Cloud storage is a universal portability that doesn't depend on the phone model, and the main advantage is that data is available on any device, and you can selectively restore only what you need, minus limited space (usually 15 GB in Google Drive is free), and possible compression of media files.

The following steps are provided for Google Drive:

1. On Samsung, open Settings → Accounts and Archiving → Data Backup.
2. Select Google Drive and log in to your account.
3. Check the data types (contacts, calendar, photos, etc.) and click "Create backup".
4. On Xiaomi when you first turn on or in Settings → Accounts → Google restore data from the backup.

For Mi Cloud (if you already have a Xiaomi account):

1. On Samsung, upload files to Mi Cloud via the web version (i.mi.com) or app.
2. On Xiaomi, log in to the same account and sync your data to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.

It is important to consider:

• ☁️ Google Photos by default compresses images up to 16 MP for free storage. To maintain original quality, use the option "Original Quality" (but it takes up space in your storage).
• 📁 Files uploaded to Google Drive may not retain folder structure, such as photos from the Google Drive. DCIM/Camera It will be placed in the general folder "Downloads".
• ⏳ Recovery of a large amount of data (for example, 50 GB) can take several hours.

5. Method 4: Manual transfer via PC or flash drive

If you only need to transfer specific files (such as documents, music, or app backups), the easiest way to use a computer or a computer is to transfer it. OTG-This is a method that doesn't depend on OS compatibility, and it allows you to manually control what's being copied and where.

Instructions for porting via PC:

1. Connect Samsung to your computer via USB-Cable and select File Transfer Mode (or MTP).
2. Copy the folders you need (DCIM for photos, Downloads for downloads, etc.) to your hard drive.
3. Disable Samsung, connect Xiaomi and paste files into the appropriate directories.

For OTG-flash-drive:

1. Connect the flash drive to Samsung via the OTG adapter.
2. Copy files to a flash drive (use a file manager, such as Files by Google).
3. Connect the flash drive to Xiaomi and transfer the data to the phone’s memory.

Where to find key data on Samsung:

• 📸 Photos and videos: /DCIM/Camera or /Pictures
• 🎵 Music: /Music or /Media/Audio
• 📥 Downloads: /Download
• 📞 Contacts: export to.vcf file via Contacts app

⚠️ Note: When you copy your Android folder (where app data is stored) to Xiaomi, some programs may not recognize their files due to different storage paths. For example, WhatsApp stores backups in the app. /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases, And when you move to Xiaomi, you have to move them to a similar folder manually.

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Manual transfer is the most reliable way if you need to save the original folder structure or migrate selective files.

6. Method 5: Transfer of data messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.)

Messages from instant messengers are not carried by standard tools like Mi Mover or Smart Switch, but require separate backups.

WhatsApp:

1. On Samsung, open WhatsApp → ⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup copy.
2. Back up your Google Drive account (make sure your Google account is the same on Xiaomi).
3. Install WhatsApp on Xiaomi, log in to the same account and restore chats.

Telegram:

• 🔄 In Telegram, all chats and media files are synced to the cloud automatically.
• 📁 For local media transfer, copy the folder /Telegram/Telegram Images on a new phone.

For other messengers:

• 💬 Viber: backup is created in Settings → Account. → Backup (save to Google Drive or memory card).
• 📱 Signal: Export Chats through Settings → Chat and media → Chat export (save to.zip file).

Important: WhatsApp backups are tied to your phone number and Google account, if you change your number or email, you can't restore chats, and WhatsApp can't handle calls and status history.

(1) The two phones share a single Google account.

(2) Xiaomi has plenty of room to recover.

3) WhatsApp version on new phone no older than on old one.-->

7.What to do if the data is not transferred?

Even when you follow instructions, you sometimes fail, and here are the typical problems and solutions.

If none of these methods work, try alternative tools:

• 🔧 Clone Phone (from Huawei, but works with other brands).
• 📲 Send Anywhere – transfer files over Wi-Fi without limiting the scope.
• 🖥️ AirDroid - file management via browser on PC.

In extreme cases, you can use backup via TWRP (requires an unlocked bootloader and root rights), but this is a complex method that is suitable only for advanced users.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer