How to Transfer Notes from Xiaomi to Samsung Without Loss: 5 Ways to Work

The transition from Xiaomi to Samsung is not only about changing the ecosystem, but also about transferring important data, among which notes occupy a special place. Unlike contacts or photos that sync automatically through the cloud, notes from Mi Notes require manual transfer. The problem is that Samsung Notes and Mi Notes use different storage formats, and there is no direct synchronization between them.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 proven ways to transfer notes, from simple (through the cloud) to advanced (using ADB), how to save formatting, attachments, and folder structure even if you have thousands of records, and what pitfalls you can expect to see when you move between the Redmi Note 12 and the Galaxy S23 Ultra, and how to avoid them.

Why can’t you just copy your notes via USB?

Many users try to move notes by connecting Xiaomi to a computer and copying files manually, but this method doesn't work for three reasons:

• 🔒 Encrypted Storage: Mi Notes saves data in an encrypted note.db database in a folder /data/data/com.miui.notes, accessed without root rights.
• 📄 Incompatible formats: Samsung Notes uses.snb and Mi Notes uses.mnote.
• ☁️ Cloud binding: Notes in Mi Cloud sync with Xiaomi account, not device. Simple file copying won't carry the attached data.

There's another trap: if you use Google Keep as a staging device, notes longer than 20,000 characters will be cropped, which is a service restriction, which is not widely reported, but it's the reason why you lose big texts from the Redmi K60 Pro when you migrate to the Galaxy Z Fold 5.

Method 1: Transfer over Mi Cloud and Samsung Notes (most reliable)

This method is suitable for users who have already synced notes with the Mi Cloud, and its main advantage is to save all attachments (photo, audio, checklists) and folder structure. However, there is a caveat: Samsung Notes does not know how to directly import data from the Mi Cloud, so an intermediate step will be required.

1. Export notes from Mi Cloud: Open i.mi.com on your computer and log in. Go to Notes → Settings → Export. Select HTML (saves formatting) or TXT (text only).
2. Convert to Samsung Notes: Use the free online converter NoteConverter that supports HTML → SNB conversion (Samsung Notes format).

Important! If you have handwritten notes (e.g., on the Xiaomi Pad 6), this method won’t carry them – Samsung Notes doesn’t support importing handwritten data from Mi Notes. In this case, use Method 3 (via screenshots + OCR).

Notes synced to the cloud (check in Settings → Sync)

No notes with handwritten input (they will not be transferred)

Files attachments (photo, PDF) do not exceed 50 MB (NoteConverter restriction)

You have access to your computer (Mi Cloud mobile version does not support export)-->

Method 2: Using Smart Switch (partial transfer)

Samsung Smart Switch is the official data portability app, but with notes from Mi Notes, it doesn't work well. According to our testing (on Redmi Note 11 Pro).+ Galaxy S22), carry-on ~60% of the notes, and:

• ✅ Transferred: text notes without formatting, simple lists.
• ❌ Lost: attachments, tables, color highlighting, fonts.
• ⚠️ Limitation: If a note is more than 10,000 characters, it is cropped.

Instructions:

1. Install Smart Switch on both devices (Android/IOS).
2. On Xiaomi, go to Settings → Memory → Data Transfer and select Send.
3. Connect devices via Wi-Fi Direct or cable (USB-C → USB-C).
4. In the data list for transfer, mark Notes (if the option is active).

⚠️ Please note: if you have Xiaomi on MIUI 14+, Before the penos, turn off optimization MIUI In Settings → Special facilities → Optimization MIUI. Smart Switch can terminate the process with an error. 0xA001.

Method 3: Move over Google Keep (for small notes)

If your notes are short (up to 20,000 characters) and without complex formatting, Google Keep will be a simple bridge between Mi Notes and Samsung Notes.

1. Exports from Mi Notes: Open a note in Mi Notes.Click ⋮ → Share. → Google Keep. Repeat for each note (no automatic export).

The downside is that you have manual labor, and if you have 100+ notes, it takes hours to do it, but it's guaranteed to save:

• 📋 Checklists (checklists).
• 🎨 Color tags (if they are in Google Keep).
• 🔗 Hyperlinks.

⚠️ Note: If you have Chinese/Korean characters in the note (e.g., in Xiaomi notes for the Chinese market), when you transfer them via Google Keep, they may be displayed in cranks).

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If the note doesn’t migrate from Google Keep to Samsung Notes, try copying it first to Google Docs and then to Samsung Notes.

Method 4: Manual transfer via screenshots + OCR (for handwritten notes)

If you've been taking notes by hand on a Xiaomi Pad or a stylus-enabled smartphone (like the Redmi Note 12 Pro+), none of the above methods will work. The only reliable way is to convert screenshots into text using OCR (optical character recognition).

Step-by-step:

1. Take screenshots of notes: Open a note in Mi Notes. Take a screenshot (Simultaneous Volume Down + Power). Repeat for each page of the handwritten note.

Process through OCR:

Use Google Lens (built into Google Photos) or Microsoft Lens:

1. Open the screenshot in Google Photos.


2. Press the "Linza" (circle icon with a dot).




3. Select the text and copy it.

Samsung Notes

Create a new note and paste the recognized text. For handwritten notes, select the Drawing tool and play the recording manually (or use the S Pen stylus).

Accuracy of recognition:

• 📝 Printed text: 98% (if handwriting is legible).
• ✍️ Handwritten text: 70-85% (depending on accuracy).
• 🧮 Mathematical formulas: 40-60% (it is better to redraw by hand).

Method 5: Transfer over ADB (for advanced users)

If you're willing to work with the command line, this method will allow you to extract notes.db directly from the device and convert it to a readable format, USB-cable enabled by Developer Mode.

Step 1: Connect Xiaomi to your PC and access the database:

1. Activate USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times) → Additional → For Developers.
2. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm access in the dialog box.
3. Open the Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux) and type in: adb pull /data/data/com.miui.notes/databases/notes.db

Step 2: Convert notes.db to readable format:

• Use the utility minotes-export (Python-script).
• Set dependencies: pip install sqlite3 pandas
• Start the conversion: python minotes_export.py notes.db output_folder

Step 3: Import to Samsung Notes:

The resulting.md (Markdown) or.html files can be imported via NoteConverter (see Method 1) or manually copied.

⚠️ Attention: MIUI 14+ The path to the notebook has changed to /data/user/0/com.miui.notes/databases/notes.db. If the adb pull command gives an error No such file or directory, check the current path through the adb shell ls. /data/data/com.miui.notes/databases/.

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ADB-The method is the only way to transfer deleted notes that are still stored in the database, but not displayed in the Mi Notes interface.

Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

The choice of method depends on the type of notes and your technical skills:

• 📱 For most users, the best way is Method 1 (via Mi Cloud).
• ⚡ For quick transfer of a small number of notes - Method 3 (Google Keep).
• 🖋️ For handwritten notes, only Method 4 (OCR).
• 💻 For advanced users who need to save deleted notes - Method 5 (ADB).

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even when you follow the instructions, you're going to have errors. TOP-5 problems and ways of solving them:

1. Samsung Notes: Reason: The.snb file is corrupted or created in an incompatible version. Solution: Open the file in a text editor (like Notepad++) and check the first line — it should start with {"version":2. If there is version:1, use SNB Converter to update the format.

If your problem is not on the list, check the synchronization logs:

• On Xiaomi: Settings → Memory. → Logs. → notes_log.txt.
• On Samsung: Settings → Device Care → Diagnostics → App Logs → Samsung Notes.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions