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

Moving from Xiaomi to Samsung is not just about changing your brand, it’s about migrating all your data, from contacts to your message history, and many users are afraid of losing important information or facing technical difficulties, and in practice, the transfer process can be done in 10 to 30 minutes if you choose the right method and prepare in advance.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways of data transfer, from official tools (Samsung Smart Switch, Mi Mover) to universal solutions through Google Account or physical connection. Particular attention will be paid to transferring data from Xiaomi phones to Samsung models from 2022-2026, where there may be nuances with protocol compatibility, and you will learn how to avoid common mistakes, such as loss of photo quality or duplicate contacts.

If you are switching from Redmi Note 12 to Galaxy S23 or POCO X5 Galaxy A54, The instructions below are suitable for any combination, the main thing is to check the free space on the new device and the stability of the Internet connection (if you use cloud services).

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Preparation for data transfer: what to do before the start

Before you start migrating, follow 4 mandatory steps to avoid data loss or disruptions in the process:

1. Backup on Xiaomi.Even if you plan to use Smart Switch, backup in Settings → The phone. → Backups or Mi Clouds will be insurance, especially critical for messages and notes that are not automatically automatically transferred correctly.
2. Check the compatibility of Android versions. Samsung must have at least Android 10 installed, otherwise the Smart Switch may not support some data types (e.g., call log). → About the device → Android version.
3. Charge both phones to at least 50 percent. Transferring data over cable or Wi-Fi Direct drains the battery faster than usual. If the process is interrupted due to discharge, some files may become corrupted.
4. Clear unnecessary files on Xiaomi. Delete duplicate photos, app cache and old downloads, this will speed up the transfer.

Please also note that some data is not automatically transferred in any of the following ways:

• 📱 Screen settings (brightness, color profile, always on display).
• 🔊 Sound profiles and custom alarm melodies.
• 🎮 Save games (unless synced to Google Play Games or the game cloud).
• 📌 Desktop widgets and their location.

⚠️ Note: If your Xiaomi has enabled data encryption (in Settings) → Security → Encryption, before transferring it must be disabled, otherwise the Smart Switch will not be able to read part of the files.

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2. Method 1: Samsung Smart Switch Official Tool

Samsung Smart Switch is a proprietary data migration app that supports porting from most Android devices, including Xiaomi.

• 📞 Contacts, call log, SMS/MMS.
• 📷 Photos, videos, music and documents.
• 📱 Annexes (only) APK-files, without data inside them).
• 📅 Calendar and notes (if synced with Google).

How to use Smart Switch:

1. Install the app on both phones: On Samsung: usually preinstalled (see app menu). On Xiaomi: download from Google Play.
2. Connect the phones. There are two options: 🔌 Cable: Use the original cable USB-C Cable (or adapter if the connectors are different) on Xiaomi, select File Transfer Mode (MTP). 📶 Wi-Fi: Both phones must be connected to the same network. In Smart Switch on Samsung, select Wireless → Get the data. → Android.

Select the data to be transferred.

Xiaomi

Start the transmission.

Pros of the method:

• ✅ Supports most types of data.
• ✅ It works even without the internet (with cable connection).
• ✅ It saves the folder structure (for example, for photos in the DCIM/Camera).

Cons:

• ❌ Does not transfer application data (for example, saves in games or chats in messengers).
• ❌ Can duplicate contacts if they are already synced with Google.
• ❌ Sometimes it hangs during the preparation stage – in this case, restart the application on both phones.

⚠️ Note: If you transfer data to Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra or later, use the cable from the kit – cheap counterparts may not support high-speed mode. USB 3.2, which will take 2-3 times longer to transfer.

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If your Xiaomi Smart Switch doesn’t see your Xiaomi over Wi-Fi, try turning on the hotspot mode and connecting Samsung to that network. Then, in the Smart Switch on Samsung, select Connect to another device.

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3. Method 2: Mi Mover – an alternative from Xiaomi

Mi Mover is an analogue of the Smart Switch, but from Xiaomi. It is optimized for transferring data from phones of this brand to other Android devices, including Samsung. The main advantage is support for porting applications with their data (for example, saves in games or settings in instant messengers).

Step-by-step:

1. Download Mi Mover on both phones from Google Play.
2. On Xiaomi, open the app and select I submit.
3. On Samsung, select I receive and scan QR-Xiaomi screen code.
4. Connect your phones to a single Wi-Fi network (or use direct Wi-Fi Direct).
5. Select the data to transfer and confirm the start of the process.

What can be transferred through Mi Mover:

Limitations of the method:

• 🚫 It doesn’t work for Samsung with Android 13+, if Xiaomi is MIUI 14 and below (Firmware update required).
• 🚫 You may not transfer notes and reminders if they are stored in Xiaomi’s proprietary apps (Notes, Calendar).

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4. Method 3: Transfer through Google Account (for contacts, calendar, mail)

If you only need to migrate your contacts, calendar, email and some settings, the easiest way is to sync through Google Account, which requires no additional apps and works on any Android device.

How to synchronize data:

1. On Xiaomi, go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Turn on the synchronization for: 📞 Contacts 📅 Calendar 📧 Gmail (if you use it) 📝 Notes (if saved in Google Keep)

Wait for the synchronization to complete (check in the top notification bar).

Samsung

Google Account

Settings → Accounts and backups

Turn on synchronization – the data will automatically be pulled to the new device.

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ It works without connecting phones to each other.
• ✅ Data is always up to date (synchronized in the background).
• ✅ Supports call history if backup is enabled in Google Drive.

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Does not tolerate photos, videos or music (only if they are uploaded to Google Photos separately).
• ❌ Applications and their data are not transferred.
• ❌ Can duplicate contacts if they are already on Samsung.

⚠️ Note: If you used the Xiaomi branded Mi Contacts app, export contacts in.vcf format before synchronization (select Contact Management in the application menu). → This ensures that all numbers are ported without errors.

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Syncing through Google Account is the most reliable way to transfer contacts and calendars, but it is not suitable for media files and applications.

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5. Method 4: Transfer over cable and computer (for large amounts of data)

If you have hundreds of gigabytes of photos, videos or other files, the fastest way is to transfer directly over your computer, which is also useful if you don't have stable Wi-Fi or if your phones can't see each other wirelessly.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS.
• 🔌 Two. USB-cables (preferably original).
• 📂 Enough free space on the hard disk (if files are temporarily copied to the PC).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your computer and select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy the right folders from Xiaomi to your computer: DCIM — Photos and videos. Downloads — downloads. Pictures, Music — media files. Android/data — Data from some applications (but not all!).

Xiaomi

Samsung

MTP

Samsung

Tips for speeding up the process:

• 🚀 Use the port. USB 3.0 (blue) on your computer – this will speed up the transfer by 5-10 times.
• 🗃️ For large amounts of data (100)+ GB is better to use external SSD-storage device instead of internal PC memory.
• 🔄 If files are not copied due to errors, try restarting your phone or using a different cable.

What can not be transferred in this way:

• ❌ Contacts, SMS, Call log (should be exported separately).
• ❌ Application settings (for example, logins in games or instant messengers).
• ❌ System data (wallpaper, sound profiles, etc.).

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6. Method 5: Cloud Services (Google Drive, Mi Cloud, Dropbox)

If you don't have a cable or a computer on hand, you can use cloud storage, which is a way to transfer photos, videos, documents and some settings.

Comparison of services:

Instructions for Google Drive:

1. On Xiaomi, open Google Drive and click + → Download.
2. Select files to transfer (you can download entire folders).
3. Wait until the download is complete (check in the My Files section).
4. On Samsung, log in to the same Google account and download files.

Instructions for Mi Cloud (if used on Xiaomi):

1. On Xiaomi, go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Enable synchronization for the data you need (photos, contacts, etc.).
3. On Samsung, open your browser and log in to i.mi.com.
4. Download the files to your computer and then transfer them to Samsung via cable.

⚠️ Note: When uploading photos to Google Photos in High Quality (not Original) mode, they are compressed to 16 MP resolution. If you want to maintain the original quality, choose the option “Original Quality” (but it takes place in your cloud storage).

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7. Frequent problems and their solutions

Even if you follow the instructions, you can have errors, and let's look at the most common ones and how to fix them:

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

• 🔹 Check that both phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (not mobile data).
• 🔹 Turn it off. VPN or proxy on both devices.
• 🔹 Restart Smart Switch and try connecting via QR-code (in the application menu on Samsung).

Problem 2: The transfer is either 99% or interrupted.

• 🔹 If you use a cable, check its integrity (try another cable).
• 🔹 Close all background apps on both phones (especially instant messengers and games).
• 🔹 On Xiaomi, turn on the mode Do not interrupt the transfer in the developer settings (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Press 7 times to unlock the developer menu).

Issue 3: Samsung does not display any photos/video transferred.

• 🔹 Check the folder. DCIM/.thumbnails — Sometimes the thumbnails don't get updated. Delete it (it'll recover automatically).
• 🔹 Reboot Samsung – it will reset the cache of the gallery.
• 🔹 If files are in format.HEIC (iPhone, install the app on Samsung HEIF Viewer.

Problem 4: Contacts are duplicated after the transfer.

• 🔹 Open Google Contacts on Samsung and select Contact Management → Combining and correcting.
• 🔹 Export contacts to.vcf, remove all duplicates, then import back.
• 🔹 Turn off syncing contacts with other accounts (such as Facebook or Viber).

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If the data transfer is interrupted, don’t panic – most methods (except Mi Mover) support restarting from the stoppage. Just repeat the process from the beginning, and the service will miss the already copied files.

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8. FAQ: Answers to popular questions