How to transfer data from Samsung to Xiaomi: from contacts to apps

Why migrating data between Android devices from different brands is not as easy as it seems

The transition from Samsung to Xiaomi is not just a smartphone change, but a migration between two ecosystems with unique chips. Even if both devices run on Android, manufacturers are adding their own shells (One UI from Samsung and MIUI/HyperOS from Xiaomi), which affect the storage format. For example, backups through the Samsung Cloud are incompatible with the Mi Cloud, and some system applications (such as Samsung Notes or Mi Fit) are completely unparalleled.

Data fragmentation is a key issue. Contacts can be duplicated in Google and Samsung accounts, photos are scattered between the gallery and the cloud, and messages from Samsung Messages are not always correctly imported into the standard Messages app on Xiaomi. In this article, we will discuss the only reliable way to transfer 100% of data without loss - a combination of cloud backup and direct transmission over cable, as well as alternative methods for specific file types.

Method 1: Official Mi Mover app – quick Wi-Fi transfer

Xiaomi’s Mi Mover (formerly Mi Drop) app is specifically designed to migrate data from other Android devices, and it supports the transfer of contacts, messages (SMS/MMS), photos, videos, audio, documents, calendars and even some settings.

• 📱 It only works for Xiaomi with MIUI 10+ Or HyperOS. On older versions (MIUI 9 and below, alternative methods will have to be used.
• 🔌 Requires connecting both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (or creating a direct connection via an access point).
• ⚠️ Does not tolerate installed applications and their data (for example, save in games or settings messengers).

How to use Mi Mover:

1. On Xiaomi, go to Settings → About Phone → Data Migration (or find the Mi Mover app on the menu).
2. On Samsung, download Mi Mover from Google Play and launch it.
3. On Xiaomi, select Me New User, on Samsung, Send Data.
4. Scan it. QR-code from the Xiaomi screen with a Samsung camera or enter PIN-manually.
5. Select data types to transfer and wait for completion (time depends on volume).

⚠️ Note: If data encryption is enabled on Samsung (Settings) → Security → Encryption, Mi Mover may not see some files. In this case, use Method 3 (direct cable).

Method 2: Backup through Google Account – Universal but Incomplete

Syncing with a Google Account is the easiest way to transfer basic data, but it has limitations.

• 📇 Contacts (from Google Contacts app, not Samsung Contacts).
• 📅 Calendars (only those linked to Google Calendar).
• 📎 Google Keep Notes (if you have used them).
• 📱 Some system settings (Wi-Fi network, wallpaper, brightness).
• 🎮 Game and App Data (only if it supports Google Play Games or Android Backup Service).

What's not tolerable:

• 📸 Photos and videos (only if they are uploaded to Google Photos manually).
• 💬 Communications SMS/MMS (A separate backup is required through SMS Backup & Restore).
• 📁 Files and documents (must be copied manually).
• 🔧 Settings for specific applications (such as Samsung Health or Bixby Routines).

Synchronization instructions:

1. On Samsung, go to Settings → Accounts and Archiving → Archiving and Recovery → Data Archiving.
2. Enable Archive Data and select your Google Account.
3. On Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select Recover Data and log in to the same Google account. If your phone is already set up, go to Settings → Accounts → Google → Sync and enable all options.

💡

Before transferring, check if there is enough space in your Google Account. Only 15GB is available for free, and photos in their original quality take up a lot of space. To save space, in Google Photos, select Quality → Save Space (compression up to 16MP).

Method 3: Direct Cable Transmission (USB OTG) – for large volumes

If you have tens of gigabytes of photos, videos or documents, direct cable is the fastest and most reliable method.

• 🔌 USB OTG-adapter (or cable) USB-C to USB-C, If both phones have type C).
• 📱 Samsung must unlock Developer Mode (to enable Debugging by USB).
• 🛠️ File management application (e.g. Solid Explorer or standard Explorer on Xiaomi).

Step-by-step:

1. On Samsung, turn on Developer Mode (go to Settings → About Phone → Software Information and click on Build Number 7 times). Then, in Settings → Developer Mode, activate Debugging over USB.
2. Connect Samsung to Xiaomi via OTG-Adapter. On the Samsung screen, select File Transfer (MTP).
3. On Xiaomi, open Explorer and select a partition USB-device (or Samsung).
4. Copy the right folders (DCIM for photos, Downloads for downloads, Documents for documents, or internal memory SD-Xiaomi.

⚠️ Note: If you have a “Not enough space” error when copying files, check the file system format on Xiaomi. Some models (such as the Redmi Note 12) default to the file system. F2FS, It can conflict with exFAT on Samsung, in which case, copy the data first to your PC and then to Xiaomi.

Enable debugging on USB Samsung|Buy OTG-adapter (if there is no cable) C-C)|Free up space on Xiaomi (at least 20% of the data portable)|Charge both phones to 50% or more-->

Method 4: Message Transfer (SMS/MMS) and Call Logs

Standard. SMS and call histories are not synced with Google Account, so you'll need a third-party app to transfer them — SMS Backup & Restore by SyncTech:

How to move messages:

1. Install Backup & Restore SMS on both phones.
2. On Samsung, open the app, click Create Backup and select Local Backup (save the file to your phone’s memory).
3. Transfer a backup file (usually in.xml format) to Xiaomi via cable or cloud.
4. On Xiaomi in the same app, select Restore and specify the path to the file.

For call logs, use a similar Call Logs Backup & Restore app from the same developer.

• 📞 Only standard ones are transferred SMS Messages from messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) should be saved separately (see Method 5).
• ⏳ Recovery can take up to 10-15 minutes if the story is large (thousands of reports).

Method 5: Transfer of data messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber)

Messengers store data in their cloud services, but local backups (such as chat histories or media files) will have to be manually transferred.

For WhatsApp:

1. On Samsung, open WhatsApp, go to WhatsApp. ⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup and create a local backup (the file will be in the /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases).
2. Copy the WhatsApp folder (including Databases and Media) to Xiaomi via cable or cloud.
3. Install WhatsApp on Xiaomi, confirm your phone number and wait for suggestions to restore chats from your local backup.

For Telegram:

• 📥 Media files (photos, videos, documents) are stored in /storage/emulated/0/Telegram — Copy this folder on Xiaomi.
• 💬 Messages sync to the cloud automatically, but secret chats are not portable (they need to be saved manually through Export History).

For Viber:

• 🔄 Enable sync with Viber Cloud on Samsung (Settings) → Account. → Backup copy).
• 📲 On Xiaomi, log in to the same Viber account and wait for recovery (can take up to an hour).

⚠️ Note: If you use WhatsApp Business, local backups are not compatible with regular WhatsApp.

Method 6: Transfer applications and their data (games, settings)

Android doesn’t allow you to simply copy installed apps (.apk) from one phone to another due to differences in processor architecture and OS versions.

For normal applications:

• 📥 Use Google Play: Open Play Store on Xiaomi → Library → Installed and click Update All (apps that were on Samsung will appear in the list).
• 🔧 To transfer application data (for example, saves in games), use Helium or Swift Backup (root rights required).

For cloud-saving games:

• 🎮 If the game supports Google Play Games, sign in to the same account on Xiaomi – progress will be automatically picked up.
• 💾 For offline games (such as Genshin Impact), copy the save folder (usually in the /Android/obb or /Android/data) Xiaomi.

For system applications (such as Samsung Health):

• 🏃‍♂️ Export data to a universal format (e.g.,.gpx for training) and import it to a Xiaomi analogue (Mi Fitness or Google Fit).
• ❌ Some apps (like Bixby or Samsung Pay) are not comparable to Xiaomi and are not portable.

Xiaomi may not have enough space in the /system section for third-party APKs.

Some applications (such as banking) are tied to the device and will not work after the transfer.

- Updates through the Play Store can break the transferred APK due to the signature conflict.-->

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

Even if you follow the instructions, you can have problems, and here are the most common ways to correct them:

If none of these methods worked, try alternative tools:

• 🖥️ Samsung Smart Switch (for backup on PC) + manual transfer to Xiaomi.
• ☁️ Cloud services: Dropbox, Yandex Drive or Mega for temporary file storage.
• 🔧 ADB Pull/Push (For experienced users: allows you to copy data via the command line.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions