How to Download Notes from Samsung to Xiaomi: A Complete Guide with 5 Working Methods

The transition from Samsung Galaxy to Xiaomi Redmi, POCO or Mi is often accompanied by the problem of transferring personal data – especially notes that users have been accumulating for years in the standard Samsung Notes app. Unlike contacts or photos, notes are not always automatically synchronized with the cloud, and their export requires special actions. This article will help to avoid losing important information: here are all the current ways to carry notes, including official tools and workarounds for old models.

Many people mistakenly believe that it is enough to copy notes through a Explorer, but this only works for exported archives, because Samsung Notes stores data in an encrypted database com.samsung.android.snote, which is not directly accessible. And the Mi Notes app on Xiaomi uses a different storage format, so intermediate solutions will be required, from cloud services to manual file conversion.

We tested each method on Galaxy S23 Ultra and Redmi Note 12 Pro+ devices to ensure that instructions work, and at the end of the article, we tested FAQs that answer typical problems (such as why you can’t see notes after transfer or how to recover deleted records).

Method 1: Transferring your Google Account (the most reliable way)

If your Samsung is configured to sync with Google Drive, notes can be transferred automatically - but with nuances. the Samsung Notes app does not support direct sync with Google, however, there is a workaround through Google Keep.

First export notes from Samsung Notes to.snb (or.zip for multiple notes), then upload them to Google Keep via the web. On Xiaomi, install Google Keep from the Play Market and log in to the same account - all notes will appear automatically. This method is suitable for texts and lists, but does not save drawings or handwriting.

• ✅ Pros: does not require cables, works on any device, free of charge.
• ❌ Cons: does not tolerate formatting and attachments, you need to do manually.

Alternatively, use Google Drive to back up notes in.pdf or.txt format and then open them on Xiaomi via Mi Notes or WPS Office.

1. Open the note in Samsung Notes.
2. Press. ⋮ → Exports → Save how PDF.
3. Select Google Drive as your save location.
4. On Xiaomi, download the file and import to Mi Notes via + → Import.

Method 2: Using Samsung Smart Switch (official tool)

Samsung Smart Switch is designed to transfer data between Galaxy devices, but with limitations works with other brands. To transfer notes to Xiaomi will require a PC or Mac as an intermediary.

Install Smart Switch on your computer (download from Samsung’s official website). Connect Samsung over USB, select Backup → Notes and save the file to your PC. Then connect Xiaomi and try to recover data. Note: not all versions of Smart Switch support exporting notes to non-Samsung devices — if the option is inactive, use method 3 or 4.

Connect Samsung to your PC via USB (file transfer mode)

Install Smart Switch on your computer

Create a backup copy with the tick "Notes"

Disable Samsung, connect Xiaomi

Try to recover data (if the option is available)-->

⚠️ Note: Smart Switch may not recognize Xiaomi as a target device, in which case export notes to a.spb file (a backup of Smart Switch) and extract data through an archiver (for example, 7-Zip). Look for the Notes folder inside the archive.

Method 3: Export notes to local files (for manual transfer)

If cloud services are not available, you can save notes manually. Samsung Notes allows you to export each note separately in.txt,.pdf,.png (for handwritten notes) or.snb (the native format of Samsung).

Instructions:

1. Open the note in Samsung Notes.
2. Press. ⋮ → Exports.
3. Select the format (we recommend.txt for text or.pdf for formatting).
4. Save the file to your internal memory → Download.
5. Connect Samsung to your PC and copy the files to a folder on Xiaomi.
6. On Xiaomi, open files via Mi Notes or WPS Office.

For package exports:

1. In Samsung Notes, click ⋮ → Settings → Exports and imports.
2. Select Export all notes (.zip format).
3. Unclose the file on your PC and transfer notes one at a time.

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If notes contain handwritten text, export them to.png via the option Share → Save as an image. On Xiaomi, they can be pasted into new notes as pictures.

Method 4: Synchronization through third-party services (OneNote, Evernote)

If you need to save formatting, images, and handwriting, use middleware services like Microsoft OneNote or Evernote. They support imports from Samsung Notes and have apps for Xiaomi.

Step-by-step instructions for OneNote:

1. On Samsung, export notes to.pdf or.docx (via Export → Word).
2. Upload files to OneDrive.
3. On Xiaomi, install OneNote and sign in to the same Microsoft account.
4. Import files through the file → Open up.

For Evernote:

• 📱 Install Evernote on Samsung.
• 🔄 In Samsung Notes, select Share → Evernote.
• 📲 On Xiaomi, sync notes through the Evernote app.

⚠️ Warning: The free version of Evernote limits the number of devices synced.If notes don't show up on Xiaomi, check your account limits or use OneNote (free for personal use).

Method 5: Transfer over ADB (for advanced users)

If notes are not exported in standard ways (e.g. on older Galaxy J or A-series models), you can extract them through the standard method. ADB-This method requires unlocked debugging. USB Basic knowledge of working with the command line.

Instructions:

1. Turn on Settings → About Phone → Build Number (click 7 times to activate Developer Mode).
2. Return to Settings → Developer settings and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect Samsung to your PC and execute the command: adb backup -f samsung_notes.ab -apk com.samsung.android.snote
4. On the phone, confirm the backup (do not set the password!).
5. Download Android Backup Extractor (for example, from here) and extract from samsung_notes.ab folder apps/com.samsung.android.snote.
6. Inside, there will be a note.db file – it can be opened via SQLite Browser or converted to.txt using scripts.

Notes.db contains all notes in encrypted form – decoding requires a key from Samsung’s system files, without which you can only read text notes (without images or formatting).

Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

The choice of method depends on the number of notes, their format (text, images, handwriting) and the technical capabilities of your devices.

For most users, a combination of methods 1 and 3 is optimal: transfer text notes via Google Keep, and export the images to.pdf and download them manually to Mi Notes.

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If your notes contain important information (passwords, scans of documents), use the method with ADB or OneNote – they guarantee maximum data security.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after a successful transfer, users are faced with typical errors. Here's how to fix them:

• 🔍 Notes don't show up in Mi Notes: Check the file format - Mi Notes only supports.txt,.md (Markdown) and images. If exported to.snb, convert via Samsung Notes on your old phone.
• 📱 Xiaomi doesn’t have Mi Notes: Install it from Play Market (called Notes – Mi Notes) or use Google Keep.
• 🔒 Notes encrypted: If you used encryption in Samsung Notes, first decrypt them on your old phone (Settings) → Security → Delete password).
• 📎 Missing formatting: Export notes to.pdf instead of.txt. For handwritten notes, save as.png.

If you post-transfer notes with hieroglyphs, check the file encoding. Open them via Notepad++ on your PC and convert them to UTF-8.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions