Xiaomi to Samsung Data Transfer: A Complete Guide to Comparing All Ways

Moving from Xiaomi to Samsung is not just about changing your brand, but also migrating all your data, from contacts and messages to photos, videos, and even app settings. Many users have trouble copying information between devices from different manufacturers. In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to transfer data, including official tools, cloud services, and manual methods, and how to avoid common mistakes.

The main challenge is that Xiaomi and Samsung use different ecosystems: MIUI vs. One UI. This means that standard backup features (like Mi Cloud or Samsung Account) aren't always compatible. However, there are universal solutions that work independently of the brand. We've tested each method on real devices (including the Redmi Note 12 and Galaxy S23) and are willing to provide honest recommendations.

1.Official method: Samsung Smart Switch

Samsung Smart Switch is Samsung’s proprietary app designed to transfer data from other devices, including Xiaomi, and supports contact, message, photo, video, music, calendars, and even some app settings, with automatic MIUI recognition and One UI adaptations being a major advantage.

To use Smart Switch, follow the following steps:

• 📱 Install the Smart Switch app on both devices: a link for Android. On Samsung, it is usually pre-installed.
• 🔗 Connect devices via Wi-Fi Direct or cable USB-C/OTG. For wireless connection, select the option “Send data” on Xiaomi and “Receive data” on Samsung.

Important: Smart Switch does not carry Wi-Fi passwords, call history, and some system application settings (such as Mi Fit or Samsung Health).

⚠️ Note: If Xiaomi has enabled the “Data Protection” function (in Settings) → Special features, Smart Switch may request additional confirmation.

2. Transfer through Google Account (cloud)

The most versatile method is sync through Google Account, which is suitable for transferring contacts, calendars, notes, mail and some applications, the advantage is that the data is automatically updated on both devices, and you do not need to connect the phones to each other.

Instructions:

1. On Xiaomi, go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Enable sync for all necessary categories (contacts, calendar, Chrome, Gmail, etc.).
3. On Samsung, add the same Google Account and wait for the sync to complete.
4. To transfer photos and videos, use Google Photos: turn on autoload on Xiaomi, then download files to Samsung.

Limitations of the method:

• 🚫 Not tolerated. SMS, Call history and app settings (except those linked to Google).
• 📸 Photos and videos in original quality take up space in the cloud (free only 15 GB).
• ⚙️ Some system settings (such as Always On Display or gestures) MIUI) non-synchronize.

If you use Google Photos to transfer media files, please note: when downloading in “High Quality” (not original) photos are compressed to 16 MP, and videos – up to 1080p. To maintain the original quality, you will need a paid subscription to Google One.

3. Computer-assisted transfer (USB-cable)

If you have a computer (Windows, macOS or Linux), you can copy data from Xiaomi to a PC and then transfer it to Samsung, a method that is suitable for large amounts of data (for example, tens of gigabytes of photos and videos) and ensures the preservation of original files.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your computer via USB-cable (preferably original).
2. On your phone, select File Transfer (or MTP) mode.
3. Copy the folders you need (DCIM for photos, Downloads for downloads, WhatsApp for chat backups) to your computer.
4. Connect Samsung and transfer the files to the appropriate folders.

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ Complete control of files (you can selectively copy only the necessary ones).
• ✅ There are no limits on volume (unlike cloud services).
• ✅ The original quality of media files is maintained.

Disadvantages:

• ❌ You need a computer and two cables.
• ❌ Contacts are not tolerated, SMS and application settings (files only).

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If your computer doesn’t see Xiaomi in MTP mode, try enabling “Debugging by USB” in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times on version, then go back to Additional Settings → For Developers).

4.Use of OTG cable (direct connection)

If you don’t have a computer, you do. OTG-adapter (or cable) USB-C to USB-C), You can connect Samsung directly to Xiaomi and copy files as a flash drive, which works faster than the Smart Switch, but requires an additional adapter.

How to do this:

1. Connect. OTG-adapter.
2. Connect Xiaomi to the adapter via cable.
3. A file manager (such as My Files) will open on Samsung.
4. Go to Xiaomi folders and copy the data to Samsung’s internal memory.

The OTG transmission speed is higher than Wi-Fi, but depends on the USB version:

⚠️ Note: When connecting through OTG Xiaomi will discharge faster as it runs both as a drive and power the adapter. charge both devices up to 80% before starting the transfer.

5. Transfer of applications and their data

Standard methods (Smart Switch, Google Account) only carry the apps themselves, not their data, such as game progress, WhatsApp settings, or Telegram messaging histories, and will need additional steps to move them.

Methods of transferring data applications:

• 🎮 Games: Use a Google Play Games or Facebook account link, for example, Clash of Clans or Brawl Stars just log in to a new device.
• 💬 Messengers: WhatsApp: Create a backup on Xiaomi (Settings) → chat → Backup, then restore it to Samsung when you first log in. Telegram: All chats and media sync automatically via the cloud. Viber: Backup to Settings → Account. → Backup copy.
• 📊 Social networks: Instagram, TikTok and Facebook data are tied to the account – just log in under your login.
• 🏃 Fitness trackers: Move data from Mi Fit to Google Fit, then sync with Samsung Health.

For some applications (e.g. banking), data portability is not possible for security reasons, in which case you will have to re-authenticate and adjust notifications.

6. Alternative methods: cloud services and third-party applications

If the standard methods don't work, you can use third-party solutions.

• ☁️ Cloud storage: Yandex Disk or Mail.ru Cloud (free of charge) 10-32 Dropbox or OneDrive (document-friendly). Download files from Xiaomi, then download them to Samsung.
• 📲 Third-party applications: Send Anywhere — transfer files over Wi-Fi without restrictions. Xender — supports the transfer of applications and their data. CLONEit — specializes in migration between Android devices.
• 🔄 Backup through TWRP: For advanced users. Requires an unlocked bootloader and custom recovery installation.

When choosing a third-party app, pay attention to reviews and ratings in Google Play. Some programs (such as Xiaomi’s ShareMe) may not work properly on Samsung due to differences in firmware.

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For maximum reliability, use a combination of methods: Smart Switch for system data + Google Photos for media + manual transfer of applications through OTG.

Comparison of all data transfer methods

To choose the best method, compare them on key parameters:

For most users, the best solution is a combination of Smart Switch (for system data) and OTG-cable (for large media files) If you only need to transfer contacts and photos, Google Account is enough.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer from Xiaomi to Samsung