How to Transfer Data to Xiaomi without Loss: From Contacts to Apps

The transition from Samsung to Xiaomi is not just about branding, but also about migrating all your data — photos, contacts, messages, even app settings — and many users fear this process, thinking they’ll lose important information or spend hours manually copying it, and in fact, it can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour to move data between the two ecosystems, depending on the method and the amount of information they choose.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to transfer data, including official tools from manufacturers (Samsung Smart Switch and Mi Mover), cloud services (Google Drive, Mi Cloud), and manual methods through the computer. We will pay special attention to the typical errors that lead to data loss, and give a checklist for preparing devices before migrating. If you switch from the Galaxy S23 to Xiaomi 14 or from the Samsung A52 to the Redmi Note 12, this guide will be suitable for any model.

Before you start, answer one question: How much data do you need to move? It's what you choose.

1. Official method: Samsung Smart Switch + Mi Mover

The most reliable method is to use proprietary utilities from Samsung and Xiaomi. Samsung Smart Switch backs up on the old phone, and Mi Mover restores it on the new one.

• 📞 Contacts (including call history)
• 📷 Photos and videos (without loss of quality)
• 💬 Communications (SMS and MMS)
• 📅 Calendars and notes
• 🎵 Music and documents

However, there are limitations: Mi Mover does not carry installed applications and their data (for example, save in games or configure messengers).

Step-by-step:

1. On Samsung, install the Samsung Smart Switch (unless it is installed by default).
2. Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network.
3. On Xiaomi, run Settings → About Phone → Data Migration (Mi Mover).
4. On Samsung, select Send Data → Wireless transfer and scan QR-Xiaomi screen code.
5. Select data types to transfer and wait until it is completed (can take up to 30 minutes for 10+GB).

Charging both phones > 50%|Both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.|Xiaomi has enough free space|Disabled. VPN firewalls|Background applications (especially messengers) are closed)-->

⚠️ Note: If Samsung has enabled data encryption (e.g., through Settings) → Security → Phone encryption, Mi Mover may not see some files. In this case, use the method with a computer (section 4).

2. Move through Google Account (for contacts, calendars and mail)

If you only need to transfer contacts, calendars, notes and email, syncing through Google Account is the fastest way. It works on any Android device and requires no additional programs.

How to do this:

1. On Samsung, go to Settings → Accounts and Archiving → Account Management → Google.
2. Make sure that sync is enabled for Contacts, Calendar and Gmail.
3. On Xiaomi, add the same Google Account to Settings → Accounts → Add an account.
4. Wait for automatic synchronization (usually takes 1-2 minutes).

This method is not suitable for transferring:

• 🚫 Photos and videos (use Google Photos separately)
• 🚫 Communications SMS/MMS
• 🚫 Installed annexes
• 🚫 Local files (documents, music)

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If contacts are not synced, check if they are duplicated in your Samsung account. VCF: Contacts → ⋮ → Management → Export, then import it to Xiaomi.

3. Cloud services: Google Drive, Mi Cloud and alternatives

To move large amounts of data (photos, videos, documents), it is convenient to use cloud storage.

Instructions for Google Drive:

1. On Samsung, install Google Drive.
2. Download files manually or back up through Settings → Google → Backup.
3. On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account and download files through the Drive app.

⚠️ Note: If you are transferring photos in their original quality, please note that Google Photos compresses them for free storage. To avoid loss of quality, upload photos via Google Drive (Google Photos folder does not compress files).

4. Computer transfer (for full control)

If you need to selectively copy files or migrate data larger than 50GB, the most reliable way is to use a computer (Windows/Mac).

• 🔌 You have a slow Internet.
• 🔒 Data is encrypted (Smart Switch does not see files)
• 📁 You need to transfer specific files (for example, save games)

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Samsung to your computer via USB-cable (select File Transfer Mode (MTP) phone-on).
2. Copy the folders you need (DCIM for photos, Download for downloads, WhatsApp for chats) to your computer.
3. Connect Xiaomi and transfer the files to the appropriate folders.
4. For contacts, export them to.vcf via Contacts → ⋮ → Export, then import to Xiaomi.

To port applications and their data (for example, saves in games) use:

• 📱 Titanium Backup (requires root rights)
• 🖥️ Syncios (Free version with limitations)

5. Transfer of applications and their data (advanced level)

The official tools (Smart Switch, Mi Mover) do not carry installed applications and their settings, for example, to save progress in games or settings of messengers, you will have to use third-party utilities.

Methods of transferring applications:

• 📲 APK-extractor: Remove APK-Application files from Samsung (for example, through the APK Extractor, then install them on Xiaomi. minus: application data will not be saved.
• 🔧 Helium (Carbon Backup): Creates backups for data applications, but requires USB-Debugging and may not work on new versions of Android.
• 💻 ADB-Teams: For power users. Example of backup command: adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab Recovery: adb restore backup.ab

⚠️ Note: Transfer of application data via Helium or ADB It can lead to version conflicts if Xiaomi has a newer version of Android. For example, the Telegram backup with Android 12 may not recover on Android 14.

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For most users, the best option is to transfer only data (photos, contacts) through Smart Switch, and install the applications again from Google Play.

6. Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Even when using official tools, users often face problems, and here are 5 common mistakes and solutions:

1. Mi Mover doesn't see Samsung Reason: Different versions of Android or Wi-Fi Direct disabled Solution: Update Smart Switch and Mi Mover to the latest version. Reboot both phones.
2. Photos moved, but no date of creation Reason: Mi Mover resets metadata Solution: Use Google Photos or transfer files through your computer.
3. SMS messages are not portable Reason: Samsung has disabled SMS backup in Google Drive. Solution: Enable SMS backup in Settings → Google → Backup.
4. Applications fly out after transfer Reason: Version or Architecture Conflict (ARM/x86) Solution: Remove problematic apps and install them again from Google Play.
5. Lack of space on Xiaomi Reason: Mi Mover does not clear cache after transfer.Solution: Before penos free 10-15% of memory on Xiaomi.

If none of these methods worked, try alternative programs:

• 🔄 Coolmuster Mobile Transfer (paid but reliable)
• 📡 Syncios (free version with 50 file limits)
• 🖥️ Wondershare MobileTrans (supports iOS and Android)

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions