Changing your smartphone is always stressful, with the fear of losing important photos, contacts, or correspondence history, and it’s especially acute when you move between ecosystems, like when you’re swapping a time-tested Samsung for a new Xiaomi device. Fortunately, modern technology makes it as fast and painless as possible while preserving all your digital habits.
The main difficulty is that the interface shells of these manufacturers differ significantly. One UI from Samsung and MIUI (or HyperOS) from Xiaomi have different file structure and system settings. However, this is not an obstacle, but only a feature that requires the right approach to choosing a copying tool. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways of migration.
There are several proven methods, such as using a specialized Mi Mover app, restoring through a Google account, or manually copying to a computer, each with its own advantages depending on the amount of data and the speed of the Internet connection, and the choice of the particular method depends on how deeply you want to integrate into the Xiaomi ecosystem.
Preparation of devices for information transfer
Before starting the cloning process, a number of preparatory steps must be taken on both devices, which is a critical step, since an unstable connection or lack of space can interrupt the transmission in the middle, which will damage the files. Make sure that both smartphones are charged at least 60%, or better connect them to a power source.
On an older Samsung device, it’s worth checking for system updates and making sure all important data is synced to the cloud or locally stored. On the new Xiaomi, you need to complete the initial language and region setting, but don’t install heavy apps from the store just yet to avoid creating unnecessary memory fragmentation.
Both phones must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network, preferably in the 5GHz band for maximum speed. If the router is not available, many transfer applications are able to create a direct access point between devices, which is even faster and more reliable in conditions of poor signal.
⚠️ Note: Do not try to transfer data over Bluetooth, as the speed of this protocol is extremely low. Transfer even a small video file can take hours, and the risk of connection breakage is approaching 100%.
It is also recommended to clear the cache of junk apps on Samsung so as not to drag the digital debris to a new clean machine.This will free up space and speed up the file system after the migration.
Using the Mi Mover app for migration
The most effective and native way is to use the Mi Mover utility, which is designed specifically for the Xiaomi ecosystem. This app is pre-installed on most new models, but if it's not, it's easy to download from Google Play to a Samsung device.
Once the program is launched, both phones will need to select the device role: Samsung says “I’m sender” and Xiaomi says “I’m receiver” and the app will request permission to access contacts, gallery and system settings, which is necessary for proper operation.
When devices find each other, they will appear on the screen. QR-You can pair it with a code or a password, and when you scan the code with the camera on the old phone, you can open a data selection menu, and you can flexibly configure what you want to copy: calls, SMS, applications, music or documents.
- 📱 Contacts and calls – transfer instantly, preserving the entire history.
- 📸 Media files – photos and videos are copied in original quality without compression.
- 📲 Annexes - established APK-files, but data within games may require separate login.
- ⚙️ System settings – alarm clocks, wallpaper and Wi-Fi settings.
⚠️ Note: When transferring applications via Mi Mover on a new device, you may need to re-authorize in banking applications and instant messengers for security reasons.
The process is in the background, and the screens of the devices may go out, but it is not recommended to interrupt them. Status bar will show progress in percentage, and latency depends on the amount of information selected.
☑️ Checklist before Mi Mover launch
Synchronization through Google account
An alternative and often more reliable method is to use Google’s cloud services, which, since both operating systems are Android-based, is a universal key to your data – ideal for those who don’t want to mess with cables or LANs.
On an old Samsung, you need to go to your account settings and make sure the sync switches are active. Usually it's Settings → Accounts → Google. Here you need to check that contacts, calendar, Keep notes and Chrome data are marked for sync.
Google Photos is a big focus, and if you have Autoboot and Sync enabled, your entire library is already in the cloud. On the new Xiaomi, just log in to the same account when you first set up your phone, and the gallery will fill up automatically.
What to do if your contacts are not synchronized?
For apps, the situation is as follows: Google Play will offer to install previously used programs, but data inside the applications (progress in games, drafts in messengers) is stored only if the developer used Google Drive cloud storage.
This method is good for its versatility, but requires a stable and fast Internet connection. With a large amount of photos and videos, the process of initially downloading the gallery to a new phone can take considerable time.
Manual transfer via computer and cable
For users who don’t have fast Wi-Fi or have concerns about cloud security, the classic “conductor” method remains: connecting Samsung to a computer via a computer. USB-cable, you access the file system as an external drive.
You need to copy the DCIM (camera photos and videos), Download (downloads), Documents and Music folders to a separate folder on the PC hard drive. Then a similar operation is performed with the new Xiaomi: files are transferred from the computer to the corresponding directories of the new device.
This allows you to selectively clean up, and while the files are on your computer, you can easily delete unnecessary screenshots, duplicates, or heavy videos that are no longer relevant without clogging the memory of the new smartphone.
| Type of data | Location on Samsung | Where to copy on Xiaomi | nuance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photos and videos | /DCIM/Camera | /DCIM/Camera | Metadata (record date) is stored |
| WhatsApp Media | /Android/media/com.whatsapp | /Android/media/com.whatsapp | WhatsApp Requires Reinstallation |
| Documents | /Download or /Documents | /Download | Better sort by folder. |
| Audio files | /Music or /Sounds | /Music | Check the support formats |
It is important to remember the folder structure in Android 11/12/13. Access to the Android folder can be limited by the system, so writing files may require special permission or using a file manager with advanced rights, such as Total Commander or MI File Manager.
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Use a USB-C cable on USB-C and a USB 3.0 port on your computer for maximum copy speed. Older USB 2.0 cables will transmit data 10 times slower.
Transferring WhatsApp and Viber messages
Messengers deserve special attention, as their correspondence history is often the most valuable information. Standard methods of copying files here work poorly because of the encryption of the database. WhatsApp has an official path through Google Drive.
On Samsung, go to WhatsApp Settings → Chats → Chat Backup and click “Backup.” Make sure you’re using the same Google account that’s on the new phone. On Xiaomi, when you first launch, WhatsApp will offer to restore a story from the cloud.
The situation is similar with Viber, but backup is created via Viber Backup in the app settings or through Google Drive. It is important that the new device has the same phone number installed, otherwise recovery will not be possible.
If the cloud doesn’t work, you can try the local port that WhatsApp itself offers when you discover a new device on the same Wi-Fi network during the initial setup of the application, a method that is often faster and more reliable for large amounts of media in chat rooms.
⚠️ Attention: Local WhatsApp backups take up a lot of space.Be sure to have free space on Google Drive before transferring, otherwise the backup process will be interrupted.
Solution and troubleshooting
Users may face various difficulties in migrating, such as Samsung apps (calendar, notes, voice recorder) that won’t be installed on Xiaomi because they’re designed to be built under the One UI shell, and they’ll have to search for analogues on Google Play or use web versions of Samsung services.
Another common problem is the lack of notifications from messengers on the new phone, which is due to the aggressive energy saving policy in MIUI, you manually go to the battery settings, find the application and select the "No restrictions" mode, and fix it in memory.
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Aggressive battery optimization in Xiaomi is the main reason for missing notifications: Set up each important app individually immediately after the transfer.
If the process is stuck at a certain percentage, try restarting both devices and starting over by selecting only the missing file categories. Partial transfer is often more successful than trying to copy everything at once.
- 🔋 Battery discharge – connect the chargers directly during transmission.
- 📶 Wi-Fi Breakdown – Get Closer to the Router or Use Access Point Mode.
- 💾 Lack of space – clear temporary files before starting.
Also worth considering are the differences in screen resolutions: Wallpapers and widgets, which are perfectly viewed on Samsung, can "go" on the Xiaomi display with a different diagonal or notch under the camera, and it is better to reconfigure the home screen, adapting it to the capabilities of the new shell.