How to transfer notes from Samsung Notes to Xiaomi: all working ways

The transition from Samsung to Xiaomi is not only about changing the ecosystem, but also the need to transfer important data, including notes. Samsung Notes does not directly sync with Mi Notes or other standard Xiaomi applications, so users have to look for workarounds. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods of transfer — from official solutions to third-party tools — and also tell you how to avoid loss of formatting and attachments (images, audio, drawings).

The challenge is that Samsung Notes uses a proprietary storage format (.snb) that is not readable by most alternative applications, but there are conversion and export methods that we have tested on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Note 20 and Xiaomi 14 Pro/Redmi Note 13. Importantly, some methods require pre-training on an old Samsung device, so start porting before you reset or sell the phone.

1. export of notes through Samsung Cloud (official way)

The most reliable method is to use Samsung Cloud, which automatically syncs notes, which is a good way to do it if you've previously enabled backup on Samsung.

Instructions:

• 📱 Open Samsung Notes on your old device and make sure all notes are synced (the cloud icon in the upper right corner should be green).
• 🌐 Go to the web version of Samsung Cloud via the browser on Xiaomi or PC.
• 📄 Find the Notes section and select the notes you want. click Export. → PDF or a text file.
• 📎 Save files on Xiaomi (for example, in Downloads) and import them to Mi Notes or Google Keep.

Limitations of the method:

• ⚠️ Formatting (bold text, lists) may be lost when exported to the PDF.
• ⚠️ Attachments (photos, audio) are exported in separate files, they will have to be attached manually.

Synchronization enabled in Samsung Notes|

Last update of the app | installed

Enough space in Samsung Cloud (at least 50MB) |

Notes do not contain sensitive data (the cloud is not encrypted)

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2. Move over Google Keep (with formatting saved)

If you use Google services, Google Keep is the perfect middle ground, which preserves the structure of notes (lists, background colors) and supports manual attachment.

How to move:

1. On Samsung, open a note in Samsung Notes and click Share → Google Keep.
2. In Google Keep, click Save – a note will appear in your account.
3. On Xiaomi, install Google Keep from Google Play and sign in to the same account.
4. Open the note in Keep and click Share → Mi Notes or copy the text manually.

Advantages:

• 🔄 Synchronization between devices in real time.
• 🎨 Colors, labels and reminders are preserved.
• 📎 Photos are transferred as links, but they can be downloaded separately.

Through Samsung Cloud|

Through Google Keep|

Direct export to PDF|

Appendix side (e.g. Evernote)|

Another option-->

3. Direct exports to PDF/Text (for large archives)

If you have hundreds of notes, manually porting it will take too long, and then mass exporting it to PDF or TXT, followed by importing it to Mi Notes or WPS Office, will help.

Step-by-step:

1. On Samsung, open Samsung Notes and select ⋮ (Menus) → Settings → Export of notes.
2. Specify the format (PDF saves formatting, TXT saves text only).
3. Select a folder to save (e.g., Internal Storage/Downloads).
4. Move files to Xiaomi via Bluetooth, Xiaomi Share or the cloud (Mi Cloud, Google Drive).
5. On Xiaomi, open files via WPS Office or Mi Notes (for TXT).

Critical detail: when exported to PDF, handwritten notes (made with a stylus) are converted into raster and become uneditable. If you want to keep editable, use the method with Google Keep.

4. Use of third-party applications (Evernote, OneNote)

If the standard methods don’t work, cross-platform services like Evernote or Microsoft OneNote can be used, which support imports from Samsung Notes and have customers for Xiaomi.

Algorithm of action:

• 📲 Install Evernote on Samsung and Xiaomi.
• 🔄 On Samsung, open a note in Samsung Notes and select Share → Evernote.
• 📥 On Xiaomi, log in to the same Evernote account and export notes to Mi Notes via Share.

Pros and cons of the method:

⚠️ Warning: Evernote's free version limits the number of devices you can sync (maximum 2).If you're already using the service on a PC, you'll have to uninstall one of your devices or pay for a subscription.

5. Manual transfer through file manager (for advanced)

This method is suitable for those who are ready to work with system files. Samsung Notes stores notes in the /data/com.samsung.android.app.notes folder, but access to it requires root rights or the use of ADB.

Instructions for users with root:

1. Install a file manager with root support (e.g., Root Explorer).


2. Go to the folder:




/data/com.samsung.android.app.notes/databases/




3. Copy notes.db and notes.db-wal files to the memory card.




4. Transfer them to Xiaomi and use the SQLite Editor app to extract text.

For users without root:

• 🖥️ Connect Samsung to your PC and use it ADB To extract the database: adb pull /data/com.samsung.android.app.notes/databases/notes.db
• 📂 Open notes.db through DB Browser for SQLite (available for the Windows/macOS).
• 📋 Export the table note to the note CSV Import data to Excel or Google Sheets.

⚠️ Note: Working with system files can disrupt the stability of Samsung Notes. Before manipulation, back up through Settings → Accounts and archiving → Backup of data.

6. synchronize via Mi Cloud (alternative to Xiaomi)

Mi Cloud does not support direct import from Samsung Notes, but you can download the exported files manually.This method is handy if you plan to use Mi Notes as your main app.

How it works:

1. Export notes from Samsung Notes to TXT or PDF (see Section 3).
2. Upload files to Mi Cloud via the web version (i.mi.com).
3. On Xiaomi, open Mi Notes, click + → Import and select downloaded files.

Please note:

• 📌 Mi Notes only supports imports TXT and MD (Markdown).
• 📌 Maximum size of one file – 10 MB.
• 📌 For notes with images, you will have to manually download attachments to the Mi Cloud and attach them to Mi Notes.

💡

If you want to keep the folder structure from Samsung Notes, create similar categories in Mi Notes before importing. To do this, open Settings → Folder Management and add the desired partitions.

Frequent problems and their solutions

When you move notes, you're faced with common mistakes, and here's how to avoid or fix them:

If none of these methods worked, try a combination approach:

1. Export the text of the notes to TXT.
2. Save attachments (photos, audio) separately in Google Drive.
3. On Xiaomi, create new notes in Mi Notes and manually paste text + attach media files.

💡

The most universal method is a combination of Google Keep (for text) and Google Photos (for attachments), which works on any device and does not require root rights.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions