How to transfer data from Huawei phone to Xiaomi: a step-by-step guide

Changing your smartphone is always an exciting moment, especially when it comes to moving between Android ecosystems with unique add-ons. Users often wonder how to shift data from a Huawei phone to a Xiomi without losing important contacts, photos, and correspondence history. Fortunately, modern operating systems offer powerful migration tools that make the process as simple and fast as possible.

Huawei device owners are used to the EMUI shell, which has its own features, while Xiaomi uses the MIUI or HyperOS interface. Despite the visual and functional differences, the Android kernel allows you to seamlessly transfer user content. The main thing is to choose the right method that will suit your data volume and technical preferences.

In this article, we will take a look at all the synchronization options available, from branded utilities to cloud services, how to keep folders structured and keep app settings in check. Getting your gadgets ready before you start is key to success, so it’s worth looking at each step carefully.

Preparing devices for data migration

Before any copying process begins, both devices must be prepared in a basic manner, which will eliminate possible connection errors and transmission interruptions halfway, and ensure that both smartphones have at least 50% battery charge, as active Wi-Fi modules and processors can consume significant energy.

It is also critical to check whether there is free space on the Xiaomi receiving device, and the amount of memory available should exceed the size of the data you plan to transfer from Huawei, and if the memory is crowded, the process may end up in error or copy only a fraction of the files.

It is recommended to update the system software on both devices to the latest available versions. Developers often release patches that improve the stability of data protocols. You can check the updates in the settings menu by going to Settings → About Phone → System Update.

⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to interrupt the transmission process by turning off the screen or running heavy applications.This may damage the contact or message database files.

Take time to clean up the junk on your old phone, remove the cache of heavy apps and files you no longer need, and speed up the transfer process, avoiding wasting precious space on your new device on digital junk.

Using the Mi Mover application for portability

The most efficient and quickest way to migrate is to use the Mi Mover app, which is designed specifically for users to switch to Xiaomi and Redmi devices from any other Android smartphone. The app creates a direct Wi-Fi connection between gadgets, which provides high speed transfer without using Internet traffic.

To get started, you need to install the app on both devices. On the new Xiaomi, it is often pre-installed in the Tools folder. APK-file or find the application in the AppGallery store, if it is available there, or scan QR-code that will appear on the screen of the new phone.

Once you run the program, select the role of "Sender" on your old phone, and the new one, "Receiver." Devices will find each other, and you will need to confirm the connection. The interface will suggest selecting categories of data to copy: contacts, messages, calls, images, videos, music, and even some system settings.

• 📱 Contacts and Messages: Complete Copying of the Phone Book and History SMS/MMS correspondence.
• 📸 Multimedia: Transferring all photos and videos from internal memory and from a card SD.
• 📋 System data: Settings of alarm clocks, calendar and notes.
• 📲 Annexes: Installation APK-Program files on a new phone (requires manual installation on Xiaomi).

⚠️ Note: When you transfer applications via Mi Mover to a new phone, only installation files are copied. Your logins, passwords and game progress are not saved unless the application supports cloud sync.

The process can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours depending on the amount of information you have, so don't break the connection and keep the phones next to each other, and when you're done, you'll see a report on the number of items successfully transferred.

Synchronization through Google Account

The classic and most reliable method that works regardless of the device’s brand is sync through a Google account, which is ideal for saving contacts, calendar events and notes, and ensures that your digital identity is accessible from any device after you enter your login and password.

On Huawei, go to your account settings and make sure that you have chosen contact and calendar sync. Often users forget to turn this option on and the data is only left in the phone's memory. Check the sync status in the Settings menu → Accounts → Google.

Once the data has been uploaded to the Google cloud, take a new Xiaomi. When you first turn on or in your account settings, log in to the same Google account. The system will automatically prompt you to restore a backup if it was created on your old device.

For photos and videos, Google Photos is the best service. Install the app on Huawei, turn on autoload and wait until the process is over. On Xiaomi, just log in with the same account, and the entire gallery will be available in the cloud.

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Google Account is the foundation of the Android ecosystem, ensuring the safety of contacts and calendar even when you lose your phone.

Transferring multimedia through PC and USB-cable

If you have hundreds of gigabytes of high-resolution photos and videos, wireless methods can be too slow, in which case the smartest solution would be to use the personal computer as an intermediary, which also allows you to structure files before downloading to a new phone.

Connect Huawei to your computer via USB-cable and select the mode of operation "File transfer" (MTP). A conductor window will open on your computer where you can copy folders. DCIM (Camera, Pictures (screenshots and app images) and Download.

Then plug in Xiaomi and move the copied data to the appropriate directories, and it's important to follow the folder structure so that the new phone gallery displays the files correctly, for example, the photos should be put in the folder. DCIM/Camera.

• 💾 Speed: Direct connection to the USB 3.0 provides maximum speed for copying large amounts of data.
• 🗂 Control: You can sort files right away by removing duplicates or unnecessary screenshots.
• 🔒 Security: Data is not transmitted via the internet or third-party servers, which increases privacy.

This method is especially relevant for users who shoot video in 4K resolution. Such files weigh a lot, and their transmission over Wi-Fi can take several hours, whereas through the cable process takes minutes.

Nuances of application portability and settings

The switch from Huawei to Xiaomi comes with one thing: no Google services on new Huawei models. However, if you transfer data from an old phone where Google services are installed, there should be no problems with the applications. Most programs will install automatically through the Play Store.

Difficulties may arise with banking applications and programs that require confirmation through the SMS. Make sure that SIM-A card with a bank number inserted into a new phone or that you have access to confirmation codes in another way.

System settings such as Wi-Fi passwords, wallpaper and icon location can also be ported.However, MIUI is very different from EMUI, so some settings may reset to Xiaomi's standard values. You'll have to reconfigure the control gestures and the Quick Access panel.

⚠️ Warning: Two-factor authentication in apps may require re-entry. Make sure you remember passwords from the main services in advance, or have access to backup recovery codes.

Pay special attention to messengers. WhatsApp and Telegram have their own backup features. WhatsApp on Huawei create a copy in Google Drive, and Xiaomi, when you first start, choose to restore from copy. Local copies may not work due to differences in file paths.

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For WhatsApp on Huawei without Google services, use the “Export Chat” function or create a local backup, copy the Android/media/com.whatsapp folder on your PC, and then transfer it to the same directory on Xiaomi before installing the application.

Solving the problems of migration

Despite the fact that processes are fine, users may encounter difficulties, and one of the common problems is the connection error when using Mi Mover, which is often due to one device using an energy-saving mode that kills the background transmission process.

Another common case is the absence of some files after transfer, which can occur if the files were in secure system folders or were hidden. Check the settings for displaying hidden files in the new phone's Explorer.

If the new Xiaomi phone is slow right after the transfer, give it time. the system indexes files and optimizes applications in the background. This process can last from 30 minutes to several hours of active use.

In rare cases, contacts can be duplicated, which happens if you sync them through Google and then import them from a vCard file, and you can delete duplicates through Google's contact service on your computer or through the phone's built-in tools.