Changing a smartphone is always stressful, not so much the loss of a familiar device as the risk of losing accumulated digital life. When a user moves from the Honor ecosystem to Xiaomi gadgets, they face the task of transferring all important data as painlessly as possible. Modern technology allows this process to be automated, but requires a clear understanding of the sequence of actions to prevent errors.
The transition between Android devices from different manufacturers has become much easier due to the standardization of data protocols. However, given the lack of Google services on new Honor models, some nuances are still present and require attention. Proper preparation of both gadgets is the key to successful migration without losing contacts, correspondence in messengers and media files.
In this article, we’ll take a look at all the sync options available, from built-in utilities to cloud storage, how to migrate call history, Wi-Fi settings, and even desktop icon settings. Following proven algorithms will help you start using the new Xiaomi immediately after unpacking without spending hours manually setting up.
Preparation of devices before the migration
Before you run any transfer programs, you need to do basic training for both smartphones. This is a critical step that is often ignored, which leads to a connection break in the middle of the process. Make sure that both devices are charged at least 60% of the battery, as active data transmission over Wi-Fi Direct is significantly energy consuming.
Check for free space on your Xiaomi host device. The amount of memory available should exceed the size of the data you plan to transfer to Honor. If the internal storage is crowded, the process may end in error or only a portion of the files will be transferred.
⚠️ Warning: Do not interrupt the data transfer process or block smartphone screens while the migration utilities are running. Active screen prevents the transition to power saving mode, which can break the Wi-Fi connection between devices.
It is also recommended to update the operating system on both devices to the latest available version. Manufacturers often release patches that fix bugs in wireless protocols. On Honor, go to Settings → System and Updates → Software Update, and on Xiaomi in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version.
☑️ Checklist of preparations
Using the Mi Mover app for full portability
The most effective and official way to migrate is the Mi Mover utility, developed by Xiaomi engineers. This application is specially designed to receive data from any Android smartphone, including Honor, and allows you to transfer contacts, messages, calls, photos, music, videos, documents and even installed applications.
The process starts with installing the app on both smartphones. Honor can be downloaded from Google Play or the browser, as it may not be available in the AppGallery Store. Xiaomi often preinstalled the app in the Tools folder or available in GetApps. Once launched, you need to select the role of each device: Honor clicks "I send" and Xiaomi - "I receive."
Then the devices must connect over a local Wi-Fi network. Mi Mover will create an access point to connect to. Once you establish the connection, you will see a list of data categories available for transfer. You can select all at once or mark only the right items, for example, eliminating heavy video files if they are not important.
- 📲 Contacts and messages are transferred along with the history of correspondence SMS and MMS, This allows you to keep important codes and notifications.
- 📸 Multimedia (photos and videos) are copied in original quality without compression, storing metadata EXIF.
- 📱 Applications are transmitted in the form of installation packages (APK), which will automatically be installed on the new device.
- ⚙️ System settings include Wi-Fi passwords, alarm clocks and some interface settings.
What if the Mi Mover can’t see the device?
The speed of transfer depends on the volume of data and the version of Wi-Fi modules. On average, transferring 32 GB of data takes about 15-20 minutes, and once the process is completed, Xiaomi will begin automatic application installation and file indexing.
Synchronization through Google Account and Cloud Services
An alternative and often more reliable method is to use cloud synchronization. Since both smartphones are Android-based (even without GMS on the new Honor, the underlying system remains Android), Google's account is a universal key to your data.
On Honor, you need to make sure that sync is enabled. Go to Settings → Users and Accounts → Google. Make sure the sliders opposite Contacts, Calendar and Chrome Data are active. Press the sync button to make sure all data is gone to the cloud.
When you first set up Xiaomi or after you reset, just type in the same Google login and password. The system will prompt you to restore data from the backup. You can choose which apps and data to download. This method does not require both phones to be on hand at the same time.
| Type of data | Google Account | Mi Mover | Mi Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Automatically. | Yes. | Yes (imports) |
| Photo/Video | Google Photo (compression) | Original | Original |
| Annexes | List of references | APK files | No. |
| Wi-Fi passwords | Yes (via Google) | Yes. | No. |
For owners of older Honor models with Google services installed, it is also important to migrate through Google One. When you connect the new Xiaomi to the same Wi-Fi network and account, the system itself will offer to copy settings and applications over the air, which is the most seamless experience for the user.
Manual transfer of multimedia and documents
Sometimes automatic systems may fail or the user wants to migrate only specific folders, in which case the most effective will be using the computer as an intermediate or direct connection via USB. Connect Honor to the PC with a cable, select File Transfer (MTP) mode in the curtain notifications.
Copy the DCIM (camera), Pictures (app screenshots and images), Download and Documents folders to your computer's hard drive. Then plug Xiaomi and copy those folders into the appropriate internal storage directories. Android folder structure is standardized, so the files will fall into place.
For those who prefer wireless solutions without installing unnecessary applications, SMB or FTP protocol is great. In the standard Files Explorer on Xiaomi, there is a built-in Remote Management feature. By enabling it, you will get an address (for example, ftp://192.168.1.5:212121), which can be entered in a Explorer on Honor or on a computer, and transfer files over the local network at high speed.
⚠️ Note: When you manually copy messenger folders (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber) through your computer, the file structure may be broken.
If you have a microSD card, the process is simplified to a minimum: insert the card into Honor, move all media files to it through the "Move to SD" menu. Then remove the card, paste it into Xiaomi (if there is a slot) or through the card reader, and move the files to internal memory with the "Copy" command.
Migration of data messengers: WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber
Messengers deserve special attention, as they store correspondence in their isolated databases. Simple file transfer is often not enough to restore message history. WhatsApp on Android has an official path through Google Drive.
On the old Honor, open WhatsApp, go to Settings → Chats → Backup. Click Backup and wait until you finish downloading to Google Drive. Make sure you’re using the same Google account that you’ll be using on the new Xiaomi. When you install WhatsApp on the new device, the app will find the backup and prompt you to restore it.
Viber is similar, but it's on Google Drive or locally, and it's recommended to back up locally before changing your phone. → Backup of Viber. backup file (usually in the folder) viber_backup) You need to manually transfer to the new phone in the same directory if cloud sync fails.
💡
All your chats, channels and media (except secret chats) are stored on Telegram servers. Just install the app on Xiaomi and log in to your account by phone number.
It is important to remember two-factor authentication. Before transferring, make sure you remember the password from the messenger cloud storage or have access to the messenger's cloud storage. SIM-map SMS-Without this, it will be impossible to log into the account on the new device.
Solving and completing the setup
After the data transfer, you may need to adjust it further, some applications may request re-sign-in, this is normal security, especially for banking applications and social networks, prepare passwords in advance, or make sure that the phone number is available for confirmation codes.
If you notice that some photos are not displayed in the Xiaomi gallery, try clearing the media scanner cache. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Media scanner (or Gallery) and select “Clear Cache.” After the restart, the system will index the files again.
It's also worth checking the permissions for applications. On MIUI, the security system is aggressive. Go to the settings of every important application and make sure that you've granted permissions to access contacts, microphone and storage, otherwise they may not work properly.
- 🔋 Battery Optimization: After transferring, give the phone 1-2 The system will analyze your habits and optimize your energy consumption.
- 🔒 Security: Set a new unlock password and set up a fingerprint or Face ID new-device.
- 🗑️ Cleaning Old: Only after making sure all data is intact on Xiaomi, do a full Wipe reset on Honor before selling or disposing of it.
💡
The big bottom line: A successful transition from Honor to Xiaomi takes 30 minutes to 1 hour with Mi Mover and pre-training.The key to success is a stable Wi-Fi connection and battery life.
The final step is personalization. Xiaomi offers a huge customization experience through the theme. Go to the Themes app to redesign the icons, fonts and system sounds to make the interface as comfortable as possible for you.