Changing your smartphone is always an exciting process, often overshadowed by the fear of losing important files and the lengthy setup of a new device to suit you. If you move from Honor to Xiaomi Redmi, you're in luck because modern technology makes it as fast and painless as possible. Data migration has become much easier with the advent of cloud services and specialized utilities that are built right into the operating system.
In this article, we will take a look at all the ways you can migrate information, from standard cloud solutions to specialized applications from the manufacturer, learn how to save contact numbering, correspondence history and even the location of icons on the desktop.
Before we start, it's worth noting that the success of the operation depends largely on the preparation of both devices: you will need a stable connection to the Internet or create a local access point, and do not ignore this stage, as interrupting the transfer of large amounts of information can lead to file corruption.
Preparing devices for information migration
The first step to a successful transfer is to properly prepare both smartphones.Make sure both devices have at least 50-60% battery charge so that the process doesn't get interrupted halfway through the discharge.Also check for free space on the new Xiaomi Redmi, which should be more than the data volume on the old Honor.
Both phones must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network if you plan to use wireless transmission methods. In some cases, especially when transferring tens of gigabytes of photos and videos, the Wi-Fi speed may not be enough. USB-cable or external drive, although modern applications try to minimize the dependence on the router speed.
⚠️ Note: Before any data transfer operations are started, we strongly advise you to back up important information to an external medium or to the cloud just in case.
It is also important to update the operating system on both devices to the latest available version. Developers are constantly improving data protocols and fixing bugs in system applications. Check the updates in the Settings menu → About the phone → System Update. Up-to-date software ensures file format compatibility and stability of the migration utility.
☑️ Ready for transfer
Using the Mi Mover application for portability
The most effective and native way to transfer data from any Android smartphone to Xiaomi is the proprietary Mi Mover application. It is pre-installed on all devices of the brand and optimized for working with the shell of MIUI or HyperOS. The main advantage of this method is the ability to transfer not only media files, but also system settings, alarm clocks and even some of these applications.
To get started, open the app on your new Redmi phone and select Receiver. On your old Honor device, you’ll need to install the Mi Mover app from Google Play Store or via the Receiver. QR-code that will appear on the screen of the new phone, and select the role "Sender" (Scanning). QR-The code will automatically create a secure connection between devices.
- 📱 On the new Xiaomi, select “I am the recipient” and wait until it arrives. QR-code.
- 📲 On Honor, launch Mi Mover, click "I'm the sender" and scan the code.
- 📂 Select data categories for transfer: contacts, messages, gallery, applications.
- 🚀 Click the "Send" button and wait for the process to be completed without switching screens.
It’s worth noting that Mi Mover allows you to select the specific apps you want to migrate, but not all programs can migrate properly with their data due to Android security limitations, in which case you’ll get an app shortcut and the data inside it will have to be reconfigured or transferred through an internal backup of the app itself.
What if the Mi Mover can’t see the device?
Sync with Google Account and Cloud
The classic method that has worked seamlessly for many years is sync through Google Account. If you’ve been using Google services on your Honor, most of your digital life is already stored in the cloud. When you first set up Xiaomi Redmi, just type in the same login and password and the system will prompt you to restore the data.
This is ideal for transferring contacts, calendar events, notes and passwords saved in Chrome. To activate sync on your old device, go to Settings → Accounts → Google and make sure all the necessary switches are active. Press the sync button to make sure that the data is uploaded to Google servers.
On the new phone, the process is even easier. When you first set up, Android will ask if you want to copy data from the cloud, select the right backup by date and tick what you need to restore. It is important to understand that photos are fully synced only if the autoload and sync function is enabled in the Google Photos app.
The advantage of this method is that it's versatile: you don't need any additional apps or cables, but the speed of recovery depends on the speed of the Internet connection, and large amounts of data can be downloaded for several hours, and for large video files, it's better to use manual transfer or Wi-Fi Direct.
Transferring multimedia via USB and computer
If you have a lot of photos and videos and you don't trust cloud services or wireless, the most reliable option is to use a computer. USB-cable and possibly adapter if the connectors on the phones are different (for example, micro-USB on the old and Type-C on the new one).
Connect Honor to your PC, select File Transfer (MTP) mode from the USB menu. Copy DCIM, Pictures, Download and Music folders to your computer's hard drive. Then connect Xiaomi and copy the data to the appropriate directories. Android folder structure is standardized, so media recognition is usually not a problem.
This is a good way to do file audits: while you're copying data, you can delete unnecessary screenshots, blurred photos and duplicates, and you can also transfer speeds over USB 3.0 much faster than Wi-Fi, which is critical when transferring tens of gigabytes of information.
For users who prefer command-line or advanced tools, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires the inclusion of USB debugging in the Developer menu. Adb pull allows you to upload data, and adb push allows you to upload it to a new device, but for the average user this can be too difficult.
Comparison of data transfer methods
To make it easier for you to choose the best way, we have prepared a comparison table that will help you weigh the pros and cons of each method depending on your specific situation and technical capabilities.
| Method | Speed. | Convenience | What's transferable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Mover | Tall. | Very convenient. | All (including settings) |
| Google Account | Medium | Automatically. | Contacts, calendar, applications |
| USB + PC | Depends on the cable. | It takes time. | Photos, videos, documents |
| Bluetooth | Very low. | Inconveniently | Just contacts, files. |
As you can see from the table, Mi Mover is the leader in functionality and speed for Android-Android bundle. However, if you only need to throw a few contacts and a couple of documents, it is easier and faster to use Google synchronization. For archives of photos from a decade ago, the best way to do this is to use a wired method through a PC.
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Use a combined approach: transfer applications and settings through Mi Mover, and copy heavy video archives through your computer to avoid clogging the Wi-Fi air.
Frequent problems and ways to solve them
Despite the fact that things are fine, sometimes there are errors, and one of the common problems is that you break the connection during transmission, which often happens when one of the devices goes into power saving mode and turns off the Wi-Fi module, and to avoid this, temporarily turn off the energy savings or add the transfer application to the exception list.
Another common situation is broken messages on WhatsApp or Viber after transfer. Messengers store data in secure directories, and simply copying folders here does not always help. For WhatsApp, it is better to use the built-in backup function in Google Drive on the old phone and restore on the new one on the first launch.
⚠️ Note: When transferring banking applications and authorizations (Google Authenticator), data is not transferred for security reasons, you will have to re-link the devices and undergo verification via SMS or call.
If the Mi Mover app is getting stuck at a certain percentage, try clearing the app cache on both phones and restarting them.Also make sure that geolocation is enabled on both devices - this is a requirement of Android for nearby device discovery features to work.
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The key to success is not to try to move everything in one pile, but to break it down: first contacts and messages, then photos, and then heavy video files.
Set up a new smartphone after the transfer
Once the data has been successfully transferred to the Xiaomi Redmi, take your time to delete everything from your old device. Give yourself a couple of days to run-in a new gadget. Check if all contacts are in place, if alarms and reminders are working correctly. Sometimes you may need to manually adjust the permissions for applications.
Pay attention to the interface. The MIUI or HyperOS shell may be different from the usual EMUI on Honor. Take the time to adjust the controls, the quick access panel and the theme. The system will suggest you optimize battery life for installed applications - agree to this, so that the new phone works as efficiently as possible.
Don’t forget to check NFC and contactless payment. If you’ve used Google Pay (or its equivalents) on Honor, Xiaomi will need to re-add cards to Google Wallet, a standard security procedure that requires bank confirmation.