How to transfer data from Honor to Xiaomi Redmi Note: step-by-step instructions

The changing ecosystem of Android smartphones is always perceived as a stressful moment for the user, because there is a fear of losing important photos, contacts or correspondence history. The transition from Honor devices to current Xiaomi Redmi Note models requires careful preparation, especially given the lack of Google services on new Honor models.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can transfer information, from using your Mi Mover app to manually configuring cloud services, how to properly prepare both devices, which file formats are automatically transferred and which require special attention, and a competent approach to the procedure will save you hours of time and eliminate the need to reconfigure every aspect of your phone.

Before you start, make sure that both smartphones are at least 60-70% charged, as the process can take a considerable amount of time.It is also recommended to connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network or use a direct Wi-Fi connection that creates applications for migration.

Preparing Honor and Xiaomi for data migration

The first step is basic preparation of both devices. On the Xiaomi Redmi Note smartphone, which will be the new main gadget, you need to perform the initial system setup before you get to the desktop. If the phone has already been used and there is unnecessary data on it, it is better to perform a full reset via the Settings menu → About Phone → Resetting to avoid file conflicts.

On a Honor device, things can vary depending on the year the model was released. If you have an older device with Google services installed, the process will be standard. For new models that run on HMS (Huawei Mobile Services), you will need to pre-installe the necessary sync apps. Make sure that both phones are Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled.

⚠️ Note: Do not interrupt the migration process or unlock smartphone screens while transferring large amounts of data, as this can cause file damage or system freeze.

It is important to check the amount of free memory on the receiving Redmi Note device. If you plan to transfer the entire archive of photos and videos weighing 100 GB, and only 50 GB are free, the process will end in error. Estimate the amount of data in the Honor storage through the Settings → Memory path and compare with the available space on Xiaomi.

Using the Mi Mover application for portability

The main tool for migration is the official Mi Mover app, developed by Xiaomi, which is pre-installed on most of the brand’s devices, but if it’s not available, it can be downloaded from the GetApps store or found. APK-On the Honor phone, you'll also need to manually install the app.

Run the app on both devices. On the new Xiaomi Redmi Note, select "I'm a recipient" and on the old Honor, "I'm a sender." QR-code or connect to the access point you created. Once you have established the connection, you will see a list of data categories available for transfer.

Mi Mover's algorithm allows you to select specific types of data, you can migrate contacts, messages, calls, system settings, applications and multimedia, and it's done over a direct Wi-Fi channel, which provides speeds that are much faster than using Bluetooth or cloud services.

• 📱 Contacts and messages: Transferred with little or no loss, including attachments MMS, if they are supported by the format.
• 📷 Photo and video: The original quality and structure of folders is preserved, which is critical for large archives.
• 📲 Annexes: Installed APK-files, but data within applications (logins, cache) may not be saved due to differences in key signatures.
• ⚙️ System settings: Alarm clocks, wallpapers and some interface settings can be copied automatically.

Features of porting with Honor without Google Services

Owners of new Honor smartphones face the lack of a pre-installed Google Play store, which creates certain difficulties when migrating applications that are tied to a Google account. When using Mi Mover, applications will be copied as installation packages, but additional actions may be required to work on the new phone.

To fully work on Xiaomi, you will need to log in to your Google account on your new device, and all apps, subscriptions, and game progress (if saved in the Google Play Games cloud) will be automatically restored after logging in. Apps specific to Huawei’s ecosystem (HMS Core, Xiaomi will not work.

Contacts deserve special attention. If they were stored in a local phone storage or Huawei ID account on Honor, they should be exported. The most reliable way is to export to a.vcf file through the Contacts app and then import to the Redmi Note. The alternative is synchronization with Google Contacts if Google services were installed on Honor via GBox or GSpace.

Working with cloud storage and Google Photos

If direct Wi-Fi porting is difficult or seems too long, cloud technology is a great solution. Google Photos is the universal standard for backing up media files. Install an app on Honor, log in and enable sync. Once you complete the download, all photos will be available on Xiaomi immediately after you log in to the same account.

For documents and other types of files, you can use Google Drive or alternatives like Yandex.Disk or Mail.ru Cloud, which are popular in the Russian segment. Upload important files to the cloud on an old device and download them on a new one. This is especially true for working documents that should not be lost.

Honor owners can also use the Huawei Cloud. To access data on Xiaomi, you can use the web version of the cloud through a browser or install the Huawei Cloud app (if available in APK) to upload contacts and notes. However, native integration with MIUI (HyperOS) is not available for Huawei Cloud, so this method is more suitable for manual data extraction.

⚠️ Warning: When using cloud services, make sure you have enough free storage space.Google Photos' free tariff provides 15GB, which may not be enough for a full backup.

Transfer of WhatsApp messages and messengers

WhatsApp has its own backup system that is tied to Google Drive. To save your correspondence history when you switch from Honor to Xiaomi, you need to create a fresh backup on your old device. Go to Settings → Chats → Backup Chats and click “Create”.

Once you install WhatsApp on Redmi Note and confirm your phone number, it automatically detects a backup in Google Drive and prompts you to restore it. It's important to use the same Google account that the copy was made to, and without this step, you can't recover the correspondence.

For other instant messengers like Telegram or Viber, the process is simpler. Telegram is completely cloud-based, so just logging in to your account is enough and all chats will load automatically. Viber also requires you to create a backup (usually on Google Drive or locally) that you need to restore when you first start on a new phone.

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For Viber on Android, a backup is created in the ViberBackup folder on your internal drive. Copy this folder to your new phone into the root of internal memory before launching the local recovery app.

Problem Solving and FAQ

Users often face typical difficulties migrating, such as apps not opening on a new device due to lack of necessary permissions or updates, in which case it is recommended to remove the problematic application and reinstall it through the official Google Play store or GetApps.

Another common problem is that contact names are not displayed correctly or divided into multiple entries, which is solved through the standard Contacts app on Xiaomi, which has a duplicate matching feature, and it is worth checking which account the contacts are displayed from by selecting All Contacts in the filters.

If the Mi Mover transfer speed is extremely low, try disabling all background apps, system updates downloads, and other programs that use the network on both phones. Also make sure you're not too far apart if the connection is via Wi-Fi Direct.

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The main secret of successful migration is a sequence of actions: first cleaning and backup, then direct transfer through Mi Mover, and only at the end – manual verification and customization of specific applications.