How to Transfer Data from Honor to Xiaomi with All Settings

Changing a smartphone is always stressful, not so much with getting used to a new interface, but with the risk of losing important contacts, photos and settings of familiar applications. Owners of Huawei and Honor devices, moving to the Xiaomi ecosystem, often face the question: how quickly and without errors to transfer the entire array of information? Fortunately, modern technology allows you to do it in a few clicks using built-in tools or proven third-party solutions.

The data migration process has become much easier with the advent of cloud services and specialized utilities from manufacturers. However, to make data transfers perfect, it is important to take into account the features of Android operating systems and MIUI or HyperOS shells. In this article, we will discuss all the available methods, from cloud synchronization to direct cable connection, so you can choose the most convenient option for you.

It is worth noting that before starting any manipulations, you need to make sure that there is enough free memory on both devices. Also critical is the battery level: both smartphones must have at least 50-60% of energy to not turn off at the most critical time.

Preparing devices for data migration

The first step to getting a new smartphone is to prepare carefully, so don't try to start a port program without checking the basic settings. On a Honor device, you need to make sure that all important data is synced with your Google account or locally stored. On the Xiaomi side, you need to perform the initial language setup and connect to Wi-Fi.

Both smartphones must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network if you plan to use a wireless transmission method. Connection speed directly affects copying time: with a large amount of data (for example, 64 GB or more), the process can take from 30 minutes to several hours.

It is also important to check operating system versions. While modern cross-platform porting tools are smart enough, having current Android updates minimizes the risk of compatibility errors. Go to Settings → About Phone → Update on both gadgets and install available updates.

Using the Mi Migrate application for portability

One of the most effective ways is to use the official Mi Migrate app (or the built-in “Mi Mover” feature in new versions of MIUI), which is designed specifically for migrating from other Android and iOS platforms to Xiaomi devices. To get started, you need to install the app on the old Honor phone, since the new Xiaomi already has it preinstalled in the Tools folder.

Once the program is running on both devices, the new phone will create a Wi-Fi hotspot. You will need to select the type of data you want to transfer on the old device. The utility's algorithm allows you to select specific categories: contacts, messages, call log, applications, photos, music and videos.

⚠️ Note: When migrating applications, some may require re-authorization. This is a normal situation involving changing a unique device identifier (IMEI) and security policies of banking and social applications.

The copying process takes place over a direct Wi-Fi channel, which provides a high transfer rate significantly higher than the speed of a conventional home router. During operation, device screens may go out, but it is strongly recommended not to interrupt the connection or fold the application. Once completed, you will receive a detailed report on the number of transferred files.

Sync through Google Account and Cloud Services

If you can’t use specialized apps for some reason, the classic method is sync through your Google account, which is ideal for transferring contacts, calendar, notes and list of installed apps. On your Honor device, make sure that the Settings → Accounts → Google section has all the necessary items synchronized.

When you first turn on a new Xiaomi, just type in the same email address. The system will automatically prompt you to restore the backup. You can select the restore point by date and select which data to download. Photos and videos, if they were saved to Google Photos, will appear in the gallery automatically as you download from the cloud.

Owners of older Honor devices without Google services (post-2019 models) may face difficulties, in which case it is recommended to use the manufacturer’s own cloud storage or third-party services such as Yandex.Disk or Dropbox to save media files before switching, while it is better to export contacts in advance to a.vcf file and transfer them in any convenient way.

Transferring multimedia via USB and computer

For users who have a huge archive of high-resolution photos and videos, the most reliable way is to use the computer as an intermediary, which ensures that no bytes of information are lost in the process of compression or error of the network. Connect the old Honor to the PC via USB-cable and select the "File Transfer" mode" (MTP).

Copy the DCIM (camera), Pictures (screenshots and images from instant messengers), Download and Music folders to your computer hard drive. Then connect the new Xiaomi and transfer the data to the appropriate directories, which will allow the Android system to automatically recognize files and distribute them to the correct albums in the gallery.

💡

Use a dual-window file manager or Total Commander on PC to speed up the copying process of large data sets.

When working with a file system, pay attention to hidden folders that may contain important settings or game cache. However, system files do not need to be touched - their transfer can cause conflicts, as the drivers and configurations of the hardware from Honor and Xiaomi differ.

Features of transferring applications and their data

The most difficult part of migration is often to transfer data within applications, especially messengers. WhatsApp and Telegram procedure is different. Telegram just log in to the account, and all correspondence will be downloaded from the server. WhatsApp must first create a backup to Honor through Settings → Chats → Backup Chats by selecting Google drive.

When you install WhatsApp on the new Xiaomi, the app will find the backup in the cloud and offer to restore the history of correspondence. It is important to use the same phone number and Google account. For banking applications, data portability is impossible for security reasons - they will have to be reconfigured by passing identification.

⚠️ Warning: Two-factor authentication can block access to accounts if the SIM card is not transferred to the new phone in time. SIM-map before the application settings start.

Some games may not save progress unless they were tied to a Google Play Games account or a developer account. Check the connection status in the settings of each important game on your old device before you reset or sell.

Set up a new smartphone Xiaomi after the transfer

Once the data migration is successfully completed, a fine-tuning phase begins: the MIUI or HyperOS shell has its own features that differ from the MagicOS on Honor. First of all, it is worth checking the notifications. Xiaomi's system aggressively manages power consumption and can "kill" the background processes of messengers.

Go to Settings → Applications → Auto Run and allow background work for important applications (WhatsApp, Viber, mail). It is also recommended to enable the display of notification icons on icons, if this feature is not activated automatically, this will ensure timely receipt of messages.

Check the biometric sensors, and you need to re-register your fingerprints and facial data, because they're stored in a secure security module for a particular device, and they're not portable, and it takes a couple of minutes to set up, but it's going to keep your data safe.

💡

Properly configuring auto-run apps is a key point for stable notifications on Xiaomi smartphones.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)