Changing a smartphone is always exciting, but also a bit stressful, especially when you need to transfer over the years accumulated gigabytes of information. Honor owners often face difficulties in transitioning to the ecosystem of Xiaomi or Redmi, because the interfaces and preinstalled services of these brands have their own characteristics. The main difficulty lies not so much in the physical transfer of files, but in the correct transfer of settings, passwords and call history without loss of quality.
Modern technology allows you to migrate data as quickly as possible without losing important contacts. IT-But knowing the nuances of the problem will help avoid common mistakes, such as duplicate files or synchronization failure. In this article, we will discuss proven methods that ensure the safety of your digital life when you switch to a new device.
Before you start taking action, you need to make sure that both devices are ready to work: batteries should be charged at least 60%, and both smartphones are connected to a stable Wi-Fi network, as mobile Internet may not be fast enough to transfer large amounts of data.
Preparation of devices and compatibility check
The first step is to carefully prepare both smartphones. Honor device needs to make room by removing temporary files and app cache, which will speed up the process of archiving data. Xiaomi side should make sure that the operating system MIUI or HyperOS is updated to the latest version, as older versions may not correctly accept data packets from other shells.
If you’ve been using Huawei Cloud extensively, make sure you remember your account password, although you may not need it to migrate directly to Xiaomi. More important is having a Google account, which is a universal bridge for contacts and calendar. Also check if USB debugging is included in the developer menu if you plan to use advanced transfer methods.
Why is the same version of Android important?
Be sure to check the physical state of the charging ports, as using the cable method (if provided by the chosen method) requires a stable connection. If the connector is shattered, the process can be interrupted at the most inopportune moment, damaging the file system.
Using the Mi Mover application for direct transmission
The most effective and native way for Xiaomi owners is to use the official Mi Mover tool, which is designed specifically for migrating data to brand devices and supports receiving information from phones from other manufacturers, including Honor. It allows you to transfer contacts, messages, call logs, photos, videos, music and even some system settings.
The process starts with installing the app on both smartphones. On Xiaomi, it is often already built into the system and is in the Tools folder, and on Honor it must be downloaded from the AppGallery app store or through the browser. After you launch, select the role of the device: on the new phone, click "I am the recipient", and on the old one - "I am the sender".
☑️ Checklist before Mi Mover launch
The devices will find each other through each other. QR-Once you have a connection, you'll see a list of data categories that can be transferred, and it's important to be careful: Mi Mover can't migrate apps from Huawei servers, it just copies the installation files. APK, So for the full operation of the software they will still have to download again from Google Play or other sources.
Transfer speeds depend on file size and wireless connection quality. During the process, don't switch between windows or lock smartphone screens to keep the connection from breaking. Once completed, you'll receive a report on how much data was successfully transferred and which files required additional attention.
Sync with Google Account and Cloud
An alternative and often more reliable way is to use Google’s cloud services, which is ideal for transferring contacts, calendar events, notes and passwords stored in your Chrome browser. On Honor, go to settings, select Users and Accounts, find your Google account, and make sure all the items you need (Contacts, Calendar, Drive) are activated for sync.
After forced sync on your old device, pick up a new Xiaomi. When you first turn on or in settings, add the same Google account. The system automatically prompts you to restore data from the backup. This method is especially good because it does not depend on direct connection between phones and works over the Internet.
- 📞 Contacts: Recover instantly and are linked to your account, allowing you to see them on any device.
- 📅 Calendar and Notes: synced through Google Keep or Calendar, keeping the entire event structure.
- 📸 Photos and Videos: You can migrate through Google Photos by enabling Autoboot and Sync on both devices.
But there are limitations to this method, which is not suitable for carrying large amounts of media if you have a limited plan or slow Internet, and you can't move the system settings and the layout of the icons on your desktop in this way, you have to manually adjust them to suit you.
Manual transfer of multimedia and documents
If you need to migrate heavy files like movies, photo archives in source quality or working documents, it's best to use a computer or file manager. Connect Honor to your PC in file transfer mode (MTP) and copy the contents of the DCIM, Pictures, Download and Documents folders to your hard drive.
Then plug in Xiaomi and move the files to the appropriate directories. This “old-fashioned” way ensures that no bytes are lost when compressed or converted. Mobile-friendly apps like Send Anywhere or XShare, which work on a peer-to-peer basis, are great for users who prefer direct Wi-Fi.
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Use the File Manager Explorer on Xiaomi to sort. After transfer, immediately create a folder structure so that the files don't end up in a heap.
It's important to remember hidden folders and application system directories. Some programs, like voice recorders or document scanners, can save files to their own folders with names like com.android.soundrecorder. Check the internal memory of an old phone carefully so you don't forget important voice recordings.
Features of transferring messages and call logs
Porting SMS and call history is one of the most delicate operations. Standard Android tools often block direct access to these databases for security reasons. The Mi Mover app tries to bypass this limitation, but (success rate) is not always 100%, especially if the Honor has a heavily modified EMUI shell.
If the standard methods do not work, you can use specialized utilities, such as: SMS Backup and Restore. She's creating. XML-Backup file of all messages and calls, which can then be transferred to Xiaomi and restored.
| Type of data | Best method. | Possible challenges |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Google Synchronization | Duplicate records |
| Photo/Video | Mi Mouver/PC | Loss of metadata (record date) |
| Annexes | Google Play / Mi Mover | Need for re-entry |
| SMS/Calls | Mi Mover / Specialty Software | Failure of coding or format |
After transfer, be sure to check several random dialogs and numbers in the call history. Sometimes messages are moved but lost their link to the contact number, showing as "Unknown number".
Solving common problems and errors
When migrating, users often encounter errors that are easy to fix, and one of the common problems is that they interrupt the connection midway through the process, which can be because the screen of one of the phones goes out and the Honor or Xiaomi energy saving system kills the background transmission process.
⚠️ Attention: During data transfer, be sure to set the "Sleep Mode" setting in the screen settings of both smartphones to the "Do not turn off" value or the maximum possible time (10-30 minute).
Another common difficulty is the “Not enough space” error, even when the memory seems to be there, because the file system requires a buffer zone for temporary files, and free up an additional 1-2 GB of data over the amount of data being transferred.
If you find that applications don't open after transfer, try clearing their cache. Data may have been transferred correctly, but the paths to libraries on the new MIUI system are different from those in EMUI. In extreme cases, remove the problematic application and install it again from the store.
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The most common cause of failure is aggressive energy saving, and turn off the power saving mode on both phones before migrating.
Final configuration and optimization of the new smartphone
Once the data port is successful, the job doesn't end. Xiaomi's new phone requires you to first adjust your habits. Go through the app list and log in to social media and banking apps. Remember, for security reasons, banking apps often require you to re-authorize and link the device.
Check notification settings. On the MIUI shell, the notification management system works differently than on stock Android or EMUI. You may have to manually allow notifications to be displayed for important messengers so that they do not disappear.
- 🔒 Security: Set up face unlock or fingerprint again, old biometrics are not portable.
- 🎨 Personalization: Install themes and widgets as Honor themes are not compatible with Xiaomi Theme Store.
- 🔄 Updates: Check for system updates immediately after the transfer to eliminate possible compatibility bugs.
Now your new smartphone is ready to go full-fledged. The old phone can be prepared for sale or transfer to relatives, having previously performed a full reset to factory settings so that your personal data does not fall into the wrong hands.