Changing a smartphone is always an exciting process, often overshadowed by the fear of losing important information. When a user moves from the Honor ecosystem to Xiaomi devices, they are faced with the task of migrating hundreds of contacts, gigabytes of photos and dozens of applications. Fortunately, modern Android operating systems allow you to make this process as transparent and fast as possible, without requiring the owner to have deep technical knowledge.
The main difficulty in the transition between brands is the difference between pre-installed services and shells. If Honor uses a Magic UI or EMUI shell with Google services, Xiaomi offers its own add-on MIUI or HyperOS. However, the basic data protocols remain unified, which allows you to use both standard tools from Google and specialized utilities from manufacturers.
In this article, we will take a look at all the sync options available, from cloud services to local Wi-Fi. You will learn how to save folder structure, migrate call history and not lose the messaging settings. Getting the migration right will take just a few minutes, but save you hours of manually configuring a new device.
Preparing devices for data migration
Before you start the copying process, you need to perform a number of preparatory steps on both smartphones. First of all, make sure that both devices are charged at least 50-60%, since active operation of wireless communication modules and writing data to flash memory can significantly consume battery power. Also check the availability of free space on the new Xiaomi: the amount of free memory should exceed the size of the data transferred with a margin of 10-15%.
The second critical step is to update the system software. Manufacturers regularly release patches that improve the stability of Wi-Fi Direct and Bluetooth modules that are used to transfer files. Go to Settings → About Phone → Update on both devices and install available updates. This minimizes the risk of connection breakage in the middle of the process.
⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to start a transfer if one of the devices is in power saving mode.This feature may limit the background activity of system services necessary for stable transmission of large amounts of information.
The third aspect of preparation is cleaning up the cache and deleting temporary files on the old Honor.This will not only speed up the process, but also rid the new phone of digital debris.Use the built-in cleaning tool or third-party utilities to analyze storage.Make sure you know the passwords from your Google and Mi Account accounts, as they may be required to log in during the setup process.
Using the Mi Mover application for wireless transfer
The most efficient and quick way to migrate is to use the proprietary Mi Mover utility, developed specifically for Xiaomi users.This tool allows you to transfer data over a local Wi-Fi channel, which provides high speed copying without using Internet traffic. The application is available on Google Play for Honor devices and is often pre-installed on new Xiaomi smartphones in the Tools folder.
The process starts with installing the app on your old phone. Once you start, select the device role: Honor, "I'm sending" and Xiaomi, "I'm accepting." The system will create a secure network that the old device will need to connect to. QR-code displayed on the screen of the new smartphone, or enter the password manually.
☑️ Checklist before Mi Mover launch
The application interface allows you to flexibly customize the selection of data. You can transfer not only media files, but also system settings such as alarm clocks, voice recorders and even the location of icons on your desktop. After selecting categories, click the "Send" button and wait for the process to be completed. Transfer time depends on the amount of data and can vary from 5 minutes to an hour.
Sync through Google Account and Cloud Services
An alternative and highly reliable method is to use Google’s cloud infrastructure, ideal for those who want to keep continuity between devices of different brands without installing additional software, and the bulk of user data — contacts, calendar events, notes and passwords — is stored in the cloud and linked to your Gmail account.
To activate sync on Honor, go to Settings → Users and Accounts → Google. Make sure the switches opposite the desired data categories are active, and click the sync button. Then log in to the same account on the new Xiaomi during the initial setup or through the account menu. The system automatically tightens all stored data.
| Type of data | Synchronization method | Speed. | Network dependency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Google Contacts | Instantly. | Internet is required |
| Photos and videos | Google Photo | Depends on the volume. | Wi-Fi required |
| Annexes | Google Play Store | Medium | Internet is required |
| Wi-Fi passwords | Google Smart Lock | Instantly. | Internet is required |
Google Photos is a special service, and if you have Autoboot enabled on your old device, all your photos are already in the cloud. Just install the app on Xiaomi and log in to your profile to access the entire media library, which frees up space on the internal drive and serves as an additional backup in case the device is lost.
What to do if your contacts are not synchronized?
Local file transfer via Wi-Fi Direct and Bluetooth
In situations where application installation is not possible or the amount of data transferred is small, you can use standard transmission protocols. Wi-Fi Direct technology allows you to create a direct connection between devices without the help of a router. On Xiaomi devices, this feature is often integrated into the Share or Mi Drop menu (Xiaomi Share).
To transfer, select files in the gallery or file manager on Honor, click the Share button and select the recipient from the list of available devices. On the receiving side, you need to confirm the connection request. The transfer speed on this protocol is much faster than that of classic Bluetooth, and can reach 20-40 MB / s.
- 📲 Open the gallery on your old phone and select a photo or video.
- 📡 Click the Share button and select “Mi Share” or “Wi-Fi Sharing».
- 🔍 Wait for the name of the new Xiaomi device to appear in the list.
- ✅ Accept the file on the new smartphone and wait for the download to end.
Bluetooth remains relevant for small objects, such as business cards, links or individual documents. Although the speed of this method is low (about 2-3 Mbps), it is highly compatible and does not require network configuration. To activate, turn on the device's visibility in Bluetooth settings and pair.
Transfer of messages and call history
The most sensitive part of migration is the transfer of SMS-This feature is often limited by standard Android tools, so the previously mentioned Mi Mover or specialized backup applications such as the one best suited for full-fledged cloning of communications are the previously mentioned Mi Mover or specialised backup applications, such as: SMS Backup & Restore.
When using Mi Mover, make sure that the Messages and Call Logs are marked in the data transfer list. The application will create a temporary archive and restore its structure on the new device, saving dates, times and read statuses, which is especially important for verification in various services where confirmation codes come via SMS.
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If you use messengers like WhatsApp or Telegram, use their built-in backup features. For WhatsApp, create a backup in Google Drive on your old phone, and when you install on a new one, select recovery from copy. Local backups can also be transferred through the file manager.
It is important to note that the history of correspondence in third-party messengers (Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram) is not transferred through the system tools for synchronizing contacts. Each messenger requires a separate approach, for example, Viber needs to back up in the settings of the application on Honor and restore it when you first run on Xiaomi.
Solution: Application and data problems
When switching from Honor to Xiaomi, users may experience a lack of some apps in the standard GetApps store or Google Play.This is due to regional restrictions or security policies. APK-files from official developers’ websites or verified resources.
Another common problem is the incorrect display of fonts or icons in portable applications. MIUI shell can aggressively optimize background processes by closing applications that were stable on Magic UI. To fix this, find the desired application in the list of running, click on it and select "No restrictions" or "Out-run".
⚠️ Note: When transferring banking applications, you may need to re-assign the device. This is standard security procedure. Make sure you have access to your phone number to receive a confirmation SMS code.
If you notice that some files are corrupted or not opening after the transfer, try clearing the cache of the corresponding application or restarting the device. In rare cases, restarting the transfer procedure only for the problematic data category helps. Do not ignore system notifications to update the ported applications.
Optimizing Xiaomi after the transfer
After a successful data migration, the new smartphone requires a little customization to suit your habits, the MIUI or HyperOS shell has a wide range of customization options, and it is recommended to immediately adjust the control gestures, theme and screen modes to make the device truly yours.
Be sure to check your privacy settings. Apps may have requested excessive permissions when transferring data. Go through the installed program list in Settings → Apps → Permissions management and disable access to microphone, camera or geolocation for services where this is not critical.
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The final step of the transfer should always be a complete data integrity check and a fresh backup on the new device to record the successful migration result.
Remember to remove old, unused apps that could have migrated from the old phone automatically, freeing up CPU and RAM resources, and calibrate the battery: discharge the phone to 0% and charge to 100% without interruption, so that the system correctly assesses the real battery capacity.