Changing your smartphone is always stressful, with the risk of losing important information. Owners of the Huawei ecosystem who decide to switch to Xiaomi devices face unique difficulties, since new models of the Chinese brand do not have the Google Play service. However, modern technology allows you to perform data migration as painless as possible. You do not need to be an IT expert to successfully transfer all your files.
The transition requires attention to detail and the right sequence of actions. If you just connect devices with a cable, nothing can happen. You need to use specialized tools designed for cross-platform interaction. We will look at all the available methods, from the built-in Mi Mover application to cloud services.
Proper preparation of both devices is key to success. You don't have to automatically recover all passwords and application settings. Some data, especially for banking applications and authenticators, will have to be manually transferred or reconfigured. In this article, we'll take a look at each step so you can enjoy the new gadget without losing your digital history.
Before the active phase of the transfer, make sure that both smartphones are ready to go. Charge Huawei and Xiaomi to a minimum 80%, Because it can be energy-intensive, if the battery goes down at the wrong time, the files can get damaged, and you can clean up the memory of the old phone from the garbage, which will speed up the process and make it easier to copy the digital junk onto the new device. Remove old screenshots, bad photos and messenger cache, which often inflates the amount of data without benefit. ☑️ Preparation for transfer Charge both phones higher 80%Delete unnecessary files from Huawei Install system updates on XiaomiPrepare Wi-Fi router for stable connectionPrepared: 0 / 4 It is important to check the version of the operating system. On Huawei, it could be an older version of Android or HarmonyOS, and on Xiaomi it could be a fresh MIUI or HyperOS. Make sure both devices have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled, as they will be used to create a communication channel.
The most effective and official way is to use the Mi Mover utility.This application is designed specifically for migrating from Android and iOS to Xiaomi, Redmi and smartphones. POCO. It can transmit contacts, messages, call history, photos, music, videos, documents, and even some system settings. Install the Mi Mover app on both devices. On the new Xiaomi phone, it's often already built into Tools or Services. If you don't have an icon, download it. APK-file from the official website or through a browser on the old Huawei. Once launched, select the device role: "I send" on the old one and "I accept" on the new one. What to do if the devices can't see each other? GPS And Bluetooth, sometimes it helps to reboot the Wi-Fi module. Also check if antivirus on Huawei blocks the creation of a local network.Scan QR-The old camera will start the connection process on the screen of the new phone, the devices will create a secure Wi-Fi Direct network through which data will be transmitted. The speed depends on the volume of files, but it is usually much faster than using Bluetooth. 📱 Select the type of data to copy: you can only mark contacts or all at once. 🔒 The process is completely local: your data does not go to the cloud, which increases security. ⚡ The transmission speed reaches 20-40 MB/s depending on the phone model.
Even if the new Xiaomi does not have Google services out of the box (in global versions they are, in Chinese versions they require installation), synchronization through Google Account remains the gold standard. On Huawei, make sure your Google account settings enable contact and calendar sync. Go to Settings → Accounts. → Google on an old device. Click three dots in the corner and select Sync. This ensures that all recent changes to the phone book are saved to the searcher's servers. Without this step, you risk losing numbers stored in the phone's memory instead of on the phone's servers. SIM-On the new Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account when you first set up or through Settings. → Accounts and syncs: The system automatically pulls up all contacts and calendar events. This is the most reliable method that works even if the direct wireless transfer between phones has failed. 💡Save contacts only in the cloud Google or Mi Account. SIM-The card limits the number of characters in the name and does not allow you to save email or photo of the subscriber.
Photo archive is the most valuable thing in a smartphone. Direct transmission via cable is sometimes interrupted, so the use of cloud storage is often more reliable. Google Photos is ideal for this task. Install it on Huawei if it is not already worth it, and enable autoload. Once all photos are uploaded to the cloud (Sync status is complete), just log in to your account on the new Xiaomi. All photos and videos will be available in the gallery. Less method is the need for stable Internet and free space in the cloud if the archive exceeds 15 GB. Method Speed Network Dependence Mi Mover High No Requirement (locally) High Google Photos Average Wi-Fi Very High USB Cable Very High No Need Average (cliff risk) Bluetooth Low No Need Low Alternative can be Yandex.Disk or Mi Cloud. If you are a user of the Xiaomi ecosystem, enable gallery synchronization with Mi Cloud on a new device, and on the old one upload the photo there through the browser or the Mi Cloud application for Android.
Apps are more complicated than apps. Huawei system applications (such as voice recorders or specific themes) won't be installed on Xiaomi. Google Play apps on the new device will have to be downloaded again. Mi Mover may try to transfer APK-Files, but for system programs, it won’t work. 📊 On the computer via cable With the help of cloners, I do not reserve Particular attention to messengers. For WhatsApp and Telegram, the procedure is standard: Back up your chats on Huawei (Google Drive or locally), and on Xiaomi, select a recovery from copy when you log in. SIM-The card is installed in the new device. ⚠️ Note: Banking apps and Google Authenticator are not portable with data. You'll have to re-link devices in banks and transfer the two-factor authentication keys manually, otherwise you may lose access to accounts. For games, progress is often saved through Google Play Games or Huawei ID accounts. Make sure the game is saved in the cloud on the old phone. On the new device, log in to the same game profile and progress will pick up automatically.