Smartphone change is always stressful, not so much with getting used to a new interface, but with the risk of losing important data. Owning Honor and Xiaomi devices requires a special approach, because the ecosystems of these brands, despite the common Android platform, have their own unique features. This is especially true for Google services, which on new Honor models may be limited, and on Xiaomi – are deeply integrated into the shell of MIUI or HyperOS. The process of migrating the phone book is a critical stage on which your communication skills in the first days of using a new gadget.
There are several proven methods to accomplish this without losing numbers and additional records. The specific method depends on the version of the operating system on your old phone, the availability of stable Internet and the number of contacts. In this article, we will discuss in detail both standard synchronization tools and specialized utilities from manufacturers. Proper preparation before starting the procedure will save you hours of manual reprinting of numbers.
Before you start taking action, make sure both devices are at least 50 percent charged.Sharp power surges or discharging at a critical moment can cause data failures.It's also worth checking that both smartphones are enabled with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi access if you plan to use cloud-based methods or airborne transmission, which are basic security requirements for any migration process.
Syncing through Google account: the classic method
The most reliable and versatile way to transfer data between any Android device is to use Google cloud storage. Since both Honor and Xiaomi run on Android, this method is native to both systems. The bottom line is to save all the numbers to the cloud on the old device, and then simply log in under the same account on the new one. Google Contacts automatically sync all the records, including subscriber photos and additional fields.
To get started on your Honor smartphone, you need to open the settings and find the Users and Accounts section, and you need to select your Google account and make sure that the switch opposite the Contacts item is activated. If you haven't synced for a long time, click on Sync or Update, which will send all locally stored numbers to Google servers.
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Before syncing, check where exactly the new numbers on Honor are saved – in memory of the phone or on the phone. SIM-For cloud sync, they must be in the phone’s memory or directly in your Google account.
Once you have successfully completed the process on your old device, pick up a new Xiaomi. When you first set up or through the Settings menu -> Accounts and Sync, add the same Google account. The system will automatically prompt you to recover data from the cloud. Depending on the number of records, the process can take anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes.
- 📱 Open your settings on Honor and go to the account section.
- ☁️ Select Google and enable contact sync.
- 🔄 On the new Xiaomi, log in to the same account to boot up.
- ✅ Check the phone book for all numbers.
It is important to note that this method requires a stable Internet connection. If you have thousands of contacts, traffic can be significant, so it is better to use Wi-Fi. It is also worth considering that some specific fields added by third-party apps on Honor may not show correctly in a standard Xiaomi call.
Using the Mi Mover app for migration
Xiaomi has developed its own powerful solution for switching users from other platforms, the Mi Mover app, which is one of the fastest ways, as it creates a direct Wi-Fi connection between devices, bypassing cloud servers and Internet speed limits. The app allows you to transfer not only contacts, but also messages, photos, applications and even system settings.
On a Xiaomi smartphone, the Mi Mover app is often preinstalled in the Tools folder. If it's not available, download it from the GetApps store or official website. On Honor, the app will have to be installed manually, scanned. QR-code that appears on the screen of a new phone, or APK-The file is in a reliable source. After you run it on both devices, you have to choose a role: on the old phone, you choose "Sender", on the new one, you choose "Receiver».
When the devices find each other and establish a connection, a list of data categories to transfer will appear on Xiaomi's screen. Find Contacts and make sure it's marked. You can deselect other categories if you only need numbers. Press Start Transfer and wait until the process is over. Transfer speeds can reach several megabytes per second.
⚠️ Warning: Do not leave the Mi Mover app or lock your smartphone screens during transmission. Breaking the connection may lead to partial data loss or the need to start the process anew.
The advantage of this method is that it keeps the data structure as accurate as possible. Mi Mover can handle duplicates correctly, suggesting that you combine repeating records. This is especially true if you have previously tried to synchronize contacts in other ways. Once the procedure is completed, all numbers will be allocated to the appropriate groups in the Xiaomi phone book.
Export and import via VCF file
If cloud-based methods are unavailable or the Internet is unstable, the old-fashioned file management method comes to the rescue, and contacts can be exported to a single.vcf (vCard) file, which is the universal standard for sharing contact information, and then transferred to a new phone in any convenient way and imported into memory.
On Honor, open the Contacts app. On the menu (usually three dots or four squares), select Contact Management or Import/Export Contacts. Find Export to Storage or Export to.vcf. The system will suggest selecting a save location — select internal memory. Once the file is created, it should be transferred to Xiaomi.
You can transfer the file via Bluetooth if there are few files, or through messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp), sending the file to yourself. USB-cable and computer as an intermediate. On Xiaomi, after receiving the file, open Contacts, go to import settings and specify the path to the received file contacts.vcf. The system automatically recognizes the format and prompts you to add all the records.
| Parameter | Google Synchronization | Mi Mover | VCF File |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed. | Depends on the Internet. | High (Wi-Fi Direct) | Medium |
| We need the Internet. | I'll be sure. | Only for installation of software | No. |
| Photo preservation | Yes. | Yes. | Partially. |
| Difficulty | Minimum | Medium | Low. |
This is a good way to be autonomous, you don't depend on Google or Honor servers, which may not be available, but when you import a large file (like more than 2,000 contacts), the phone can freeze for a few seconds while processing the data, which is normal behavior, so you don't need to panic and reboot the device.
What happens if the VCF file is not opened?
Data transfer from SIM-map
The method, which is considered outdated in the world of high technology, is still a lifeline for many users. SIM-The card has limited memory and functionality, but it can store basic phone numbers and subscriber names, which is ideal if both smartphones do not have access to the Internet or are in a “brick” state without setting up accounts.
Before the procedure on Honor, you need to copy contacts from the phone memory to the SIM-Go to contact management and select "Photocopy from phone to phone" SIM». Be careful: SIM-The card often crops long names and does not support saving multiple numbers for a single contact or additional fields (email, address.
On the new Xiaomi device, go to the Contacts app, select import from SIM-Maps and destinations – it’s better to choose a Google account or phone memory, but not the phone itself. SIM-The copying process will take a little time, especially if there are many records. Once completed, be sure to check the list: long names can be truncated.
- 💾 Copy the contacts on SIM old-fashioned.
- 📲 Replace it. SIM-map to the new Xiaomi.
- 📥 Import records to your phone or cloud memory.
- 🧹 Delete copies from SIM-card-free.
Memory limit SIM-If your phone book is larger, this method will only transfer part of the data, so it is not recommended as the main one for large archives. Use it only in emergency cases or for backing up the most important ones.
Solving problems with duplicates and coding
After transferring contacts from Honor to Xiaomi, users often face the unpleasant problem of duplication of records, which occurs when the same contact is stored in the phone’s memory, in the Google account, and on the phone. SIM-The shell is the same. MIUI It has built-in tools to solve this problem, but sometimes manual intervention is required.
To clean the list, open the Contacts app on Xiaomi, click on the menu and select Contacts Organization -> Consolidate Repetitives. The system will analyze the database and suggest combining records with the same names or numbers. This is a secure operation that does not delete data, but only structures it. It is also worth checking the encoding: if you see Krakozyabry instead of Russian letters, try changing the system language or renaming the contact manually to provoke a rewriting of the encoding.
☑️ Post-transfer check
Another common problem is the lack of photos of subscribers, often when moving through the Internet. VCF or SIM-To recover them, make sure that Xiaomi has synced with Google Photos or Google Contacts. If the photos were saved in the local memory of the old phone and were not synchronized in advance, they will not automatically recover – you will have to add manually.
⚠️ Warning: Before mass deletion of duplicates or contact combinations, make sure you have a fresh backup. Mistakingly combining different people with the same names can lead to the loss of important information.