How to transfer data from Honor to Xiaomi: the complete guide

Changing a smartphone is not only a joy of acquiring a new gadget, but also a certain stress associated with the need to transfer all accumulated digital life. Owners of devices that previously used the ecosystem of Huawei and Honor often face difficulties when switching to Xiaomi phones due to the lack of Google services on older models and differences in the shells of MIUI and MagicOS. However, modern technology allows you to make this process as painless and fast as possible, saving all important contacts, photos and settings.

In this article, we will take a look at all the available ways to migrate data, from the use of embedded MIUI tools to third-party cloud services, learn how to properly prepare an old Honor device for transferring information to avoid file loss or system freeze, and discuss the nuances of porting applications that may require a special approach due to Android security limitations.

There is no need to be afraid of difficulties, as Xiaomi engineers have provided many scenarios for new users. Whether you have an old Honor with Android 8 or the latest model with Magic UI, you can easily move to the Xiaomi platform.

Preparing devices for data migration

Before you start the transfer process, it is critical to make sure that both the data source and the receiver are in good working order. Charge both smartphones to a minimum of 60-70%, as the active transmission of large amounts of information via Wi-Fi Direct or cable can significantly consume battery power. If one of the devices is turned off during the migration, it can damage files or interrupt the connection.

You also need to check for free space on your Xiaomi host device.The amount of free memory should exceed the amount of data you plan to transfer from Honor.It is recommended to delete unnecessary cached files in advance or temporarily move heavy videos to your computer to speed up the synchronization process.

⚠️ Warning: Before you start the transfer, make sure to back up important data on your old Honor phone to an external carrier or to the cloud.

Make sure both devices have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on. For stability of connection on the old phone, it is better to turn off mobile internet, leaving only Wi-Fi, so that the system does not try to switch data streams. On the new Xiaomi, it is also worth temporarily turning off the power saving mode so that it does not limit the background activity of the migration application.

Using the Mi Mover application for portability

The most effective and native way to transition to the Xiaomi ecosystem is to use the Mi Mover utility, an official application designed specifically for migrating data from other Android devices, which allows you to transfer contacts, messages, call history, photos, music, videos, documents and even some system settings.

The process starts with installing the app on your old phone. If you have a Google Play store on your Honor, just download the Mi Mover from there. Otherwise, you can scan it. QR-code that will appear on the screen of the new Xiaomi, or download APK-file via browser. Once installed, run the application on both devices.

On the new Xiaomi smartphone, select “I’m a recipient” and on Honor, “I’m a sender.” The app will create a Wi-Fi hotspot. You’ll need to find a network with a name that starts with a Wi-Fi hotspot «MiMover_» You can find the Wi-Fi list on your old phone and connect to it. The password is usually displayed on the screen of the new device.

Once the connection is successful, the system will suggest you choose the data types to transfer, so you can choose all of them at once, or you can select only specific categories, like contacts and gallery only, and the speed of the transfer depends on the volume of data and the quality of the wireless module, but the average process takes 10 to 40 minutes.

Transfer through Google Account and Synchronization

If you’ve previously used a Google account on your Honor device, half the work is done. Contacts, Google Keep notes, calendar events, and photos (if Google Photos are enabled) are stored in the cloud. When you first set up a new Xiaomi, just enter your Google account login and password.

MIUI automatically prompts you to restore data from Google backup, which is especially useful for transferring the list of installed applications, and although the application files themselves will be downloaded from the Play Market, their placement on the desktop and login to accounts inside them are often saved.

For Honor owners who have used Huawei services extensively, you will need to export your contacts from the Huawei cloud to.vcf and import them to Google Contacts or use an intermediate device.

Migration of Multimedia and Documents by Hand

Not all files are convenient to transfer over cloud services, especially if you don’t have unlimited Internet or files weigh tens of gigabytes. In such cases, it is best to use a direct connection via USB cable or a local network. You may need a USB OTG adapter to connect via cable, since modern Xiaomi uses a Type-C connector, and the old Honor could have a Micro-USB.

Connect both phones to your computer as a media device (MTP). Copy the DCIM folders (camera photos and videos), Pictures (screenshots and images from messengers), Download and Documents from your old phone to your PC hard drive. Then transfer them to the appropriate directories on the new Xiaomi.

An alternative and faster way is to use the Explorer app on Xiaomi, which works with the network environment, so if both phones are connected to the same router, you can share a folder on Honor and copy files directly over Wi-Fi, although the speed will be lower than using the Mi Mover.

⚠️ Note: When manually copying messenger folders (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber), do not just copy files, but use the built-in backup function inside the applications themselves. Directly copying folders may not restore the correspondence history correctly.

Pay special attention to.HEIC files, which are often used by Honor cameras by default. Xiaomi may not open them in the standard gallery without converting, it is better to switch the format to JPG in the camera settings in advance on the old phone or convert existing photos before transferring.

Features of transferring applications and settings

The transition from Honor to Xiaomi has its own specifics due to differences in shells. APK-Files (not from Google Play) may require re-installation, as Mi Mover only carries installation packages, but does not always properly handle their dependencies.

System settings such as alarm clocks, alarm clocks, wallpaper and widget location can only be moved if the Android versions on both devices are close.When you switch from Android 9 to Android 13, some system settings can be reset to factory values on the new device.

For users who are used to specific Honor gestures, it is worth knowing that they are implemented differently in MIUI. In the Settings section → Additional → One-handed Mode or Settings → Advanced Settings → Control can adapt the behavior of the touch button or gestures to the usual style.

If you've used Honor themes, you can't transfer them directly. But the Xiaomi Themes store has a huge catalogue where you can find similar designs, and it's recommended that you go to the theme store and download the familiar style of design immediately after transferring the data, so that the new phone is pleasing to the eye.

Solving problems and errors during transfer

When migrating, users often experience a “failed to connect” error or a 99 percent freeze, most often because the old Honor phone has power saving on, which kills the Mi Mover process, adding the app to battery exclusions or completely turning off power savings during transmission.

Another common problem is the non-transfer of messages from SMS and MMS. This is due to the fact that modern versions of Android restrict access to the database of messages by third-party applications. To solve this problem, you need to temporarily install the Messages app from Google (if it is branded from Huawei) and make a backup through it, or use the SMS Backup & Restore application.

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If Mi Mover is permanently breaking the connection, try on the old phone in the Wi-Fi settings to turn off the “Use random” function. MAC-This often stabilizes the communication between devices from different manufacturers.

It happens that after transfer contacts are displayed twice: one of them is SIM-map, another from a Google account. To fix this, open the Contacts app on Xiaomi, go to settings and select "Combine Repetitive Contacts." The system will automatically find duplicates and create a single record.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

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The most reliable way to transition is a combination of methods: Mi Mover for applications and settings, and manually checking critical contacts and photos after the process is complete.