Changing your smartphone is always stressful, not so much with the device itself, but with the loss of your digital environment. When you move from the Xiaomi ecosystem to Huawei, you have to not just buy a new gadget, but recreate all your digital baggage on it. Fortunately, modern Android operating systems make this process as painless as possible, if you know the right tools.
The main difficulty of the transition between brands is the difference in the pre-installed software. While Xiaomi is actively using the shell MIUI or HyperOS with its services, Huawei offers an interface EMUI or HarmonyOS. However, the file system remains common, which makes it easier to transfer media files and documents. You do not need to be a technician to successfully complete the migration, you just need to follow the algorithm of actions carefully.
There are several proven ways to transfer information, from using cloud storage to direct cable connections, the choice of method depends on the amount of data and the speed of your Internet connection. In this article, we will discuss the most effective methods that ensure the safety of your contacts, photos and application settings.
Preparing for data migration
Before you start the actual file copying process, you need to do a number of preparatory steps. Ignoring this step can cause the process to stop in the middle or the data will be copied incorrectly. First of all, make sure that both smartphones are charged at least 60-70%, as transferring large amounts of data over Wi-Fi Direct or Bluetooth can be energy-intensive.
The second important step is to clean up the old device from garbage: remove unnecessary apps that you don’t plan to install on the new phone, and check the download folder, which will reduce the transfer time and not clog the memory of the new Huawei with unnecessary digital junk.
- 📱 Charge both devices (Xiaomi and Huawei) to at least 60%.
- 📶 Connect both smartphones to a stable Wi-Fi network (preferably the same one).
- 🔐 Remember passwords from your Google account and important services (social networks, banks).
- 💾 Free up space on the new device by deleting temporary system files.
⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to start a transfer if one of the devices is power-saving mode. It can limit the operation of the Wi-Fi module and interrupt the connection at the most critical time.
It’s also worth checking if there’s free space on your target device. If you plan to move 100GB of data and Huawei only has 50GB, the process will automatically stop. Pre-evaluate the amount of information in Xiaomi’s storage through the Settings → Memory menu.
Use of the Phone Clone app
The most effective and official way to move to Huawei devices is to use the Phone Clone utility, which is designed specifically for the rapid migration of data between smartphones of different brands and works without an Internet connection, creating a direct Wi-Fi network between devices, the transfer speed with this method is much faster than through cloud services.
To get started, you need to install the app on both smartphones. On a Huawei device, it's often pre-installed in the Tools folder, but if it's not, download it from AppGallery. On Xiaomi, the app is available on the Google Play Store. After installation, run the program on both phones.
On the new Huawei, select "This is a new phone" and on the old Xiaomi, "This is an old phone." QR-And then you have a code that will appear on the screen of the new device, and after scanning, the smartphones will connect, and you can select the categories of data to copy.
☑️ Algorithm of Phone Clone
Importantly, Phone Clone portes not only files but also folder structure. However, system settings specific to MIUI may not work properly on EMUI. The app will automatically analyze the compatibility of applications and prompt them to install their Android counterparts if direct versions are not available.
| Type of data | Support for Phone Clone | Transfer nuances |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Complete. | Imported to Google Contacts or Phone Memory |
| Photos and videos | Complete. | Album structure maintained |
| Messages (SMS) | Complete. | May not appear in some third-party applications |
| Annexes | Partial | Only APK files, data inside games may not be saved |
| Calendar | Complete. | Depends on synchronization with the account |
| Audio files | Complete. | All formats are transferred |
⚠️ Warning: While the Phone Clone is running, the screens of both phones must be turned on.If Xiaomi's screen goes out and goes into sleep mode, data transmission may be interrupted.
Transfer through Google Account
The most reliable way to save contacts, calendars and notes is through Google Account sync. Since both Xiaomi and Huawei are running Android, your data is likely already in the search giant's cloud, a method ideal for text information, but not for heavy media if you have limited space in the cloud.
On Xiaomi, go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google. Make sure the switches opposite Contacts, Calendar, Notes (if Google Keep is used) are active. Press the menu button (three dots) and select Sync to force the data to be updated before changing the device.
On the new Huawei, when you first set up or in the Settings menu → Users and accounts log in to the same Google account. The system will automatically prompt you to recover data from the cloud. This will take a few minutes depending on the speed of the Internet.
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If you use Mi Note notes on Xiaomi, they don't sync with Google by default.Export important entries in PDF or TXT before switching.
Keep in mind that this method will not transfer installed applications and their settings, it serves as the foundation for the restoration of your digital identity, after you log in to your account, you will see your contacts in the phone book, and calendar events will appear in the corresponding application.
Migration of Multimedia and Files
Photos, videos and documents take up the lion’s share of smartphone memory. You can use both the above mentioned Phone Clone and manual copying through a computer or cloud services like Google Photos or Yandex.Disk. If you use Google Photos, just make sure that Xiaomi has Autoboot and Sync enabled.
When you manually copy through your PC, connect Xiaomi to your computer, select File Transfer Mode (MTP), and copy the DCIM, Pictures, Download, and Documents folders to your hard drive. Then connect Huawei and move the files to similar directories, ensuring that the new phone gallery sees all the images immediately.
- 📂 folder DCIM/Camera It contains all photos and videos from the camera.
- 📂 folder WhatsApp/Media Stores media files from the messenger (if the hidden folder is not enabled).
- 📂 Bluetooth folder may contain previously received files.
- 📂 folder MIUI/Gallery/cloud It can contain local cache of Xiaomi albums.
Pay special attention to the files of messengers. WhatsApp and Telegram have their own backup mechanisms. WhatsApp on Xiaomi, create a backup in Google Drive (Settings → Chats → Backup). Huawei will offer to restore the history of correspondence from this cloud when installing the application.
What to do with the files.apk?
Transfer of applications and their data
Apps are more difficult to navigate because of the lack of Google services on new Huawei smartphones, and if you upgrade to a model released after May 2019, it won’t have a Play Store, meaning that many apps will have to be installed through the AppGallery store or a third-party Petal Search service.
The apps you bring over the Phone Clone will likely work, but it may take a search to update them or install them initially on the new Huawei. APK-Banking applications, government services, and popular social networks are usually available on AppGallery or installed directly.
Data within applications (game progress, logins) will only be saved if the application uses cloud sync (for example, through Facebook, Google Play Games or its own developer account). APK-file may be lost.
⚠️ Note: Apps linked to Google Mobile Services (GMS), Google Maps, YouTube or Google Pay are restricted on new Huaweis, YouTube is available via a browser or third-party clients, and payment by phone (NFC) Huawei Pay or Mir Pay instead of Google Pay.
To install missing apps, use the built-in Petal Search. APK-files in trusted sources (such as APKPure) and offers secure installation.It is the easiest way to access missing software without complex manipulations.
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The key to moving to Huawei is getting used to the AppGallery and Petal Search ecosystem, which completely replace Google Play in software distribution.
Frequent problems and their solution
Users may experience various technical difficulties during migration, most often due to interruption of Wi-Fi Direct connection or lack of memory. If Phone Clone gives an error, try restarting both smartphones and disabling the VPN or proxy on the old device.
Another common problem is file links that are broken after porting, which happens if the Xiaomi app used specific paths that changed to Huawei, in which case it helps to clear the cache of the problematic application or reinstall it on a new device and then log in to the account.
If SMS messages or call history are not portable, check the permissions of the Phone Clone application. On Android 11 and above, the system strictly controls access to personal data. When you first launch a utility on Xiaomi, you must issue all the requested permissions, including access to contacts and phone.