Moving from Honor to Xiaomi is not just about changing your brand, but also migrating all your personal data: photos, contacts, messages, and even app settings. Many users are faced with the challenge of how to do it quickly, without loss, and without using a computer. In this article, we will analyze 5 proven ways to transfer data between devices, compare them in speed and reliability, and explain what nuances are important to consider when transferring specific types of files.
The difference between Honor and Xiaomi is that it has different ecosystems: the former often uses Huawei Mobile Services instead of Google Mobile Services, and the latter has its own MIUI shell. This means that standard tools like Google Account or Mi Mover can work in an unstable way, and we tested each method on current models (such as Honor 90 and Xiaomi 14) and found the only way that is guaranteed to carry the history of calls and SMS without loss - this is discussed in the section about Local Backup.
If you are in a hurry, use the quick checklist:
Charge both phones at least to the minimum. 50%|Connect to a Wi-Fi network (for Mi) Mover/Google)|Release me. 10-15% memory|Turn off battery optimization for transfer applications-->
1. Mi Mover is the official tool of Xiaomi
Mi Mover is built into the MIUI A point-to-point (no cloud) data migration application that supports transferring contacts, messages, photos, videos, audio, calendars, and even some of the system application settings. APK-The file is not available in AppGallery.
How it works:
- 📱 On Xiaomi: Open Settings → The phone. → Mi Mover (or find it through search).
- 🔗 On Honor: download APK Mi Mover, install and launch.
- 📶 Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network (or create an access point on Xiaomi).
- 🔄 On Xiaomi, select “I am a new user” and on Honor, “Send data".
- 📋 Check the data types for transfer and confirm the transfer.
⚠️ Note: Mi Mover does not carry WhatsApp, Viber and other messengers – they need separate backups, and the application can “hang” during the connection stage if the Honor power saving mode is turned on. The only way to get around this is to disable battery optimization for Mi Mover in the Honor settings (Settings) → Annexes → Mi Mover → Battery → No restrictions).
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If Mi Mover can’t see the device, try connecting via QR-code: on Xiaomi, click "Connect through" QR", And on Honor, scan it with your camera.
2.Google Account: synchronize contacts and calendars
If your Honor has a Google Account set up, contacts, calendars, and certain settings (such as Wi-Fi passwords) can be transferred automatically, which does not require additional applications, but only works for a limited type of data.
Instructions:
- On Honor, open Settings → Accounts → Google and make sure that sync is enabled for Contacts, Calendar, and Notes.
- On Xiaomi, add the same Google Account (Settings → Accounts → Add an account).
- Wait for automatic synchronization (can take up to 10 minutes).
⚠️ Attention: This method does not tolerate:
- 📸 Photos and videos (you need to use Google Photos separately).
- 💬 Communications SMS/MMS call history.
- 🎮 Game and application data (e.g. progress in the PUBG Mobile or Genshin Impact).
| Type of data | Mi Mover | Google Account | Huawei Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contacts | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Photo/video | ✅ | ❌ (Only through Google Photos) | ✅ |
| SMS/calls | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Annexes | ❌ (only APK) | ❌ | ❌ |
| Wi-Fi settings | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Mi Mover|Google Account|Bluetooth/Wi-Fi Direct|Cloud Services (Huawei Cloud, Mi Cloud)|Another option-->
3. Huawei Cloud → Mi Cloud: Cloud Bridge
If your Honor is enabled with Huawei Cloud (Huawei’s cloud), you can first upload data there and then download it to Xiaomi via a browser.This method is suitable for photos, videos, contacts and notes, but requires a stable Internet connection.
Step-by-step:
- On Honor, open Settings → Huawei ID → Cloud and make sure that the data you need is synced.
- Go to the Huawei Cloud website with Xiaomi (or your computer) and log in.
- Select files to download (for example, the DCIM/Camera folder for photos) and save them to Xiaomi memory.
- For contacts, export them to a.vcf file and import them through Google Contacts.
⚠️ Warning: Huawei Cloud's free plan only gives 5GB of storage, and if you have more data, you'll either have to clear the cloud or buy extra space, HEIC-Photos from iPhone may not be displayed correctly after downloading.
How to transfer WhatsApp from Honor to Xiaomi?
4. Local Backup – for SMS and Call History
If you need to migrate SMS, call history, or a message log that is not synced with Google, use the Local Backup app (or analogues like Super Backup & Restore), which works even without the Internet and saves the data to a file that can then be transferred to Xiaomi.
Instructions:
- 📲 Install on Honor Super Backup & Restore (or analogues).
- 📄 Create a backup. SMS and calls in.xml or.ab format (save the file to your phone's memory).
- 📎 Transfer the file to Xiaomi via Bluetooth, USB-cable.
- 🔄 Install the same app on Xiaomi and recover data from the file.
⚠️ Attention: When restoring SMS Xiaomi can duplicate messages if they have already been synced through Google. To avoid this, delete existing ones before restoring. SMS (c) In the annex Communications.
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Local backup is the only way to transfer your Honor call history to Xiaomi without loss. Cloud services (Google, Huawei Cloud) do not store this information.
5. Direct transmission over Wi-Fi Direct or Bluetooth
If the data volume is small (up to 1-2 GB), you can use built-in Wi-Fi Direct or Bluetooth functions, which is suitable for transferring individual files (photos, documents), but is not convenient for mass transfer.
How to transfer files:
- 📶 Enable Wi-Fi Direct on both phones (Settings) → Wi-Fi → Wi-Fi Direct).
- 🔄 On Honor, select files to submit (for example, through Files or Gallery) and click "Send" → "Wi-Fi Direct".
- 📱 On Xiaomi, confirm the acceptance of files.
Bluetooth is similar, but the transfer speed will be 5-10 times lower (about 1-2 MB / s versus 10-15 MB / s for Wi-Fi Direct), this method is suitable for one-time transfers, for example, 5-10 photos or documents.
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To speed up Wi-Fi Direct transfer, archive files to ZIP before sending them, for example, 100 photos in the archive will be transferred faster than one.
6. Transfer of applications and their data
Move it yourself. APK-Application files can be made via Mi Mover or manually (e.g. via APK However, application data (save games, settings, cache) are only transferred if:
- 🎮 The app supports Google Play Games (e.g. Clash of Clans, Brawl Stars).
- 🔄 The application has a backup/recovery function (for example, WhatsApp, Telegram).
- 📁 The app saves data in the cloud (e.g. Spotify, Netflix).
For other cases, you will need to use Titanium Backup (require root rights) or reconfigure applications manually, for example, to transfer saves to Genshin Impact, you just need to log in under the same miHoYo account on a new phone.
Comparison of methods: which one to choose?
The choice of method depends on the type of data and volume:
- 🔄 Mi Mover is the best option for a full migration (except for apps).
- ☁️ Google Account – for contacts, calendars and Wi-Fi passwords.
- 📁 Local Backup – If you need to save SMS call history.
- 📶 Wi-Fi Direct – to transfer individual files without the Internet.
If you have Honor on EMUI 12+ and Xiaomi on MIUI 14+, Mi Mover will be the fastest and most reliable solution. For older models (for example, Honor 8X or Redmi Note 7), it is better to combine Google Account and Local Backup.