How to transfer data from Honor to Xiaomi: from contacts to apps

Moving from Honor to Xiaomi is not just about changing your brand, but also the need to transfer all the important data: contacts, photos, messages and even app settings. Many users face problems with this migration: files are lost, contacts are duplicated, and some applications refuse to work on a new device. In this article, we will discuss 5 reliable ways to transfer data that will be suitable for both old models of Honor 8X or Honor 10, and for modern flagships like Xiaomi 14 Ultra or Redmi Note 13 Pro+.

The peculiarity of the transfer between these brands is that both manufacturers use their own cloud services (Huawei Mobile Services for Honor and Mi Cloud for Xiaomi), which are not always compatible with each other. Plus, Xiaomi runs on pure Android (with a MIUI shell), while Honor until 2020 used EMUI firmware with the limitations of Google services, we took into account all these nuances and prepared instructions that will work in 99% of cases.

Important: If you are moving from Honor to Xiaomi after 2026, note that new Xiaomi models (such as Xiaomi 15 or Redmi Turbo 3) may have updated versions. MIUI, where the path to some settings has changed (⚙️ → Searching for it will save time.

1. Data transfer via OTG cable or adapter

The most reliable way to transfer is to connect phones directly via an OTG cable or a special adapter Type-C to Type-C. This method works even without the Internet and does not depend on cloud services.

• 📁 Photos and videos (including Google Photos albums)
• 📞 Contacts (in.vcf format)
• 🎵 Music and documents
• 📱 Annexes (only) APK-files, no data)

For this method you will need:

1. Type-C to Type-C cable (if both phones are modern) or adapter OTG + USB-cable (if Honor has a Micro-USB connector).
2. On Xiaomi, turn on File Transfer mode (in the notification curtain when you connect).
3. On Honor, select File Manager → Internal Memory.

Then just drag and drop the folders you want (DCIM for photos, Downloads for downloads) to your new phone, and the only caveat is that the apps will only be ported as APKs, but their data (such as saving in games) will have to be recovered separately through a Google account or backup.

Is your new phone formatted (if yes, skip this step)

Is there enough space on Xiaomi for all files?

Is the cable connected to the data port (not the charging one)

Power saving modes on both phones are turned off-->

2. Use of Google Account (for contacts, calendar and mail)

If your Honor has a Google Account attached, contacts, calendar events and email automatically sync with the new Xiaomi when you first turn on.

• 📇 Contacts (if saved in Google Contacts, not in your phone’s memory)
• 📅 Calendar (Google Calendar)
• ✉️ Mail (Gmail)
• 📍 Notes (Google Keep)

To check if your data is synchronized:

1. On Honor, go to Settings → Accounts → Google → [your email] → Account Sync.
2. Make sure that the sliders opposite Contact, Calendar and Gmail are active.
3. On Xiaomi, when you first start, select Restore from backup and log in to the same Google account.

⚠️ Note: If the contacts on Honor are stored in the phone’s local memory or SIM-In this case, export them to the.vcf file via Contacts. → ⚙️ → Import/Export and transfer to Xiaomi in any convenient way.

Through the OTG cable

I use a Google Account.

Through the cloud (Mi Cloud, Huawei Cloud)

With the help of third-party applications (SHAREit, Xender)

Never had to endure.-->

3.Migration via Mi Mover (official Xiaomi app)

Xiaomi has developed its own data porting solution, the Mi Mover app, which is pre-installed on all new smartphones of the brand and supports transfers from Honor, Huawei, Samsung and other Android devices.

• 🔄 Transfer applications with data (for example, save in games, settings messengers).
• 📶 It works with Wi-Fi Direct (no internet required).
• 🛡️ Encryption of data during transmission.

Instructions for using Mi Mover:

1. On Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select Data Transfer or find Mi Mover in Settings → More.
2. Download Mi Mover from APKMirror on Honor (not available on Google Play for non-Xiaomi devices).
3. Run the app on both phones, select Me sender on Honor and I receive on Xiaomi.
4. Scan it. QR-code from Xiaomi screen on Honor and confirm the connection.
5. Select data for transfer (contacts, messages, photos, applications) and wait for completion.

⚠️ Note: If you have a firmware installed on Honor EMUI 10 or older, Mi Mover may not see some system files, in which case, update Honor to the latest version of the software before transferring or use an alternative method (e.g. Google Drive).

4. Cloud services: Huawei Cloud → Mi Cloud

If you’ve been using Huawei Cloud on Honor, you can download data from there first and then upload it to Mi Cloud.

• 📸 Photos and videos (up to 5 GB at free rate)
• 📄 Documents and notes
• 📱 Backups of applications (only for Huawei applications)

Step-by-step:

1. On Honor, open Settings → Huawei ID → Cloud → Backup and create an archive.
2. Download backup to your computer via the web version of Huawei Cloud (Section Backups).
3. Uncancel files and upload them to Mi Cloud via a web interface or mobile app.
4. On Xiaomi, log into Mi Cloud and sync your data.

A critical nuance: Huawei Cloud backups are proprietary and not open by standard archivers. To extract data, use the official Huawei Backup software on your PC or the Huawei Cloud Extractor online service (unofficial but proven).

5 Third-party applications: SHAREit, Xender, Send Anywhere

If standard methods don't work, universal file transfer applications will come to the rescue, and we tested three of the most reliable ones:

How to use (in the example of Xender):

1. Install Xender on both phones from Google Play or APKMirror.
2. On Honor, select Send, on Xiaomi, Receive.
3. Scan it. QR-code or connect through a hotspot.
4. Select the files and confirm the transfer.

⚠️ Note: When using SHAREit, disable Transfer Optimization in Settings – it can compress photos and videos, degrade their quality. Also avoid transferring sensitive data (for example, screenshots of banking applications) through third-party services.

💡

If the transmission is interrupted, try to turn on both phones mode Do not interrupt transmission in the battery settings. → Battery → Energy saving regime → Appendices and add Xender/SHAREit excepted.

6. Data transfer by computer

If you have a laptop or a PC, you can use it as a middleman for file transfer, which guarantees 100% data security and is suitable for:

• 🖥️ Full phone backup (via Huawei HiSuite or Mi) PC Suite)
• 📂 Large amounts of data (tens of gigabytes)
• 🔧 Manual control over the transferred files

Instructions:

1. Connect Honor to your computer via USB, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy the folders you need (DCIM, Pictures, Downloads) to your hard drive.
3. Disable Honor, connect Xiaomi and transfer files back.
4. To transfer contacts, export them to.vcf via Huawei HiSuite and import them to Xiaomi via Mi PC Suite.

To automate the process, you can use programs:

• Huawei HiSuite – to create a backup of Honor.
• Mi PC Suite – for recovery on Xiaomi
• Syncthing – Synchronize files between devices over a local network.

💡

Using a computer is the most reliable method for transferring large amounts of data (for example, a photo collection of 50+ GB), since it eliminates the risk of connection breakdown or file loss.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even when following the instructions, users encounter common errors, and we've collected some of the most common ways to fix them:

If neither method worked, try resetting your settings to Xiaomi and re-transferring the data. Sometimes conflicts arise from residual files from previous syncs. Before resetting, remember to save important information!

FAQ: Answers to popular questions