How to transfer files from Huawei to Xiaomi: all the working methods without loss

The transition from Huawei to Xiaomi is not only about changing the ecosystem, but also the need to move tens of gigabytes of personal data: high-resolution photos, videos, documents and even saves from games. Many users face the problem: standard tools like Bluetooth work too slowly, and cloud services limit free space. In this article, we will examine 7 proven ways to transfer files between devices of different brands, from classic to little-known but effective.

The peculiarity of the transfer between Huawei and Xiaomi is that both manufacturers use their own data exchange protocols. For example, Huawei Share is not compatible with Mi Share, and the standard Android Beam has long been removed from new versions of the OS. We tested each method on current models (including Huawei P60 Pro and Xiaomi 14 Ultra) and indicated the real transfer speed so that you can choose the best option for your tasks.

1. Direct Wi-Fi transmission via applications

The most versatile way is to use specialized applications that create a local network between devices, the advantage of which is that there is no Internet connection required, speeds reach 10-15 MB / s (depending on the router model or direct connection), and files are transferred without compression.

The best applications for this task:

• 📲 Send Anywhere generates 6-digit pairing code, supports files up to 10 GB in the free version.
• 🔗 Feem works without registration, creates a local network even without a router (via Wi-Fi Direct), suitable for transferring folders with preservation of structure.
• ⚡ LocalSend is open source, data encryption, no file size restrictions.

Instructions for Send Anywhere:

1. Install the app on both smartphones from Google Play (for Huawei – from AppGallery).
2. On Huawei, select files, click “Send” and wait for the code to be generated.
3. On Xiaomi, enter this code in the “Get” field.
4. Confirm the transmission on both devices.

Install one app on both phones | Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network | Close background applications for acceleration | Check free space on Xiaomi-->

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If the transmission speed drops, try turning off Adaptive Brightness and Power Saving Mode on both smartphones – this reduces the priority of background tasks.

2.Using cloud storage: pros and pitfalls

Cloud services are convenient for transferring files if you have a stable Internet and small data (up to 5-10 GB), the main disadvantage is the restrictions of free rates and possible compression of media files. For example, Google Photos in the High Quality mode reduces the resolution of photos above 16 MP.

Comparison of popular services:

The following steps are provided for Google Drive:

1. On Huawei, upload files to the Drive → My files folder.
2. On Xiaomi, open Google Drive, find uploaded files and download them (select multiple files at once to speed up).
3. To automatically sync photos, turn on Backup in the Google Photos settings on Huawei.

Google Drive|Yandex Drive|iCloud|Other |Not using cloud-->

⚠️ Attention: When you upload a large number of files to Google Drive with Huawei, you may be able to trigger a limit on the number of transactions per day. Break the transmission into parts of 2-3 GB at intervals of 1-2 hours.

3. Transmission via OTG cable: maximum speed

If you need to move tens of gigabytes (like a 4K video collection or backup of.apk games), the quickest way is to use an OTG cable and flash drive or connect Huawei to Xiaomi directly, speeds up to 40–60MB/s (3–4 times faster than Wi-Fi).

You'll need:

• 🔌 Cable OTG (Type-C → Type-C or Type-C → USB-A depending on the Xiaomi model).
• 💾 Supported flash drive OTG (32 GB formatted in exFAT for files >4GB).
• 📱 File Manager (e.g. Files by Google or standard Explorer on Xiaomi).

Instructions:

1. Connect the flash drive to Huawei via OTG, copy files to it.
2. Remove the flash drive, connect to Xiaomi and transfer the data to internal memory.
3. To connect Huawei directly to Xiaomi, use the Type-C → Type-C cable and enable File Transfer Mode (MTP) in the Developer Menu in Huawei’s settings.

⚠️ Note: When connecting Huawei to Xiaomi via cable, some models may request unlocking OEM (Without this, access to files will be restricted.

4. Computer Transfer: Reliable but Long

If you have a PC or a laptop on hand, you can use it as an intermediary, which is a method that is suitable for transferring encrypted files or data from a corrupted file system when other methods do not work, minus the additional device and the time required to double the copy.

Algorithm of action:

1. Connect Huawei to your computer via USB-cable, select File Transfer Mode.
2. Copy the data into a folder on your hard disk (for example, D:\Huawei_Backup).
3. Disable Huawei, connect Xiaomi and transfer files back.

To speed up the process:

• 🖥️ Use it. USB 3.0 (Ports are usually marked in blue) – copy speed will increase to 5 GB/min.
• 📁 Archive folders in.zip or.rar before transfer (especially for thousands of small files).
• 🔄 For large volumes (100)+ GB) use TeraCopy - the program eliminates copy errors and resumes the process after failures.

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Transferring over a PC is the only way to guarantee that files metadata (date of creation, photo tags) is saved without distortion.

5. Wireless transmission through FTP-server

For advanced users, a method with the creation of FTP-This allows you to transfer files over the local network at speeds of up to 20 MB / s, maintaining the folder structure.

Instructions for Huawei (as server):

1. Install an FTP Server application (such as Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Launch it. FTP-server in the application, write down IP-address and port (e.g, ftp://192.168.1.100:2221).
3. On Xiaomi, open any file manager with FTP support (such as ES Explorer) and connect to the specified address.
4. Copy the files you need on Xiaomi as if they were from a regular network drive.

Advantages of the method:

• 📂 Folder structure and file names are saved (unlike clouds).
• 🔒 You can set a login/password for data protection.
• 📶 It works even on older models with Android 5.0+.

⚠️ Note: Some providers are blocking ports for FTP in public networks (such as cafes or airports) Use a home Wi-Fi or mobile hotspot to transmit.

6. Transmission via messengers: fast, but with restrictions

If you need to quickly transfer several files (up to 1-2 GB), you can use instant messengers, most of them compress media, but support the transfer of documents unchanged.

How to send without compression to Telegram:

1. Create a personal chat with yourself (Saved Messages).
2. Click on the paperclip (“Attach”), select “File” (not “Photo”!).
3. Mark the files and send them.
4. On Xiaomi, download files from the chat.

This method is suitable for:

• 📄 Documents (.pdf,.docx,.xlsx).
• 🎵 Music in high quality (.flac,.wav).
• 📦 Archives with application settings.

7.Contact, SMS and Application Transfers: Special Tools

Files are just a piece of data, and often you need to move contacts, messages, notes, or even apps you've installed.

Contacts and calendar:

• 📇 Export to.vcf via Huawei Contacts app, then import to Xiaomi.
• ☁️ Sync with Google Account: on Huawei, enable sync in Settings → Accounts. → Google, then log in to the same account on Xiaomi.

SMS and call log:

• 💬 Use it. SMS Backup & Restore (saves messages in.xml on Huawei, restores on Xiaomi).
• 📞 Call Logs Backup & Restore is available.

Annexes and their data:

• 📦 APK Extractor – extracts.apk files of installed applications from Huawei for manual installation on Xiaomi.
• 🔄 Swift Backup (requires root) – transfers application data (e.g. saving games).

⚠️ Note: When you migrate apps over.apk, some services (such as banking) may block access due to a change in device.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer