How to quickly and safely transfer data from Honor to Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

Moving from Honor to Xiaomi is not just about changing your brand, it’s also about migrating all the important data you need: contacts, photos, messages and apps. Many users have trouble transferring information between devices from different manufacturers, especially when it comes to large amounts of files or specific data like call history. In this article, we’ll look at all the current migration methods, from official tools to alternative solutions, and how to avoid typical errors.

The main difficulty is that Honor (like Huawei) uses its own ecosystem of Huawei Mobile Services, and Xiaomi runs on Google Mobile Services or MIUI. This means that standard backup features may not work correctly. However, there are universal methods that ensure complete and secure data portability without loss.

1.The official way: Mi Mover by Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a Xiaomi-branded app designed to transfer data from other smartphones (including Honor), which supports the transfer of contacts, messages, photos, videos, audio files and even some applications, the main advantage is that there is no need for a computer or cloud services, everything happens wirelessly.

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

• 📱 Install the Mi Mover app on both phones: download it from Google Play to Honor and find it in the App Store MIUI Xiaomi (usually pre-installed).
• 🔗 Run the app on both devices and select the modes: “Send” to Honor and “Get” to Xiaomi.
• 📶 Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network or create an access point on Xiaomi (recommended for speeding up transfers).
• 🔍 On Honor, scan. QR-code that appears on the Xiaomi screen, or enter PIN-manually.
• 📁 Select data types for transfer (contacts, media files, messages) and confirm the transfer beginning.

It can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour depending on the amount of data, and it's important that the battery on both devices is at least 50 percent, and the Wi-Fi connection is stable, and if the transmission is interrupted, it can be restarted from the same place.

Charge both phones up to 50% or more | Install Mi Mover on Honor| Connect to the same Wi-Fi | Free up space on Xiaomi (minimum 20% free memory) | Turn off power saving mode on both devices-->

⚠️ Note: If Honor has firmware installed without Google Play Services (for example, based on the HMS), Mi Mover may not start, in which case use alternative methods from the following sections.

2.Move over cloud services: Google Drive, Huawei Cloud, Mi Cloud

Cloud storage is one of the most reliable ways to transfer data, especially if you have a slow Internet connection or large files, the main advantage is that you can selectively transfer only the necessary data (for example, only contacts or photos).

2.1. Google Account (for contacts, calendar, notes)

If you have a Google account attached to Honor, sync your contacts, calendar events and notes through it:

1. On Honor, go to Settings → Accounts → Google and enable sync for the data you need.
2. On Xiaomi, add the same Google account to Settings → Accounts and wait for the sync to complete.

2.2. Huawei Cloud (for media files and backups)

Huawei Cloud allows you to create a full backup of data with Honor and then upload it to Xiaomi via your browser:

• 📁 On Honor, open Settings. → Huawei ID → Cloud. → Backup and create an archive.
• 🌐 On Xiaomi, go to cloud.huawei.com through the browser, log in and download the necessary files.

Mi Cloud (for MIUI backups)

Mi Cloud is useful if you plan to use Xiaomi for the long term. First, transfer data from Honor to the cloud, and then restore it to the new device:

• 📤 On Xiaomi go to Settings → Mi Account. → Mi Cloud → Backup and create a copy.
• 📥 On another Xiaomi device (if any) or via the web version of i.mi.com, recover data.

Google Drive|Huawei Cloud|Mi Cloud|Another (write in the comments)|Not using cloud-->

3. Data transmission via OTG cable or computer

If wireless methods are not suitable (for example, due to slow Internet or large amounts of data), you can use a direct connection via cable.

• 🔌 USB-Type-C cable (or adapter if ports are different).
• 💻 Computer (optional, but simplifies the process).
• 📂 File Manager (e.g., Total Commander or Standard Explorer).

Instructions for connection via computer:

1. Connect Honor to your PC via cable and select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy the folders you need (DCIM for photos, Downloads for downloads, etc.) to your computer.
3. Disable Honor, connect Xiaomi and transfer files to the appropriate directories.

Instructions for direct connection (without PC):

1. Buy it. OTG-Adapter (e.g. Type-C to Type-C).
2. Connect Honor to Xiaomi via an adapter.
3. On Xiaomi, open a file manager (like Google Files) and select "USB-accumulator".
4. Copy files from Honor to Xiaomi manually.

⚠️ Note: When directly connected through OTG Some Xiaomi models may not recognize Honor as a drive, in which case use a computer or cloud.

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If Xiaomi doesn’t see Honor files via OTG, try formatting the flash drive into FAT32 and using it as an intermediary: copy the data to the flash drive first, then to the new phone.

4. Transfer of applications and their data

Unfortunately, apps and their settings cannot be migrated directly from Honor to Xiaomi due to differences in OS architecture.

4.1. backup via Titanium Backup (requires root)

If you have root access on Honor, use Titanium Backup:

• 📲 Install Titanium Backup on Honor and back up your apps.
• 📁 Transfer the backup file to Xiaomi (via cable or cloud).
• 🔄 Install Titanium Backup on Xiaomi and Recover Data.

4.2. Synchronization through application accounts

Many applications (e.g. WhatsApp, Telegram, VK) support sync via the cloud:

• 💬 For WhatsApp: Back up Google Drive on Honor, then restore it to Xiaomi the first time you run it.
• 📧 For Telegram: all chats and media are automatically synced through the cloud when logged in to your account.

4.3. APK-files and data through ADB (advanced)

If you need to move APK-Application files and data without root, use ADB:

adb backup -f backup.ab -apk -obb -shared -all


adb restore backup.ab

This team creates a full backup on Honor and restores it to Xiaomi. Note that some apps may not work due to differences in Android versions.

5.SMS Messages and Call History

Messages and call history are some of the most difficult things to do to move data, and here are the working ways:

5.1. via SMS Backup & Restore

• 📱 Install. SMS Backup & Restore on Honor and backup.
• 📤 Export your backup file (usually in.xml format) to Xiaomi.
• 🔄 Install the same app on Xiaomi and restore messages.

5.2. via Google Account (only for Android 8+)

Starting with Android 8.0, Google automatically reserves SMS and call history (if sync is enabled) to restore them to Xiaomi:

1. On Honor, check that Settings → Google → Backup includes the option “SMS and Call History”.
2. On Xiaomi, when you first start, select recovery from your Google account.

5.3 Through SIM-map (obsolete method)

If there are few messages, they can be exported to SIM-map:

• 📞 On Honor, go to Messages → Settings → Imports/exports → Exports to SIM.
• 🔄 Put it in. SIM Xiaomi and import messages.

Please note that SIM-The card supports a limited number of messages (usually up to 250 pcs.).

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To transfer the history of calls, it is better to use specialized applications like Call Logs Backup & Restore - they save not only numbers, but also the duration of conversations.

6. Common mistakes and how to avoid them

When transferring data from Honor to Xiaomi, users often face the following problems:

Another common mistake is the lack of space on Xiaomi. Check the free space in Settings → Storage before penos and clear the cache or delete unnecessary files if necessary. Also make sure that both devices are power-saving mode is turned off, otherwise the transfer may be interrupted.

7. Alternative methods: third-party programs

If the standard methods didn't work, you can use third-party utilities.

• 🔄 Clone Phone (from Huawei) – supports porting Honor to other brands, including Xiaomi.

When using third-party programs, pay attention to:

• 📡 Speed: Wireless solutions are often slower than cable connections.

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Before using third-party programs, check reviews on 4PDA or XDA Developers – they often discuss hidden limitations and bugs.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer