Changing a smartphone, especially from one ecosystem to another, is always a mild concern. Honor owners who choose to purchase a Xiaomi device often wonder how to keep all the accumulated information without loss? Fortunately, modern Android operating systems provide powerful tools for migration. The process is much easier than a few years ago, but still requires attention to detail, so as not to lose important documents or correspondence.
In this article, we will take a look at all the available ways to transfer data, learn about the benefits of proprietary utilities, the peculiarities of working with cloud storage and the nuances of manual file copying. It is important to understand that backup is not just copying photos, but a complex process that affects system settings, Wi-Fi passwords and the location of icons on the desktop.
Before you start, make sure both devices are at least 60-70% charged. The process of transferring large amounts of information can be energy intensive, and suddenly turning off one of the gadgets can damage files or interrupt sync. Also check for free space on the new Xiaomi device, as the amount of data received should not exceed the available space.
Preparing devices for data migration
The first step that is often ignored is the proper preparation of both smartphones. On the old Honor, you need to check the operating system version and the availability of updates for system applications. Sometimes older versions of Android may not work correctly with new data protocols used in the latest Xiaomi models. Go to Settings → System → Software Update and make sure that the software is up to date.
Xiaomi’s new device running a MIUI or HyperOS shell should also perform the initial setup before the desktop appears.If the phone has already been activated and used, a complete reset may be required to perfect data cloning, although in most cases radical measures are not possible.
⚠️ Warning: Before any manipulations, be sure to back up important data to an external medium or to the cloud. Despite the reliability of current methods, the risk of software failure always exists, and the loss of a family photo archive will be an unpleasant surprise.
Pay special attention to your Google account. Make sure that Honor has your contacts, calendar and notes synced with your Google account. This is a basic level of protection that will allow you to recover personal information even if your transfer software fails completely. You can check the sync status on the Settings → Accounts → Google menu.
☑️ Checklist of preparations
Using the Mi Mover app for full cloning
The most efficient and preferred way to switch to Xiaomi is to use the proprietary Mi Mover utility, which is designed specifically for migrating data from devices from other manufacturers, including Honor and Huawei. The application can transfer not only media files, but also system settings, application location and even passwords from Wi-Fi networks.
The process starts with installing the app on both smartphones. On Xiaomi, it is often built into the system and is located in the Tools folder or available when you first set it up. On Honor, it must be downloaded from the app store or scanned. QR-code that will appear on the screen of the new phone. After you start on the old device, select the role "Sender" and on the new one - "Receiver".
Then the devices have to find each other, and that's either through scanning. QR-Once you've established the connection, you create a secure Wi-Fi Direct local area network, which will be used to transmit data, and the speed of copying depends on the amount of information and can vary from a few minutes to an hour.
- 📱 Select the data type: contacts, messages, images, video, audio, documents, applications, system settings and application data.
- 🔒 Confirm permission to access files on both devices so that the process does not interrupt halfway through the process.
- 📶 Do not leave the app or lock your smartphone screens until the process is complete so as not to break the connection.
What if Mi Mover can't see an old phone?
Transfer through Google Account and Cloud Services
If third-party apps are not possible or in doubt, the Google ecosystem comes to the rescue, a method that is the gold standard for Android, ensuring that your contacts, calendar events and notes don’t go away. Just log in to your account on the new Xiaomi, and the data will be automatically pulled up.
However, it is worth considering the limitations. Google Photos perfectly syncs media files, but the original quality can be compressed if you do not pay the Google One tariff. Apps downloaded from the Play Market will also recover automatically, but their data (logins, game progress) will only be saved if developers used cloud-based Google Play Games saves.
| Type of data | Google's method | Transfer nuances |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Autosynchronization | Instant access after entering a password |
| Photos and videos | Google Photo | It requires stable Wi-Fi and time. |
| Annexes | Play Market | Download again, settings can be reset |
| SMS messages | Backup | Restores when the phone is first set up |
For users who are actively using cloud storage like Yandex.Disk or Cloud Mail.ru, there is an option to upload a photo gallery and documents from the old Honor, and then download them to Xiaomi. This is a good alternative way for heavy files that are pathetic to compress or transmit over the air.
Manual copying of files through a computer
The most controlled, albeit more time-consuming, method is to use a computer as an intermediary, ideal for carrying heavy video files, document archives and music when wireless transmissions may be unstable or too slow. USB-cable and access to both phones' file systems.
Connect Honor to your PC, select File Transfer Mode (MTP) in the notification on your smartphone screen. Copy the required folders (usually DCIM, Pictures, Download, Documents) to your computer's hard drive. Then disconnect your old phone, plug in Xiaomi, and transfer files to the appropriate directories. Android folder structure is universal, so there should be no compatibility issues.
When you manually copy, it’s important to keep in mind hidden folders and configuration files of some applications. For example, messengers can store media files in specific directories inside the Android/data folder. Access to this folder in new versions of Android is limited, so it’s easier to use the built-in export functions inside the apps themselves, such as WhatsApp or Telegram.
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Use a file manager that supports archiving. If you copy thousands of small photos, first package them in the file. ZIP-archive on the computer - this will speed up the process of writing to a new smartphone and preserve the folder structure.!--WIDGET:tip
Specifics of transfer of messengers and applications
Messengers require special attention, as they store their correspondence history in secure databases. WhatsApp on Android has a regular backup mechanism on Google Drive. On Honor, go to the chat settings, create a fresh copy, and on Xiaomi, you will agree to restore from this copy when you first start.
Telegram and Viber are different. Telegram stores all the history in the cloud, so just enter the phone number and confirmation code. Viber requires you to create a local backup or copy on Google Drive, similar to WhatsApp. Banking applications and government services will require re-authorization and reconfiguring biometrics for security reasons.
⚠️ Note: Two-factor authentication (2FA) Make sure you have access to a phone number to receive SMS or codes from an authenticator app before you delete data from your old device.
Some applications may not migrate their internal settings even if the application itself is installed, which is normal for high-security programs, and in such cases, it is recommended to take screenshots of important settings in advance or export configuration files, if such a feature is provided by the developer.
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Messengers require separate attention: back up chats within each app before resetting your old phone, as system portability doesn’t always affect their databases.!--WIDGET:keypoint
Problem Solving and Frequent Errors
Users may experience a number of common problems during migration, such as a certain percentage of transfers or some files being corrupted, which may be due to unstable Wi-Fi connections, energy-saving modes, or incompatibility of file formats between different versions of Android.
If the process is stalled, try turning off the Power Saving mode on both phones and unlocking the screens. Make sure neither application tries to update in the background, consuming bandwidth. If you make a mistake copying specific files, try migrating them separately by reducing the size of the data packets.
Also worth noting is the issue with image formats. Honor could use specific compression or resolution formats that Xiaomi will try to convert when added to the gallery.This may take extra time after the main transfer is completed while the system indexes media files.
- 🔄 Restart both devices if the connection is permanently broken at step 99%.
- 📂 Check if the download folder on the receiving device is full, sometimes system restrictions block the recording.
- 🔋 Turn it off. VPN Proxies and proxy servers at the time of transfer, they can conflict with the local Mi Mover protocol.
After successful completion of all procedures, take your time to rent out or sell the old Honor. Use the new Xiaomi as normal for a few days to make sure that all contacts are in place, alarms ring and photos open correctly. Only when you make sure that you are fully functional, you can perform a full reset of the old device.