How to Flip Data from Honor Phone to Xiaomi: The Complete 2026 Guide

Why Data Transfers Between Honor and Xiaomi Need a Special Approach

Moving from Honor to Xiaomi is not just a brand change, but a transition between two different ecosystems. Unlike data transfer within a line (like Redmi to POCO), there are nuances associated with proprietary services Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) and MIUI. Even if both devices run on Android, their shells can block standard tools like Google Backup or restrict access to system folders.

The main problem is that Honor (especially the models released after the separation from Huawei in 2020) often lack Google Play Services, making it difficult to use universal solutions like Samsung’s Smart Switch or Xiaomi’s Clone Phone. Instead, you have to combine cloud services, local backups and even manual file copying. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to transfer data with the restrictions of 2026, including bypassing locks for Chinese firmware.

Method 1: Using the Xiaomi Mi Mover app

The most obvious option is to use Xiaomi’s official tool, Mi Mover, which is pre-installed on all new smartphones and allows you to transfer data over Wi-Fi Direct wireless network.

• 📱 It only works if Honor has global firmware with Google services (China models are not supported).
• 🔄 Transferring contacts, SMS, Photos, videos, music and some settings, but not apps.
• 🔌 Requires that both devices have at least 20% battery charge.

How to start the transfer:

1. On Xiaomi, open Settings → About Phone → Mi Mover (or find the app in the menu).
2. On Honor, download Mi Mover from Google Play (if available) or use the APK from Xiaomi's official website.
3. On both phones, select the role: on Xiaomi – “New Phone”, on Honor – “Old Phone”.
4. Scan it. QR-code from the Xiaomi screen with the Honor camera and confirm the connection.
5. Select data types to transfer and wait until it is completed (may take up to 30 minutes).

⚠️ Note: If Honor has firmware installed without Google (e.g. Magic) UI In China, Mi Mover will not be able to connect. In this case, use Method 3 or Method 4.

Charge both phones to 50% |

Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network|

Free up 1-2 GB of memory on Xiaomi|

Disable VPNs and firewalls |

Make sure Honor has Google Play Services-->

Method 2: Cloud Transfer via Google Account (for global firmware)

If your Honor has a global firmware version (like Magic UI for Europe), the most reliable way to do this is to sync with your Google Account.

• 📇 Contacts (via Google Contacts)
• 📅 Calendars and reminders
• 📎 Notes (if you use Google Keep)
• 📷 Photos and videos (via Google Photos with original quality)

Instructions:

1. On Honor, go to Settings → Accounts → Google and enable sync for all the data you need.
2. Wait for the download to complete (check in Google Photos and Google Contacts via browser).
3. On Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select “Restore from backup” and log in to the same Google account.
4. Confirm the data recovery (can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours depending on the volume).

⚠️ Note: If you have Chinese firmware installed on Honor without Google, this method will not work. Alternatively, use Huawei Cloud (Method 5), but note that Xiaomi does not support direct import from there.

Google Drive|

Huawei Cloud|

Mi Cloud|

iCloud|

Another option-->

Method 3: Local transmission via OTG cable or adapter

If wireless methods don’t work (for example, because Google doesn’t have Honor), the most reliable option is to copy files directly via cable.

• 🔌 USB-type-c cable → Type-C (or adapter) OTG, if the ports are different).
• 📁 File Manager on both phones (e.g. Files by Google or Mi File Manager).
• ⚡ Charge not less than 30% (copying large volumes drains the battery).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Honor to Xiaomi via cable. On Xiaomi, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. On Xiaomi, open the file manager and go to the section "USB-device" or "Honor".
3. Copy the folders you want: DCIM for photos and videos; Downloads for uploaded files; Pictures for images from instant messengers; WhatsApp/Media for media from WhatsApp (if necessary).

.vcf

Honor

Xiaomi

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If Xiaomi doesn’t see Honor through the cable, try turning on the developer mode on Honor (Settings → About Phone → Build Number – tap 7 times) and activate the debugging option over USB.

Method 4: Transfer over a computer (for large amounts of data)

If you need to move tens of gigabytes of data (like a video collection or app backups), it’s more convenient to use an intermediate computer, a method that works even with China’s Honor firmware, where Google and Huawei Cloud are disabled.

What will be required:

• 💻 Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 🔌 Two. USB-cable (or one with splitting).
• 📂 Synchronization program (optional): Syncthing, FreeFileSync.

How to transfer data:

1. Connect Honor to your computer and copy all the files you need to a separate folder (for example, D:\Honor_Backup).
2. Disable Honor, connect Xiaomi and transfer files back.
3. For contacts and SMS, use programs like MyPhoneExplorer (requires you to install a client on your phone).
4. For applications (.apk), copy the /data/app folder (root rights required) or use APK Extractor.

Method 5: Alternative cloud services (Huawei Cloud, Mi Cloud, Telegram)

If standard methods don't work, you can use intermediate cloud storage, and the main advantage is that you don't have to physically connect your phones to each other.

Instructions for Huawei Cloud:

1. On Honor, upload data to Huawei Cloud (Settings → Huawei ID → Cloud).
2. On your computer, log in to cloud.huawei.com and download the archive.
3. Transfer files to Xiaomi via cable or Mi Cloud.

Instructions for Telegram:

1. On Honor, send files to yourself in "Saved Messages".
2. On Xiaomi, download them from there (maximum 2 GB per file).

⚠️ Note: When using Huawei Cloud, please note that Xiaomi does not support direct import from this service. You will have to manually download the data to your computer and then upload it to Mi Cloud or copy it over cable.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even when following instructions, users often encounter errors, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:

• 🚫 "Mi Mover doesn't see Honor": Check whether Wi-Fi Direct is enabled on both phones. Make sure the Honor has global firmware installed (Chinese versions are not supported).Reboot both devices and try again.
• 🔄 "Google Photos not synced": Check if traffic saving or battery is on for Google Play Services. Update Google Photos to the latest version. Manually sync your app settings.
• 📱 "Xiaomi does not see Honor files via cable": Try another cable (some cheap cables only support charging" (MTP). Install the drivers. MTP For your Honor on your computer, if you copy it via PC.

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If neither method works, try resetting Xiaomi to factory settings and repeating the data port immediately after the first setup.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions