How to Flip Data from Xiaomi to Huawei: A Complete Guide to Photos and Videos

The transition from Xiaomi to Huawei is not just a brand change, but also a migration of all digital life: contacts, photos, messages and even app settings. Many users fear this process, considering it difficult or risky. In fact, data transfer between Android devices has long been standardized, and manufacturers offer convenient tools for automation. However, there are nuances: Huawei uses its own ecosystem of Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) instead of Google Mobile Services (GMS), which affects the synchronization of some services.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to transfer data, from official utilities to manual methods, as well as how to avoid loss of information and why some files may not be copied, you will learn which method is faster, which is more reliable, and what to do if Huawei does not see your old Xiaomi.

⚠️ Note: If Xiaomi has enabled storage encryption (optional in Settings) → Security → Encryption, before transferring data, be sure to decrypt the device. Otherwise, some files may not be available for reading on the new smartphone.

1.Official way: Huawei Phone Clone

The easiest and most recommended method is to use the Huawei Phone Clone utility, which is pre-installed on all new Huawei smartphones and allows you to transfer almost all data without loss, the main advantage is support for direct transfer over Wi-Fi (without clouds and cables), which speeds up the process and preserves privacy.

How it works:

• 📱 On Huaomi (new phone) open Phone Clone (you can find it in the Utility folder or through search).
• 📲 On Xiaomi (old phone) download Phone Clone from AppGallery or Google Play.
• 🔄 Select the New Phone mode on both devices → Old phone and scan it. QR-code from the screen Huawei camera Xiaomi.
• 📁 Select data types to transfer (contacts, messages, photos, videos, applications) and wait until it is completed.

✅ Pros of the method:

• ⚡ Fast: Transferring 50 GB of data takes ~20-30 minutes.
• 🔒 Security: Data is transmitted directly, without uploading to the cloud.
• 📱 Support for most formats, including notes and call history.

❌ Cons:

• 🚫 Not all apps are portable (e.g., banking or Google Play Services-related apps).
• 📶 Requires a stable Wi-Fi connection (when the cliff breaks, the process will have to start again).

2. Transfer through Google Account (for contacts, calendar, mail)

If you've used Google services on Xiaomi, the most reliable way to migrate contacts, calendar events, emails, and notes is through account sync, which is brand-independent and works on any Android smartphone.

Instructions:

1. On Xiaomi, check that sync is enabled: Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync Make sure the sliders opposite Contacts, Calendar and Gmail are active.
2. On Huawei, add the same Google account (if the device supports GMS) or use Huawei ID to import contacts from the backup.
3. Wait for automatic synchronization (can take up to 10 minutes).

🔹 Important: New Huawei models (e.g. Mate 50, P60) Google Play Services is not available due to sanctions:

• 📌 Export contacts to.vcf file on Xiaomi (Contacts) → Settings → Exports).
• 📎 Transfer the file to Huawei via cable or cloud and import it in the Contacts app.

💡

If Huawei does not have apps from Google Play installed, use alternative stores: AppGallery, Aptoide or APKMirror. Banking applications may require manual installation of APKs from the bank’s official website.

3. Photo and video transfer: cloud services vs physical copy

Media files (photos, videos, music) can be transferred in a number of ways, depending on the amount of data and the speed of the Internet.

📌 Recommendation: Use a physical medium (a flash drive or a flash drive) to transfer more than 100 GB of media files SSD through OTG). This will eliminate the risk of loss of quality (as in cloud services) and speed up the process.

⚠️ Note: If you transfer photos through Google Photos, check the compression settings. By default, the service can convert files to HEIC (To save space, not all Huawei apps support this format. To avoid problems, open Settings before transferring. → Backup → Download quality and select Original Quality.

4. Transfer of applications and their data

Move it yourself. APK-Application files are simple – just copy them through Settings → Annexes → Exports APK (This option is hidden on some Xiaomi firmware, but application data (save games, cache, settings) are more difficult to port:

• 🔄 Huawei Backup (built-in utility on new Huawei).
• 📦 Titanium Backup (requires root rights).
• ☁️ Cloud backups (if the app supports, for example, WhatsApp or Telegram).

🔹 Step-by-step instructions for Huawei Backup:

1. On Huawei, open Settings → System → Backup and Reset → Backup.
2. Select Local Backup and Connect Xiaomi as USB-accumulator.
3. Copy the backup file (.hbk extension) to Huawei.
4. Restore data through the same settings section.

❗ Limitations:

• Not all apps are restored correctly (especially with Google Play Services).
• Anti-cheat games (such as PUBG Mobile or Genshin Impact) can block an account when you transfer saves.

Backup important data in the cloud | Check application compatibility with HMS | Remove unnecessary APKs to save space | Write logins/passwords from accounts (in case of errors)

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5. Manual copying via PC (for power users)

If the automatic methods don’t work or you need to transfer hidden files (like Termux configurations or Kodi data), use a computer, which gives you complete control over the process, but requires care.

🔧 What's the matter:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 🔌 Cable USB-C → USB-A (adapter).
• 📂 File management software (e.g., Total Commander or Files by Google).

📌 Instructions:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your PC in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy the right folders: DCIM (Photo/video) Download (downloads) Pictures/Screenshots (screenshot) Android/data (Application data if there is root)
3. Connect Huawei and paste files into the appropriate directories.
4. Reboot both devices.

⚠️ Warning: Do not copy the folder Android/obb directly, it can cause game disruptions. OBB-Use specialised utilities such as OBB Installer.

6. Transfer SMS, call history and notes

Messages and call logs are often lost when you change your smartphone, but they can be saved, and specialized applications or built-in tools will be suitable for this.

📲 Modes of transfer SMS:

• 🔄 Phone Clone (transferring) SMS automatically).
• 📄 Manual export: On Xiaomi, open Messages → Settings → Export (.xml file), then import it to Huawei via Huawei Backup.
• ☁️ Cloud services: Google Messages (if installed) or SMS Backup & Restore (requires backup in Google Drive).

📞 Call history:

• Export through the Journal → Settings → Export (.vcf or.csv format).
• Import to Huawei via Contacts → Manage → Import/Export.

📝 Notes:

• If you have used Mi Notes, export notes to.zip via App Settings → Export.
• On Huawei, import through Huawei Notes (supports.txt,.md,.zip formats).

💡

To transfer WhatsApp data, use the built-in backup function in Google Drive (on Xiaomi) and restore on Huawei. If Huawei is without GMS, copy the /sdcard/WhatsApp folder manually and reinstall the app via APK.

Solving typical problems during transfer

Even if you follow the instructions, you can have errors, and let's look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

🔧 Additional advice:

• If the Phone Clone is 99% freezer, restart both devices and try again.
• To transfer Wi-Fi passwords, use the WiFi Key Recovery app (requires root).
• If Huawei doesn’t have enough space, clear the cache through Settings → Memory → Cleanup.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer