Transferring data from Honor to Xiaomi: a complete guide with step-by-step instructions

Moving from Honor to Xiaomi is not just about changing your brand, but also about transferring all of your accumulated information: contacts, photos, messages, and even app settings. Many users face difficulties with this migration, especially if they haven’t done it before. In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways of transferring data, their pros and cons, and the typical mistakes that can occur in the process.

It’s important to understand that the method of porting depends on the type of data and model of your Xiaomi, for example, for new flagships like Xiaomi 14 Ultra or Redmi Note 13 Pro.+ Branded migration tools are available, whereas budget models may require manual tuning. We’ll look at universal solutions that work on most devices, as well as specialized services for specific tasks – from backup to account synchronization.

If you're afraid of losing important files or are unsure of your technical skills, this guide will help you avoid common mistakes. We're not going to limit ourselves to basic tips like "copy files to a memory card" - instead, you'll get detailed instructions tailored to the specifics of the firmware. MIUI magic UI, Alternatives in case standard methods do not work.

1. Preparation of devices before data transfer

Before you start migrating, there are a few critical steps that you need to take on both smartphones, and neglecting to prepare can lead to data loss, synchronization errors, or even a failure in the new device.

• 🔋 Charge both devices to at least 50 percent. Data transfer is energy-intensive, especially if you're talking about tens of gigabytes of photos or videos.
• 📶 Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network. Most methods will require an internet connection, and mobile traffic can be too slow or expensive.
• 🔒 Make sure that Xiaomi has enough free space. Check the amount of data you can transfer in the Honor settings (Settings) → Memory) and compare with the available space on the new device.
• 🔄 Update the firmware on both smartphones. MIUI magic UI Updates often contain patches for migration functions.

Pay special attention to security settings. Xiaomi may have data protection enabled MIUI, It's a system that blocks access to some folders, to avoid problems:

1. Go to Settings. → Passwords and security → Data protection.
2. Disable the option Block access to personal data (if it is active).
3. Temporarily deactivate Threat Scanner in Settings → Annexes → Manage applications as it can interrupt file transfers.

⚠️ Note: If device encryption is enabled on Honor (Settings) → Security → Encryption, some transfer methods (e.g. via cable) OTG) In this case, use cloud services or a computer as an intermediary.

2. Method 1: Using the proprietary Mi Mover application

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s official solution for migrating data from Android devices, including Honor smartphones. The app supports transferring contacts, messages, photos, videos, music, calendars and even some settings of system applications. The main advantage is the preservation of folder structure and metadata files, which is especially important for photos (film dates, geotags).

To take advantage of the Mi Mover:

1. Download the Mi Mover app from Google Play on both devices.
2. On Xiaomi go to Settings → The phone. → Import data (or run Mi Mover manually).
3. Select the option I am a new user on Xiaomi and I am an old user on Honor.

The speed of the transmission depends on the amount of data and the stability of the connection. On average, 10 GB of information is transferred in 20-40 minutes.

• 🔌 Reconnect to another Wi-Fi network (e.g., create an access point on Xiaomi and connect Honor to it).
• 📱 Restart both devices and try again.
• 🔄 In Mi Mover settings, disable File Integrity Check (accelerates transfer but increases the risk of data loss).

⚠️ Note: Mi Mover does not carry installed applications (only their data).To avoid losing progress in games or settings messengers, pre-synchronize them with cloud services (for example, Google Play Games for games or Telegram Cloud for chats).

Install Mi Mover on both devices|Charge smartphones up to 60% or more|Connect to a single Wi-Fi network|Shut down. VPN firewalls|Free up space on Xiaomi (at least 20% more data portable)-->

3. Method 2: Transfer via cable OTG (support-model)

If you don’t have Wi-Fi access or want to transfer data as quickly as possible, you can use a cable. OTG (On-The-Go. This method is suitable for transferring large volumes of files (photos, videos, documents), but does not support porting applications or system settings. You will need to use it:

• 🔌 Cable USB-C to USB-C (or USB-C Micro-USB, depending on your device connectors).
• 📱 adapter OTG (If the cable does not support direct transmission between smartphones).
• 🔋 Charger (it is recommended to connect Xiaomi to the network during the transfer).

Instructions for transfer:

1. Connect Honor to Xiaomi via cable OTG. Xiaomi will have a notification on the screen USB-drive-in.
2. On Xiaomi, open Explorer (or any file application, such as Mi File Manager).
3. Go to section. USB-Driver – here will display folders of internal memory Honor.
4. Copy the files you need (for example, folders) DCIM Photos or Downloads for downloads in Xiaomi’s internal memory.

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ High transmission speed (up to 40 MB/s when used) USB 3.0).
• 🔒 Security: Data is not uploaded to the cloud.
• 📁 Selective transfer: you can only copy the necessary folders.

Disadvantages:

• ❌ No contacts, messages or application settings are transferred.
• ⚠️ Risk of file damage when cable is cut off.
• 🔌 Compatible cable is required (not all cables) OTG-Adapters support transmission between smartphones).

4. Method 3: Cloud services (Google Drive, Mi Cloud, Huawei Cloud)

Cloud storage is a universal way to transfer data that does not require additional cables or applications. ID, And Xiaomi has the right client for synchronization:

Step-by-step instructions for Google Drive (recommended method):

1. On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account and enable sync in Settings → Accounts → Google.

For the transfer of messages (SMS/MMS) use the app SMS Backup & Restore:

1. Install the app on Honor from Google Play.
2. Create a backup and save the file to Google Drive.
3. On Xiaomi, install the same app, download the backup and restore messages (Restore).

💡

If you have a slow Internet connection, archive your photo folders before uploading to the cloud. ZIP. To do this, select files in Mi File Manager → More. → It's going to reduce the amount of data by 10 to 30%.

5. Method 4: Transfer over a computer (Windows/Mac)

If you have more than 50GB of data, or you want to have full control of the process, the most reliable way to do this is to use your computer as an intermediary, which takes longer, but it keeps your files safe and filters out unnecessary information.

You'll need:

• 💻 Windows 7 and higher computer or macOS 10.12+.
• 🔌 Two. USB-cables (original for both models).
• 📂 Free space on the hard disk (recommended) +20% of the volume of data transferred).

Instructions for Windows:

1. Connect Honor to your computer via USB. In the connection menu, select File Transfer (MTP).
2. Open this computer and copy the folders you need (DCIM, Pictures, Downloads, etc.) to a local disc.
3. Turn off Honor and plug in Xiaomi. Repeat step 1.
4. Transfer the previously copied files to Xiaomi’s internal memory.

To transfer contacts and messages:

• 📇 Contacts: Export them in.vcf format via Google Contacts (as described in Method 3) and import them to Xiaomi via Contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports.
• 💬 Messages: Use SMS Backup & Restore (see Method 3) or MobileTrans (paid but supports direct transfer between devices via PC).

⚠️ Note: When connecting Xiaomi to your computer for the first time, you may need to unlock the device through Settings → Passwords and security → Permits → Management USB-If your computer doesn't recognize your smartphone, install Mi drivers. PC Suite.

💡

Computer-to-computer transfer is the only method that is guaranteed to work even when cloud services fail or Wi-Fi is not available, but it takes more time and technical skills.

Method 5: Specialized Applications (Clone Phone, SHAREit)

If standard methods don't work, you can use third-party migration apps, which often offer additional features, such as transferring your call history or data from specific applications (WhatsApp, Viber).

Clone Phone (from Xiaomi)

Clone Phone is designed specifically for transferring data to Xiaomi devices.

• 📞 Contacts, call history, SMS/MMS.
• 📸 Photo, video, audio files.
• 📅 Calendars, notes.
• 🎮 Data of certain games (if synchronized with your Xiaomi account).

How to use:

1. Install Clone Phone on both devices from Google Play.
2. On Xiaomi, choose I’m a new phone, on Honor I’m an old phone.

SHAREit

SHAREit is a universal application for transferring files between devices over Wi-Fi Direct.

• ⚡ Up to 20 MB/s (faster than Bluetooth).
• 🌐 It works without the Internet (creates a local network).
• 📁 Supports files of any type (including: APK).

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Does not tolerate system settings or application data.
• 🔒 Requires permission to access storage and location.

Instructions:

7. Transfer of specific data types: instructions for complex cases

Some of the data needs a special approach, and below are detailed guides for the most problematic categories.

How to Transfer WhatsApp from Honor to Xiaomi

WhatsApp doesn’t support direct migration between Android devices, but there’s a workaround:

1. On Honor, back up your chats: ⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup copy.
2. Connect Honor to your computer and copy the folder /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases PC-only.
3. Install WhatsApp on Xiaomi, but don’t run it!
4. Connect Xiaomi to your computer and transfer the Databases folder to your computer /sdcard/WhatsApp/.
5. Set the same phone number on Xiaomi as on Honor and restore chats from local copy.

If WhatsApp does not see a backup:

• 🔄 Rename the file msgstore.db.crypt14 into msgstore.db.crypt12 (For older versions of WhatsApp).
• 📅 Make sure that the date and time on Xiaomi matches the backup date.

How to transfer game accounts (Google Play, Game Center)

Most mobile games are still progressing in the cloud, but you need to:

• 🎮 Make sure the game is linked to your Google Play Game or Game Center account (for iOS ports).
• 🔄 On Honor, open the game, go to settings and find the Sync or Link account option.
• 📱 On Xiaomi, install the same game, log in to the same account and wait for the download of saves.

For games without cloud sync (such as some offline projects), try:

1. Copy the folder with saves (usually located in the /Android/data/[title of the game.
2. Move it to Xiaomi in the same place (you will need root rights or file manager with access to system folders).

How to transfer passwords from the browser

If you have used Google Chrome on Honor:

1. Make sure the synchronization is enabled: ⋮ → Settings → Synchronization.
2. On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account and install Chrome.
3. Passwords will automatically be downloaded to chrome://password-manager.

For other browsers (e.g. Huawei Browser):

• 🔐 Export passwords to CSV-file (if the browser supports this function).
• 📤 Import them to Google Password Manager or Bitwarden.

8.Typical errors and their solutions

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

If none of the methods worked:

• 🔧 Check the developer mode on both devices: turn on Debugging by USB and Unlock. OEM (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI — press 7 times).
• 📡 Try transferring in safe mode (click the power button) → Safe Mode.This will disable third-party applications that may interfere with transmission.
• 🔄 Update the firmware on both devices to the latest version (especially if you have Xiaomi on your device). MIUI 12 and below).

💡

If photos or videos are missing after transferring to Xiaomi, check the.thumbnails folder in your internal memory. MIUI hides media files if they do not meet format standards.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data portability from Honor to Xiaomi