How to Move Data from Huawei to Xiaomi: The Complete 2026 Guide

Why Data Transfers Between Brands Aren’t as Easy as It Seems

The transition from Huawei to Xiaomi is not just a smartphone change, but a migration between two ecosystems with fundamentally different approaches to data storage. If in the case of devices of the same brand (for example, with Redmi Note 12 on Xiaomi 14) it is enough to use the branded Mi Mover service, then when switching from Huawei P50 Pro or Mate 60 on Xiaomi 13T The main problem is the lack of direct compatibility between Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) and Google Mobile Services (GMS), Which are the basis of most Xiaomi devices.

The second nuance is the different formats of backups. For example, a backup of contacts created through Huawei Backup will not open directly to the Mi Cloud. The same applies to messages, notes, and even some multimedia files that can be stored in proprietary formats. Fortunately, there are workarounds, from cloud services to manual transfer over the computer. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods, assess their speed, reliability and limitations, and give recommendations on how to choose the optimal method depending on the amount of data.

Before you start, make sure both devices have enough battery life (at least 50%) and Xiaomi has the latest MIUI installed – this minimizes the risk of synchronization errors. If you are moving from a Huawei model older than 2020 (like the P30 or Mate 20), check for support for modern data protocols – some older devices can’t work with Wi-Fi Direct or Quick Share.

Method 1: Using a Google Account (the most universal method)

If your Huawei has Google Mobile Services (GMS) installed on it (even in a stripped-down form, as on models before 2019), this method will be the easiest and most reliable.

• 📇 Contacts (including groups and labels)
• 📅 Calendars and reminders
• 📎 Notes from Google Keep
• 📷 Photos and videos (via Google Photos)
• 🎵 Music and documents (via Google Drive)

First, sync your data with Huawei:

1. Open Settings → Accounts → Google.
2. Select your account and enable sync for all the categories you want.
3. Wait for the process to be completed (you can check the progress in Settings → Accounts → Sync).

Now set up Xiaomi:

1. When you first turn on, select the “Recover Data” option and log in to the same Google account.
2. If your smartphone is already set up, go to Settings → Accounts → Add an account → Google.
3. In the Sync section, activate the same categories as on Huawei.

⚠️ Note: If Huawei has a firmware without GMS (For example, HarmonyOS on new models, this method will not work.

Synchronized contacts and calendars|Uploaded photos in Google Photos|Checked free space in Google Drive|Xiaomi has turned off the power saving mode-->

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If you have a lot of photos, turn on the “High Quality” option in Google Photos instead of “Original” – this will save space in the cloud without significant loss of quality.

Method 2: Transfer via Huawei Backup and Mi Mover (for larger volumes)

This method is suitable if you need to transfer all data at once, including:

• 📱 Applications (with settings but no data)
• 💬 Communications (SMS and MMS)
• 📞 Log of calls
• 🎮 Game Retention (not for all titles)
• 📁 System settings (wallpaper, sounds, labels)

Instructions for Huawei:

1. Connect the device to Wi-Fi.
2. Go to Settings → System → Backup.
3. Select "Device Backup" and specify an external memory card or internal memory.
4. Click on "Backup" and wait until it is completed (may take up to 30 minutes).

Instructions for Xiaomi:

1. Copy the backup file (usually in.huaweiBackup format) to Xiaomi’s internal memory.
2. Install the Mi Mover app from the Mi App Store.
3. Start Mi Mover, select Get with Android and specify the path to the backup file.

⚠️ Note: Huawei backup files often weigh 10+ Before transferring, make sure that Xiaomi has enough free space, otherwise the process will stop in the middle.

Method 3: Direct Wi-Fi transmission (without a computer)

If you don't have access to a computer or cloud service, you can use direct data exchange via Wi-Fi Direct or specialized applications.

• 📸 Photos and videos in original quality
• 🎵 Music and documents
• 📄 Files of all formats

The best applications for this task:

1. Xender supports transmission at speeds up to 40 MB / s, works without the Internet.
2. ShareMe (from Xiaomi) – optimized for Xiaomi devices, but compatible with Huawei.
3. LocalSend is open source software with transmission encryption, without advertising.

Step-by-step instructions on the example of Xender:

1. Install the app on both devices (download the APK from the official website if not in AppGallery or Play Market).
2. On Huawei, select “Send” and on Xiaomi, “Get”.
3. Scan it. QR-code from the screen Xiaomi camera Huawei.
4. Select the files to transfer and confirm the sending.

Method 4: Transfer over a computer (most reliable for large volumes)

If you have more than 30GB of data or want to have full control of the process, you should use a computer (Windows, macOS or Linux).

• 🔄 100% data transfer without loss
• 🔍 Possibility of selective copying
• 🛡️ Minimum risk of synchronization errors

You'll need:

• USB-Type-C Cable (preferably original)
• Computer with free disk space
• Huawei HiSuite (for full access to Huawei data)

Instructions:

1. Connect Huawei to your computer and install HiSuite (download from the official website).
2. In the program, select "Backup" and specify the folder to save (for example, D:\Huawei_Backup).
3. Once completed, disconnect Huawei and plug in Xiaomi.
4. Copy the files you need from a backup to Xiaomi memory (for example, a photo to the DCIM/Camera folder).

To transfer contacts and messages in.vcf and.xml format:

1. In HiSuite, export contacts as vCard (.vcf).
2. Move the file to Xiaomi and import through Contacts → Settings → Import/Export.
3. For SMS, use the SMS Backup & Restore app (available in APKMirror for Huawei without GMS).

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Use the exFAT format for external drives if you are transferring files larger than 4GB. FAT32 does not support large files!

Method 5: Cloud Services (for selective transfer)

If you don't have to migrate everything, but only certain categories of data (for example, photos or documents), it's more convenient to use cloud storage.

• 🌐 Access from any device
• 🔄 Automatic synchronization
• 📱 No need for cables or a computer

Comparison of popular services:

Instructions on the example of Yandex Disk:

1. Install the app on Huawei and upload the files to the cloud.
2. On Xiaomi, log in to the same account and download the data.
3. To automatically upload photos, turn on the option "Outload" in the application settings.

⚠️ Note: When uploading a large number of photos to Google Photos as “Original”, they will be counted in the limit of 15 GB. To save space, before transferring the photos to the “Original” ZIP via appendix RAR or 7Zip.

Solving Typical Problems in Data Transfer

Even when following instructions, users often encounter errors, and let's look at the most common cases and how to fix them.

Problem 1: Xiaomi doesn’t see backup with Huawei.

• 🔹 Check the file extension – it should be.huaweiBackup or.zip.
• 🔹 Rename the file to Latin (without Cyrillic and spaces).
• 🔹 Try unpacking the archive manually and transferring the files separately.

Problem 2: Contacts are not transferred from SIM-map.

• 🔹 Export contacts with SIM in memory of the telephone (Contacts) → Management → Imports/Exports → Export to device).
• 🔹 Use vCard 3.0 format for maximum compatibility.

Problem 3: When you transmit over Wi-Fi, the speed drops or the connection is cut off.

• 🔹 Switch to 5 GHz in router settings (if supported).
• 🔹 Turn off the option “Adaptive Wi-Fi” on Xiaomi (Settings) → Wi-Fi → Additionally).
• 🔹 Try a different Wi-Fi channel (e.g. 149 instead of 36).

Problem 4: Xiaomi does not restore applications from backup.

• 🔹 Make sure that in the settings → Special facilities → Data transfer included item "Install unknown applications".
• 🔹 If APK-Files are not installed, download them again from Play Market or APKMirror.

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If you lose your wallpaper or notification sounds after you migrate to Xiaomi, check the MIUI/theme folder for files. If necessary, copy them manually from the backup.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions