How to quickly and safely transfer data from Honor to Xiaomi: from contacts to apps

Moving from Honor to Xiaomi is not just about changing your brand, but also the need to transfer all the important data from contacts and messages to photos and app settings. Many users face problems when trying to transfer information between devices from different manufacturers, especially if we are talking about models with proprietary firmware (for example, Magic UI on Honor and MIUI on Xiaomi). In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways of migrating data, their pros and cons, as well as nuances that will help to avoid loss of information.

The main difficulty is that Huawei/Honor Xiaomi and Xiaomi use different ecosystems: the first focused on Huawei Mobile Services (HMS), The second is on Google Mobile Services (GMS) And it's also its own solutions like Mi Cloud, which means that standard tools like Google Account may not cover all the needs, and proprietary utilities like Huawei's Phone Clone often refuse to work with Xiaomi devices. 2023–2026 They have been the only way to make history. SMS And call without loss.

1.The official way: Mi Mover by Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a Xiaomi-branded app designed to migrate data from Android devices, and it supports the transfer of contacts, messages, photos, videos, audio, calendars, and even some of the app's settings.

• 📱 It only works for Xiaomi with MIUI 10+ (In older versions, it may not be available).
• 🔌 Requires direct cable connection (Wi-Fi mode often crashes).
• ⚠️ Does not transfer the history of calls and data of certain applications (for example, Viber or Telegram).

How to use:

1. Install Mi Mover on both phones (available on Google Play or AppGallery for Honor).
2. On Xiaomi, select I receive data, on Honor I send data.
3. Connect devices via an OTG cable (or Wi-Fi if there is no cable).
4. Select data types to transfer and confirm the start of the process.

⚠️ Note: If you have Magic installed on Honor UI 7.0+, Mi Mover may not recognize the device, in which case, use Developer Mode and enable Debugging by Debugging. USB (see section 3).

The speed of the transfer depends on the amount of data, for example, 30 GB of photos and videos are copied for about 20-30 minutes over the cable, and over Wi-Fi the process can take an hour or more.

2. Universal method: Google Account and synchronization

The most reliable way to transfer basic data (contacts, calendars, notes, some settings) is sync through Google Account, which works on any Android device, but has limitations:

• ☁️ Only transfers data supported by Google (no history) SMS/calls, application files).
• 📁 Photos and videos need to be synced separately through Google Photos (limit 15 GB at free rate).
• ⏳ Requires a stable Internet connection (better Wi-Fi).

Step-by-step:

1. On Honor, go to Settings → Accounts → Google and enable sync for all the right categories.
2. Wait for the sync to complete (check in Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Management → Data and Personalization).
3. On Xiaomi, add the same Google Account and enable sync.
4. For photos, install Google Photos on both devices and wait for the media files to download/download.

The advantage of this method is that it automatically updates data when you add new contacts or events to the calendar, but to fully transfer it, you have to combine it with other methods (for example, to add new contacts or events to the calendar). SMS use SMS Backup & Restore).

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If you have two-factor authentication on Google, check backup codes or add a new phone to trusted devices before transferring to avoid locking your account.

3. Transfer over OTG cable and file manager

If you need to transfer large files (video, music, documents) or application data (for example, save games), the easiest way is to connect Honor to Xiaomi as an external drive.

• 🔌 Cable OTG (adapter USB-C to USB-C, if the ports match).
• 📂 File Manager (e.g. Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).
• ⚙️ Honor has enabled file transfer mode (MTP).

Instructions:

1. Connect Honor to Xiaomi via cable.
2. On Xiaomi, open the file manager and select the connected device.
3. Copy the right folders (DCIM for photo, download, etc.) to internal memory or SD-Xiaomi.

This method is suitable for transferring any files, but does not cope with system data (SMS, Call log, application settings) Also note that some folders (e.g, Android/data) They may be hidden or protected.

⚠️ Note: When copying a folder WhatsApp/Databases To transfer chat history, make sure to back up to Honor immediately before copying. Otherwise, the files may be corrupted.

4.Cloud Services: Huawei Cloud vs Mi Cloud

Both companies offer their own cloud solutions, Huawei Cloud (for Honor) and Mi Cloud (for Xiaomi), but you can’t transfer data directly between them.

How to move data through the cloud:

1. On Honor, upload data to Huawei Cloud (Settings → Huawei ID → Cloud).
2. Download files to your computer via cloud.huawei.com.
3. Upload files to Mi Cloud via i.mi.com or directly to Xiaomi.

This is suitable for small data volumes (up to 5 GB) and takes a long time. For large files, it is better to use a cable or third-party clouds like Yandex Drive (gives 10 GB for free).

5. Third-party applications for full portability

If standard methods don't cover your needs (e.g., you need to migrate WhatsApp history or game settings), you'll need to use third-party utilities. We tested the 3 most reliable ones:

• 📲 Clone Phone (from Xiaomi) is an analogue of Mi Mover, but with support for more brands. SMS, call log, applications including data).
• 🔄 Samsung Smart Switch – despite the name, works with the same Honor/Xiaomi. Best for multimedia and contacts.
• 📎 Send Anywhere - transfers files over Wi-Fi Direct without limiting the scope. It does not carry system data, but is convenient for large media files.

Recommendations for use:

• Before transferring, turn off battery optimization for the selected application on both devices.
• Use original cables – cheap cables often cause transmission errors.
• For WhatsApp, pre-back up to Settings → Chat → Backup.

The only app that is guaranteed to carry the history of SMS and call log without loss is Xiaomi’s Clone Phone.

Disable the ad blocker (interferes with some utilities)

Charge both phones at least 50%

Connect to a single Wi-Fi network (if wireless method is used)

Backup important data on the PC

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Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

The way you transfer it depends on the type of data and the volume, and we've made a table for quick selection.

Optimal choice:

• For full portability (including SMS and apps) – Clone Phone.
• For media files, you can use the OTG or Send Anywhere cable.
• For contacts and calendars, Google Account.
• For backup, you can use the combination of Google Drive + Mi Cloud.

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If you need to migrate WhatsApp data, be sure to use the official backup method in Google Drive. Third-party utilities often damage the chat database, making it unreadable.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When you move data, you often have a problem with the typical problems, and here's how to solve them:

• 🔌 "Device not detected" when connected via cable: Check the cable (try another). USB on Honor (Settings) → The phone. → Assembly number (7 taps) → For developers → Debugging by USB). Reboot both phones.
• ☁️ "Not enough cloud space": Clear unnecessary files in Google Photos or Mi Cloud. Use a temporary plan (e.g. 100GB for 100GB ₽/month-long).
• 📱 "Apps not recovered": Check if app sync is enabled on Google Play (Settings → Auto Update! Install applications manually and then restore data from backup (if any).

If neither method worked, try resetting the network settings on both devices (Settings → System → Reset → Network Reset).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions