Moving from Honor to Xiaomi is not only about changing the ecosystem, but also about moving personal data. It is particularly painful for users to feel the loss of notes: contacts are easy to restore through Google, but handwritten records, to-do lists or saved web pages are often lost when you migrate sloppy. In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to transfer notes, including cloud services, third-party applications and direct transmission by cable - taking into account the features of the firmware Magic UI (Honor) and MIUI/HyperOS (Xiaomi).
Important: the methods vary in speed, reliability and formats supported. For example, Huawei Cloud keeps the structure of notes with tags, and Google Keep simplifies them to text. We tested each method on pairs of devices Honor 90 + Xiaomi 14 and Honor Magic V2 + Redmi Note 13 Pro+, the results are summarized in the comparison table below. If you need to move not only text, but also attachments (photo, audio), look at the sections about Local Backup and Send Anywhere.
1.Move over Huawei Cloud (official way for Honor)
The most reliable method for Honor owners with a Huawei ID account. Huawei Cloud automatically synchronizes notes, but there are nuances: Xiaomi will have to use a workaround through the web version or third-party software.
How it works:
- 📱 On Honor: Open the Notes app, tap on three dots → Settings → Sync. Make sure that sync with Huawei Cloud is enabled.
- ☁️ Log in to cloud.huawei.com from your computer or phone, log in and export notes in.zip or.html format.
- 📲 Xiaomi: Import the file through Files → Local. → Select notes and open them in Xiaomi Notes or Google Keep.
⚠️ Note: If your Honor cloud sync is disabled, your notes are stored locally, in which case you can first enable them in your Huawei account settings. ID (cloud → Backup).
Enter Huawei ID honor|Enable synchronization of notes|Check the free space in the cloud (minimum 50 MB)|Export notes to.zip via the web version-->
The advantage of the method is that the original formatting of notes, including color tags and attachments, is retained. The disadvantage is that a computer is required for intermediate export if Xiaomi does not have a browser that supports file downloads (for example, Chrome or Firefox).
2.Using Google Keep for a quick transfer
If you use Google services, this method will take no more than 5 minutes. Google Keep syncs with your account and is available on both devices, but has limitations: it does not support attachments (photos, audio) and simplifies the structure of notes.
Step-by-step:
- On Honor, install Google Keep from AppGallery (if not) or via APK.
- Open the note in the standard Notes app, click Share → select Google Keep.
- On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account and open Keep – notes will appear automatically.
Important: Google Keep does not save:
- 🎨 Color of background or text (all notes will turn white).
- 📎 Embedded files (photo, audio, PDF).
- 🏷️ Tags or folders (text and checklists only).
Huawei Cloud|Google Keep|Local Copy|App side (e.g. Evernote)|I don't sync-->
It is more convenient to export through Huawei Cloud (Section 1) to carry a large number of notes (50+), since manual copying in Keep will take a long time, but if you only need text recordings without formatting, this method is the fastest.
Direct transmission via cable (for notes with attachments)
If you have photos, audio or screenshots in your notes, it’s best to transfer them directly through a USB-C cable (or an Honor adapter with Type-B), which guarantees the safety of all attachments, but requires manual file sorting.
Algorithm of action:
- Connect Honor to your computer via cable, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
- Go to the folder: Internal Memory → Huawei → Notes Here are stored all notes in.hnt format (text) and attachments in subfolders.
- Copy the files to your computer, then transfer them to Xiaomi in the Download folder.
- On Xiaomi, open.hnt files via Notes or convert them to.txt using Files.
| Method | Speed. | Keeps formatting | Supports investments | Demands a PC. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huawei Cloud | Medium | Yes. | Yes. | Yes (for export) |
| Google Keep | Fast. | No. | No. | No. |
| USB cable | Slow. | Partially. | Yes. | Yes. |
| Send Anywhere | Fast. | Yes. | Yes. | No. |
| Local backup | Slow. | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. |
⚠️ Note:.hnt files are not opened with standard Xiaomi Notes. To view them, install Huawei Notes from the APK Or convert to.txt via Files → Open with help → Text editor.
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If Xiaomi does not display Huawei folders when connecting via cable, turn on the display of hidden files in the File Manager settings (Settings → Show hidden files).
4 Wireless transfer via Send Anywhere
Send Anywhere transfers files over Wi-Fi Direct without any size restrictions or loss of quality, and is suitable for transferring archives of notes or individual files with attachments.
Instructions:
- 📲 Install Send Anywhere on both phones from AppGallery (Honor) and Google Play (Xiaomi).
- 📤 On Honor, select note files (from the folder) Huawei/Notes) and press Send.
- 📥 On Xiaomi, enter a 6-digit code or scan QR, file-acceptance.
- 📂 Save the received files in Downloads and import them to Xiaomi Notes.
Advantages:
- 🚀 Transfer speeds up to 10 MB/sec (depending on Wi-Fi).
- 🔒 There are no limits on file sizes (unlike email or instant messengers).
- 📱 It works without the Internet (using a local network).
What if Send Anywhere doesn’t find the device?
5. Local backup and recovery (for tech-savvy)
This is a good method if you want to migrate all the notes with the folder structure and you're willing to take the time to set up. ADB or root rights (optional).
Steps for backup:
- On Honor, enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → Assembly Number (tap 7 times) → For developers → Debugging via USB.
- Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb backup -f honor_notes.ab -app com.huawei.notes This will create a file honor_notes.ab backup.
- Convert.ab to.tar with Android Backup Extractor.
- Take notes from the archive and transfer them to Xiaomi.
For recovery on Xiaomi:
- Install Huawei Notes via APK (if you need to save the original format).
- Or import text files to Xiaomi Notes via Import → Select a file.
⚠️ Attention: When in use ADB Do not interrupt the backup process – this can damage the.ab file. 2 GB, break it up with a parameter. --split.
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Local backup via ADB is the only way to transfer notes with all metadata (creation time, geotagging, edit history), but the method requires command line skills and is not suitable for beginners.
Frequent problems and their solutions
Even when following the instructions, users encounter common errors, and we'll look at some of the most common ones.
Problem 1: Xiaomi does not open.hnt files.
- 🔧 Solution: Install Huawei Notes from APK Convert files to.txt via Files → Open with help → Text editor.
Problem 2: Google Keep does not carry table notes.
- 🔧 Solution: Take a screenshot of the table, save it as an image and paste it into a new note on Xiaomi.
Problem 3: You can’t see the Huawei/Notes folder when you’re on the cable.
- 🔧 Solution: Enable the display of hidden files in the File Manager or use Total Commander.
Issue 4: Notes in Huawei Cloud are not exported to.zip.
- 🔧 Solution: Make sure there is enough space in the cloud (minimum 100MB). If the problem persists, export notes one at a time.