How to Move Data from Huawei to Xiaomi without Google: A Complete 2026 Guide

Why Standard Methods Don’t Work – and What to Do

The transition from Huawei to Xiaomi often turns into a puzzle: both manufacturers use their own ecosystems (EMUI and MIUI), which are not always compatible with universal tools like Google Drive or Smart Switch. If you deliberately avoid Google services - due to restrictions in China, privacy problems or a banal lack of an account - standard instructions will be useless. Moreover, Huawei Mobile Cloud and Xiaomi Cloud do not support cross-platform data exchange directly, and features like Huawei's Phone Clone can be blocked on devices without Google Mobile Services (GMS).

In this article, 5 working methods for transferring data without being tied to Google, taking into account the features of firmware: Wi-Fi Direct (for contacts and multimedia), local backups (for applications and settings), cable connection (for large volumes), alternative clouds (for example, Yandex Disk or OneDrive),

And even manually export through the file system, and each method is tested on pairs of devices like the Huawei P50 Pro → Xiaomi 13 Ultra and Huawei Mate 40 → Redmi Note 12 Pro+.

Preparation of devices: what to do before transfer

Before you start the transfer, follow the mandatory steps on both smartphones, which will eliminate errors such as “insufficient memory”, “incompatible format” or “interrupted connection”.

• 📱 On Huawei: Update your firmware to the latest version EMUI (Check in the settings → System system → Update of software: Older versions may not support modern transfer protocols.
• 🔋 Battery charge: Make sure both devices have at least 50% charge.The transfer process over Wi-Fi or cable can take up to 30 minutes.
• 🗃️ Clean up garbage: On Xiaomi, free up at least 2 GB of memory – use the built-in Cleanup utility (Settings) → Memory).
• 🔒 Permissions: On Huawei, enable file access for applications such as Files or Phone Clone in Settings → Annexes → Permits.

⚠️ Note: If your Huawei has Chinese firmware installed (without any Chinese firmware installed) GMS), Phone Clone can only offer portability to other Huawei devices, in which case use the methods in the "Alternative Ways" section below.

Method 1: Wi-Fi Direct Transfer (without cables or clouds)

The most versatile way is to use the built-in Wi-Fi Direct feature, which works even without the Internet, is suitable for transferring contacts, photos, videos and music, but does not support applications or SMS.

Instructions for Huawei (EMUI 12/13) and Xiaomi (MIUI 14/15):

1. On Xiaomi: Open Settings → Connection and Sharing → Wi-Fi Direct. Turn on the feature and wait until the device becomes “visible.”
2. On Huawei: Go to Settings → Wireless Networks → Wi-Fi Direct. From the list of available devices, select your Xiaomi.
3. Confirmation: Both phones will have a connection request — confirm it. After the connection, the file transfer menu will open.
4. Select data: On Huawei, mark files (such as the DCIM/Camera folder for photos) and click "Send".

The transmission speed depends on the model: on the Huawei P60 Pro and Xiaomi 13T tests showed ~10 MB / s (about 500 photos in 2-3 minutes).

• 📶 Move both devices closer together (within 1 meter).
• 🔄 Turn off background applications that consume Wi-Fi (such as Telegram or YouTube).
• 📁 Transfer data in folders, not one file.

⚠️ Warning: If Wi-Fi Direct does not find the device, check if power saving mode is enabled on Xiaomi (Settings) → Battery → Power saving mode. It can block background connections.

Method 2: Local backup + manual transfer

If you need to migrate apps, SMS, or system settings, the only reliable way without Google is to create a local backup on Huawei and restore it to Xiaomi through third-party tools, a method that takes longer, but even saves game data (such as progress in Genshin Impact).

Steps to create a backup on Huawei:

1. Open Settings → System → Backup.
2. Choose Local Backup (not to be confused with Huawei Mobile Cloud!).
3. Check the necessary data with ticks: 📱 Applications and data (includes settings and cache) 💬 Communications (SMS/MMS) 📞 Call magazine

Backup

HWBackup

For recovery on Xiaomi:

1. Copy the HWBackup folder on Xiaomi (via cable or Wi-Fi).
2. Install the Swift Backup app (available from APKMirror as it is not available in the Mi App Store).

Step-by-step:

1. On Xiaomi, turn on Developer Mode: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times) Then go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers and turn on USB Debugging.
2. Connect Huawei to Xiaomi with a cable. On Huawei, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. On Xiaomi, open the Files app → USB-- I want you to copy the files (DCIM, Downloads, etc.) to internal memory.

The transmission speeds on the cable reach 40-60 MB / s (4-5 times faster than Wi-Fi).

• 🚫 Some system files (for example, Android/data) They may not be copied due to restrictions. MIUI.
• 🔄 If Xiaomi doesn’t see Huawei as a drive, try reconnecting the cable or changing the port.

Method 4: Alternative cloud services (without Google Drive)

If you don’t want to use Google Drive but are willing to upload data to the cloud, services like Yandex Disk, Mail.ru Cloud or OneDrive are suitable, with the main advantage being automatic synchronization and the ability to selectively transfer (for example, only contacts or documents).

Comparison of services for transfer:

Instructions for transfer via Yandex Disk:

1. On Huawei, install Yandex Disk from AppGallery or APKMirror.
2. Upload the files to the cloud (such as the Pictures folder).
3. On Xiaomi, log in to the same Yandex account and download files.

⚠️ Note: When uploading contacts to the cloud, export them in.vcf format (via Contacts) → Some cloud services (e.g. Mail.ru) do not support importing.vcf directly, in which case use the Contacts app.+.

Method 5: Manual export/import of critical data

There are no universal tools for SMS, call logs, and notes, so you have to use specialized applications, which is the most time-consuming method, but guarantees 100% data transfer without loss.

List of applications for manual transfer:

• 💬 SMS: SMS Backup & Restore (saves to.xml, restores to Xiaomi via the same app).
• 📞 Call Logs Backup & Restore (export to.csv).
• 📝 Notes: If you used Huawei Notes, export notes to.zip via App Settings → Exports: On Xiaomi, import via Mi Notes (supports.zip and.enex).
• 🎵 Music/playlists: Poweramp or VLC They allow you to export playlists to.m3u.

Example of SMS portability:

1. Install Backup & Restore SMS on Huawei.
2. Start the backup: Menu → Backup → select the.xml format.
3. Transfer the file to Xiaomi (via cable or cloud).
4. Install the same app on Xiaomi and restore SMS: Menu → Restore.

💡

To migrate these applications (e.g., save in games), use the built-in backup features of these applications. Most modern games (e.g., Honor of Kings or PUBG Mobile) link progress to a social media account (Facebook, VK, WeChat) rather than a device.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even when you follow the instructions, you have typical problems. TOP-5 mistakes and their solutions:

• 🔌 "Device not detected" when connecting via Wi-Fi Direct: Check if Xiaomi is enabled to Hide device in Wi-Fi Direct settings.Reboot both phones.
• 📁 "Not enough space" on Xiaomi: Clear cache through Settings → Memory. → Clean up. Move data in parts (e.g., photo first, video later).
• 🔒 "Access is forbidden" when copying files: On Huawei, give the Files app permission to access memory in Settings → Annexes → Permissions. If you use a cable, select File Transfer Mode (MTP), Not Charging.
• ⏳ "The transfer is stuck 99%": Don’t interrupt the process – wait. 10-15 If it doesn't work, reconnect the devices and start again.
• 📱 "Applications not recovered": Local backups (.apk) + Data only works for applications that support backup, and system applications (e.g. Huawei Health) cannot be moved.

If none of the methods worked, check:

• 🛠️ Firmware version: On Huawei with EMUI 10 and below may not work Wi-Fi Direct with Xiaomi MIUI 14+.
• 🔄 Regional settings: Some features (e.g. Phone Clone) are blocked if the device is tied to China. → System system → Language and region.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions