Moving from Honor to Xiaomi is not just about changing your brand, but also the need to transfer all the important data: contacts, photos, messages and even app settings. Many users face problems when trying to sync between devices from different manufacturers, especially if we are talking about models with proprietary firmware (like Magic UI for Honor and MIUI for Xiaomi).
The main difficulty is that Honor (especially after the Huawei split) and Xiaomi use different ecosystems: the former are often tied to Huawei Mobile Services (HMS), and the latter to Google Mobile Services (GMS) or Xiaomi’s own services. This means that standard solutions like Google Account can work unstable, and some data (such as notes or call history) are not automatically transferred at all.
Important: If you are switching from Honor to Xiaomi with Chinese firmware (without GMS), some of the ways may require additional actions, we will warn you about this in the relevant sections.
Preparation for transfer: what to do before the start
Before you start transferring data, follow a few critical steps to avoid loss of information and speed up the process:
- 🔋 Charge both phones to at least 50% – transfer can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour depending on the amount of data.
- 📡 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (if you plan to use wireless methods). For stability, it is better to use 5 GHz bandwidth.
- 📱 Make sure that Xiaomi has enough free space – data with Honor can take up to 15-20 GB (if you transfer photos and videos in high resolution).
- 🔒 Turn off the screen lock (PIN, pattern lock) on both devices – some transfer programs require this to work correctly.
Pay special attention to data backup on Honor. Even if you plan to transfer information directly, create a backup through:
- 🖥️ Huawei Backup (built-in app on Honor) – saves contacts, messages, photos and system settings to the cloud or memory card.
- ☁️ Google Drive – If your Honor supports Google Mobile Services, sync your data through your Google account.
- 💻 Manual export - copy folders DCIM (Photos/video, Downloads and Documents on your computer USB-cable.
⚠️ Note: Some Honor models (e.g. Honor 90 or Honor) Magic5) Huawei Backup is disabled by default for European firmware. To activate it, go to Settings → System system → Backup and enable Huawei Backup option.
If you use Xiaomi with Chinese firmware (without Google), install it in advance:
- 📲 Google Installer (to access the Play Market and sync with your Google account).
- 🔄 APK-Mi Mover file (official Xiaomi application for data portability, may not be available in Chinese builds).
Charge both phones up to 50%+
Connect to a single Wi-Fi network (5 GHz)
Free up space on Xiaomi (minimum 20 GB)
Disable screen lock
Create a backup copy on Honor
Install Mi Mover on Xiaomi (if not available)
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Method 1: Official Mi Mover app (recommended)
Mi Mover is a proprietary tool from Xiaomi, designed to transfer data from devices to Android, iOS and even some models. Huawei/Honor. He's backing the transfer:
- 📞 Contacts (including call history).
- 💬 Communications (SMS and MMS).
- 📷 Photo and video (in original quality).
- 🎵 Music and documents.
- 📱 Some application settings (such as wallpaper or alarm clocks).
However, there are limitations:
- ❌ Applications are not portable (only their data if they support backups).
- ❌ Some Honor models (such as Magic) UI 7.0+) You may need additional permissions to access files.
- ❌ If Xiaomi is running Chinese firmware, Mi Mover may not see Honor – in this case, use the methods from Section 4.
Step-by-step:
- Open Mi Mover on Xiaomi (usually pre-installed). If it's not available, download from Play Market or via APK.
- Download Mi Mover on Honor (available in AppGallery or via APK).
- Run the app on both devices and select: On Xiaomi: I'm a new user. On Honor: I want to send data.
hotspot
Xiaomi
Honor
Honor
30-40 minutes
⚠️ Note: If the Mi Mover is stuck in the Connection stage, try it: 🔄 Reboot both phones. 📶 Switch from Wi-Fi to hotspot (sometimes more stable). 🛠️ On Honor, manually allow Mi Mover to access Memory and Contacts in the app settings. 💡If Mi Mover doesn’t see Honor, try temporarily disabling the firewall or VPN on both devices, they can block the local connection. 3. Method 2: Transfer through a Google account (for models with a mobile phone). GMS) If your Honor supports Google Mobile Services (most global models), the easiest way to do this is to sync through Google Account: 📞 Contacts (including groups and labels). 📅 Calendars and reminders. 📎 Notes (if you use Google Keep). 📷 Photos and videos (via Google Photos). 🎮 Data of certain games (if linked to Google Play Games). How to transfer: Open Settings on Honor → Accounts. → Google and make sure that sync is enabled for all the data you need. Wait for the sync to complete (check in Google Drive or Google Photos). On Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select Restore from backup and log in to the same Google account. Select a backup with Honor (it will be marked by the date of the last sync: ✅ No need for additional applications. ✅ Data is available on any device with the same account. ✅ Automatic update (e.g., contacts synced in real time) Disadvantages: ❌ Not tolerated. SMS/MMS call-book. ❌ Photos and videos are uploaded in compressed quality (unless you use Original Quality in Google Photos, which requires a paid subscription). ❌ Some system settings (such as Wi-Fi passwords) are not saved. Data Type Transferred via Google Alternative Contact Method ✅ Yes, Mi Mover, export to VCF SMS/MMS ❌ No Mi Mover, SMS Backup & Restore Photo/Video ✅ Yes (compressed) Mi Mover, manual transfer of the Application ❌ No (only data) Manual installation through APK Log of calls ❌ No Mi Mover, Call Logs Backup Through Google Account Using Mi Mover Manual Cable Transfer Cloud Services (Dropbox, Yandex.Disk) Another way --> 4. Method 3: Cable transfer OTG (If you have a lot of heavy files (video) 4K, RAW-Photos or large archives, wireless methods can work too long or interrupt. OTG — The most reliable solution. You're going to need one: 🔌 USB-C OTG-Adapter (for modern models Honor and Xiaomi). 📱 File Manager (e.g. Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer). ⏳ Time is copying 64 GB of data can take up to 20–30 Instructions: Connect Honor to Xiaomi via OTG-Adapter. On Honor, select File Transfer Mode (MTP). On Xiaomi, open a file manager, and Honor will appear as an external drive in the list of devices: DCIM — Photos and videos. Downloads are uploaded files. Documents are documents. WhatsApp/Media — Media files from messengers. To transfer contacts, export them to.vcf through the Contacts app on Honor, then copy it to Xiaomi and import. Critical nuance: if Xiaomi is running Chinese firmware without Google support, the file manager may not see the Honor connected. In this case, use your computer as an intermediary: Copy data from Honor to your PC. Connect Xiaomi to your PC and transfer files. ⚠️ Note: When copying through OTG Avoid interrupting the process, which can cause some files to be lost or folder structure to be damaged. If the transfer is frozen, safely disable the cable, restart both devices and start over. How do you transfer Wi-Fi passwords? On Android, Wi-Fi passwords are stored in a file. wpa_supplicant.conf, But moving it requires root rights: 1. Connect to each network on Xiaomi manually. 2. Or use applications like WiFi Password Viewer (requires unlocking the bootloader on some firmware). 5. Method 4: Wireless transfer through third-party applications If Mi Mover doesn’t work or you’re looking for alternatives, you can use third-party applications to wirelessly transfer data. Best Options: App Speed Supported Data Features Send Anywhere ⚡ Quick (up to 10 MB/s) Photos, videos, documents, APK No registration required, works through P2P Xender ⚡⚡ Average (5–8 MB/s) Photos, videos, music, contacts Sometimes blocked by SHAREit antiviruses ⚡⚡⚡ Slowly (2-4 MB/s) Any files, apps Lots of ads, can slow down LocalSend ⚡⚡⚡⚡ Very fast (15)+ MB/s) Any Open-source files, no ads How to transfer data via Send Anywhere (recommended): Install Send Anywhere on both phones. On Honor, select files to send and click Send. 6-digit code is generated or QR-On Xiaomi, type this code in the Receive field. Confirm the transfer, the files will start to be copied: 🔒 Completely private (data does not pass through servers). 🚀 It works on a local network without the Internet. 🛠️ Supports batch shipping (you can select hundreds of files at once). ⚠️ Note: When using Xender or SHAREit, disable battery optimization for these apps in Xiaomi settings, otherwise the transfer may be interrupted due to background restriction MIUI. 💡For maximum transmission speed, turn off energy-saving mode on both phones and connect to Wi-Fi in the 5 GHz 6 range. Method 5: Cloud-based migration (Dropbox, Yandex.Disk, Telegram) If you have slow internet or can't use cable, cloud services will be a good alternative: ☁️ Google Drive – 15 GB free, Android integration. 📦 Dropbox – 2GB free, but high download speed. 💾 Yandex.Disk – 10 GB free, convenient for Russian-speaking users. 📤 Telegram (Saved Messages) – up to 2 GB per file, no limit on the amount. Instructions for Yandex.Disk: On Honor, install Yandex.Disk. Upload files to the cloud (you can create a folder, for example, Honor_to_Xiaomi). On Xiaomi, log in to the same Yandex account and download files. Telegram Transfer: Open to Honor chat Saved Messages. Attach files (towards) 2 GB at a time) and send it to yourself. On Xiaomi, open the same chat and download files: 🌍 Access to files from any device. 🔄 Selective transferability (e.g., only last year’s photo). 🛡️ Data is protected from loss (if something goes wrong during transfer: ⏳ Long loading with a large amount of data. 💰 Free space restrictions (for example, Dropbox has everything in it) 2 GB). 🔒 Risk of data leakage (if you use unreliable services). 💡If you are moving photos, archive them in advance. ZIP through the file manager, this will speed up up the loading to the cloud and save space. 7: SMS, Call log, applications Some types of data require a special approach, because standard methods do not tolerate them: 📬 SMS and MMS Use the application to transfer messages SMS Backup & Restore: Install it on Honor from Play Market. Create a backup and save the file to a memory card or to the cloud. Move the file to Xiaomi and restore messages through the same app. 📞 Call log Use Call Logs Backup & Restore: Backup on Honor.Export the file (usually in.xml format).Import it to Xiaomi. Consider the most common problems and their solutions: Problem Possible cause Mi Mover solution does not see Honor No model support or HMS lock Use Send Anywhere or OTG cable Transfer interrupted 99% Unstable Wi-Fi connection Switch to hotspot or cable Photos transferred but not displayed in the gallery Paths to files changed phone or use file manager to find DCIM folder Contacts duplicated Conflict between Google and local contacts Combine duplicates manually or via Contacts the hots or cable Photos transferred to the Android version but not displayed in the gallery files changed from Android version of Android or the Android version 14, for example, if the difference from Android Play version does not installed on Android version or Android version 14 📱 Android apps and their data do not support direct transfer of installed applications, but it is possible to: 📲 Save. APK-file APK Extractor and install them on Xiaomi. 🔄 Use Titanium Backup (requires root) to transfer application data. ☁️ Recover data via Google Account (if the application supports backup). ⚠️ Note: When transferring applications through APK Be careful, some programs (e.g. banking) may block the new device due to a change in the device ID, in which case they will have to be reinstalled from official sources. 8 Problems and solutions: What to do if the transfer fails Even if you follow the instructions, you may have errors, you may have compatibility issues. If you use Xiaomi with Chinese firmware, install Google Framework through Google Installer. How to transfer data from Honor to Xiaomi without losing photo quality? So that photos do not shrink: 1. Use Mi Mover or direct transfer via cable - they retain original quality. 2. In Google Photos, select Original Quality (requires a paid subscription after 15GB is exhausted). 3. When archiving a photo before uploading to the cloud, use the format ZIP compressively. FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer from Honor to Xiaomi ❓ Can you transfer data from Honor to Xiaomi without the Internet: 🔌 Cable OTG — file transfer. 📡 Mi Mover via hotspot (Internet is not needed, only local area network). 📲 Send Anywhere or LocalSend – Wi-Fi Direct. ❓ Will saves from games be transferred (e.g. Genshin Impact or PUBG)? It depends on the game: ☁️ If the game is linked to Google Play Games, Facebook, or your own account (e.g. miHoYo for Genshin Impact), saves will be transferred automatically after authorization. 📱 If the game saves data locally (without the cloud), try to copy the folder with the saves (usually in the game). /Android/data/) cable OTG. For PUBG Mobile and similar games log in via the same account (Facebook, Twitter, Google) on the new device. ❓ Why did some photos disappear after the transfer to Xiaomi: 📂 Photos not saved in a standard folder DCIM, a) in the application folder (e.g, WhatsApp/Media). 🔍 The folder with the photo is hidden (names start with a dot, for example.thumbnails). 📱 Xiaomi Gallery hasn’t scanned new files – reboot your phone or use a file manager for manual search. To find all media files, install QuickPic or Simple Gallery – these scan memory deeper than a standard gallery. MIUI. ❓ Is it possible to pass?