How to transfer data from Honor to Xiaomi 9: 5 proven ways

Switching from Honor to Xiaomi 9 is a crucial step, especially if the old device has accumulated years of photos, important contacts or working correspondence. Many users are afraid of losing data when changing the brand, but in practice the migration process can be made quick and safe, the main thing is to choose the appropriate method depending on the amount of information and technical capabilities of both phones.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to transfer data, from automatic through Mi Mover proprietary software to manually copying files through a computer, paying special attention to the nuances of compatibility between EMUI (Honor firmware) and MIUI (Xiaomi firmware), as well as solving typical problems like “device does not see” or “transfer interrupted.” If you plan a full transition to the Xiaomi ecosystem, these instructions will help save hours on setting up a new smartphone.

1. Preparation of telephones for data transfer

Before you start migrating, make sure to follow 4 key steps to avoid data loss or disruptions:

• 🔋 Charge both phones to at least 50% – the process can take up to 1 hour with a large amount of files.
• 📶 Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network (if you use cloud services) or check mobile Internet on Honor.
• 🧹 Clean Xiaomi 9 from unnecessary files: go to Settings → Memory. → Clean and remove the app cache.
• 🔒 Turn off the screen lock (PIN/pattern lock) on Honor – some transfer methods require unlocked device.

Pay special attention to the space available on Xiaomi 9. If the Honor is 64 GB occupied, and the new phone is only 16 GB free, the transfer will end in an error. → The phone. → Storage. If you don't have enough space, delete unnecessary apps or transfer files to your home. SD-card (if supported).

⚠️ Note: If data encryption is enabled on Honor (in Settings) → Security → Encryption, some transfer techniques may not work, in which case you can use manual copying via a computer or cloud.

Method 1: Automatic transfer via Mi Mover

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s official application for migrating data from Android devices, including Honor.

• 📞 Contacts (including groups and notes)
• 📷 Photo and video (in original resolution)
• 💬 Communications (SMS and some messengers)
• 📁 Documents and music files
• 🎮 Some system settings (wallpaper, sounds)

You can't move the apps, you'll have to re-install them through Google Play, and here's a step-by-step guide.

1. Download Mi Mover on Honor from Google Play (on Xiaomi 9 it is preinstalled).
2. Open the app on both phones and select: – On Honor: “I’m a sender” – On Xiaomi 9: “I’m a receiver”
3. On Xiaomi 9, select the data type to transfer (you can tick everything).
4. Connect your phones to a single Wi-Fi network or use the hotspot on Xiaomi 9 (in Settings → Modem Modem).
5. On Honor, click "Connect" and wait until it appears. QR-Scan it with the Xiaomi 9 camera.
6. Confirm the transfer on both devices and wait until it is completed (can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour).

⚠️ Note: If the Mi Mover is “hanging” during the connection stage, check if the firewall or the firewall is blocked. VPN On Honor, temporarily turn off Settings. → Security → firewall.

Download Mi Mover on Honor| Charge both phones >50%| Connect to one Wi-Fi network | Disable VPN/firewall |Free up space on Xiaomi 9-->

3. Method 2: Transfer through Google Account

If you've used Google's Honor services, most of the data is already synced to the cloud.

• 📇 Contacts (from Google Contacts)
• 📅 Calendar (Google Calendar)
• 📧 Letters (Gmail)
• 📷 Photo (if Autoboot is enabled in Google Photos)
• 🎵 Music (if downloaded to Google Play Music)

Instructions for recovery on Xiaomi 9:

1. On Xiaomi 9, when you first turn on, select Restore from Backup and log in to the same Google Account you used on Honor.
2. If the phone is already set up, go to Settings → Accounts → Google → Sync and turn on all the switches.
3. For a photo, open Google Photos and wait for the library to load (it can take several hours with a large volume).
4. Contacts and calendars will appear automatically in standard MIUI applications.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ Not tolerated. SMS, Calls, Notes and Files Outside Google Drive.
• ❌ Apps will have to be re-installed (but their data will be restored if they support Google Backup).
• ❌ Google’s free cloud is limited to 15GB – more will require a paid subscription.

Method 3: Manual copying through a computer

If you have more than 20 GB of data or want to selectively transfer files, the most reliable way to do this is to use a computer (Windows/Mac).

• 💻 Computer with USB-port
• 🔌 2 Cable (Type-C for Xiaomi) 9 and Micro-USB/Type-C honor)
• 📂 Desktop folder for temporary storage

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Honor to your computer and select File Transfer (MTP) mode. If your phone is not identified, install HiSuite drivers from Huawei's official website.
2. Copy the right folders from Honor internal memory: DCIM → photos and videos Download → Pictures downloads → images from Music apps → Documents music files → documents
3. Disable Honor and connect Xiaomi 9 in MTP mode. Unlock the screen and confirm access to files.
4. Transfer the copied folders to the internal memory of Xiaomi 9 (for example, in /storage/emulated/0/).
5. For contacts, export them to Honor in the.vcf file (Contacts → Settings → Export) and import them to Xiaomi 9 via Contacts → Settings → Import.

⚠️ WARNING: When copying WhatsApp folder, be sure to transfer the file as well. msgstore.db.crypt14 (Without it, chat history will not be restored! Before transferring, back up to WhatsApp itself (⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup copy).

💡

If your computer doesn’t see Xiaomi 9, turn on “Debugging by USB” in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times on the version bar, then go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers).

5. Method 4: Transfer over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct

If you don't have a computer or cables, you can use wireless technology, which is suitable for small amounts of data (up to 1-2 GB), because the transmission speed is limited:

• 📶 Wi-Fi Direct – up to 10 MB/s (recommended)
• 🔵 Bluetooth up to 1MB/s (slowly but stable)

Instructions for Wi-Fi Direct:

1. On Honor, open Settings → Connections → Wi-Fi Direct and enable the feature.
2. On Xiaomi 9, go to Settings → Wi-Fi → Wi-Fi Direct and select Honor from the list of devices.
3. Confirm the connection on both phones (entry may be required) PIN-code).
4. In Honor file manager, select the files you want, click “Send” and select Wi-Fi Direct.
5. Accept files on Xiaomi 9 in the notification or through the file manager.

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ Does not require cables or a computer.
• ✅ Maintains original quality of files.

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Slow speed with a large volume.
• ❌ Contacts are not tolerated, SMS application.
• ❌ It can be interrupted by a weak signal.

💡

Wi-Fi Direct is 5-10 times faster than Bluetooth, but both methods are only suitable for one-time transfer of small files.

Method 5: Transfer through third-party applications

If the standard methods don’t work, you can use specialized applications. Best options for Honor → Xiaomi 9:

We recommend Clone Phone from Xiaomi – it is optimized for MIUI and supports the transfer of even some system settings.

1. Download Clone Phone to both phones from Google Play.
2. On Honor, select “Old Phone” and on Xiaomi 9, “New Phone.”
3. Scan it. QR-Code from the screen Xiaomi 9 camera Honor.
4. Select the data to transfer and wait for completion.

⚠️ Note: When using SHAREit or similar apps, turn off battery optimization for them in the Xiaomi 9 settings (Settings) → Annexes → Permits → Battery optimization, otherwise the transmission may be interrupted.

7. Solving typical transfer problems

Even when following instructions, users encounter errors, and here are the 5 most common problems and solutions:

• 🔌 "Phones do not connect via Mi Mover" Check that Honor enabled the developer mode and debugging by USB (Settings → The phone. → Build number - press 7 times. Also temporarily turn off the firewall.
• ⏳ "Transfer stuck at 99%"Reboot both phones and repeat the process. If it doesn't work, use another method (e.g. computer).
• 📱 "Xiaomi. 9 No photos are displayed "check the folder" DCIM/.thumbnails — Sometimes thumbnails don't get updated".
• 🔒 "No contact moved from SIM-Maps" Import them manually: Contacts → Settings → Imports/Exports → Import with SIM.
• 🚫 "Mi Mover writes 'Incompatible Device' Update Mi Mover to latest version or use Clone Phone.

If none of the methods worked, the last option is to reset the Xiaomi 9 to factory settings and repeat the transfer from a clean device.

1. Back up the current Xiaomi 9 data in Settings → Additional → Backup.
2. Reset: Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. When you first turn on, select "Recover Data" and follow the instructions.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer