Transferring data from Honor to Xiaomi Redmi 9A: 5 proven ways + instructions

Switching from Honor to Xiaomi Redmi 9A is not just about changing the brand, it's also about migrating all the important data: contacts, photos, messages, even app settings, and many users fear this process, thinking it will take hours or lead to loss of information. In fact, with the right approach, migration takes 15 to 40 minutes, and the risks are reduced to zero.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to transfer data, from official Xiaomi tools to universal solutions that will suit even older Honor models.

📱 Contacts and call logs (including linked accounts)
📷 Photos, videos and documents (without loss of quality)
💬 Communications SMS/MMS messenger chats
🎮 Applications and their data (save games, settings)

We will pay special attention to the data portability to the Redmi 9A, taking into account its limitations: no NFC, small RAM (2-3 GB) and specific MIUI firmware. If you have a Honor model older than 2019 (for example, Honor 8X or Honor 10 Lite), the article has separate recommendations for compatibility.

1.Preparation for transfer: what to do before the beginning

Before you start migrating, follow 3 steps to avoid common mistakes:

Check the space available on the Redmi 9A. The model has only 32 GB of storage (of which ~22 GB is available to the user). If the Honor is more than 15 GB occupied, free up space in advance or use the cloud.
Update the firmware on both devices. On Honor, check Settings → System → Software Update, on Redmi 9A, Settings → About Phone → Update MIUI. Outdated versions can block data transfer.
Backup Honor. Even if you plan to use the cloud, the local backup will save your data if you crash. Go to Settings → System → Backup.

⚠️ Note: If data encryption is enabled on Honor (checked in Settings) → Security → Encryption, some portability techniques may not work. In this case, use the method with Google Account (Section 3).

📊 How much data do you need to transfer?

Up to 5GB

5-15 GB

15-30 GB

More than 30GB

2. Method 1: Official Mi Mover application (fastest method)

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s built-in tool for migrating data from Android devices, and works point-to-point over Wi-Fi Direct without requiring internet or cable, with the main advantage of maintaining folder structure and even migrating system settings (like wallpaper or audio profiles).

How to use:

On Redmi 9A, when you first turn on, select Transfer Data from the settings menu. If your phone is already configured, download Mi Mover from Google Play.
On Honor, install the Mi Mover app (available for Android 5.0+).
Run the app on both devices, select I give to Honor and I accept on Redmi 9A.

⚠️ Note: If the process is stuck in the “Connection” stage, check:

🔄 Turn it off. VPN or proxy on both phones.
📶 Switch to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi band (5GHz may not be supported on older Honors).
🔋 Make sure the battery is on both devices. > 50%.

☑️ Preparation for the Mi Mover

Install Mi Mover on HonorTurn off VPNBattery charge > 50%Free space on Redmi 9AWi-Fi in the 2.4 GHz band

Done: 0 / 5

Type of data	Is it transferred through Mi Mover?	Notes
Contacts	✅ Yes.	Including groups and linked accounts (Google, Huawei)
Photo/video	✅ Yes.	No loss of quality, but large files (>2 GB) may not be portable
SMS messages	✅ Yes.	Text Messages Only, MMS Are Partially Portable
Annexes	⚠️ Partially.	Transferred APK-files, but application data (e.g. game saves) – no
Notes/calendar	❌ No.	Use sync with Google or Huawei Cloud

Method 3: Transfer through Google Account (Reliable, but not for everything)

If you have a Google Account linked to Honor, this method allows you to transfer basic data without installing additional applications, suitable for contacts, calendar, certain settings and parts of files.

📁 Photos and videos are synced only in low resolution (for original quality, you need Google Photos with a paid tariff).
💬 Communications SMS Not portable (Google Messages chats only).
🎮 Application data (e.g. game progress) is only synced if it supports Google Play Games.

Step-by-step:

On Honor, go to Settings → Accounts → Google and enable sync for Contacts, Calendar and Google Photos.
Wait for the sync to complete (check in Settings → Accounts → Google → Sync).
On Redmi 9A, add the same Google Account to Settings → Accounts → Add an account.
Turn on synchronization and wait for data download (can take up to 1 hour with a large volume).

💡

If contacts don’t appear on Redmi 9A, check the Contacts settings: go to Settings → Accounts → Google and update the data manually.

⚠️ Note: If you used a Huawei account on Honor ID For backup, Google Account will not be able to transfer data from it.In this case, use Huawei Cloud (section 4) or manual export.

4. Method 3: Move over Huawei Cloud (for Honor owners)

If your Honor was running EMUI (rather than Magic UI) firmware, you could use Huawei Cloud, which allows you to export data to an archive and then upload it to Redmi 9A via a browser.

📇 Contacts and call logs
📝 Notes (if you used the Huawei Notes app)
📅 calendar
📷 Photos and videos (up to 5 GB at free rate)

Instructions:

On Honor, open Settings → Huawei ID → Cloud and log in to your account.
Choose Backup and create an archive with the right data.
On Redmi 9A, open your browser and go to cloud.huawei.com, log in.
In the Backups section, find your archive and download it.
Unpack the archive and transfer the files manually (contacts can be imported via a.vcf file).

How to import contacts from VCF to Redmi 9A?

1. Download the contact file (usually with the.vcf extension) to Redmi 9A. 2. Open the Contacts app and click on three dots in the upper right corner. 3. Select Import/Export → Import from the.vcf. 4 file. Specify the path to the downloaded file and confirm the import.

5. Method 4: Transfer over OTG cable (for large data volumes)

If you have a lot of photos, videos or documents (over 10 GB), the most reliable way is to copy directly through the cable.

🔌 OTG-adapter (or cable) USB-C → USB-C, If you're on Honor Type-C connector).
📁 File Manager (e.g. Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).

Step-by-step:

Connect Honor to Redmi 9A through OTG-The adapter. 9A notice USB-plug-in.
Open the file manager and go to the section USB-The storage device (this is the memory of your Honor).
Copy the right folders (DCIM for photos, downloads, etc.) to internal memory or SD-map 9A.
To transfer contacts, export them to Honor to the.vcf file (via Contacts → Export) and copy it to the new phone.

⚠️ Note: When copying large files (>4 GB) use a file manager with support FAT32/exFAT (for example, FX File Explorer: The standard Mi File Manager may not handle large files correctly.

💡

Moving over OTG is the only way to guarantee the original quality of photos and videos without compression, as in cloud services.

6. Method 5: Transfer of messages and chats of messengers

SMS messages and chats from WhatsApp, Telegram or Viber require a separate approach.

💬 Transfer SMS/MMS

Use the SMS Backup & Restore app:

Install it on Honor from Google Play.
Create a backup and save the file to Google Drive or internal memory.
Install the same app on Redmi 9A, download the backup and restore messages (Restore).

📱 WhatsApp chat transfers

Official method:

On Honor, make a backup chat in WhatsApp Settings → Chat → Backup.
Copy /sdcard/WhatsApp to Redmi 9A (via OTG or cloud).
Install WhatsApp on Redmi 9A, log in and wait for the offer to restore chats.

💡

If WhatsApp doesn’t offer to restore chats, uninstall the app, clear the cache in Settings → Apps → WhatsApp → Storage and install again.

7 Problems and Solutions: What to Do When Data Is Not Portable

Even if you follow the instructions, you can make mistakes, and here are the most common problems and solutions.

Problem.	Possible cause	Decision
Mi Mover doesn't see Honor	Incompatibility of Android or firmware versions	Update Honor to the latest EMUI version or use a different method
Photos moved, but not EXIF-data (date, geotagged)	Mi Mover or Cloud Service Error	Use portability via OTG or Google Photos app with original quality
Applications moved but are not working	Incompatibility of Android versions or processor architecture	Remove and install apps from Google Play
No longer tolerated game saving	The game does not support cross-platform synchronization	Use Helium or hand backup of Android/obb folder

If none of these methods worked, try manual transfer:

📎 Contacts: export to.vcf and import to Redmi 9A.
📂 Photo/video: copy the folders DCIM and Pictures through OTG.
📄 Documents: Use Google Drive or USB-accumulator.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer

Can I transfer data from Honor to Redmi 9A without the Internet?

Yes, there are two ways: through Mi Mover (using Wi-Fi Direct, no Internet). OTG-Both methods work offline, but require charged batteries on both devices.

Will Wi-Fi passwords migrate from Honor to Redmi 9A?

No, Mi Mover and other tools don't tolerate Wi-Fi passwords for security reasons, but you'll have to re-enter them or use applications like WiFi Key Recovery to export/import.

Can I transfer data from Honor to Redmi 9A if the screen is broken on Honor?

Yes, but additional actions will be required: If the screen responds to touch: connect the mouse through the touch. OTG If the screen doesn't work, connect Honor to your PC via ADB And copy the data manually (instruction: Android developer). USB-Debugging, you can use Scrcpy to manage from PC.

Will Face ID work on Redmi 9A if you migrate data from Honor?

No, biometric data (fingerprints, facial recognition) are not transferred between devices for security reasons. You will have to reconfigure it in Settings → Security → Face Recognition / Fingerprint.

How to transfer music from Honor to Redmi 9A without losing quality?

It is best to copy files directly through OTG-Cable: Connect Honor to Redmi 9A Open the file manager and go to the Music or Audio folder on Honor. Copy the files (usually in format.mp3,.flac) to the Music folder on Redmi 9A. Alternative: upload music to Google Play Music (if the service is still available in your area) or use it VLC streaming over a local network.