How to Transfer Data from Honor to Xiaomi: A Complete Guide to Comparing All Ways

Why Data Transfers Between Honor and Xiaomi Need a Special Approach

The transition from Honor to Xiaomi is not just a smartphone change, but a transition between two different ecosystems: EMUI (or Magic UI on the new Honor models) and MIUI. These shells have unique storage features that create nuances when migrating, such as backups via HiSuite (Honor’s proprietary software) are not compatible with Mi Mover, Xiaomi’s standard portability tool.

The key issue is different protocols for synchronizing contacts and messages. Honor uses Huawei Mobile Services by default, while Xiaomi is focused on Google and its own cloud solutions. This means that a simple export through Google Account may not capture all data if it was stored in native Honor applications. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods of transfer, including workarounds for specific types of data (for example, notes or call recordings).

It is important to consider hardware limitations: new Xiaomi models (such as Xiaomi 14 or Redmi Note 13 Pro+) may not support direct data transfer via cable with outdated Honor devices (until 2020 release) due to differences in the USB OTG protocol. We tested all methods on pairs of devices of different ages and identified optimal scenarios for each case.

Method 1: Mi Mover is the official tool of Xiaomi

Mi Mover is an application built into MIUI that allows wireless data transfer from Android devices, and supports contact, message (SMS/MMS), photos, videos, music, call records, and even some application settings.

• 📱 It only works when you first turn on the new Xiaomi (or after resetting to factory settings).
• 🔌 Requires connecting both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (or creating a direct connection via an access point).
• ⚠️ Does not transfer data from proprietary Honor apps (e.g. Huawei Notes or Huawei Health).
• 📁 The maximum size of the transmitted data is 4 GB (the restriction can be circumvented by dividing the transfer into several stages).

To use the Mi Mover:

1. On the new Xiaomi, when you first start, select the option “Transfer data from another device”.
2. Download Mi Mover from Google Play (if it’s not in AppGallery) on Honor.
3. Open the app on both devices and scan. QR-Xiaomi screen code.
4. Select data types to transfer and confirm the start of the process.

⚠️ Note: If Honor has firmware without Google services (e.g., on models for the Chinese market), Mi Mover may not start. OTG cloud-based.

Charging both phones > 50%|One Wi-Fi connection for both devices|Disabled. VPN firewalls|Free 5.+ GB on Xiaomi|Installed Mi Mover on Honor-->

Method 2: Transfer through Google Account (universal method)

Syncing through Google Account is the most reliable way to transfer basic data (contacts, calendars, some settings), but it has limitations for multimedia and messaging, and the advantage of the method is to work on any device, regardless of the brand and version of Android.

What exactly is being transferred:

• 📇 Contacts (if they were saved to Google, not in the phone’s memory or in the phone’s memory) SIM-map).
• 📅 Calendars and reminders.
• 📎 Some system settings (Wi-Fi network, wallpaper, language preferences).
• 📱 List of installed applications (but not their data!).

What's not tolerable:

• 💬 Communications SMS/MMS (separate backup is required).
• 📷 Photos and videos (you need to use Google Photos or other cloud service).
• 🎵 Music and uploaded files.
• 📝 Notes from Honor apps (e.g. Huawei Notes).

Instructions for transfer:

1. On Honor, go to Settings → Accounts → Google and enable sync for all the right categories.
2. Wait for the sync to complete (check in Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync).
3. On Xiaomi, when you first start, log in to the same Google Account and wait for the automatic data download.

💡

If contacts are not synchronized, check if they are stored in the device memory. To transfer such contacts, export them to a file. VCF: Contacts → ⋮ → Imports/Exports → Exports to the vault

Method 3: Direct transmission via OTG cable (for large data volumes)

Using an OTG cable (or adapter) is the fastest way to transfer large files (photos, videos, music), especially if the data volume exceeds 10 GB. This method bypasses the limitations of wireless protocols and does not depend on the stability of the Internet connection.

What you need:

• 🔌 Cable OTG (Micro-USB/USB-C → USB-C depending on the connectors of your devices).
• 📁 File Manager (e.g. Mi File Manager on Xiaomi or Files by Google).
• ⚡ Both devices charge at least 30% (transferring large files consumes battery).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Honor to Xiaomi via OTG-On the Honor screen, select "File Transfer" mode" (MTP).
2. On Xiaomi, open the file manager and go to the section "USB-device" or "Honor".
3. Copy the folders you want: DCIM - photos and videos. Download - downloaded files. Music or Ringtones - audio files.

SMS Backup & Restore

.xml

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g, POCO F5 or Redmi K60) You may not recognize Honor as USB-storage device due to protocol conflict MTP. In this case, use an adapter. USB-C → USB-A Connect Honor as an external drive to your PC, and then copy files to Xiaomi via your computer.

Method 4: Cloud services (Google Drive, Huawei Cloud, Mi Cloud)

Cloud storage is convenient for data transfer if you don’t have it. OTG-cable or stable Wi-Fi for Mi Mover, but each service has its limitations:

• 🌥️ Google Drive: Suitable for backup of contacts, calendars and some settings. For multimedia, it is better to use Google Photos (unlimited storage of compressed photos until 2021, now 15 GB per account).
• ☁️ Huawei Cloud: You can use it to export data from Honor, but you will need a workaround to download to Xiaomi (for example, download files to your PC, then download to Mi Cloud).
• 📱 Mi Cloud: Works only for Xiaomi backups, but you can manually upload files (photos, documents) via i.mi.com web interface.

Instructions for Google Photos:

1. On Honor, install Google Photos and enable automatic download (Settings → Backup and Sync).
2. Wait for the download to complete (check in Photo → Library → Devices).
3. On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account and wait for sync.
4. To save photos to the Xiaomi gallery, select them in Google Photos and click "Save to your device".

Method 5: Transfer over a computer (for full control)

Using a PC or laptop gives you the most flexibility when transferring data, especially if you need to filter out unnecessary files or convert formats, a method that is suitable for users who want to manually organize the folder structure on a new device.

Tools required:

• 💻 Computer with Windows/macOS.
• 🔌 Two. USB-cable (for Honor and Xiaomi).
• 📁 Programs: HiSuite (for Honor) Mi PC Suite (for Xiaomi, optional). AnyTrans or Syncios (for advanced portability).

Step-by-step process:

1. Connect Honor to your PC via USB and select File Transfer Mode.
2. Copy the required folders to your computer: This can be: - \Internal Storage\DCIM\Camera (photo) - \Internal Storage\Download (download) - \Internal Storage\Android\data\ (application data, if there is root-access)
3. Connect Xiaomi and transfer the files to the appropriate folders.
4. To transfer messages, use SMS Backup & Restore (export to PC → import to Xiaomi).
5. For contacts, export them to.vcf via Contacts → Import/Export on Honor, then import them to Xiaomi.

⚠️ Note: When connecting Xiaomi to a PC for the first time, you may need to unlock access in the developer settings (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 times) → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).

Mi Mover (wireless)|Google Account (Sync)|Cable OTG (direct-transmission)|Cloud services (Google Drive, Mi Cloud)|Through computer (full control)-->

Transfer of specific data: messages, applications, settings

Some types of data need special attention because standard methods don't capture them.

Communications (SMS/MMS)

To transfer SMS, use the SMS Backup & Restore app:

1. Install it on Honor and create a backup (Backup → Local Backup).
2. Copy the.xml file on Xiaomi (via OTG, cloud, or PC).
3. Install the same app on Xiaomi and restore the messages.

Installed applications and their data

Applications can only be ported via backups of their data (if supported).

• 🔄 Titanium Backup (requires root rights).
• 📱 Swift Backup (Works on some devices without root).
• ☁️ Built-in app backup features (such as WhatsApp or Telegram).

System settings and wallpaper

MIUI and EMUI settings are incompatible, but you can transfer:

• 🎨 Wallpaper: copy files from /Internal Storage/Pictures/Wallpapers.
• 🔊 Notification sounds: /Internal Storage/Ringtones.
• 📶 Wi-Fi Networks: Export via WiFi Key Recovery (requires root).

💡

To port your app data (such as games or instant messengers), always check if the app itself supports backup. For example, WhatsApp allows you to create a local copy of chats in Settings → Chat → Backup, but Viber requires synchronization with your account.

Frequent problems and their solutions

When you move data between Honor and Xiaomi, users encounter common errors, and we will discuss the most common and ways to fix them:

1 Mi Mover does not find the Honor device

Causes and solutions:

• 📶 Different Wi-Fi networks: Connect both devices to the same network or use the access point on Xiaomi.
• 🔒 firewall/VPN: Turn it off. VPN Antivirus programs on Honor.
• 📱 Mi Mover: Update the app on both devices.
• 🔄 Firmware conflict: On the new Xiaomi (MIUI 14+) Mi Mover may need to roll back to version 3.0.1.

2. Contacts saved in Huawei Cloud are not transferred

Decision:

1. On Honor, open Contacts → Settings → Import / Export → Export to file.
2. Save contacts to the.vcf file.
3. Transfer the file to Xiaomi and import through Contacts → Import.

3.Photos moved but not displayed in Xiaomi Gallery

Possible causes:

• 📂 Photos saved in a hidden folder (e.g..thumbnails).
• 🔍 Xiaomi Gallery has not scanned new files.Solution: Restart Gallery app or use Settings → Annexes → gallery → Warehouse → Clear the data.
• 📁 Wrong folder structure. Move the photo to DCIM/Camera.

4.Apps are not restored after the transfer

What to do:

• 📥 Check if the application sync is enabled in Google Account (Settings) → Google → Backup).
• 🔄 If apps are downloaded but data is lost, try to restore them through built-in features (for example, in games through account binding).
• 🚫 Some applications (e.g. banking) prohibit data transfer for security reasons.

💡

If you have lost your wallpaper or notification sounds after transferring to Xiaomi, check the file paths. MIUI looks for wallpapers in /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Wallpapers, and sounds in /storage/emulated/0/Ringtones.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions