Changing your smartphone is always stressful, not so much with getting used to a new interface, but with the risk of losing important data. Especially relevant is the issue of media library migration, because each user’s gallery accumulates thousands of images that cannot be recovered if they were not stored in the cloud. The transition from the EMUI or Magic UI ecosystem to the MIUI shell (or HyperOS) requires a careful approach, since the structure of the file system and image algorithms of these brands have their own peculiarities.
Fortunately, modern technology allows you to perform data cloning in almost automatic mode. You can transfer photos from Honor to Xiaomi in several proven ways, from using the proprietary Mi Mover application to classic methods of synchronization through a Google account. The choice of a particular method depends on the volume of your gallery, the speed of the Internet connection and the availability of free space on your devices.
In this article, we will analyze in detail all available migration options, evaluate their pros and cons, and also consider the nuances that may arise when working with heavy video files or other types of video. RAW-You'll learn how to avoid metadata loss (EXIF), Keep the album structure and make sure no frame gets lost when switching to the new device.
Preparing devices for data migration
Before you start directly copying files, you need to do a number of preparatory actions. Ignoring this step often leads to connection errors or interruption of the process halfway, which is especially critical when transferring tens of gigabytes of information. Make sure that both smartphones are charged at least 50-60%, as active Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules significantly consume energy.
On Honor, check for free space if you plan to use cloud services as an intermediary. It is also recommended to clear the gallery cache so that the system correctly indexes all available images. On the Xiaomi side, you should make sure that the operating system is updated to the current version, as older firmware can have problems with the compatibility of data protocols from third-party manufacturers.
⚠️ Attention: Before starting any operations with files, we strongly advise you to back up your most valuable images to an external hard drive or computer.
An important aspect is to check the file format. If you used professional shooting modes on Honor, you could have saved files in.RAW or.DNG format. Make sure the gallery on Xiaomi is able to open them, or be ready to install additional software for viewing after porting. Standard.JPG and.HEIC are supported by both devices without restrictions.
☑️ Preparation for transfer
Using the Mi Mover application for direct transmission
The most efficient and quickest way to transfer photos from Honor to Xiaomi without using the Internet is Mi Mover, the official application from Xiaomi developers, which creates a direct Wi-Fi connection between two devices, the transfer speed in this case is limited only by the capabilities of the wireless module and can reach 20-40 MB / s, which is much faster than downloading through the cloud.
The process starts with installing the app on both smartphones. On Xiaomi, it is often built into the system and is located in the Tools folder or available through settings when you first start. APK-file MIUI or from a reliable source, as Google Play may not have it.
On the receiving device (Xiaomi), select the Receiver role and on the sending device (Honor) select the Sender. QR-If you can connect to a Wi-Fi network, you can manually connect to it, and if you can successfully pair it, you'll see a list of categories of data, and we'll need to select the Images section and, if necessary, the Video section».
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If the process is suspended during the scanning phase QR-Try to temporarily turn off mobile internet on both devices, leaving only the Wi-Fi module active.
The main advantage of this method is to maintain the original quality. Mi Mover copies bit files into bits without compressing them or changing metadata. However, it is worth remembering that the folder structure can be changed: all photos can be entered into a single folder. MIUI/Gallery/cloud Or similar, losing the album split that was on Honor.
| Parameter | Mi Mover | Google Photo | Bluetooth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed. | High (up to 40 MB/s) | Depends on the Internet. | Very low. |
| Internet is required | No. | Yes. | No. |
| Saving albums | Partial | Yeah (in the cloud) | No. |
| Difficulty | Low. | Medium | High (for large volumes) |
Sync through Google Photos and Cloud Services
If you have a stable and unlimited Internet, the most convenient way to do this is to use cloud technology. Google Photos is the de facto standard for Android smartphones that automatically backs up your gallery. The good thing about this is that it doesn't require both devices to be physically present at the time of port.
On Honor, make sure that Google Photos is synced. Go to the app settings and select the download quality. The Save Space option will allow you to upload more photos by compressing them, while the Original Quality will take up space in your Google account (limit 15GB free).
Once you have finished downloading to Honor, take a new Xiaomi and log in to the same Google account. Open the Gallery app or Google Photos app — all images will appear there automatically. If you want them to take up space in your phone’s memory, not just in the cloud, use the Save on Device feature for your selected albums or enable full sync in your settings.
What if there is not enough space in your Google account?
Other cloud storage options, such as Yandex.Disk, Dropbox or OneDrive, are similar to downloading from one device and downloading to another, but Google Photos’ native integration with Android makes it a preferred option for users who don’t want to install additional software.
Transfer via computer and USB-cable
The classic method that never fails when you want to flip terabytes of data. Using a PC as an intermediate buffer ensures that no byte is lost due to a wireless connection break. You'll need a computer with enough free space and two. USB-cables (preferably original).
Connect Honor to your computer and select the mode of operation in the notification menu USB «File transfer» (MTP). Open the Explorer on your PC, find the Honor device and go to the folder DCIM/Camera. This is where the main images are stored. Copy the contents of the folder onto your computer's hard drive into a pre-created folder, like this, Honor_Backup.
Then turn off Honor and plug in Xiaomi. Also select file transfer mode. Copy previously saved photos from your computer to the DCIM folder on your new smartphone. Once the cable is turned off, Xiaomi will scan the media files and they will appear in the gallery. This method also makes it easy to sort photos by year or event directly on your computer before downloading.
When using this method, you should pay attention to hidden folders. Some applications create their albums at the root of internal memory (for example, WhatsApp Images, Telegram, Viber). Be sure to check the root directory and the Pictures folder to transfer this data, if you care about it.
Alternative methods and third-party applications
If standard tools don't work for some reason, third-party developers come to the rescue, Send Anywhere or XShare allows you to transfer files between any Android, iOS or even web-based devices, and they work in a way similar to Mi Mover, which creates a direct connection or uses a proxy server to transfer the access key.
The feature of such applications is the ability to transfer over a 6-digit code or QR-It's convenient if you're not only transferring data to yourself, but also helping to set up the phone for your family, but the free versions of these programs often have ads that can be annoying when you batch thousands of files.
Another option is to use the Wi-Fi Direct feature built into some file managers, such as Total Commander with the WiFi Direct plugin, which requires more knowledge from the user, but gives full control over the process and allows you to see the progress of copying each file in detail.
⚠️ Warning: When using third-party apps from unverified sources, be careful.They may ask for excessive permissions to your contacts and messages. Use only proven software from Google Play.
And don't forget about NFC technology, which is in many Honor and Xiaomi models. Although it's for a fast pair of devices or payment, in some shells (for example, through Android Beam, if the feature is still supported in your Android version) you can quickly send a few selected photos by touch.
Decision and verification of the result
Once the transfer is complete, it may be that some of the photo is missing or is not displayed correctly. Most often, the problem is that the Android media scanner has not yet updated the database. To fix this, you can restart the Xiaomi smartphone. If that didn't help, try clearing the cache of the Gallery app through the settings (Settings → Apps → Gallery → Memory → Clear cache).
A common problem is file duplication. When using multiple methods at the same time (for example, Mi Mover first, then Google Photos), you can get two identical shots. To clean up duplicates on Xiaomi, it is convenient to use the built-in Security → Cleanup app, which automatically finds similar images.
Users also often face the problem of incorrect shooting date, if they are lost when transferring through some file managers. EXIF-The data, the photos can be sorted by the date of the copy, not the shooting, in which case, third-party software for batch change of date or re-importing the originals will help.
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Always check the sample photos after transfer: open the file properties and make sure the resolution, size and shooting date match the original.
If you've used cloud services, don't be too quick to delete photos from your old device right away. Go with your new phone for a couple of days, make sure everything syncs up and archives are available at any time. Only after you're sure you can format your old Honor.