How to transfer a photo from Honor phone to Xiaomi: all the ways 2026

The move from Honor to Xiaomi is not only about changing the ecosystem, but also about moving personal data. Photos tend to take up the lion’s share of smartphone memory, and losing them can be a tragedy. Fortunately, there are at least five proven ways to safely move images between these brands’ devices, from classic cable connectivity to modern cloud services.

In this article, we’ll go through each method in detail, from device preparation to problem solving, and learn how to transfer photos from the Honor 70 to the Xiaomi 13, from the Honor Magic 5 to the Redmi Note 12, or even from older models like the Honor. 8X new POCO F5. Particular attention will be paid to the nuances that manufacturers often keep silent: restrictions on the number of files, transfer speed and format compatibility.

Important: all the described methods are relevant for Android devices 10 and newer (including MagicOS and MIUI 14/15). If your Honor runs on an older firmware version, some features may not be available – we’ll let you know in advance.

Preparation of devices before transfer

Before you start transferring files, you need to follow a few critical steps, and neglecting them can lead to loss of image quality, interruption of the process or even data corruption.

Let's start with Honor:

• 📁 Clear the gallery cache: go to Settings → Annexes → gallery → Memory. → Clear the cache.This will delete temporary files that may interfere with exports.
• 🔋 Charge the battery to at least 50%.When transmitting via cable or Wi-Fi Direct, the device must not shut down.
• 🔒 Unlock the screen: if you use a pattern lock or PIN, Make sure it doesn’t lock the device during transmission.
• 📶 Turn off mobile data on both phones if you plan to use Wi-Fi Direct, which will prevent automatic switching to mobile Internet.

Now Xiaomi's preparation:

• 📲 Update. MIUI Up to the latest version through Settings → The phone. → System Update: New versions fix file-receiving bugs.
• 🗃️ Check the space: photos in the original resolution take up a lot of space. For example, 100 shots with the Honor Magic 5 Pro (50 MP) can weigh up to 2-3 GB.
• 🔄 Put the debugging on. USB (If you use the cable: settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Press 7 times, then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB.

⚠️ Note: If memory encryption is enabled on your Honor (for example, through Settings) → Security → Encryption, some transmission methods may not work, in which case use cloud services or a computer as an intermediary.

Method 1: Transmission by cable (USB OTG adapter)

The most reliable and fastest method is to connect your phones directly through a cable.

• 🔌 USB-C cable (if both phones support) USB-C) adapter USB-C → MicroUSB (for older Honor models).
• 📱 adapter USB OTG (If you want to connect Honor as a flash drive to Xiaomi).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Honor to Xiaomi via cable (or use it) OTG-adapter).
2. On Honor, select File Transfer Mode (FTP) plug-in.
3. On Xiaomi, open Explorer (Files app) and find the connected device in the Devices section.
4. Go to the file. DCIM → Camera (or Pictures if the photos are saved there).
5. Select the files you want and click Copy, then select a folder on Xiaomi (e.g., Internal Memory). → DCIM).

The transfer speed depends on the USB version:

The cable supports data transfer (not just charging)

There is enough battery on both phones.

Xiaomi’s destination folder is not password protected

Power-saving modes are turned off-->

⚠️ Note: If Xiaomi doesn’t see Honor when connecting, try changing the cable or turning on the mode MTP manually through settings → System system → For developers → Configuration USB default.

Method 2: Wireless transmission over Wi-Fi Direct

If you don’t have a cable on hand, you can use Wi-Fi Direct technology, which allows you to transfer files directly between devices without a router.This method works on all Honor and Xiaomi with Android 8.0 and later.

How to do this:

1. On Honor, open Settings. → Connections → Wi-Fi Direct (or Wireless Networks) → Wi-Fi Direct in MagicOS).
2. On Xiaomi go to Settings → Wi-Fi → Wi-Fi Direct (or use search by settings).
3. Select Honor from the list of available devices on Xiaomi and confirm the connection on both phones.
4. On Honor, open the Gallery, highlight photos and click Send → Wi-Fi Direct.
5. Select Xiaomi from the list and wait for the transfer to be completed.

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Faster Bluetooth (up to 10-15 MB/s vs. 1-2 MB/s).
• 🔒 There is no limit to file size (unlike Bluetooth).
• 📶 Doesn't require the Internet.

Disadvantages:

• 🐢 Slower cable connection (especially when transferring hundreds of photos).
• 🔄 It can be interrupted if the devices are too far apart (more than 5 meters).

💡

If Wi-Fi Direct doesn’t find the device, try restarting both phones or temporarily disabling Bluetooth – it can cause interference.

4. Method 3: Cloud services (Google Photos, Mi Cloud, Huawei Cloud)

Cloud storage is a universal portability that doesn't require physical devices, but each service has its limitations and nuances.

Let’s compare three popular options:

Instructions for Google Photos (recommended option):

1. On Honor, install Google Photos from AppGallery or APKMirror (if no Google Services).
2. Log in to your Google account and enable Backup and Sync.
3. Wait for all photos to load (you can speed up the process by connecting to Wi-Fi).
4. On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account and open Google Photos.
5. Select the desired albums and click Save on the device.

Important: If your Honor doesn’t have Google services (like models for China), use Huawei Cloud to download, and then download photos to Xiaomi via your browser at cloud.huawei.com.

5. Method 4: Using a computer (PC or Mac)

If you have a computer on hand, this may be the most convenient method, especially when you have a lot of data. USB-cable (or card reader if the photos are on the SD-map).

Step-by-step instructions for Windows:

1. Connect Honor to your PC via cable and select File Transfer Mode (MTP).
2. Open This Computer and find the Honor Device in the Devices and Disks section.
3. Go to Internal Storage → DCIM → Camera (or Pictures)
4. Copy the photos to your desktop or in a separate folder.
5. Turn off Honor and connect Xiaomi in the same mode.
6. Transfer the copied files to the folder DCIM Xiaomi.

For Mac, you will need additional software:

• 🖥️ Install Android File Transfer (official app from Google).
• 🔌 Connect Honor and allow access to files.
• 📁 Copy photos into a folder on your Mac, then repeat the process for Xiaomi.

⚠️ Note: On macOS Catalina and later, you may need to allow access to files in System Settings → Protection and security → Confidentiality → Full access to the disk.

Method 5: Applications for data transmission (Xender, ShareMe)

Specialized applications like Xender or ShareMe (from Xiaomi) make it easier to transfer files between devices of different brands, they create a local network and do not require Internet.

How to use ShareMe:

1. Install ShareMe on both phones (on Xiaomi it is preinstalled).
2. On Honor, open the app and click Send.
3. Select photos and click Next.
4. On Xiaomi, click Get and Scan QR-Honor-screen code.
5. Confirm the transmission on both devices.

The benefits of ShareMe:

• 🚀 Up to 20 MB/s (faster than Bluetooth).
• 📱 There are no limits on file size.
• 🔒 Transmission encryption.

Disadvantages:

• 📴 Requires installation of the app on Honor.
• 🔋 Battery consumption is higher than with cable connection.

💡

ShareMe is the best choice for transferring a large number of photos (100)+ The main thing is to monitor the battery charge on both devices.

7. Solving problems when transferring photos

Even if you follow the instructions, you can have errors, and let's look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

Problem 1: Xiaomi doesn’t see Honor through cable.

• 🔌 Check the cable (try another one).
• 🔄 Switch the mode. USB On Honor with Charging to Transfer Files.
• 📱 Reboot both devices.

Problem 2: Photos are transferred but not displayed in the Xiaomi Gallery.

• 🗃️ Check if the files are saved in the folder DCIM or Pictures.
• 🔄 Update the media base: Open the Gallery, pull down for an update or reboot the phone.
• 📂 Install a third-party gallery (such as Simple Gallery) to check out.

Problem 3: Slow transmission over Wi-Fi Direct.

• 📶 Move the devices closer together (within 1 meter).
• 🔋 Turn off the energy saving mode on both phones.
• 📵 Close background apps that consume the Internet (for example, YouTube or instant messengers).

Problem 4: Google Photos compresses photos.

• 📸 In Google Photos settings, select Original Quality (but remember it takes up space in your account).
• 💾 Use alternative clouds (such as Yandex Drive or Mega) that don’t compress files.

8 How to transfer photos from Honor to Xiaomi without loss of quality

To save the original resolution and metadata (date, geotags, shooting parameters), follow these guidelines:

File format:

• 📷 Save the photos in JPEG or HEIF (If Xiaomi supports).
• 🎞️ Avoid converting to WEBP or PNG (if transparency is not required).

Methods of transmission:

• 🔌 Cable USB — Ensures 100% data security.
• 🖥️ Computers are a reliable intermediary.
• ☁️ Cloud in original quality (Google Photos, Mega, Dropbox).

Post-transfer check:

• 🔍 Open a few photos on Xiaomi and zoom in on them – are there any compression artifacts?
• 📅 Check if the shooting dates are saved (in the Gallery or through the gallery) EXIF Viewer).

Critical information: if you transfer photos in format HEIC/HEIF (Used by the new Honor, install the app on Xiaomi HEIF Viewer from Google Play, as well as MIUI The default may not support this format.

Frequently asked questions