How to transfer photos from Honor to Xiaomi: from cable to cloud

The move from Honor to Xiaomi is not only about changing the ecosystem, but also about the need to move 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 5 reliable ways to move pictures between devices of these brands – from the classic to the traditional. USB-Cables to modern cloud services.

In this article, we will look at each method in detail, from preparing devices to solving possible problems, and focus on speed, quality, and compatibility with different models, whether it’s the Honor. Magic5 Pro or Xiaomi Redmi Note 12. you will also learn which method is optimal for transferring 100+ GB photo without loss EXIF-data (dates, geotags, survey parameters).

Before you start, check two key points: free space on the target Xiaomi (photos take up as much as they weigh) and battery power of both smartphones (for long-term operations, it is recommended to use the same amount of space on the target Xiaomi. ≥If you plan to use the cloud, make sure that both devices have stable Wi-Fi or mobile Internet with unlimited traffic.

1. Transfer through USB-cable (the fastest way)

Type-C – Type-C (or Type-C) cable — USB-A It's the most reliable method for transferring large amounts of data, and it can be as fast as 40 to 60 MB/s (depending on the version). USB And the quality of the cable, which is 5 to 10 times faster than wireless alternatives, is suitable for carrying several hundred gigabytes of photo and video without compression.

You'll need:

• 🔌 Cable with support USB OTG (Best Original from Xiaomi or Honor)
• 📱 Xiaomi with unlocked screen (to confirm connection)
• 🔋 Charge. ≥30% on both devices (in case of long-term transmission)

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Honor to Xiaomi with a cable. On the Honor screen, select File Transfer Mode (MTP).
2. On Xiaomi, open the notification USB-Connect and also select File Transfer.
3. Run Explorer on Xiaomi, find a folder DCIM Pictures on the connected Honor.
4. Select the photos you want (hold your finger for multiple selection) and click Copy.
5. Go back to the Xiaomi root folder, select Internal Memory → DCIM → Camera and paste files.

File system formatting (FAT32 does not support files >4GB)|Cable speed (USB 3.0 blue)|Power saving on both phones|Checking the integrity of files after copying-->

If Xiaomi doesn't see Honor:

• 🔄 Reconnect the cable by changing the port to Xiaomi (if you use a hub).
• 🔧 Turn on the debugging. USB On Honor: Settings → The phone. → Assembly number (shackle 7 times) → Go back to Settings → System system → For developers → Debugging by USB.
• 📱 Install File Manager on Xiaomi+ (It works better with MTP-protocol).

⚠️ Warning: Do not remove the cable during transmission - this can damage the file system on Honor.If the process is stalled, first safely disconnect the device through the notification panel, then physically disconnect the cable.

2. Wireless transmission via Mi Mover (official solution from Xiaomi)

Mi Mover is a Xiaomi-branded tool originally designed to migrate data between the brand’s devices, but it also supports third-party Android 5.0 smartphones.+, The main advantage is to maintain folder structure and automatic multimedia recognition.

Limitations of the method:

• ⏳ Speed depends on Wi-Fi (average 5-15 MB/s).
• 📶 You need a shared network (or an access point on one of your phones).
• 📁 Not all Honor models are correctly displayed in the list of devices.

How to use:

1. Download Mi Mover on both phones from Google Play (on Honor) and the App Store (on Xiaomi).
2. On Xiaomi, select Me New User, on Honor, Send Data.
3. Scan it. QR-code from the screen Xiaomi camera Honor.
4. Select Photos from the data list to be transmitted and confirm the beginning.

3. Cloud Services: Google Photos vs Huawei Cloud vs Xiaomi Cloud

Cloud storage is convenient for transferring photos if you have a slow one. USB-There are some nuances: some services compress images (e.g. Google Photos in High Quality mode), while others may limit download speeds.

Let’s compare three popular options:

Google Photos Step-by-step (recommended for most users):

1. On Honor, set up Google Photos and log in to your account.
2. In the application settings, select Backup and Synchronization → High quality (free) or original quality (15 GB credit).
3. Wait for the download to be completed (can be tracked to the Library) → Utilities. → Status of backup).
4. On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account, open Google Photos and download photos through Photos → Choose. → Download.

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If you need to transfer the photo in original quality, but there is not enough space in Google Drive, use a temporary Proton Drive account (free 5 GB without compression) or Mega (20 GB for new users).

For Huawei Cloud (relevant if your Huawei account was linked to Honor) ID):

• 📁 Open the gallery. → Albums. → Cloud on Honor.
• 🔄 Select a photo and click Sync.
• 📱 On Xiaomi, install Huawei Mobile Cloud, log in to the same account and download files.

⚠️ Note: When using Huawei Cloud on Xiaomi, some photos can be displayed without the need to use the Huawei Cloud EXIF-To avoid this, download archived: Settings → Export of data → Download everything.

4. Computer transmission (for large archives)

If you're over 100GB and the cloud or Mi Mover can't handle it, you might want to use a PC or Mac as a middleman, and this is also useful if you want to sort your photo before a penos or back up your hard drive.

It will require:

• 💻 Computer with Windows 10+ macOS.
• 🔌 Two. USB-cable (or one with a hub).
• 📁 ~20% free disk space (for temporary files).

Instructions for Windows:

1. Connect Honor to PC, select File Transfer Mode (MTP).
2. Open This Computer, Find Honor Device, and Copy Folders DCIM and Pictures on disc D: (or other non-systemic).
3. Disable Honor, connect Xiaomi and transfer files in reverse order.
4. Check the integrity of the data with HxD (for advanced ones) or compare folder sizes.

For macOS:

• 🍎 Install Android File Transfer (official software from Google).
• 📁 Connect Honor, allow access to files and copy the photo to a folder on your Mac.
• 🔄 Repeat the action for Xiaomi, but in the opposite direction.

Through USB-cable|Wi-Fi (Mi Mover, Shareit)|Through the Cloud (Google Photos, Huawei Cloud)|Through the computer|Another option-->

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ Ability to convert formats (e.g, HEIC into JPG) before the feather.
• ✅ Backup to an external storage device.
• ✅ It works even with corrupted files (can be restored via PhotoRec).

5. Applications for file transfer (SHAREit, Xender, Snapdrop)

Third-party applications like SHAREit or Xender advertise “instant transfer” of files, but in practice they rarely exceed 10 MB/s and stability leaves much to be desired, but they can help if there is no cable or computer at hand.

Best options:

• 📲 SHAREit – Supports folder transfer but displays ads.
• 🌐 Snapdrop – web service (does not require installation), works through the browser.
• 🔗 LocalSend – open source, no advertising, encryption TLS.

How to transfer photos to LocalSend:

1. Install the app on both phones from Google Play or the official website.
2. On Honor, select Send, on Xiaomi, Receive.
3. Scan it. QR-code or select the device manually.
4. Select a photo in the Honor Gallery and confirm the shipment.

⚠️ Note: Apps like SHAREit can request access to Contacts and Locations — this is not necessary for file transfer.

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For maximum speed, turn off traffic savings in Wi-Fi settings on both phones before using wireless apps.

6. Memory card transfer (for microSD-enabled devices)

If your Honor and Xiaomi support microSD (e.g. Honor) X8a Xiaomi Redmi Note 11, you can use the memory card as an intermediary, this method is independent of the Internet and is suitable for transferring raw files (RAW) lossless.

Step-by-step algorithm:

1. Insert microSD in Honor, format it (if new) in exFAT (supports files) >4GB).
2. In the gallery, select a photo. → Exports → Memory card.
3. Wait for the copy to be completed, safely extract the card (Settings) → Warehouse → Extract SD-map).
4. Insert the map in Xiaomi and import photos through the Gallery → Imports.

Important nuances:

• 🔄 If Xiaomi doesn’t see files on the map, check the format (should be exFAT or even a file file). FAT32).
• 📸 For RAW-file (.ARW,.DNG) Use only exFAT.
• 🔋 Avoid cheap memory cards – they can “lose” files with a lot of data.

7. Solving problems: what to do if the photos are not transferred

Even if you follow the instructions, you can get errors, and let's look at the typical scenarios and how to fix them.

If the photos are transferred but not displayed in the gallery on Xiaomi:

• 🔄 Restart your phone – sometimes the media scanner doesn’t update the database right away.
• 📂 Check the folder. DCIM/.thumbnails — If it is damaged, the gallery will not show a miniature.
• 🛠️ Install an alternative gallery, such as Simple Gallery or A.+ Gallery.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions