How to transfer photos from Honor to Xiaomi: all ways with detailed instructions

Moving from Honor to Xiaomi is not just about changing your brand, it's also about moving your personal data, and photos are a big part of it. Even if you use cloud services, local file copying is still the most reliable way to save memories, but not everyone knows how to do it quickly and without loss of quality.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods for transferring photos from Honor to Xiaomi, from classic cable connection to modern wireless technologies. Each method has been tested on current models (2023-2026) and adapted to the features of the Magic UI and MIUI firmware. You will learn which option is the fastest, which retains the original resolution, and which will work if you do not have a computer at hand.

We will focus on the hidden MIUI settings that speed up data transfer via Direct Share, and avoid common mistakes — for example, why some photos may not appear in the Xiaomi gallery after copying. If you need to transfer not only photos, but also videos or documents, most of the methods in this article will work for them.

1. Transmission via OTG cable: the fastest way

Use of the USB-cable-backed OTG (On-The-Go is the best option if you need to transfer a large amount of photos (5 GB or more), transfer speeds up to 40-60 MB / s (depending on the version). USB), Most importantly, files are copied in original quality without compression.

For this method, you will need:

• 🔌 Cable OTG (Type-C → Type-C or Micro-USB → Type-C, depending on the connectors of your devices).
• 📱 Honor with unlocked screen and enabled File Transfer.
• 📱 Xiaomi has free space on internal memory or SD-map.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Honor to Xiaomi via OTG-On the Honor screen, select File Transfer Mode (MTP).
2. Xiaomi will open a notification USB-device is connected - tap it and select View files.
3. In MIUI Explorer, go to DCIM → Camera (or Pictures if the photos are saved elsewhere).
4. Select the files you want, click Copy, then go to Xiaomi memory and paste them.

Battery charge of both phones > 30% | Free space on Xiaomi (photos take ~3-5 MB each) | OTG cable supports data transfer (not only charging) | Developer mode is enabled on Honor (if you need advanced settings)

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⚠️ Note: If Xiaomi does not see Honor through OTG, check:

• 🔄 Reboot both devices and reconnect.
• 🔧 On Honor, go to Settings → System system → Developer mode and turn on Debugging by USB.
• 📱 Try another one. OTG-cable (some cheap cables only support charging).

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OTG-cable is the only way to transfer photos without loss of quality and without dependence on the speed of the Internet.

2. Wireless transmission via Mi Drop (formerly Mi Share)

Xiaomi offers its own solution for file sharing between devices, the Mi Drop app (formerly Mi Share), which uses Wi-Fi Direct technology, which allows you to transfer data at speeds up to 20 MB / s (in real conditions - about 10-15 MB / s), the main advantage is that you do not need to connect to the same Wi-Fi network.

How to transfer photos to Mi Drop:

1. Install Mi Drop on Honor (the app is available on Google Play).
2. Open Mi Drop on both phones and allow access to files and location.
3. On Honor, select Send, then click on the gallery photo. On Xiaomi, click Accept.

⚠️ Mi Drop may not see some Honor models due to Magic limitations UI. In this case:

• 🔄 Reboot both phones and try again.
• 📶 Enable Mobile Data on Xiaomi (sometimes this helps establish a connection).
• 🔧 Update Mi Drop to the latest version.

Through cable. OTG|Bluetooth.|Through the Cloud (Google Photos, Mi Cloud)|Special Applications (Mi Drop, ShareMe)|Another way.

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3. Cloud services: Google Photos vs Mi Cloud

If you have a slow internet or not OTG-Cables, cloud services are a good alternative, and the main advantage is automatic synchronization: photos are uploaded to a server with Honor and downloaded to Xiaomi without manual copying:

• 📸 Google Photos compresses images if you run out of space (only 15GB is free).
• ☁️ Mi Cloud offers 5GB for free, but may not support some formats (e.g., Mi Cloud, HEIC iPhone).
• 🔒 Both services require authorization and a stable Internet.

Comparison of services:

Instructions for Google Photos:

1. On Honor, set up Google Photos and log in to your account.
2. Enable Backup and Synchronization in the application settings.
3. Wait for the photo to load (you can speed up by connecting to Wi-Fi).
4. On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account – photos will appear automatically.

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If you only need to transfer a part of the photo, create a separate album in Google Photos and share it with the second account.

4.Bluetooth: When there are no other ways

Bluetooth transmission is the slowest method (speed ~1-2 MB/s), but it helps if there is no cable at hand and the Internet is not available.

How to transfer photos over Bluetooth:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on both phones (Settings → Connections → Bluetooth).
2. Make Xiaomi visible to other devices (Visibility or Device Search).
3. On Honor, find Xiaomi in the list of available devices and connect (may be required). PIN-code, usually 0000 or 1234).
4. In the Honor Gallery, select a photo, click Share → Bluetooth and select Xiaomi.
5. On Xiaomi, confirm the file acceptance.

⚠️ Note: When transmitting via Bluetooth:

• 📱 Photos saved to Bluetooth or Download folder on Xiaomi.
• 🔋 Battery charge will be consumed faster due to a constant connection.
• 🚫 Some Honor models limit the transfer of files larger than 10MB.

5. Transfer over computer (Windows/Mac)

If you have a PC or a laptop, you can use it as a middleman to transfer photos, which is useful if you want to sort files before copying or back up your hard drive.

Instructions for Windows:

1. Connect Honor to your computer via USB-cable and select File Transfer Mode.
2. Open This Computer → Find Honor and go to Internal Storage → DCIM → Camera.
3. Copy the photo to your desktop or in a separate folder.
4. Disable Honor, connect Xiaomi and transfer files to the Pictures or DCIM folder.

Macs will need to install Android File Transfer as macOS does not support MTP-default.

⚠️ Note: If the computer can't see Honor:

• 🔌 Try another one. USB-port (preferably) USB 3.0 blue).
• 🔧 Update drivers for Honor through the official website.
• 📱 Enable the Honor mode of debugging by USB (Settings → The phone. → Build Number – tap 7 times, then return to Settings → System system → Developer mode).

6. Special Applications: ShareMe, Xender and Others

If standard methods don’t work, third-party apps often support cross-platform transfer (including iOS) and offer additional features, such as call history or SMS.

Top.-3 photo-transfer applications:

Instructions for ShareMe:

1. Install ShareMe on both phones.
2. On Honor, select Send, on Xiaomi, Receive.
3. Scan it. QR-code from the Xiaomi screen or connect via Wi-Fi Direct.
4. Select a photo and confirm the transmission.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party applications:

• 🛡️ Check permissions: the application should not request access to the SMS or call.
• 🔄 If the transfer is interrupted, restart the application on both devices.
• 📡 To speed up, disable mobile data on both phones – this will reduce interference.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even when following the instructions, users encounter common errors, and we'll look at some of the most common ones.

Problem 1: Xiaomi doesn’t see a photo after copying it.

• 🔍 Check the folder. DCIM/.thumbnails — sometimes hidden.
• 🔄 Reboot Xiaomi or update the gallery through Settings → Annexes → gallery → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
• 📁 Move the photo to the Pictures folder - some versions MIUI They only scan her.

Problem 2: Photos are transmitted, but without EXIF-data (dates, geolocations).

• 📅 Google Photos – it saves metadata.
• 🔧 When copying through a computer, make sure that the files are not converted (e.g. from a computer). HEIC into JPEG).

Problem 3: Slow transmission over Wi-Fi Direct.

• 📶 Move the phones closer together (within 1 meter).
• 🔌 Disconnect other devices from Wi-Fi to reduce interference.
• 🔄 Reboot Mi Drop or ShareMe.

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If the photos are not displayed in the Xiaomi gallery but are physically copied, use a file manager (such as Files by Google) to search for files.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions