How to transfer photos from Xiaomi to Huawei: everything from cable to cloud services

Moving from Xiaomi to Huawei is not just about changing the ecosystem, it's also about moving personal data. Photos are often the most valuable part of that data: they take up a lot of space, store important memories, and require careful handling. Unlike contacts or notes that can be synchronized through accounts, media files have to be hand-transmitted.

In this article, we will analyze 5 working ways to transfer photos from Xiaomi to Huawei – from the classic one. USB-Each method has its pros and cons: you will gain in time and reliability somewhere, and we will also point to the hidden pitfalls that manufacturers are silent about: Why some photos may not open on a new phone, how to avoid quality loss, and what to do if the transfer suddenly interrupts.

Special attention will be paid to format compatibility: Huawei by default supports HEIF (Photos in.heic format, while Xiaomi saves photos in the most JPEG. We’ll see if you need to convert files before the perenosom and how to do it without losing details. If you’re moving from a model older than 2020 (like the Redmi Note 8 Pro or Mi 9), keep in mind that older versions are not available. MIUI They may not support modern transmission protocols, we will talk about this too.

1.Photo transfer via USB-cable: fast and without internet

The most reliable way to transmit is to connect smartphones directly via cable, which works even without access to the network, retains original image quality and is suitable for large volumes (tens of gigabytes). Not all cables support data transfer (especially cheap charging cables), and some Huawei models require additional settings to recognize Xiaomi as a “cooler” cable. USB-storage.

You'll need a cable with connectors. USB-C At both ends (or an adapter if one of the Micro-USB phones has one). It is better to use branded accessories, such as a cable from the Huawei kit. P60 Pro or Xiaomi 13 Ultra — they are guaranteed to support high-speed transmission. Avoid cheap "no-name" wires: they often limit the speed to the speed of the device. USB 2.0 (480 Mbps) and transferring 50 GB of photo will take hours instead of minutes.

• 🔌 Connect Xiaomi to Huawei via cable. On the Xiaomi screen, select File Transfer Mode (not Charge").
• 📁 On Huawei, open a notification USB-Connect and select File Transfer or MTP.
• 🖼️ Go to the File Manager on Huawei, find the folder DCIM Or Pictures on the connected Xiaomi and copy the desired photos.
• ⏳ Wait until you finish copying. Don't turn off the cable until you see a notification of completion.

⚠️ Warning: If Huawei doesn't see Xiaomi as a drive, check the developer settings. on Xiaomi go to Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI, Tap 7 times according to version, then return to Settings → Additionally. → For developers and enable debugging by USB. Huawei may need to activate the option to Transfer files by USB menu → Developer mode.

Make sure the cable supports data transfer (not just charging)

Enable File Transfer on both phones

Charge both devices by at least 30% (long-duration transmission drains the battery)

Free up space on Huawei (photos take up a lot of memory)

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Transfer speed depends on the version USB and the quality of the cable:

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If the transmission is interrupted, don’t turn off the cable immediately. wait until the system completes the current operation (the activity indicator in the status bar), otherwise the files may get corrupted.

2.Cloud services: Google Photos, Huawei Cloud and Mi Cloud

Cloud storage is convenient because it doesn't require a physical connection to your phones, so you upload photos from Xiaomi to the cloud and then download them to Huawei. The main advantage is automatic synchronization: if you've already used Google Photos or Mi Cloud, your pictures can be stored there. But there are also downsides: volume limits (usually 5-15 GB for free), possible loss of quality during compression, and dependence on Internet speed.

Let’s look at three popular services:

• 🌐 Google Photos: Free offers 15GB (together with Google Drive) Photos in "High Quality" are compressed to 16MP, in "Original Quality" - stored unchanged (but take up a quota) Suitable if you already have a Google account.
• ☁️ Huawei Cloud: Gives 5GB for free but integrated with Huawei ecosystem. ID On a new phone, the photo can be downloaded directly to the gallery.
• ⚡ Mi Cloud: 5GB is free, but it’s for Xiaomi. To download a photo on Huawei, you’ll have to use the web version (i.mi.com) or the Mi Mover app (but it doesn’t always work consistently on other devices).

Step-by-step instructions for Google Photos:

1. On Xiaomi, install the Google Photos app (if not installed).
2. Open the app, log in to your Google account and enable Backup and Sync.
3. Select the download quality: Original (retains original resolution) or High (compression up to 16 MP).
4. Wait for the download to be completed (you can monitor the progress in the notifications).
5. On Huawei, install Google Photos, log in to the same account and download the photo to the gallery.

⚠️ Note: If you choose High Quality in Google Photos, photos with a resolution above 16 MP (e.g., with Xiaomi 13 Pro with a 50MP sensor) will be reduced.To avoid losing details, use Original Quality, but note that it takes up space in the cloud. Alternatively, upload a photo to Google Drive as ZIP-archive (without compression).

Google Photo

Huawei Cloud

Mi Cloud

Yandex.Disk.

iCloud

Other

I don't use clouds.-->

3. Wireless transmission over Wi-Fi Direct or Bluetooth

If you don't have a cable or access to the cloud, you can transfer photos wirelessly. Wi-Fi Direct is faster (up to 250 Mbps), but less stable, and Bluetooth is more reliable, but limited by speed. ~2–3 Mbps This method is suitable for transferring a small number of images (up to 1-2 GB), otherwise the process will take too long.

Xiaomi and Huawei have built-in wireless transmission tools:

• 📶 Wi-Fi Direct: Creates a direct network between devices. On Xiaomi, the path: Settings → Connection and sharing → Wi-Fi Direct. On Huawei: Settings → Devices → Wi-Fi Direct.
• 🔵 Bluetooth: Universal, but slower. Included in Settings → Bluetooth on both phones.
• 🤝 Fast transfer (to Huawei): Huawei Share (formerly Huawei Beam) allows you to send files to compatible devices. Xiaomi's Mi Share analogue is (but it doesn't always work with Huawei).

Instructions for Wi-Fi Direct:

1. On Xiaomi, open Settings → Wi-Fi Direct and enable the function.
2. On Huawei, do the same and select Xiaomi from the list of available devices.
3. Confirm the connection on both phones (entry may be required) PIN-code).
4. On Xiaomi, open a gallery, select a photo, click Share → Wi-Fi Direct and choose Huawei.
5. Accept files to Huawei in the incoming transfer notification.

Bluetooth is similar, but it's 50 to 100 times slower, so you can transfer 100 photos of 5 MB each. ~It works for 20 to 30 minutes, even without the Internet, and it doesn't require any additional settings.

4. Special applications for data transmission

If standard methods don't work, you can use third-party applications, which often offer additional features like lossless compression, automatic sorting by album or transfer over the local network (without the cloud), and we tested some popular solutions and selected the best ones:

Send Anywhere or LocalSend is the fastest and doesn't impose ads.

1. Install the app on both phones from Google Play or AppGallery.
2. On Xiaomi, select a photo in the gallery, click Share → Send Anywhere.
3. Create a 6-digit code or QR-code.
4. On Huawei, enter this code in the app or scan it. QR.
5. Confirm receipt of files.

⚠️ Note: Applications like SHAREit and Xender often collect user data (including a file list). If you care about privacy, use LocalSend, which is open source and doesn't send information to servers. → Applications: they must not have access to contacts or SMS.

5. Computer Transfer: Reliable but Longer

If you have a laptop or a PC, you can use it as a middleman, and this is a good way to transfer large volumes (hundreds of gigabytes) or if you want to sort a photo before a perenosom, minus the extra device and the time to copy.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows, macOS or Linux.
• 🔌 Two. USB-cable (or one if you copy it in turn).
• 📂 Enough free space on the hard disk (photos will be temporarily stored on the PC).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your computer via USB, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy photos from folders DCIM, Pictures or MIUI/Camera to a hard disk (for example, in a folder) D:\Xiaomi_Photos).
3. Disable Xiaomi, connect Huawei and turn on mode MTP.
4. Copy photos from your computer to Huawei (into a folder) DCIM/Camera or Pictures).
5. Check the integrity of your files: Open a few photos in the Huawei Gallery.

The advantage of this method is that you can edit before the penosom, for example, you can:

• 🗑️ Remove duplicates with Duplicate Cleaner or CCleaner.
• 📊 Sort your photos by date or album (for example, in FastStone Image Viewer).
• 🔄 convert HEIC into JPEG (If Huawei does not open files).

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Use a computer if you want to not only transfer but also edit a photo, which is the only method where you can view the full-size images before copying.

6.Problems in transfer and how to solve them

Even if you choose a reliable method, you can have problems.

Critical information: If you transfer photos from Xiaomi to Huawei via Mi Mover (built-in migration app), check that the app version on both phones is compatible. For example, Mi Mover 3.0 does not work with Huawei on the mobile phone. EMUI 12+ Because of changes in the data exchange protocol, in which case, use alternative methods.

If the photos appear blurred or with artifacts after transfer, the reason may be:

• 🔍 Automatic compression in cloud services (e.g. Google Photos in High Quality mode").
• 📏 Color profile mismatch: Xiaomi often uses sRGB profile, and Huawei — DCIP3. This can lead to a change in color reproduction.
• 🔄 Format Conversion: When transmitted through some apps (like WhatsApp), photos are compressed to 1,600 pixels on the long side.

7. Optimize photo storage on the new Huawei

After a successful transfer, you should set up photo storage on Huawei to avoid problems in the future.

• 📁 Divide photos by album: You can create folders on events (for example, "Vacation 2023", "Birthday") in the Huawei gallery.
• ☁️ Set up automatic backup: Enable sync with Huawei Cloud or Google Photos to avoid losing your photos when you reset your phone.
• 🗃️ Use it. SD-If you have a memory card slot on Huawei (like the Huawei Nova 10 or Mate 50), move some of the photo there to free up internal memory.
• 🔍 Clean up duplicates: Apps like Files by Google or CCleaner can help you find and remove duplicate images.

To save space, you can enable optimized storage in Google Photos:

1. Open Google Photos on Huawei.
2. Go to Settings. → Make room.
3. The app will offer to delete local copies of photos that are already uploaded to the cloud (they will remain available for viewing, but will not take up memory).

⚠️ Note: If you use Huawei Cloud for backup, please note that when you delete photos from your phone, they are automatically deleted from the cloud (if sync is enabled.

FAQ: Frequent questions about transferring photos from Xiaomi to Huawei