How to transfer data from Honor to Xiaomi Redmi: 5 proven ways

Moving from Honor to Xiaomi Redmi is not just about changing your brand, but also migrating all your data, from contacts and photos to your message history and app settings. Many users fear this process as complex or risky, but in fact, it can take only 15 to 30 minutes to transfer information if you know the right tools and sequences.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to transfer data, from the official Mi Mover solution to manual copying through the cloud, you will learn what method is suitable for your case (for example, if you do not have access to Wi-Fi or an old phone does not support modern protocols), as well as how to avoid typical errors that cause files to be lost or contacts to be duplicated.

Important: the procedure differs depending on the Redmi model (for example, the Redmi Note 12 and Redmi 10C have different versions of MIUI) and the version of the Honor firmware (before or after the separation with Huawei).

1. Preparation of telephones before data transfer

Before you start migrating, you need to follow several critical steps on both devices, and skipping any of them can lead to data loss, incomplete transfer or malfunction of the new smartphone.

On Honor:

• 🔋 Charge your phone to at least 50% – transfer can take up to an hour if there is a lot of data.
• 📱 Update your firmware to the latest version through Settings → System system → Software updates. On older versions. EMUI (up to 10.0) may not have the necessary transmission protocols.
• 🗃️ Free up space: delete unnecessary files (cache, duplicate photos) and transfer via cable will require at least 1 GB of free space on both devices.
• 🔒 Turn off the screen lock (PIN, pattern lock – some transfer methods require unlocked access.

On Xiaomi Redmi:

• 📦 If the phone is new, do not configure it after the first turn on – wait for the data transfer stage (it will appear in the setup wizard).
• 🌐 Connect to Wi-Fi with unlimited traffic (if you plan to use cloud services).
• 🔄 Check the version. MIUI In Settings → The phone. The Mi Mover requires MIUI 10 or newer.

⚠️ Note: If data encryption is enabled on Honor (in Settings) → Security, some portability techniques may not work.In this case, use a cloud backup via Google Drive or Huawei Cloud.

2. Method 1: Mi Mover – official solution from Xiaomi

Mi Mover is an application built into MIUI to migrate data from other Android devices, which supports transferring contacts, messages, photos, videos, music, notes and even some application settings, the main advantage is that it does not require Internet (works on Wi-Fi Direct) and retains the folder structure.

How to use:

1. On Xiaomi Redmi, run Mi Mover (you can find it in the app menu or search).
2. Select "I receive data."
3. On Honor, install Mi Mover from Google Play (if it’s not in your area, download APK from APKCombo).
4. Launch the app on Honor and select "I send data."
5. On both phones, confirm the connection via QR-code.
6. Select data types to transfer and wait for completion.

⚠️ Note: If you have Magic on Honor UI (New models after 2020, Mi Mover may not see the device, in which case use "No Limits" mode in the Wi-Fi Direct settings on Honor.

Install Mi Mover on Honor|Charge both phones >50%|Connect to a single Wi-Fi network (optional)|Shut down. VPN both-device|Free up 1-2 GB of space on Redmi-->

3. Method 2: Transfer through a Google account (for contacts, calendar, mail)

If you only need to migrate contacts, calendar events, email, and some settings, the most reliable way is to sync through a Google account, which works even if you don’t have physical access to your old phone (for example, it broke), but was previously linked to Google.

Instructions:

1. On Honor, go to Settings → Accounts → Google and enable sync for Contacts, Calendar and other relevant data.
2. Wait for the sync to complete (check in Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync).
3. On Xiaomi Redmi, when you first turn on, log in to the same Google account or add it to Settings → Accounts.
4. Turn on synchronization – the data will automatically be downloaded to the new device.

To transfer photos and videos via Google:

• 📸 Install Google Photos on Honor and enable autoload in the settings.
• 🖼️ Wait for all media files to be uploaded to the cloud (check in the web version of photos.google.com).
• 📱 On Redmi, install Google Photos and log in to the same account – files will start downloading automatically.

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If you have a lot of photos (over 10GB), use Google One with a 100GB (139GB) tariff. ₽/After the transfer, the subscription can be canceled and the files will remain on the device.

Method 3: Transfer over OTG cable (for large data volumes)

If you have tens of gigabytes of photos, videos or music and Wi-Fi is unstable, the best option is to transfer directly via an OTG cable (or a USB-C to USB-C adapter if you have a Honor Type-C connector), a method that is 3-5 times faster than cloud solutions and does not depend on Internet speed.

What you need:

• 🔌 Cable OTG (Adapter or Adapter – Check compatibility with your models.
• 📁 File Manager on Xiaomi (e.g., standard Files or Solid Explorer).
• ⚡ Sufficient battery charge (we recommend connecting to charging during transfer).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Honor to Redmi via OTG cable.
2. On Xiaomi, select File Transfer (MTP) mode in the notification panel.
3. Open the file manager on Redmi – in the Devices section, the Honor internal memory folder will appear.
4. Copy the files you want (usually folders) DCIM, Download, Pictures, or Inner Memory SD-map.
5. To transfer contacts, export them to the.vcf file on Honor (there is an export option in the Contacts app), then copy this file to Redmi and import.

⚠️ Note: Do not copy the entire Android folder, as this can lead to conflicts in the work of applications on Redmi.

Method 4: Transfer applications and their data (with preservation of progress)

Standard transfer methods (including Mi Mover) are only copied. APK-So if you migrate WhatsApp, for example, the chat history will stay on the old phone, and you need to use specialized tools to save settings, game progress and messages.

For most applications, the following algorithm is suitable:

• 🔄 Account Sync: Many apps (e.g. Telegram, Viber, Google Chrome) store data in the cloud. Just log in to the same Redmi account.
• 📦 Backup: For WhatsApp, make a backup in Settings → chat → Backup copy, then transfer the folder /sdcard/WhatsApp Restore your phone from your local backup.
• 🎮 Use Google Play Games to save progress or tools like Helium (requires root rights).

A critical nuance: DRM-enabled applications (such as banking or some games) may not work after porting, but will have to be reinstalled from official sources (Google Play or the bank’s website).

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To migrate your applications, always check if they support cloud sync, and if they don’t, use local backups or specialized tools like Swift Backup.

6. Method 5: Move over Huawei Cloud (for older Honor models)

If your HonorReleased is up to 2020 (e.g. Honor 8X, Honor 10 Lite), it’s likely running on Huawei Cloud-enabled EMUI, which allows you to create a full data backup and then restore it to Xiaomi, but with some limitations.

How it works:

1. On Honor, go to Settings → Huawei ID → Cloud.
2. Enable backup for the desired categories (contacts, messages, photos, etc.).
3. Wait until the backup is completed (may take a few hours).
4. On Xiaomi Redmi, open your browser and go to cloud.huawei.com, log in to your Huawei ID.
5. Download the archives of data to your computer, then transfer them to Redmi via cable.

Limitations of the method:

• 🚫 Applications and their data are not portable.
• 📥 Photos and videos are downloaded in ZIP-Archives – They need to be hand-packed.
• 🔒 If you have two-factor authentication in Huawei ID, may be required SMS-confirmation.

7.Typical mistakes and how to avoid them

Even when following instructions, users often experience problems with data transfer, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to solve them:

Problem 1: Mi Mover doesn't see Honor.

• 🔄 Reboot both phones.
• 📶 Connect to a single Wi-Fi network (even if you use Wi-Fi Direct).
• 🔧 On Honor in the Wi-Fi settings, turn on "WLAN Direct".

Problem 2: Not all contacts are transferred.

• 📇 Check if your contacts are synced to your Google account on Honor.
• 🔍 On Redmi in the Contacts app, click Settings → Imports/Exports → Show contacts and select the display of all accounts.

Problem 3: Photos and videos take up too much space on Redmi.

• 🖼️ Use Google Photos with the “High Quality” setting (unoriginal size) – this will save up to 70% of the space.
• 🗑️ After the transfer, remove duplicates using the Files by Google app (there is a cleanup feature).

⚠️ Note: If some files are missing after transferring to Redmi, check the folder /storage/emulated/0/MiMover — Sometimes the data is copied there temporarily and not deleted after the process is complete.

8. Comparison of transfer methods: which one to choose?

The choice of method depends on the amount of data, the availability of the Internet and the models of phones, and in the table below, compare all methods with their pros and cons.

Selection recommendations:

• 📱 If you have a new Redmi and Honor EMUI/Magic UI → Use the Mi Mover.
• 🌐 If you have stable Wi-Fi and little data → Google account + Google Photo.
• 🔌 If you need to move tens of gigabytes → cable OTG.
• 🎮 If it is important to save data of games and messengers → Combine Mi Mover + hand-carrying.

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For most users, the best option is Mi Mover for basic data + manual transfer of backups of critical applications (WhatsApp, games).

FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer