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

Moving from Honor to Xiaomi is not just about changing your brand, but also migrating all the important data: contacts, photos, messages, and even app settings. Many users fear this process, considering it difficult or risky. In fact, transferring data between Android devices has become much easier thanks to built-in tools and cloud services. However, there are nuances: some methods do not work with all models, and certain types of data (for example, notes or call history) require a special approach.

In this article, we will discuss 5 current ways to transfer – from the official Mi Mover app to manual copying via PC – how to avoid data loss, what formats are supported, and what to do if standard methods do not work. We will focus on compatibility between EMUI (Honor) and MIUI (Xiaomi), and also reveal little-known tricks for transferring Wi-Fi passwords and data from instant messengers.

Before you start, check out two key points:

1. Both smartphones should have at least 30% battery life – transfers can take up to 1 hour.
2. Connect both devices to the same 5GHz Wi-Fi network (if you use wireless method) – this will speed up the process by 2-3 times.

1.Official way: Mi Mover app from Xiaomi

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary tool for migrating data from other Android devices, which supports transferring contacts, messages, photos, videos, audio, calendars, and even some app settings, with the main advantage of not requiring root rights and working directly between phones via Wi-Fi Direct.

How to use:

1. Download Mi Mover on both devices: 📱 On Xiaomi: the app is preinstalled (find through the menu search). 📱 On Honor: download from APKCombo (official source).

Xiaomi

I'm a new user.

Honor

Send data

Xiaomi

Honor

Select data types to transfer and wait for completion.

⚠️ Warning: If Honor is running EMUI 12+, you may need to temporarily disable "Personal Data Protection" in settings (Settings → Privacy → Special Access → Data Transfer).

The speed of the transfer depends on the amount of data:

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If the Mi Mover is stuck in the connection phase, restart Wi-Fi on both devices and try again. Sometimes switching to a mobile hotspot with Xiaomi helps (turn on "Access Point" in the settings).

2.The alternative from Huawei: Phone Clone app

If Mi Mover doesn’t work (for example, because of incompatibility of Android versions), try Huawei’s Phone Clone, which was originally designed to transfer data to Huawei/Honor devices, but also does the opposite of migrating from Honor to other brands.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 Supports more data types than Mi Mover (including call history and some system settings).
• 🛡️ Works even on Honor from EMUI 9–11, where Mi Mover can be locked.
• 📶 Uses a direct Wi-Fi connection (without cloud) to speed up the process.

Step-by-step:

1. Install Phone Clone on both phones: 📱 Xiaomi: download from AppGallery or the official website. 📱 Honor: the app is preinstalled (find through search).

Xiaomi

It's a new phone.

Honor

It's an old phone.

Scan the QR- code or connect via PIN.

The Phone Clone allows you to transfer Wi-Fi passwords, a feature that is not available in the Mi Mover.

⚠️ Warning: If Xiaomi is running MIUI 14+, it may be necessary to reboot the device after the transfer to correctly display contacts in the Phone app.

Turn it off. VPN both-device|

Close all background apps (especially messengers) |

Connect both phones to charge |

Make sure that Xiaomi has enough space (the data is the same as Honor)-->

3.Cloud portability: Google Drive and Huawei Cloud

If direct transfer between phones fails, use cloud services. This is universal, but it takes more time and free space in the cloud. Consider two options: Google Drive (for contacts, photos, documents) and Huawei Cloud (for data backup with Honor).

Method 1: Google Drive (for contacts, photos, notes)

1. On Honor, open "Settings → System → Backup" and select "Google Drive Backup".
2. Select your Google account and data types (contacts, calendars, photos via Google Photos).
3. On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account and wait for sync (can take up to 24 hours for larger volumes).

Method 2: Huawei Cloud (for full backup)

• 🔗 Go to Honor Settings → Cloud → Backup.
• 📁 Select Data Backup and wait until it is completed (up to 10GB of free cloud space may be required).
• 📥 On Xiaomi, install the Huawei Mobile Services app and sign in to the same Huawei account ID.
• 🔄 Restore data via "Restore from backup".

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ Google Drive does not carry SMS messages and call history.
• ❌ Huawei Cloud may not restore some of the app settings on Xiaomi due to firmware differences.
• ⏳ Speed depends on internet speed — with a slow connection, the process stretches for hours.

4. Manual transfer via computer (for large amounts of data)

If you have more than 50 GB of data or an unstable Internet connection, manual copying via PC is the most reliable way, you will need a USB- cable (preferably original) and free space on the hard drive.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Honor to your PC via USB, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy the folders you want from internal memory: 📂 DCIM for photos and videos. 📂 Downloads for downloaded files. 📂 Pictures, Music, Movies for media files. 📂 Android/data for application data (requires root for full access).

Xiaomi

contact SMS

Manual transfer of contacts:

1. On Honor, export contacts: Open Contacts → Management → Import/Export → Export to.vcf. Copy the file to PC.
2. On Xiaomi, import contacts: Open Contacts →⋮→ Settings → Import/Export"→ select the.vcf file.

SMS portability:

Messages will require a third-party application, such as SMS Backup & Restore:

1. Install the app on Honor, make a backup (.xml file).
2. Transfer the file to Xiaomi and restore the messages through the same app.

⚠️ Warning: When manually porting, don't copy the Android/obb folder - this can cause malfunctions in games and apps on Xiaomi.

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Manual transfer over a PC is the only way to guarantee that all data is saved without loss, including rare file formats, but it takes more time and technical skills.

5 Third Party Applications: SHAREit, Send Anywhere, Xender

If standard methods don't work, use popular file transfer applications that run over Wi-Fi Direct and don't require an internet connection. Consider the top -3 solutions:

1. SHAREit

• ⚡ Transfer speeds up to 20MB/s (faster than Bluetooth).
• 📁 Supports files of any type (including APK and archives).
• ❌ Does not tolerate contact and SMS media and documents only.

How to use:

1. Install Sharet on both phones.
2. On Honor, select “Send” and on Xiaomi, “Get”.
3. Connect via QR- code and select files.

2. Send Anywhere

• 🔐 Encryption of data during transmission.
• 📎 You can send files via 6-digit code (without QR).
• 📱 Works even on older versions of Android (4.4+).

3. Xender

• 🎮 Optimized for large file transfers (movies, games).
• 🔄 Supports group sending (up to 5 devices at a time).

⚠️ Warning: When using third-party apps, turn off battery optimization for them in settings (Settings → Apps → Permissions → Battery Optimization).

6. Data transfer from specific applications

Some applications (messaging apps, social networks, banking services) store data in closed formats, and they require special methods to transfer them:

📱 WhatsApp:

• Back up the chats on Honor in Settings → Chat → Backup.
• Move the WhatsApp/Databases folder to Xiaomi (via PC or cloud).
• Install WhatsApp on Xiaomi, log in to the same account and restore chats.

📱 Telegram:

• All chats and media are automatically synced to the Telegram cloud.
• Just log into your account on Xiaomi – the data will be downloaded by yourself.

📱 Viber:

• A backup copy is created in Settings → Account → Backup.
• Transfer the backup file to Xiaomi and restore it through the same menu.

💳 Banking applications (Sberbank, Tinkoff, etc.):

• 🔐 Don't manually transfer the data of banking applications! This may result in account locking.
• Uninstall the app on Honor, install it on Xiaomi and log in again.
• Exception: some banks (e.g. VTB) allow you to export your transaction history to PDF.

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For instant messengers and banking applications, always use official backup methods. Manual database transfer (e.g., via Titanium Backup) can disrupt applications on Xiaomi.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Problem 1: Mi Mover or Phone Clone can’t see the device.

Decision:

• Check that both phones have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled.
• Turn off the "Adaptive battery" in the settings (Settings → Battery → Adaptive battery).
• Reboot both devices.

Problem 2: The photos are not displayed in the Xiaomi Gallery.

Decision:

• Open the Gallery → "⋮ → Update."
• Check if files are hidden (the.nomedia folder can block the display).
• Move the files to the DCIM/Camera folder.

Problem 3: Contacts are duplicated after the transfer.

Decision:

• Open Contacts → "⋮ → Combine Contacts."
• Remove duplicates through "Settings → Remove duplicates".

Problem 4: Apps fly out after the transfer.

Decision:

• Remove and reinstall problematic apps through Google Play.
• Clear the cache in Settings → Apps → [App name] → Storage → Clear the cache.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions