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

Switching from Honor to Xiaomi is not just about changing your brand, it's also about migrating all your data: contacts, photos, messages, even app settings. Many users fear this process as complex or risky, but in fact, modern tools make it almost automatic to move information, and the main thing is to choose the right method and follow the proven steps.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to migrate data from Honor to Xiaomi, from standard MIUI features to third-party apps, and how to avoid typical errors. Whether you’re switching from Honor 90 to Xiaomi 14 or Honor Magic V2 to Redmi Note 13 Pro+, the instructions will work for any model. Importantly, some methods require pre-preparedness, so read carefully!

1. Preparation of telephones before data transfer

Before you start migrating, make sure both devices are ready for the process, which will save you from crashes and data loss.

On Honor's phone:

• 🔋 Charge the battery to at least 50% – transfer can take up to 30 minutes.
• 📶 Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network (mobile internet is not recommended due to traffic restrictions).
• 🔒 Make sure there is no lock from the manufacturer on the device (for example, if the phone is tied to a Huawei account). ID).
• 🗑️ Clear unnecessary files (cache, duplicate photos) to speed up the process.

On Xiaomi's phone:

• 📱 If the device is new – do not configure it after the first turn on, wait for the suggestion to transfer data.
• 🔄 Update. MIUI Up to the latest version through Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 📂 Check the vacant space: it may be necessary to transfer 10-15 GB of time space.

⚠️ Warning: If data encryption is enabled on Honor (in the security settings), disable it in advance. Otherwise, some files may not be transferred or will be corrupted.

Method 2: Transfer through the built-in MIUI (Mi Mover) function

Mi Mover is the official application from Xiaomi, which allows you to transfer data from Android devices (including Honor) to smartphones with MIUI.

Step-by-step:

1. On Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select Data Transfer. If your phone is already configured, download Mi Mover from Google Play.
2. On Honor, install the Mi Mover app (available in APKMirror, as AppGallery does not have one).
3. Run the app on both phones and select I give to Honor and I accept to Xiaomi.
4. Scan it. QR-code from Xiaomi screen to Honor or connect via the Wi-Fi hotspot created by Xiaomi.
5. Select data types for transfer (contacts, messages, photos, videos, applications) and confirm the beginning of the process.

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

• 📎 Do 5 GB — ~10-15 minute.
• 📎 5-20 GB — ~20-40 minute.
• 📎 More than 20 GB – Cable is recommended OTG (see method 3).

Both phones are over 50% charged.

Xiaomi has enough free space

Data encryption disabled on Honor

The latest versions of the Mi Mover are installed

Connection via Wi-Fi (not mobile internet)-->

⚠️ If the transfer is interrupted, do not try to start it again immediately - wait. 5-10 Re-start before the connection is completely reset may result in duplicate files.

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

If you only need to migrate contacts, calendar events, notes and email, the most reliable way is to sync through Google Account, which is not suitable for photos, videos or apps, but guarantees 100% security of the underlying data.

How to move:

1. On Honor, go to Settings → Accounts → Google and enable sync for all the right categories.
2. Wait for the sync to complete (check in Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Management → Sync).
3. On Xiaomi, add the same Google Account through Settings → Accounts and Sync → Add an account.
4. Turn on sync and wait for the data to load (it can take up to 10 minutes).

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ No need for additional applications.
• ✅ Data is automatically updated when changes are made.
• ✅ It works even if Honor is already dropped or unavailable.

💡

If contacts are not synced, check if they are duplicated in Huawei or Honor accounts. Remove duplicates through Contacts → Manage → Combine and fix.

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

If you have tens of gigabytes of photos, videos or music, the fastest way is to transfer directly through an OTG cable (or USB-C to USB-C adapter), which is 3-5 times faster than wireless options and does not depend on Internet speed.

What you need:

• 🔌 Cable USB-C to USB-C (adapter + standard cable).
• 📱 File Manager (e.g. Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).
• 🔋 Charging both phones (transfer drains the battery).

Instructions:

1. Connect Honor to Xiaomi via cable. On Xiaomi, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Open the file manager on Xiaomi and go to the section USB-storage device (this is the memory of Honor).
3. Copy the folders you want: DCIM for photos and videos; Downloads for downloads; WhatsApp/Media for messaging media.

Xiaomi

DCIM/Camera

⚠️ Note: If you are transferring photos from Google Photos, don’t copy them manually – download the originals through the Google Photos app on Xiaomi to save metadata (date, geotags).

5. Method 4: Transfer through third-party applications (Clone Phone, SHAREit)

If standard methods do not work (for example, due to firmware incompatibility), you can use third-party applications.

• 📱 Clone Phone (from Xiaomi) – optimized for MIUI.
• 📲 SHAREit – Supports cross-platform transfer.
• 🔄 Send Anywhere – No Size Limits.

Instructions for Clone Phone:

1. Install the app on both phones (Clone Phone for Honor is downloaded as Mi Mover).
2. On Honor, select Old Device, on Xiaomi, New Device.
3. Connect through QR-code-in.
4. Select data for transfer (applications, contacts, multimedia) and confirm.

Important: Applications like SHAREit can compress photos and videos, which leads to loss of quality. Use a cable or cloud to transfer originals.

6. Method 5: Transfer over cloud storage (Google Drive, Mi Cloud)

Cloud services are convenient if you have slow Wi-Fi or want to back up before transferring, and the downside is the dependence on Internet speed and volume limits.

Transfer via Google Drive:

1. On Honor, open Google Drive and click ➕ → Backup copy.
2. Select data (contacts, photos, videos) and start reservations.
3. On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account and recover data via Settings → Google → Restore.

Moving over Mi Cloud (only for Xiaomi):

• 📁 Upload Honor files to Mi Cloud via the web version (i.mi.com).
• 📱 On Xiaomi, log in to Mi Account and download files via Mi Cloud → Files.

💡

Cloud storage is ideal for backup, but not suitable for transferring applications or their data (for example, saving in games).

7.Typical mistakes and how to avoid them

Even when following instructions, users often encounter problems, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

Problem 1: Mi Mover transfer is 99% frozen.

• 🔹 Solution: Reboot both phones, check the Wi-Fi connection and try again. If the error repeats, use the cable OTG.

Problem 2: Xiaomi does not display any photos.

• 🔹 Solution: Check the folder DCIM/.thumbnails — Sometimes thumbnails don't get updated.

Problem 3: No messages from WhatsApp or Telegram are portable.

• 🔹 Solution: For WhatsApp, back up to Settings → chat → Backup, then restore to Xiaomi after installing the app. For Telegram, use Settings → Data and memory → Exports of history.

Problem 4: Applications have been moved but are not working.

• 🔹 Solution: Remove them and reinstall them from Google Play. Application data (e.g., save in games) is not portable - it requires a separate backup.

💡

If some contacts are missing after the transfer to Xiaomi, check if they are saved in the Huawei account or if they are not in the user account. SIM-Export them to the map. VCF-file through Contacts → Management → Exports.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions