Switching from Honor to Xiaomi Redmi Note is not just about updating hardware, but also migrating personal data: contacts, photos, messages and apps. Many users fear losing important information or spending hours manually transferring files.
In this article, we will discuss 5 ways to transfer data, from the official Mi Mover app to manual copying via PC, learn how to avoid common errors (for example, losing your call history when using Google Account), what file formats are supported, and how to transfer even data from Chinese versions of Honor with limited functionality.
Important: If you are upgrading from Honor to Redmi Note 12/13 or a newer model, check for protocol compatibility – some features (such as wireless transfer via Quick Share) may not work between brands.
1. Data transfer via Mi Mover (official method)
Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary application for migrating data from Android devices, which supports transferring contacts, messages, photos, videos, audio, calendars and even some system settings, the main advantage of which is that it does not require root rights and works without a PC connection.
To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:
- 📱 Install Mi Mover on both devices: download it from Google Play for Honor (unless the app is preinstalled). On Redmi Note, it is usually the default in the Tools folder.
- 🔗 Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network. Open the app on both devices and select the roles: "Sender" (on Honor) and "Receiver" (on Redmi Note).
- 📊 On Honor, tick the data types to transfer (e.g. Contacts, Messages, Multimedia) and on Redmi Note, confirm your data.
- ⏳ Wait until it's done. Time depends on the amount of data: 10GB of photos and videos can take 15 to 30 minutes.
⚠️ Note: If you have a firmware installed on Honor EMUI 12+, And on the Redmi Note — MIUI 14, there may be errors in porting applications, in which case use alternative methods (see section 3).
Advantages of Mi Mover:
- ✅ Stores folder structure and photo metadata (date of shooting, geotags).
- ✅ Transferring the history of calls and SMS, Unlike Google Accounts.
- ✅ It works without cable (via Wi-Fi Direct).
Disadvantages:
- ❌ Does not tolerate passwords from Wi-Fi and some application settings.
- ❌ Can not support Chinese versions of Honor (for example, models for the Chinese market without Google Services).
Charge both phones at least 50% |Free 10-15% of memory on Redmi Note| Disable VPNs and firewalls | Check the stability of the Wi-Fi network-->
2. synchronization through Google Account
If you've used a Google Honor Account, most of your data is already in sync with the cloud, a method that can be used to transfer contacts, calendars, notes (from Google Keep), emails, and parts of your apps, but it has limitations:
- 📞 Contacts and calendars are transferred in full, but the history of calls and SMS — no.
- 📷 Photos and videos are synced only if Google Photos Backup is enabled.
- 🎮 Applications will recover, but their data (such as game saves) will only be restored if they support cloud sync.
Instructions for transfer:
- On Honor, go to Settings → Accounts → Google and make sure that sync is enabled for the right categories (contacts, calendar, drive, etc.).
- On Redmi Note, when you first turn on, select “Recover Data” and log in to the same Google Account. If your phone is already set up, go to Settings → Accounts → Add an account → Google.
- Wait until sync is complete. Contacts will appear in the Contacts app, photos will appear in Google Photos (if they were previously uploaded there).
| Type of data | Is it transferred through a Google Account? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts | ✅ Yes. | Including groups and additional fields (email, addresses) |
| Communications (SMS/MMS) | ❌ No. | Use Mi Mover or specialized applications |
| Photos and videos | ⚠️ Partially. | Only if backup in Google Photos was enabled |
| Annexes | ✅ Yes, Sami. APK) | Application data – only if it supports the cloud |
| Call history | ❌ No. | Manual export or Mi Mover required |
⚠️ Warning: If Power Saving Mode was enabled on Honor, sync with Google may not work smoothly. Before transferring, check that all data is up to date in the web version of Google Contacts.
Mi Mover|Google Account|Manual transfer via PC|Cloud services (Dropbox, Yandex Disk)|Other-->
3. Manual transfer via computer (for full control)
If you need to transfer all data without exception (including application files, game saves or rare formats), manual method over the PC is the most reliable. USB-cable (preferably original) and free space on the hard disk.
Step-by-step:
- Connect Honor to the PC via USB, Select the File Transfer Mode (MTP). Copy all the important folders: DCIM — Photos and videos. Downloads are downloaded files. WhatsApp (or other messengers) are backups of chats. Android/data — Application data (root rights required for full access).
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- Open the Contacts app on Honor.
For SMS, use applications such as SMS Backup & Restore:
- 📲 Move the file to Redmi Note and restore messages through the same app.
1. reconnect the cable to another USB-port (preferably) USB 3.0).
2. Update drivers through Device Manager (section "Portable devices").
3. Enable Debugging by USB in the developer settings on the phone.-->
4. Transfer over cloud services (Dropbox, Yandex Drive, Telegram)
Cloud storage is convenient if you have a slow PC or no cable, for example, Telegram allows you to send files up to 2 GB without compression, and Yandex Drive gives 10 GB for free, a method suitable for photos, documents and small backups.
How to transfer data through Yandex Drive:
- Install the Yandex Disk app on Honor.
- Upload the files to the cloud (for example, the DCIM/Camera folder).
- On Redmi Note, log in to the same Yandex account and download files.
To transfer large volumes (for example, 50 GB photos), it is better to use Google Drive or Dropbox with a tariff. the download speed depends on your Internet connection – at a speed of 50 Mbit / s 10 GB of data will load in about 30-40 minutes.
⚠️ Note: Some cloud services (e.g. iCloud) are not optimized for Android and can convert file formats. For photos and videos, use Google Photos or Yandex Drive.
How to transfer Wi-Fi passwords?
5. Transfer data from Chinese versions of Honor (without Google Services)
If your Honor is a model for the Chinese market (like the Honor 30 Pro+ without Google Play), standard methods like Mi Mover or Google Account won’t work.
- 🌐 Use Huawei Mobile Cloud (if you have a Huawei account) ID was configured: On Honor, upload data to Huawei Cloud (Settings) → Huawei ID → On your PC, download files via the web version of Huawei Cloud. Move them to the Redmi Note via cable or cloud.
Send Anywhere
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If Honor doesn’t have access to Google Play, download it. APK-Application files (e.g. Mi Mover) from trusted sources like APKPure or APKMirror.
6. Transfer applications and their data (without loss of progress)
Just copy it. APK-Application files are not enough – you need to transfer their data (for example, save in games or set up messengers:
- 🎮 For games, use Google Play Games (if the game supports cloud-based saves) or Helium (requires root).
- 💬 For messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram): Create a backup in the application settings. Move the backup file to Redmi Note. Install the application and restore the data from the file.
- 📱 For system applications (e.g. Huawei Health), export data to universal formats (e.g..gpx for activity tracks).