Changing your smartphone is always stressful, not so much with losing your ergonomics as with losing your digital memory. When you move from your Honor device to your Xiaomi gadget, you’re faced with the challenge of migrating a huge amount of data, from trivial contacts to heavy video files to app settings, and it requires careful attention, because ecosystems, though Android-based, have their own unique features and shells.
In today's world, migration has been made much easier by cloud technology and specialized developer tools, and you don't have to be an engineer to move gigabytes of information, you just have to follow a very clear algorithm, and we'll look at all the ways that we can do that, and we'll look at the pros and cons, and we'll look at the frequent errors that occur between devices of different brands.
The main difficulty is that Honor (especially newer models without Google services) and Xiaomi use different pre-installed backup tools. However, Android standards make it easy to bypass these limitations. It is important to understand what type of data is a priority for you to choose the most effective method of porting.
Preparing devices for data migration
Before running any software tool, you need to do basic training on both smartphones. Ignoring this stage often leads to connection interruption or incorrect display of files on the new device. Make sure that both gadgets are charged at least 60-70%, as intensive data transfer over Wi-Fi Direct or Bluetooth quickly consumes battery power.
It is also critical to check for space: If the Honor is 100GB occupied and Xiaomi is only 50GB free, the process will end in error or only transfer some information. Clearing the cache and removing unnecessary duplicate photos on the old device before starting the procedure will save you time and nerves in the future.
Be sure to check operating system versions. While Android is backward compatible, extremely old firmware versions may not support the latest encryption protocols used in MIUI or HyperOS. Update the software on both devices to the current version through the settings menu.
☑️ Checklist before transfer
Use the Mi Mover app for Honor
The most effective and “native” way to transfer data for Xiaomi owners is the Mi Mover utility. MIUI/HyperOS and is able to transfer not only media files, but also system settings, call history and SMS. On the Honor device you will need to download APK-App file or find it in the AppGallery store, as it may not be available on Google Play.
The process starts with the creation of an access point, and the new Xiaomi smartphone acts as the receiving party (Recieve), and Honor as the sending (Send). QR-Devices are connected via a direct Wi-Fi channel, which provides a high transfer speed that does not depend on the quality of the home router.
⚠️ Note: When transferred via Mi Mover, some Honor system applications may not be installed on Xiaomi due to differences in developer signatures. Don't be alarmed if you find a portable software that says "Not installed" on the list».
The interface is intuitive: you just tick the data categories you want to see on your new phone. The algorithm will determine the compatible formats and suggest the optimal migration path. For users switching from Honor to Xiaomi, this is the preferred method, as it minimizes manual intervention.
What to do if the Mi Mover is frozen?
Transfer through Google Account and Cloud Services
The universal method, which works independently of the smartphone brand, is sync through a Google account, which is ideal for contacts, calendar events and notes. If your Honor has Google Play Services installed, make sure that your account settings are activated to sync all the necessary items.
For photos and videos, Google Photos is the best option. Launch the Honor app, log in to your account and enable Autoupload and Sync. Once all media files are uploaded to the cloud, just log in to the same Xiaomi account and the entire gallery is instantly available.
However, the cloud method has its limitations: free space of 15 GB may not be enough for a full backup, especially if you shoot video in 4K. In this case, you will either have to buy additional space or selectively download only important albums.
Local transmission via Wi-Fi Direct and Bluetooth
If you can’t install third-party apps, you can use Android’s built-in tools. The Surrounding Sharing (formerly Nearby Share) feature allows you to transfer files between any Android device quickly and without the Internet. On Honor, this feature can be called “Huawei Share” in compatibility mode.
Bluetooth is still relevant for small amounts of data, such as multiple documents or contacts. Despite its slow speed, it is the most reliable way to transfer data, requiring no network settings, just turn on the device's visibility on both smartphones and pair.
With Wi-Fi Direct, the speed can reach 20-40MB/s, which is comparable to a wired connection. This is a great option for transferring heavy video files if you don't have a computer at hand. The main thing is to keep the screens on and not switch to other applications during the process.
| Method | Speed. | We need the Internet. | Type of data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Mover | Tall. | No. | All (including settings) |
| Google Account | Medium | Yes. | Contacts, photos, calendar |
| Bluetooth | Low. | No. | Documents, contacts |
| USB-cable) | Very high. | No. | Any files. |
Transfer of data via computer (wired method)
The classic copy-paste method through a computer remains one of the most reliable, especially when working with huge amounts of data: connect Honor to a PC, select file transfer mode (MTP) and copy the DCIM, Download and Music folders to your hard drive.
Then plug Xiaomi in and migrate the data to the appropriate directories. The good thing about this method is that you get a full copy of your data in the form of a file structure that can be archived and stored for years. No crashes in the cloud or applications are scary when you have a physical copy.
When copying, pay attention to the folder structure. For example, messengers often store media files in deep directories inside Android/media. Direct copying of these folders may not restore the history of correspondence in the application, but save the photo and video files themselves.
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Use the Total Commander or Solid Explorer file manager on both smartphones for more flexible file management when connecting to a PC. They allow you to sort data by type and date before copying.
Transfer of messages and call history
The most delicate part of migration is SMS and call logs, which are difficult to move with standard Android tools because the system restricts third-party applications from accessing this data for security reasons, and Mi Mover or specialized utilities like SMS Backup & Restore come to the rescue again.
Annex SMS Backup & Restore Creates a New Business XML-A file with all the history of correspondence that can be transferred to Xiaomi in any convenient way (via the cloud or cable). After installing the same application on the new device and specifying the path to the file, the messages will be restored in the native application "Messages».
For call history, it is best to use sync through Google Contacts if it is supported by your version of Android on Honor. Otherwise, you will have to put up with the fact that the call log will begin from the moment you turn on the new one. SIM-maps in Xiaomi.
⚠️ Note: Recovered messages may be displayed late or in the wrong order if time zones on the devices differed.
Solving compatibility problems and frequent errors
When switching from Honor to Xiaomi, users often face the problem of not having Google services on older Honor models or, conversely, with restrictions on new ones. If there is no Google Play on Honor, the synchronization of contacts may not be correct, in which case export contacts to a.vcf file and import it manually.
Another common problem is that fonts or encoding in text files are not displayed correctly after transfer, which is solved by changing the encoding when you open the file or using universal text editors, and there may be conflict versions of applications if Honor was running a very old version of the software.
If the transfer process is interrupted in the middle, don't rush to start over. Most modern utilities can resume downloading, check which files are not loaded, and transfer them separately so that you don't waste time on duplicate data.
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The main rule of successful migration is not to rely on one method. The combination of Mi Mover for the system and Google Photos for the gallery gives 100% result.