How to transfer data from Huawei to Xiaomi: all the ways for 2026

The transition from Huawei to Xiaomi is not just a smartphone change, but a migration of all digital life: contacts, photos, messages and even app settings. Many users face problems when trying to transfer data between devices of different brands, especially when it comes to models with proprietary firmware (like the Internet). EMUI Huawei and MIUI In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways of data transfer, including official tools, cloud services and manual methods, taking into account all the nuances of 2026.

It’s important to understand that Huawei and Xiaomi use different ecosystems: the former is actively promoting Huawei Mobile Services (HMS), The second one is based on Google Mobile Services (GMS) (This affects app compatibility and synchronization methods, such as transferring data through a Google Account may not work if your Huawei does not support Google services (as is the case with new models after the 2019 sanctions). We have taken into account all these scenarios and prepared universal solutions.

This article will be useful for owners of flagships (Huawei) P60 Pro → Xiaomi 14 Ultra, and budget models (Huawei Nova) Y70 → Redmi Note 13 – Pay special attention to the portability of WhatsApp, Telegram and SMS — This data is often lacking after automated migration.

Preparation for transfer: what to do before the start

Before you start migrating, follow the mandatory preparatory steps to save time and prevent data loss:

• 📱 Update firmware on both devices. On Huawei, check the relevance EMUI In Settings → System and Updates on Xiaomi — MIUI In Settings → The phone. → Update: Older versions of software may not support modern transmission protocols.
• 🔋 Charge both smartphones to at least 50%.Transfer data via cable or Wi-Fi Direct consumes a lot of power - the risk of a sudden shutdown can lead to file damage.
• 📡 Connect to stable Wi-Fi. Cloud-based methods (e.g., Google Drive or Huawei Cloud) require fast internet. Mobile traffic is not suitable - volume restrictions can interrupt the process.
• 🔐 Backup your critical data on Huawei. Use Settings → System and updates → Backup or manually copy files to your PC. It's crash insurance.

If you are migrating data from Huawei without Google services (like the Mate 50 Pro or Pura 70), consider that standard tools like Google Account or Smart Switch (from Samsung) will not work, in which case Huawei Share, Mi Mover or manual porting over a PC will become a priority.

⚠️ Note: If your Huawei has Chinese firmware installed (without any Chinese firmware installed) GMS), No transfer via Google Account. Use the alternative methods in Section 3 or 4.

2.The official way: Mi Mover by Xiaomi

Mi Mover is a Xiaomi-branded app designed to migrate data from other Android devices, and it supports transferring contacts, messages, photos, videos, audio, notes, and even some app settings.

• 🚫 It doesn’t work with iOS (Android only) → MIUI).
• 🔄 Requires Huawei to run Android 5.0 and higher.
• 📎 Not all app data is portable (for example, WhatsApp history will have to be restored separately).

Instructions for using Mi Mover:

1. Download Mi Mover on Xiaomi from the App Store (if it’s not in the default firmware).
2. Launch the app on Xiaomi and select I Recipient.
3. On Huawei go to Settings → Wireless networks → More. → Transfer data (or use Huawei Share in the notification curtain).
4. Select Xiaomi from the list of available devices and confirm the connection QR-code.
5. Check the data types for transfer and wait for the process to be completed.

The transmission speed depends on the amount of data and the type of connection:

- Wi-Fi Direct: ~10–15 MB/s (recommended).

- Cable. OTG: up to 40 MB/s (adapter required) USB-C to USB-C).

⚠️ Note: If the Mi Mover is stuck in the “Data Preparation” phase, check if the Huawei Firewall is blocking the transmission (disable it in Settings). → Security → Also delete unnecessary files from Huawei – the application can slow down with the amount of data >30GB.

3.The alternative: Huawei Share + Mi Drop

If Mi Mover doesn’t work (for example, because of firmware incompatibility), use the combination of Huawei Share and Mi Drop. This method is suitable for transferring files (photos, videos, documents), but not system data (contacts or other data). SMS).

Step-by-step:

1. On Huawei, activate Huawei Share: Settings → Connecting devices → Huawei Share → Turn on
2. On Xiaomi, download Mi Drop from Google Play (or use the built-in Quick Transfer to Google Play). MIUI 14+).
3. On Huawei, select files to transfer (in Gallery or File Manager) → Press Share. → Huawei Share.
4. On Xiaomi, accept the incoming file via Mi Drop.

Advantages of the method:

- Works without the Internet (direct transmission over Wi-Fi Direct).

Up to 20 MB/s (faster than through the cloud)

- Supports folders and large files (>4GB).

Disadvantages:

- Can't stand contacts, SMS or application settings.

- It may not work with older Huawei models (up to now). EMUI 9).

Turn off the power saving mode on both devices

Make sure there is enough space on Xiaomi (check in Settings). → Warehouse)

Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both phones

Close background applications that consume traffic (for example, downloaders)-->

4.Move over Google Account (if Huawei supports GMS)

If your Huawei Released is prior to 2019 (e.g, P30 Pro, Mate 20) or has global firmware with Google Mobile Services, the easiest way is sync through Google Account:

• 📇 Contacts (including groups and tags).
• 📅 Calendars and reminders.
• 📎 Notes (if you use Google Keep).
• 📷 Photos and videos (via Google Photos if autobackup is enabled).

How to transfer data:

1. On Huawei go to Settings → Accounts. → Google and enable sync for all categories.
2. Wait for the sync to complete (check in Google Contacts or Google Photos on the web version).
3. On Xiaomi, add the same Google Account to Settings → Accounts and Sync.
4. Turn on automatic synchronization – the data will tighten up within 5-10 minutes.

Critical nuance: if Google services are disabled on Huawei (for example, after manual removal) GMS Or on Chinese firmware, this method won't work, so use Huawei Cloud (Section 5) or manual portability.

⚠️ Note: When syncing through Google SMS The logs will not be transferred, and they will require a separate solution (e.g., a separate call log, SMS Backup & Restore from Google Play).

💡

If Google Photos doesn’t sync high-resolution video, check backup settings: open the app → Avatar → Photo settings → Quality of loading → Select "Original".

5.Move over Huawei Cloud (for devices without any GMS)

For Huawei on EMUI 10+ without Google services (e.g., Mate 40, P50, Nova 10 is the only reliable way to use Huawei Cloud. Huawei’s cloud allows you to back up almost all data and then restore it to Xiaomi via a web interface.

Instructions:

1. On Huawei, go to Settings → Huawei ID → Cloud → Backup.
2. Select categories for backup (contacts, SMS, Photos, applications) and click Backup.
3. Wait until it is completed (it can take up to an hour with a large amount of data).
4. On PC or Xiaomi, open cloud.huawei.com and log in to the same Huawei ID.
5. Download the archive with a backup to Xiaomi or transfer files manually (photos, videos, documents).

Restrictions of Huawei Cloud:

Only 5GB is available for free (a subscription is required for a larger amount).

- Applications are transferred in the form APK, But without data (for example, saves in games will have to be restored separately).

WhatsApp is not backed up – it needs a local backup (Section 6).

6. Transfer of WhatsApp, Telegram and other messengers

System tools (Mi Mover, Google Account) do not transfer the history of chats from instant messengers. WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber require separate actions.

WhatsApp

Instructions for transferring chats from Huawei to Xiaomi:

1. On Huawei, open WhatsApp → ⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup copy.
2. Create a local backup (file) msgstore.db.crypt14 file /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases).
3. Copy the WhatsApp folder to Xiaomi (via cable or cloud).
4. Install WhatsApp on Xiaomi, log in and restore chats from your local backup.

Important: If WhatsApp was linked to another number on Huawei, change the number in your account settings first.

Telegram

Telegram syncs chats through the cloud, but secret chats and local media files need to be manually transferred:

1. Export Secret Chats: Settings → Additionally. → Export of chat data (save in the JSON).
2. Copy the folder Telegram from Huawei to Xiaomi (via Facebook) /sdcard/Telegram).

Viber

Viber does not support cross-platform porting, the only way is to back up Google Drive (if Viber is linked to a Google account) or manually save chat history to a text file.

💡

To transfer WhatsApp, be sure to use the same phone number as on Huawei. SIM-The card has changed, first update the number in the WhatsApp settings on the old phone.

7. Manual transfer via PC (for power users)

If the automatic methods don't work, you have to manually transfer it over the computer, which is universal, but it takes longer.

• 🖥️ PC Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 🔌 Cables. USB-C (Adapters for Micro-USB).
• 📂 File Manager (e.g., Total Commander or Standard Explorer).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Huawei to PC in File Transfer Mode (MTP) (in the notification curtain when connected).
2. Copy the necessary folders on the PC: DCIM (Photo/video) Downloads (downloads) Documents (documents) WhatsApp (chats) Telegram (media)
3. Turn off Huawei and connect Xiaomi in the same mode.
4. Move the files to the appropriate folders on Xiaomi (e.g. DCIM/Camera for photo).
5. For contacts, export them to Huawei in.vcf format (Contacts) → Export and import to Xiaomi.

Advantages of the manual method:

Full control over the data transferred.

There are no limits on the volume (except for free space on the PC).

- It works even on devices with damaged firmware.

Disadvantages:

It takes a lot of time (for example, copying 64 GB of a photo can take 1-2 hours).

It requires knowledge of the structure of Android folders.

⚠️ WARNING: When copying WhatsApp folder, don’t change its structure – files msgstore.db.crypt14 And media must stay in the original subfolders, otherwise the chat recovery won't work.

8. Frequent errors and their solutions

Even when following the instructions, users face problems, and consider common mistakes and ways to fix them:

If none of the methods worked, try resetting your settings to Xiaomi (after transferring the data!) – sometimes it solves sync problems. → The phone. → Resetting settings.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions