The transition from Honor to Xiaomi is not only about changing the ecosystem, but also the need to transfer personal data: photos, videos, contacts, messages and even installed applications. Many users face problems when trying to transfer files between devices of different brands: cable is not recognized, speed over Wi-Fi leaves much to be desired, cloud services limit the amount of download.
In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to transfer data from Honor to Xiaomi – from the classic connection through the Internet. USB-cable to use branded utilities from Xiaomi and third-party applications. SMS It’s lossless, and why some methods may not work on new Android 13 models.+ If you want to save time and nerves, read on!
1. Data transfer through USB-cable (OTG PC)
The most reliable, but not always the fastest, way is to use a physical connection, and there are two options: direct phone connections through a phone. OTG-cable or copy files through a computer. Let's look at both.
For direct connection you will need USB-OTG Adapter (if on Xiaomi Type-C connector and on Honor – Micro-USB) or special cable USB-C ↔ Micro-USB. Important: New Xiaomi models (like the Redmi Note 12 or Xiaomi 13) may need to allow manual file access via notification.
- 🔌 Connect Honor to Xiaomi via cable. On Honor, select File Transfer Mode (MTP).
- 📱 On Xiaomi, open Explorer (or Files) and go to the section USB-device.
- 📁 Copy the right folders (DCIM For photos, Downloads for downloads) for internal memory Xiaomi.
- ⚡ To speed up the process, use archiving: on Honor, pack files into the ZIP through the conductor → Select → Squeeze.
⚠️ Note: If Xiaomi does not see Honor through OTG, Check the developer's settings. Go to Xiaomi Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Press 7 times, then in Settings. → Additionally. → For developers, turn on debugging by USB.
The alternative is to copy via PC:
- Connect Honor to your computer and copy the files to your hard drive.
- Disable Honor, connect Xiaomi and transfer the data back.
Battery charge for both phones > 50%
The cable supports data transfer (not just charging)
Xiaomi has enough free space
Memory optimizers (e.g. MIUI Optimizer) are disabled
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2.Use of the proprietary utility Xiaomi: Mi Mover
Xiaomi offers its own migration solution, the Mi Mover app, which is pre-installed on most Xiaomi devices (in the Tools folder) and allows you to transfer not only media files, but also contacts, SMS, call records, Wi-Fi settings and even some applications (if they are compatible).
However, there are nuances: Mi Mover only works when Xiaomi is first turned on (during initial setup); if the phone is already configured, you will have to reset it to factory settings or use alternative methods; and the utility may not support some Honor models on Magic UI 7.0+.
- 📱 On Xiaomi, when you first start, select Data Transfer from another device.
- 🔄 On Honor, install Mi Mover from Google Play (if available).
- 📶 Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network or use the Honor hotspot.
- 🔑 On Honor, enter the code that will appear on Xiaomi.
- ✅ Select data types to transfer and wait until completion.
| Type of data | Is Mi Mover supported? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Photos and videos | ✅ Yes. | Without loss of quality |
| Contacts | ✅ Yes. | Including groups and notes |
| SMS and MMS | ✅ Yes. | Text messages only |
| Annexes | ⚠️ Partially. | Only APK-files, no data |
| Notes | ❌ No. | Use Google Keep |
💡
If Mi Mover doesn’t see Honor, try turning off the VPN or firewall on both devices, and check that Honor allows location access for the Mi Mover app.
3. Cloud services: Google Drive, Mi Cloud, Huawei Cloud
If you don't have a cable on hand or Mi Mover doesn't work, cloud storage is a lifeline, and the main advantage is that you don't need a physical connection, and the minus is the volume limit (for example, free Google Drive gives only 15 GB).
Google Drive is a universal solution for photos, videos and documents:
1. On Honor, upload files to Google Photos (for media) or Google Drive (for the rest).
2.On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account and download the data.
Huawei Cloud
Honor
Xiaomi
Xiaomi’s Mi Cloud gives 5GB for free, but only for Xiaomi backups. To migrate data from Honor, upload it to Google Drive first, and then download it to Xiaomi.
- ☁️ For photos: use Google Photos with original quality (no compression).
- 📇 For contacts: sync them with your Google account on Honor, then they will automatically pull up on Xiaomi.
- 📄 For documents: upload to Google Drive or Yandex Drive (gives 10 GB free).
⚠️ Note: When uploading a video to Google Photos in “high quality” (not original) resolution may be reduced to 1080p, even if the source was 4K. To avoid this, select the option “Original Quality” (but it takes up space in the cloud).
Google Drive|Yandex Drive|Mi Cloud|Huawei Cloud|Other |Do not use-->
4. Wi-Fi transmission via third-party applications
If the standard methods don't work, third-party apps come to the rescue.
Send Anywhere (unlimited transfer, but files are stored for 24 hours)
Xender (fast but with advertising)
Feem (works without the Internet, through a local network).
Example from Send Anywhere:
1. Install the app on both phones.
2. On Honor, select files and click Send - a 6-digit code is generated.
3. On Xiaomi, enter this code in the Receive field.
4. wait for the transfer to be completed (speed depends on Wi-Fi).
The advantage of this method is that there are no limits on the volume (unlike the clouds), and the disadvantage is that it requires a stable connection to one Wi-Fi network. If the router is weak, files can be transferred for hours.