How to copy data from Honor to Xiaomi: the full guide 2026

Why Data Transfers Between Honor and Xiaomi Need a Special Approach

Moving from Honor to Xiaomi isn’t just a smartphone change, it’s a transition between two different ecosystems. If you used Huawei Mobile Services (HMS), you’ll now have to work with Google Mobile Services (GMS) or Mi UI. This means that standard copying methods (like Google Account) may not work well or even support some types of data.

The main problem is that Honor (especially post-2020 models) are often stripped of Google services due to US sanctions, which makes it difficult to sync contacts, calendars and even backup to the cloud. On the other hand, Xiaomi is actively using its own cloud services (Mi Cloud), which are not always compatible with Huawei Cloud. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to transfer data, including bypassing the restrictions of HMS, so that you do not lose a single file.

Hardware limitations are also important to consider: new Xiaomi models (such as the Xiaomi 14 or Redmi Note 13 Pro+) may not support direct data transfer via cable from the older Honor due to differences in the MTP and PTP protocols.

Method 1: Using Mi Mover is the official solution from Xiaomi

Mi Mover is an integrated application in Xiaomi designed to migrate data from other Android devices, and it supports the transfer of contacts, messages, photos, videos and even some applications.

• 📱 It only works for Xiaomi with MIUI 10 and newer (check the version in Settings) → The phone).
• 🔌 Requires cable. USB-C → USB-C Adapter (if the Honor connector is microUSB).
• ⚠️ Does not transfer data from Huawei AppGallery and some Honor system applications.

Instructions for use:

1. On Xiaomi, open the Mi Mover app (if not, download from Google Play).
2. Select the option "I am a new user".
3. On Honor, enable File Transfer (MTP) mode in your USB connection settings.
4. Connect both phones with a cable, and Honor will have a request for permission to transfer data, confirm.
5. In Mi Mover, select data types to transfer and wait for the process to complete.

⚠️ Note: If Honor is working on Magic UI 7.0+, You may need to disable Data Protection in your security settings, otherwise Mi Mover will not see the device.

Charging both phones > 50%|The original cable. USB (fake)|Disabled. VPN firewalls|Honor is allowed to use developer mode (if requested)-->

Method 2: Cloud Transfer (Google Drive, Huawei Cloud, Mi Cloud)

Cloud services are a universal method, but with reservations. If your Honor supports Google Account, then the easiest way is to:

1. On Honor, go to Settings → Accounts → Google and enable sync for contacts, calendar and photos (via Google Photos).
2. On Xiaomi, add the same Google Account and wait for sync.

If Google services are not available (for example, on Honor 50 or later), use Huawei Cloud:

• 📁 Upload data to Huawei Cloud on Honor (including backup messages).
• 🌐 On Xiaomi, open your browser and go to cloud.huawei.com, log in and download the archive.
• 📂 Unclose files and transfer them manually (contacts can be imported via.vcf file).

Google Drive|Huawei Cloud|Mi Cloud|Other |Not using cloud-->

Method 3: Direct Wi-Fi transmission (applications like Send Anywhere or Xender)

If you don't have a cable, you can use Wi-Fi Direct applications.

• 📲 Send Anywhere – no registration required, supports files up to 10 GB.
• 🔄 Xender - fast transmission, but can brake on large volumes.
• 🌐 LocalSend – open source without advertising, works through the browser.

Instructions for Send Anywhere:

1. Install the app on both phones (download APK for Honor if there is no Google Play).
2. On Honor, select files and click "Send" - a 6-digit key is generated.
3. On Xiaomi, enter this key in the "Get" field.
4. Confirm the transmission on both devices.

⚠️ Note: When transmitting large amounts of data (e.g, 50 GB photo) divide the files into parts 5-10 GB: Otherwise, the connection may be interrupted due to Wi-Fi Direct restrictions.

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If the transfer is too slow, connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network (do not use a mobile hotspot) and try again.

Method 4: Computer Transfer (the most reliable method)

If you need to move all the data without loss, including hidden application files, the best option is to use a PC or laptop as an intermediary.

• 💻 Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 🔌 Two. USB-cables (preferably original).
• 📁 Enough hard disk space (free 50 recommended)+ GB).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Honor to your computer and select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy all the folders you need (DCIM for photos, Downloads for downloads, WhatsApp for chats) on your PC.
3. Disable Honor, connect Xiaomi and transfer files back.
4. For contacts, export them to Honor in a.vcf file (via Contacts → Settings → Export) and import them to Xiaomi.

To port applications and their data (for example, saves in games) use:

• 📦 Helium (requires root rights on both devices).
• 🔧 ADB Backup (adb backup team) -apk -shared -all -f backup.ab in the terminal).

Method 5: Use OTG-adapter

If you don’t have a computer on hand, you do. OTG-adapter and flash drive, you can transfer data directly:

1. Connect the flash drive to Honor via OTG-adapter.
2. Copy the files you want to use on a flash drive (use a file manager like Files by Google).
3. Disable the flash drive from Honor and connect to Xiaomi.
4. Transfer files to internal memory or SD-map.

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Speed (copy speed is faster than Wi-Fi).
• 🔒 Security (data is not transmitted via the Internet).
• 📱 It works on phones without Google services.

⚠️ Attention: Not all OTG-adapters support high-speed data transfer. NTFS, Xiaomi may not see it – reformat it to exFAT or FAT32.

Method 6: Transfer through your Samsung account (if you use an intermediate device)

This is a good method if you have temporary access to a Samsung smartphone (like a friend), because Samsung Smart Switch can import data from Huawei/Honor and export it in a format compatible with Xiaomi.

How it works:

1. Install Smart Switch on Samsung.
2. Connect Honor to Samsung via cable and transfer data.
3. Then connect Xiaomi to Samsung and export the data back.

It’s not the most direct route, but it helps bypass the limitations of HMS and MIUI.

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If you don’t have access to Samsung, you can do a similar operation through a computer with Samsung Smart Switch installed for PC.

Method 7: Manual transfer over ADB (for power users)

If you're familiar with Android Debug Bridge (ADB), you can move data over the command line. It's the most flexible method, but it requires technical skills.

Instructions:

1. Install ADB on your computer (download Platform Tools).
2. On both phones, turn on Developer Mode (7 times click on Build Number in Settings) and allow Debugging over USB.
3. Connect Honor to your PC and execute the command to create a backup: adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f honor_backup.ab
4. Disable Honor, connect Xiaomi and recover data: adb restore honor_backup.ab

Warnings:

• ⚠️ Not all applications support backup through ADB (For example, banking applications).
• ⚠️ Wi-Fi passwords are not portable (they will have to be entered manually).

Frequent problems and their solutions

When transferring data from Honor to Xiaomi, users often encounter the following errors:

If messages from Huawei Messenger are missing after transfer to Xiaomi, they can only be restored through a backup in the Huawei Cloud.

1. Download the archive with messages to the computer.
2. Use the Huawei Backup Extractor program to extract data.
3. Export messages to.xml and import them to an alternative messenger (e.g. SMS Backup & Restore).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions