How to transfer data from Honor to Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

Shifting data from Honor smartphone to Xiaomi device can seem like a daunting task, especially if you've never experienced migration between different brands before.The main issue is that manufacturers are using their own ecosystems: Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) Honor MIUI Xiaomi doesn't always have direct compatibility, but there are universal methods that allow you to transfer contacts, photos, videos, messages and even installed applications without loss.

In this article, we will discuss 5 From the official Mi Mover tool to manually copying via PC, you will learn which method is the fastest, which saves the most data types, and how to avoid errors such as loss of photo quality or duplicate contacts. We will pay special attention to the nuances of working with the latest versions. MIUI 14/15 MagicOS 7.0/8.0, where standard solutions may not work.

1.The official way: Mi Mover by Xiaomi

Mi Mover is an integrated application in Xiaomi smartphones designed to migrate data from other devices. It supports porting from Honor, but there are important limitations: work is possible only when you first turn on a new Xiaomi phone (before the setup stage), if the device is already configured, you will have to reset it to factory settings.

What can be transferred through Mi Mover:

• 📞 Contacts (including groups and contact notes)
• 📷 Photos and videos (without loss of quality if using Wi-Fi Direct)
• 💬 Communications SMS/MMS (But not messenger messages)
• 🎵 Music and audio files
• 📅 Calendars and reminders
• ⚙️ Some system settings (language, date/time)

What I CAN'T move:

• 🚫 Installed apps (only their data if the app is already installed on Xiaomi)
• 🚫 Browser bookmarks (except Chrome if synced with Google)
• 🚫 Screen settings (wallpaper, brightness, reading mode)
• 🚫 Wi-Fi passwords (only if saved in Google Account)

Step-by-step:

1. On the new Xiaomi, select the language and region when you first enable, then in the “Data Transfer” stage, click Transfer from Android.
2. Download Mi Mover from Google Play (if it’s not in AppGallery) on Honor.
3. Run the app on both devices and select Me sender on Honor and I receiver on Xiaomi.
4. Scan it. QR-code from Xiaomi screen to Honor or connect via Wi-Fi Direct.
5. Select data types to transfer and wait until it is completed (can take up to 30 minutes for a large volume).

⚠️ Note: If you have MagicOS 7.0 installed on Honor+, You may need to temporarily disable the Privacy function. → Data protection, otherwise Mi Mover won’t see the device.

Charge both phones at least 50 times%|Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network|Free up at least 2 GB of memory on Xiaomi|Shut down. VPN firewalls|Make sure there is enough space for temporary files on Honor-->

2. Transfer through Google Account (the most reliable method)

Syncing with a Google Account is a one-stop-shop approach that works on all Android devices, including Honor and Xiaomi, and the main advantage is that the data is automatically updated, and you can move it gradually, not all at once. However, there are nuances with storage capacity (only 15 GB is available for free) and data types.

What's synchronizing:

• 📞 Contacts (in full, including profile photos)
• 📅 Calendars and events
• 📍 Chrome bookmarks (if you use this browser)
• 📝 Notes from Google Keep
• 🎮 Progress in games (if the games support Google Play Games)
• ⚙️ Some system settings (Wi-Fi passwords if saved in your account)

What's not synchronized:

• 🚫 Communications SMS/MMS (Only if you use third-party applications like SMS Backup & Restore)
• 🚫 Photos and videos (only if you upload them manually to Google Photos)
• 🚫 Installed apps (only their list in the Play Store)
• 🚫 Local files (documents, PDF etc.)

Instructions for transfer:

1. On Honor, go to Settings → Accounts → Google and enable sync for all the right categories.
2. Wait for the synchronization to be completed (you can check in Settings) → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization of the account).
3. On Xiaomi, when you first turn on, log in to the same Google Account or add it to Settings → Accounts.
4. Turn on sync on your new device and wait for the data to load (can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour).

⚠️ Note: If Huawei Mobile Services is used on Honor (HMS) Google Mobile Services instead (GMS), Sync with Google Account may be limited, in which case first install Google Play Services via APKMirror.

Mi Mover (Official Xiaomi App)|Google Account (Sync)|Manual transfer via cable/PC|Cloud services (Google Drive, Huawei Cloud)|Another way.-->

3. Transfer via OTG cable or computer

If you don’t have Wi-Fi access or prefer a physical connection, you can transfer data over the cable. OTG (It's a method that's suitable for large files (video in the video) or using a computer as an intermediary. 4K, backups) and does not depend on the speed of the Internet.

For cable transfer OTG:

1. Buy it. OTG-Type-C adapter → Type-C (if both phones have a Type-C connector) or an adapter.
2. Connect Honor to Xiaomi via adapter. Xiaomi will have a notification about the connection USB-storage.
3. Open the file manager on Xiaomi and copy the folders you need (DCIM For photos, downloads, etc.).

For computer transfer:

1. Connect Honor to the PC via USB-cable and select File Transfer Mode (MTP).
2. Copy the files to your computer (we recommend creating a separate folder, for example, Honor_Backup).
3. Disable Honor, connect Xiaomi and transfer files to the appropriate folders (for example, photos in the file). DCIM/Camera).

Advantages of the method:

• 🔹 There are no limits on the amount of data (except for free space on devices).
• 🔹 Only the necessary files can be selectively transferred.
• 🔹 It works even without the internet.

Disadvantages:

• 🔸 Applications and their data are not portable.
• 🔸 Additional equipment (cable) is required OTG computer).
• 🔸 Slower than Wi-Fi Direct with a lot of data.

💡

If you are connected through OTG Xiaomi doesn’t see Honor, try enabling developer mode on both devices and activating Debugging by Debugging USB.

4. Cloud Transfer (Huawei Cloud, Google Drive, Yandex Drive)

Cloud storage is a convenient way to migrate if you have a stable Internet. Honor uses Huawei Cloud by default and Xiaomi uses Mi Cloud, but both support popular services like Google Drive or Yandex Drive. The main advantage is that you can move data gradually and access it from any device.

Comparison of cloud services for transfer:

Instructions for transfer via Google Drive:

1. On Honor, install Google Drive from Google Play (or via Google Drive). APK, if not GMS).
2. Upload files to Drive: Open the application → Add → Download. → select files.
3. On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account and download files via Google Drive.

Instructions for moving over the Huawei Cloud (if Xiaomi can’t see the cloud):

1. On Honor, export data to the cloud: Settings → Huawei ID → Cloud. → Backup.
2. Download your backup to your computer via the web version of Huawei Cloud.
3. Transfer files to Xiaomi via cable or send them to yourself by mail.

⚠️ Note: When uploading photos to Google Photos in High Quality mode, they are compressed to a resolution of 16 MP. To maintain original quality, use the option "Original Quality" (it takes place in your Google storage).

5. Transportation of messages and applications (advanced methods)

Standard methods do not always allow you to transfer messages from messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) or installed applications with their data.

Transferring WhatsApp messages:

• 📌 Use the official WhatsApp Chat Transfer feature (only works when changing a phone with the same number).
• 📌 To transfer between Android devices, connect both phones to your PC and use WhatsApp Business with export/import functionality.
• 📌 Alternative: BackupTrans app (paid but supports transfer between different brands).

Transfer of applications and their data:

• 📦 Use Titanium Backup (requires root rights) to create a full backup of applications.
• 📦 App Backup & Restore (without root) APK-files and data of some applications.
• 📦 For games with progress, use sync via Google Play Games or Facebook.

Transferring data from applications (e.g. banking):

• 🏦 Most banking applications don't allow data to be transferred because of security, so you'll have to re-link your cards and set up notifications.
• 🏦 Some applications (e.g. SberBank Online) support exporting transaction history to PDF — This can be saved on Xiaomi.

Instructions for transferring WhatsApp via BackupTrans:

1. Install BackupTrans on PC and connect Honor via USB.
2. Make a backup copy of the chats in the program.
3. Disable Honor, connect Xiaomi and restore chats from backup.

💡

To transfer these applications without root rights, use cloud backups of the applications themselves (for example, in Telegram chats are synchronized through the cloud, in Viber – through an account).

6. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

Even when following instructions, users often encounter problems, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

Problem 1: Mi Mover doesn’t see the Honor device

• 🔹 Make sure that the developer mode is enabled on Honor and Debugging is activated. USB.
• 🔹 Check that both phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (not mobile data).
• 🔹 Reboot both devices and try again.

Problem 2: Contacts are not tolerated

• 🔹 Check that the contacts are saved in Google Account, not in the phone’s memory or SIM-map.
• 🔹 Export contacts to.vcf file via Contacts → Settings → Export and import it to Xiaomi.

Problem 3: Photos moved but lost quality

• 🔹 When transferring through Google Photos, select the option "Original Quality".
• 🔹 Use the cable. OTG squirt.

Problem 4: Applications are not restored

• 🔹 Make sure that Xiaomi has synced with Google Play Store.
• 🔹 Manually install apps from the Play Store and restore data from backups (if supported).

Problem 5: There is not enough space for Xiaomi

• 🔹 Before perenosom, clear the memory on Xiaomi (remove unnecessary files or apps).
• 🔹 Use the File Manager → Storage analysis to find large unnecessary files.

⚠️ Note: If you transfer data from Honor to Xiaomi using Huawei Share (Fast Transfer over Xiaomi) NFC), Make sure that Xiaomi has enabled Quick Transfer to Settings → Connections and sharing, otherwise files won't be sent.

7. Alternative methods: for experienced users

If standard methods don't work or you need to migrate specific data (like system application settings), you can use advanced tools, which require technical skills and sometimes root rights.

Method 1: ADB (Android Debug Bridge)

Allows you to copy system files and settings that are not available through standard methods.

adb pull /sdcard/ path_on_computer # Copy files from Honor to PC


adb push path_on_computer /sdcard/ # Copy files from PC to Xiaomi

Example: Settings.db file port requires root rights and can lead to unstable Xiaomi operation.

Method 2: TWRP and backups of Nandroid

• 🔧 Install. TWRP Recovery on both devices.
• 🔧 Create a backup of Nandroid on Honor.
• 🔧 Move it to Xiaomi and restore it (only for identical smartphone models!).

Method 3: Cloning applications

Programs like the Clone App or Parallel Space allow you to duplicate applications with data, but do not transfer them to another device.

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB or TWRP This can cause you to lose warranty on Xiaomi if your device is not officially unlocked!

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions