How to transfer information from Honor to Xiaomi: a step-by-step guide

Changing a mobile device is always stressful, with the risk of losing important contacts, photos and app settings, and is especially acute when moving between ecosystems, such as when a user decides to switch from Honor to Xiaomi. Despite the fact that both brands use the Android operating system, their software shells — MagicOS (formerly EMUI) and MIUI (or HyperOS) — have significant differences in architecture and backup methods.

Honor smartphone owners are often used to specific features of Huawei Mobile Services that may not be available on Xiaomi devices that work with Google Mobile Services. However, modern technology allows you to perform data migration with almost no losses. You do not need to be a technician to successfully copy everything you need.

There are several proven ways to transfer: using a branded application from Xiaomi, Google cloud services or manual copying via PC. The wireless method is the most convenient for most users, since it does not require a computer and additional cables. At the same time, a wired connection guarantees faster transfer of large amounts of information, which is critical when there are thousands of photos or videos in 4K.

Before starting the procedure, make sure that both smartphones are charged at least 50-60%. The process of cloning data can be energy-intensive, and a sudden disconnection of one of the devices can interrupt the transfer or damage files. It is also recommended to check the availability of free space on the new Xiaomi phone, which should exceed the amount of data transferred from Honor.

Preparing devices for data migration

The first step is to carefully prepare both devices. On an old Honor device, you need to free up space in RAM by closing background applications, and clear the cache of heavy programs. This will allow the system to work more stable while creating temporary files for transfer.

On the new Xiaomi smartphone, you should perform the initial setup before selecting the data recovery method. If the phone is already activated and you are using it, the best way to reset to factory settings is to avoid conflicting firmware versions and duplication of system files. In extreme cases, you can use the application to transfer without reset, but a clean installation is preferable.

⚠️ Warning: Do not start the transfer process if one of the devices is in Power Saving mode, which can limit the background activity of the Wi-Fi module and interrupt the connection between smartphones.

Make sure to update the system software on both devices to the latest available version. Developers often release patches that improve data protocol compatibility. Check the updates in Settings → About Phone → Xiaomi’s MIUI version and a similar menu on Honor.

Using the Mi Mover application for wireless transfer

The most effective and native way to migrate is to use the official Mi Mover app, which is pre-installed on all Xiaomi smartphones and allows you to transfer contacts, messages, call logs, photos, videos, music, documents and even settings of some applications.

The process starts with installing Mi Mover on a Honor device, and when you run the app on both phones, you have to choose the role of each device: on Xiaomi, you choose "I am the recipient", and on Honor, you choose "I am the sender", and the application will create a local Wi-Fi network that you need to connect to the old device, and transfer speeds on such a network can reach 20-40 MB / s, which is much faster than Bluetooth.

Once the connection is established, the user sees a list of data categories available for copying, you can select a selective transfer, for example, only contacts and messages, or copy the entire contents of internal memory. It is important to note that some MagicOS system settings may not display correctly in the MIUI interface, but the basic parameters will be adapted automatically.

For users who value speed and reliability, this method is a priority. It doesn't require internet and works directly between devices. However, if you have a very old Honor with Android version below 6.0, the application may not work.--and then it is worth considering alternative options.

Synchronization through Google Account and Cloud Services

An alternative to direct connectivity is to use Google’s cloud infrastructure. Since Xiaomi is actively integrated with Google’s services, this method provides deep synchronization of user data. On Honor, you need to go to Settings → Accounts → Google and make sure that synchronization of contacts, calendar, notes and Chrome data is enabled.

Once sync is enabled on the new Xiaomi, just log into the same Google account when you first set up or in the settings menu. The system automatically tightens all stored data. This is especially convenient for restoring the contact book and meeting schedule. Photos and videos can be synced through Google Photos, enabling the function “Upload and Sync”.

The main advantage of this method is independence from the physical condition of the old phone. Even if Honor is broken or not turned on, but the data was in the cloud, you can easily restore it to Xiaomi.

Manual copying of files through a computer

For users working with large amounts of media files or specific documents, the most reliable is the classic method of copying via PC. USB-cable and select the mode of operation MTP (File transfer. Windows or macOS will open the phone's file system.

Copy the required folders, such as DCIM (photo and video), Download, Documents and Music, to your computer's hard drive. Then turn off Honor and connect Xiaomi. Move the stored data to the appropriate directories of the new device. This method ensures that no bytes of information are lost or compressed by wireless protocol compression algorithms.

Special attention should be paid to hidden folders and application system directories if you plan to migrate game saves or customize specific software manually, which often lies through Android/data, but access to this folder in new versions of Android is limited, which may require the use of file managers with extended rights.

⚠️ Note: When manually copying via PC, do not interrupt the cable connection until the write operation is complete.This may damage the file system or cause the loss of some files.

Using a computer also allows you to audit files, remove duplicates, sort photos by folder, and clear the gallery of screenshots before they get to the new smartphone, a great way to start using a new device from a blank slate in the digital space.

Transfer of messages and call logs

The most sensitive part of migration is often the SMS-Standard Android tools don't always make it easy to export this data in a readable format, SMS Backup & Restore.

The program will create a backup copy of all messages and journals in the form of XML-A file that can be saved to the cloud (Google Drive, Dropbox) or sent to your own mail. Once you install the same app on Xiaomi and log in to the cloud, all messages will be restored to your native Messages app, saving dates and senders.

It is important to understand that multimedia messages (MMS) may not be ported correctly or take up much more space, and some specific spam blocking settings that are set to Honor will not be automatically migrated due to differences in the MIUI and MagicOS filtering engines.

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Keep SMS backups regularly, even if you don’t plan to change your phone, and a history of correspondence with banks and delivery services may be needed to confirm transactions in the future.

Migration of applications and their data

Apps downloaded from the Google Play Store will recover automatically if you use the same Google account. However, the data inside the applications (game progress, logins, cache) may not be saved if the developer does not use cloud saves.

Annexes established through APK-Files (outside Play Market) will have to be re-installed manually. Mi Mover will try to move the files. APK-files, but Xiaomi may need to re-authorize installation from unknown sources.Some banking applications and security systems may require re-binding the device or resetting security tokens.

Two-factor authentication is critical, and before transferring, make sure you have access to confirmation codes (e.g., through backup codes or an alternate number) as well as the need to use the same. SIM-The card may temporarily block access to accounts that require SMS-verification.

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Applications with important data (banks, messengers) are better to carry manually, checking the operability of each input, rather than relying on automatic cloning.

Problem Solving and Format Compatibility

Users may encounter a number of difficulties in migrating, such as the format of the contact database on old Honors may be different from what Xiaomi expects. If contacts are displayed as “krakoshyabs” or mixed, try importing them again through Google Contacts in the web interface using the “Combine and Correct” function.

Another common problem is video format incompatibility. Honor could shoot in codecs that a standard Xiaomi player does not “see” without an additional decoder, in which case it is recommended to install a third-party player, such as VLC or MX Player, which supports all popular formats.

If Wi-Fi Direct is constantly breaking while using Mi Mover, try turning off mobile internet and VPN on both phones, and rebooting the Wi-Fi module or temporarily disabling Smart Network Switching in your wireless connection settings also helps.