Changing a smartphone is not only a joy of buying a new gadget, but also a certain headache associated with data transfer. This issue is especially acute when a user switches from one device to another brand, for example, from Honor to Xiaomi. If contacts and photos are often transferred automatically or through the cloud without further questions, then the situation with notes is more complicated. Standard Notes applications from these manufacturers use different storage formats and do not always “friend” each other directly.
Many users mistakenly believe that it is enough to simply log into your account to make all the recordings magically appear on a new screen. Alas, the ecosystems of Huawei and Xiaomi have historically evolved separately, creating their own cloud services and proprietary applications. However, this does not mean that your records are lost forever. There are several proven methods to save important information, whether it is text shopping lists, voice recorders or complex text documents with formatting.
In this article, we will take a look at all the available ways to migrate data, from the use of built-in migration utilities to manual export through universal formats. It is critical to understand that the transfer method depends on the version of Android and the Magic UI (or EMUI) shell installed on your old Honor. We will look at the nuances of working with Google Keep, which often acts as the perfect intermediary, and also analyze the specific settings of the Mi Mover application, which are hidden from the eyes of the average user.
Preparation of devices and backups
A number of preparatory procedures are required before you start taking active actions on the transfer. Backup is the golden rule, ignoring which can lead to data loss. On the Honor device, you should make sure that all important notes are synchronized with the local storage or the Huawei Cloud cloud if you plan to use them as an intermediary.
Both smartphones should be fully charged, preferably above 60%, as the data transfer process, especially if there are many notes and they contain media files, can be energy-intensive. It is also recommended to connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network if you plan to use wireless transmission methods.
On the new Xiaomi phone, you need to create or log in to your existing Mi Account beforehand, and this account will store your data after the transfer. Make sure that Bluetooth and GPS are enabled on both devices, as some system services use these modules to detect devices and establish a secure communication channel.
⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to interrupt the sync or data transfer process by turning off the screen or closing applications.This can damage the note database files and it will be almost impossible to restore them without professional software.
Check the amount of free memory on the receiving device. Although text takes up little space, if your notes include nested images, audio or video, they can take up a significant amount.Free at least 1-2 GB of space so that Xiaomi's system can properly unpack and import archives.
☑️ Preparation for migration
Using the Mi Mover application for direct transmission
The most obvious and frequently used tool is the Mi Mover app, which is pre-installed on all Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones, and can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or through a browser for Honor, designed specifically for migrating from Android to Android, but has its own features when working with non-Xiaomi devices.
Once you install the app on Honor, run it and select the role "Sender" (Sender). on Xiaomi, respectively, select "Receiver". QR-code or connect via (access point) Once you have established the connection, you will see a list of data categories.
Here's an important nuance: there may not be a separate item on the list called "Notes" if the system doesn't recognize the standard Android format, in which case the data may be hidden within the "System Data" or "Other" category, and if you only see contacts and messages, then direct transmission of Honor's native notes is impossible in this mode, and you need to look for an alternative.
- 📱 Make sure that Honor has the latest Mi Mover installed for proper format recognition.
- 🔒 When transferring data via Mi Mover, a local Wi-Fi connection is used, Internet traffic is not consumed.
- ⏳ Transfer time depends on the amount of media attachments in your records, not just the volume of text.
If the direct transfer didn't work, don't despair. Often Mi Mover successfully migrates the application database, but it doesn't show up immediately on the new phone, in which case manual import within the Notes app itself to Xiaomi may be required, as we'll discuss in the next sections.
What to do if the Mi Mover is frozen?
Syncing with Google Keep as a universal bridge
The most reliable and “clean” way to migrate is to use a third-party cross-platform app. Google Keep is ideal for this task, as it replaces standard notes and syncs with the Google account that every Android owner has.
Install Google Keep on your Honor. If you already have notes in a standard app, you'll have to export them there. Fortunately, modern shells allow you to share notes en masse. Select all entries in the Honor app, click Share, and select Google Keep. All texts, lists, and pictures will automatically be uploaded to the Google cloud.
On the new Xiaomi, it’s easy to log into your Google account when you first set up or in the settings section. When you install the Google Keep app (unless it’s pre-installed), all your entries will appear instantly. Moreover, Google Keep widgets on the Xiaomi desktop look even more functional than the standard ones.
| Parameter | Honor's Standard Notes | Google Keep | Xiaomi notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synchronization | Huawei Cloud | Google Account | Mi Cloud |
| Text exports | Limited. | Full (via Takeout) | Available. |
| Text recognition | Basic | Advanced OCR | Good. |
| Compatibility | Only Huawei/Honor | Any Android/iOS/Web | Only Xiaomi/Miui |
Using Google Keep solves the compatibility problem once and for all: you will no longer be tied to the phone brand. The next time you switch to Samsung or Realme, your records will stay with you. It is the best choice for those who change devices often.
Exporting through file manager and cloud storage
If you don't want to install unnecessary apps, you can use the classic file-copying method. Android notes are often stored as database files or text documents in the device's memory. However, access to system folders on newer versions of Android is limited.
Try opening the Notes app on Honor, selecting a specific important entry, and finding the Export or Send as a File function. Select the.txt or.html format. Save this file to a folder that is available for the file manager, such as Downloads or Documents.
Then upload this file to any cloud storage: Google Drive, Yandex.Disk or Dropbox. On Xiaomi phone, install the application of this cloud service, download the file and open it. The text is copied to the clipboard, and you can paste it into a new Xiaomi note.
This method is good for carrying large amounts of textual information, such as draft articles or long lists, but it is inconvenient for carrying hundreds of small entries due to the need to process each manually or in groups.
⚠️ Note: When exported in.txt format, formatting (bold, italics) and nested images are lost.
Transfer of voice notes and voice recorder
Voice recordings are often important dictaphone files that can be lost or rendered non-replicable by codec differences in standard portability. Honor voice recorder files are usually.amr or.m4a.
Find the record folder through the file manager, usually in the Sounds/Recorder or Audio/Notes path, select the files you want and copy them to the Music folder, or create a new Migration folder at the root of the internal memory.
After transferring files to Xiaomi (via cable or Bluetooth), try opening them with a standard player. If there is sound but no description, you can create a text note on Xiaomi and attach this audio file to it as an attachment, so you recreate the structure of the voice note.
- 🎙️ The format.amr may not play on some Xiaomi players without conversion.
- 📁 Use the cable. USB-C to USB-C for fast transfer of heavy audio files.
- 🔊 Check the playback of the records before removing them from your old phone.
To convert formats, you can use online services or converter apps on Honor itself before transferring everything to a universal MP3, which ensures that records open on any device in the future.
💡
Use a USB-C to USB-C cable to transfer files directly between Honor and Xiaomi.This is faster and more reliable than Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, especially for larger voice recorder files.
Solving format compatibility problems
Often, users are faced with a situation where notes are transferred, but displayed as "krakozyakr" or empty files, this is due to differences in text encoding (UTF-8 vs. UTF-16) or versions of SQLite databases.
If you see unreadable text, try opening a note file on your computer through Notepad and selecting UTF-8 encoding when you save it. Also, the Notes app on Xiaomi may be trying to open a file intended for an older version of Android.
In some cases, cleaning the Notes app cache on a new phone helps. Go to Settings → Apps → Notes → Memory → Clear the cache. After that, try re-importing data or synchronizing your account.
If nothing helps and notes are critical, you can use the intermediate in the form of a PC: export notes to your computer through the official Huawei HiSuite snails, save them in text form, and then import them to Xiaomi through the web version of the Mi Cloud or simply copying the text.
💡
The most reliable way to avoid format problems is not to transfer the raw database, but to export notes to the universal text or HTML format before migrating.