How to sync Honor and Xiaomi phones: 6 working ways

Synchronizing data between smartphones of different brands is a challenge that millions of users face. If you have Honor phones (formerly part of the Huawei ecosystem) and Xiaomi, transferring contacts, photos, messages or backups can seem difficult because of the closed ecosystems of manufacturers. However, there are both built-in tools and universal solutions that will allow you to connect devices without losing data.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current synchronization methods, from official Mi Account and Huawei ID services to universal protocols like Bluetooth and cloud storage. We’ll focus on hidden settings that manufacturers don’t advertise, but which speed up the process by 2-3 times. For example, did you know that Xiaomi allows you to export backup in a format compatible with Honor, if you configure encryption settings correctly?

We will also analyze the security risks of transferring data through third-party applications and explain why some methods (such as syncing through Google Account) work unstable on Honor devices with Google-free firmware (GMS).

1. synchronization with Mi Account and Huawei ID: official cloud services

The most reliable way to link Xiaomi and Honor phones is to use the manufacturers’ native cloud services, but there is a caveat: direct data exchange between Mi Account and Huawei ID is not possible, but you can arrange intermediate synchronization through third services or export / import files.

For Xiaomi:

1. Open your Settings → Mi Account → Cloud Mi.
2. Turn on synchronization for the desired data (contacts, notes, photos).
3. Export backup to file: Settings → About phone → Backup → Local backup.

For Honor:

1. Go to Settings → Huawei ID → Cloud.
2. Import data from the file (if exported from Xiaomi) or enable sync with your Google Account (if it is linked to both devices).

Important: Xiaomi backup files (.miui) are not directly compatible with Honor. To get around this, use intermediate export to generic formats:

• 📇 Contacts: export to.vcf (via Contacts) → Settings → Imports/Exports).
• 📷 Photo/video: copy manually through Explorer or Google Photos.
• 📝 Notes: Use export to.txt or sync through Google Keep.

2.Share data through Google Account: universal, but not ideal way

If both phones are linked to the same Google Account, some of the data is synced automatically:

• 📞 Contacts (via Google Contacts).
• 📅 Calendar (Google Calendar).
• 📍 Chrome Bookmarks and History.
• 🎵 Music and Photos (if synced with Google Photos is enabled).

However, there are critical limitations:

⚠️ Note: Honor phones on firmware without Google Mobile Services (GMS) For example, the Honor 50 or Honor Magic 4 models for the Chinese market may not display contacts from Google even if the account is tied. GMS In Settings → Annexes → Google Play Services.

How to check compatibility:

1. On Honor: open Settings → Apps and search for Google Play Services. If they don’t, the sync will be partial.
2. On Xiaomi: make sure that Settings → Accounts → Google has sync enabled for all the data you need.

Make sure both phones share the same version of Google Play Services|Check the free space in Google Drive (minimum 5 GB)|Disable battery optimization for Google Contacts|Enable backup in Google Photos-->

3. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct: fast transmission without internet

If you want to transfer files without using the cloud, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct is the perfect method for:

• 📸 Photo and video up to 50 MB at a time).
• 🎵 Music and documents.
• 📱 Contacts (through the "Send Contact" function").

Step-by-step instructions for Bluetooth:

1. On Xiaomi: Open Settings → Connections → Bluetooth and enable visibility.
2. On Honor: In the same menu, find a Xiaomi device and connect (confirmation code is usually 0000 or 1234).
3. Select files in Explorer → Share → Bluetooth.

Wi-Fi Direct is faster (up to 10MB/s), but requires additional steps:

1. On Xiaomi: Settings → Wi-Fi → Wi-Fi Direct.
2. On Honor: Settings → Wireless Networks → Wi-Fi Direct
3. Connect to the device and use the Explorer for transmission.

⚠️ Warning: When transmitting via Wi-Fi Direct, turn off mobile internet on both phones, otherwise the speed will drop 5-10 times due to network conflict.

💡

If Bluetooth is permanently out of order, try turning on Low Power Mode in the Bluetooth settings on both devices, paradoxically enhancing connection stability on some firmware.

4 Third-Party Applications: SHAREit, Xender and Alternatives

Data applications (SHAREit, Xender, Send Anywhere) offer high speeds (up to 20 MB/s) and cross-platform, but they have hidden risks:

• 🔒 Security: Some applications (e.g. SHAREit) collect data about transferred files.
• 📴 Advertising: Free versions show intrusive ads.
• 🔋 Battery: Continuous Wi-Fi Direct drains battery 15-20% faster.

How to transfer data via Send Anywhere (the most secure option):

1. Install the app on both phones from Google Play or AppGallery.
2. On Xiaomi, select files and click "Send." A 6-digit code is generated.
3. On Honor, enter this code in the "Get" field.

Send Anywhere does not store files on its servers, as it is transmitted directly via P2P, which minimizes the risk of data leakage.

5. Synchronization through the computer: reliable but long

If the data volume is more than 10 GB (for example, transferring all photos and videos), the most stable way is to use the computer as an intermediary.

• 🖥️ PC Windows/macOS.
• 🔌 USB-cables (preferably original).
• 📁 Access to the phone file system (debugging permission) USB Xiaomi).

Instructions:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your PC and enable File Transfer Mode (MTP).
2. Copy the data into a folder on the computer.
3. Disable Xiaomi, connect Honor and transfer files back.

Xiaomi may need to unlock OEM Unlock in Settings → For developers if the phone requests permission to access memory.

⚠️ Attention: Honor with firmware EMUI 12+ When you first connect to the PC, a request to unlock will appear "HDB" (Huawei Debug Bridge.Without confirmation of this request, the file system will be read-only.

💡

Use Huawei HiSuite for Honor and Mi PC Suite for Xiaomi – Automate copying and overcome the limitations of standard MTP-protocol.

Backup and Recovery: Complete System Transfer

If you need to migrate all settings, applications and data (for example, when changing the main phone), use full backup. However, there is a key limitation: Xiaomi (.miui) and Honor (.huawei) backups are incompatible with each other.

Method 1: Titanum Backup (requires ROOT)

1. Install Titanium Backup on both phones.
2. On Xiaomi, back up all applications and data.
3. Transfer the file to Honor and restore the data.

Method 2: Through ADB (no ROOT, but more difficult)

adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab


adb restore backup.ab

These commands will create and restore a backup through Android Debug Bridge. Detailed instructions for setting up ADB are in the FAQ.

When using ADB, the backup is not encrypted by default. To protect the data, add the -password flag to your password to the backup creation command.

Comparison of all methods: what to choose?

The choice of method depends on the type of data, volume and skills of the user.

For fast transfer (photos, contacts) suitable Wi-Fi Direct or Send Anywhere. For full transfer of the system (applications, settings) - only the computer or ADB. If security is important, use Google Account or official clouds (with compatibility reservations).

FAQ: Frequent questions about synchronization Honor and Xiaomi