Changing a smartphone is always an exciting time, but it is often overshadowed by the fear of losing important information or spending hours on manual setup. Modern brand devices Honorworking on the operating system Androidoffer users several effective tools for migration. You don't need to be a technical specialist to transfer gigabytes of photos, contact lists and chat history to a new device.
The synchronization process has become as automated as possible, but choosing the right method depends on the amount of information and the condition of the old gadget. In this article we will analyze in detail the manufacturer’s standard utilities, cloud services and classic methods of file transfer. You'll learn how to avoid common mistakes and prepare both devices for a seamless transition.
Preparing devices for the migration procedure
Before you launch any migration software tool, you need to make sure that both smartphones are ready to go. A critical factor is the battery charge level. It is recommended to charge both the old and the new phone Honor at least to 80%, since intensive data transfer via Wi-Fi or cable quickly consumes energy.
It is also worth freeing up space on the receiving device. Even if your new phone is fresh out of the box, check the available storage capacity. Delete temporary files or unnecessary pre-installed applications if they take up significant space. This ensures that the process will not be interrupted in the middle due to lack of space.
⚠️ Attention: Make sure that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are turned on on both devices. For most utilities to work correctly, these interfaces must be active, even if the transmission is via cable.
Do not forget to update the software on both gadgets to the latest available version. Manufacturers often release patches that improve connection stability between devices of different generations. Go to Settings → System and updates → Software update and check for new firmware versions.
☑️ Ready to transfer
Using the proprietary Phone Clone application
The most effective and The recommended method is to use the built-in utility Phone Clone. This application is pre-installed on all modern smartphones Honor i Huaweiand is also available for download on other Android devices. It creates a direct connection between phones, bypassing the operator’s Internet traffic.
Launch the application on the new phone and select the “This is a new phone” role. The system will prompt you to select the type of old device: Honor/Huawei, “Other Android” or iPhone. Select the appropriate option. A QR code will appear on the screen, which must be scanned with the camera of an old smartphone with the application running in the “This is an old phone” mode.
Once the connection is established, you will see a list of data categories available for transfer. The utility's operating algorithm allows you to selectively copy information. You can tick only contacts and messages or choose a complete migration of the entire system.
- 📱 Contacts and messages: Are transferred along with call history and text SMS.
- 🖼️ Media: Photos, videos and music files are saved in original quality.
- ⚙️ System settings: Alarms, screen settings and some interface parameters.
- 📲 Applications: Most installed apps are transferred along with the data (if supported).
It is important to understand that the transfer speed depends on the number of files. The process may take from 15 minutes to an hour. Do not minimize the application or lock your device screens during the operation. If the connection is lost, the procedure will have to start again.
⚠️ Attention: When transferring banking applications and instant messengers with two-factor authentication (WhatsApp, Telegram), the data may not be transferred automatically for security reasons. You will need to log into these applications again using your phone number.
If you have an old non-Honor phone, download the Phone Clone application from Google Play Market in advance. This will ensure compatibility of transfer protocols.
Synchronization via Google account
Ecosystem Google provides a reliable backup method, which is ideal if you don't have both phones on hand at the same time or the old device is damaged. This method requires a stable Internet connection and sufficient space in cloud storage.
On an old smartphone, go to the section Settings → Accounts. Select your Google profile and click Account Sync. Make sure the switches next to Contacts, Calendar, and App Data are enabled. Then perform forced synchronization by clicking on the three dots in the corner of the screen.
To save photos and videos, you must use the service Google Photos. Open the app, sign in to your account, and turn on Backup & Sync. Wait for the process to complete, the indicator of which is usually displayed at the top of the interface.
| Data type | Storage location | Free plan limit | Recovery speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact | Google Contacts | 15 GB (shared) | Instantly |
| Photo/Video | Google Photos | 15 GB (shared) | Depends on the Internet |
| Applications | Google Play | Unlimited | Average |
| Settings | Google Drive | 15 GB (general) | When setting up for the first time |
When setting up a new phone for the first time Honor the system will offer to restore data from a backup copy. Select the Google account you used previously. The smartphone will automatically download your contact list, installed applications and system settings.
What to do if there is not enough space in Google?
If the 15 GB limit is reached, empty the trash in Google Photos and Google Drive. Deleted files take up space for another 30 days until they are finally deleted from the recycle bin.
Transferring data using a USB cable and PC
Sometimes wireless methods are too slow or unstable, especially when transferring tens of gigabytes of video archives. In such cases, the classic connection via a computer remains the most reliable option. You will need a USB cable and a personal computer with sufficient free hard drive space.
Connect your old phone to the PC with a cable. On the smartphone screen, select the file transfer mode MTP (File transfer), and not “Charge only”. Open Explorer on your computer, find the device and copy the folders DCIM (camera photo), Pictures, Download and Music to a separate folder on the desktop.
Then disconnect the old device and connect the new one Honor. Similarly, open the internal memory of the new phone in PC Explorer. Create the appropriate folders and drag the previously saved data into them. This method guarantees 100% file safety without compression.
Pay special attention to transferring document files. They are often stored in a folder Documents or in directories of specific applications. Please check for .pdf, .docx and .xlsx files to avoid losing important work materials.
⚠️ Attention: When copying large amounts of data via USB, do not remove the cable until the operation is complete. An abrupt shutdown may result in file system corruption or loss of some files.
The wired method via PC is the only way to guarantee transfer of files larger than 4 GB, which may not be supported by some file systems for wireless transfer.
Data migration using a microSD memory card
If both smartphones support card installation memory microSD, this medium can become an excellent intermediate link. The method is especially relevant if you do not have access to a computer or a stable Wi-Fi connection.
Insert the memory card into your old phone. Through a standard file manager or application Files select the necessary data and move it to the external drive. Wait for the recording to complete, then safely remove the card through the system settings.
Install the card into the new phone Honor. The system may offer to format the drive - agree only if the card is empty or the data has already been copied. After that, use the file manager to transfer the information from the card to the internal memory of the device.
This method is convenient because the memory card remains with you as an additional backup copy. However, it is worth considering that the read and write speed depends on the class of the card. For large volumes of data, it is recommended to use standard cards UHS-I or higher.
Common problems and ways to solve them
During the transfer process, users may encounter a number of technical difficulties. Most often, problems are related to incompatible Android versions or network connection errors. If the application Phone Clone does not see the device, try restarting both smartphones and disabling VPN services that may block the local network.
Sometimes the process freezes at a certain percentage. This may occur due to a corrupted file in the transfer queue. In this case, try to transfer selectively, excluding large video files or specific system folders.
If after transfer contacts are displayed incorrectly or are duplicated, go to the Contacts application, open the settings and select the “Merge duplicates” function. Also check which account is set to be displayed by default in the contact list settings.
Why are some applications not transferred?
Applications not installed from the official store (via APK files) or apps that are incompatible with the Android version on the new Honor will not be transferred automatically. They need to be installed manually.
Is it possible to transfer data if the old phone is broken?
If the screen does not work, but the phone turns on, try connecting it to the computer via USB. If USB debugging is enabled, you will be able to copy files. If the screen is black, but the phone responds to touches, connecting a mouse via an OTG cable will help.
Will passwords from Wi-Fi networks be transferred?
When using Phone Clone or restoring from a Google backup, passwords from saved Wi-Fi networks are usually transferred automatically. However, for security reasons, some banking applications may require you to re-link the device.
What to do with WhatsApp data when changing your phone?
To transfer WhatsApp history, you must first create a backup copy of chats inside the WhatsApp application on your old phone (Settings → Chats → Backup). When installing WhatsApp on a new phone, it will offer to restore this copy.
Will the data on the old phone be erased after the transfer?
No, the copying process does not delete information from the original device. After successfully transferring and checking all the data on your new Honor, you can manually reset your old phone before selling or disposing of it.
How to transfer data from iPhone to Honor?
Use the Phone Clone app on both devices. On iPhone you will also need to install this app from the App Store. The process is similar to transferring from Android, but may not transfer some iOS system settings.