Changing the operating system is always stressful, as it risks losing important contacts, correspondence and media. The transition from the MIUI ecosystem to iOS seems difficult because of fundamental differences in the architecture of the Android and Apple file systems. However, modern tools allow you to automate the migration process, keeping manual intervention to a minimum.
The main tool for this task is the official Move to iOS app, developed by Apple engineers specifically for Android users. It creates a local secure Wi-Fi network between devices and transfers data directly, bypassing cloud storage, which greatly speeds up the process. It is important to understand that for the method to work correctly, both smartphones must be in a factory state or reset to factory settings.
There are alternative ways, such as using Google cloud services or third-party PC software, that can be useful if you don’t plan to completely reinstall your system on your iPhone. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the nuances of preparation, settings and possible errors that you can encounter when transferring data.
Preparing devices before data migration
Before starting the process, you need to make sure that both devices are ready to work. On a Xiaomi smartphone, you should check the battery level - it should be at least 50%, since active data transfer over Wi-Fi Direct can quickly consume energy.
The iPhone also requires preparation. If you've already set up a new phone and are using it, you'll have to do a full reset, because the Move to iOS app only works at the initial setup stage, a critical point that's often overlooked.
⚠️ Warning: Resetting your iPhone will delete all data you may have already written to it. make sure there is no important information on the new device, or back up via iCloud in advance.
Make sure both devices have Wi-Fi enabled, although the internet connection is not necessary - the devices will create their own network. Also check that the Xiaomi phone has geolocation enabled, as this is a security requirement of the Android operating system for Wi-Fi scanning to work.
☑️ Preparation for data portability
Using the Move to iOS app to port
The process begins with downloading a special Move to iOS app from the Google Play store to your Xiaomi smartphone. After installation, launch the program and accept the terms of the license agreement. At this stage, the system will ask for permissions to access contacts, call history, messages and multimedia - you must resolve all requests for successful migration.
Next, we move on to the iPhone settings. On the Apps & Data welcome screen, select “Move data from Android.” The screen will show a six-digit or decimal code that you need to enter on the Xiaomi phone in the appropriate field.
Once you have the code, the devices will establish a connection, and Xiaomi will display a list of data types that are available for portability.
- 📞 Contacts and call history
- 📸 Photos and videos from the gallery
- 📩 Communications SMS (textual)
- 📅 Calendars and accounts
- 🌐 Chrome browser bookmarks
Select the necessary items and click Continue. The copying process will begin, the duration of which depends on the amount of information transferred. Do not interrupt the process or switch to other applications on the Xiaomi phone, even if it seems that the transfer is suspended.
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If the process is stuck in the “Waiting” phase, try on Xiaomi’s phone to turn off mobile Internet (data transfer), leaving only Wi-Fi on.
Wi-Fi setup and solution of connection problems
The most common problem with porting is the disconnection of the connection between Xiaomi and iPhone, which often occurs due to aggressive optimization of the battery in the MIUI shell, which can “kill” the background processes of the Move to iOS application.
Also, consider that the iPhone creates a temporary Wi-Fi network. If Xiaomi has enabled the "Switch to mobile Internet at low signal", the phone can automatically break the connection to the iPhone, deeming it inactive. This setting can be found in the Wi-Fi settings.
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Code not accepted | Entering error or timeout | Reboot both phones and start over. |
| Transmission is down 90%. | Lack of space on the iPhone | Check the free space in the settings |
| Devices can't see each other. | Blocking with a firewall or antivirus | Disable antivirus on Xiaomi during transfer |
| Very low speed. | Interference in the air or an old Wi-Fi module | Get closer to each other, remove the routers. |
In some cases, manually running the Move to iOS app through the Wi-Fi settings on Android helps, where you need to select the network created by the iPhone and enter a password if automatic pairing does not work.
The Secret Method for MIUI
Alternative methods: Google Drive and cloud services
If the direct-connection method doesn’t work or you need to migrate data to an already configured iPhone, cloud services come to the rescue. The most reliable way is to use a Google account. All data on Xiaomi (contacts, calendar, notes) is synchronized with Google servers by default.
Google Photos is the best way to transfer photos and videos: install the app on your iPhone, log in to your Google account, and all your media files will be available in the gallery. This will not move them to the native iOS gallery physically, but will give you access to the archive in full resolution.
You can use Google Drive or Dropbox for documents and files. Upload files to Xiaomi and then download them through the corresponding app on iOS.It's a longer journey, but it guarantees data safety even in case of network failures.
- ☁️ Contacts are synced automatically when you add a Google account in iOS settings
- 📷 Photos are stored in the cloud and do not take up space on the iPhone (when setting “Saving Space»)
- 📄 Documents are available through file manager or office applications
It is important to note that this method cannot transfer the history of calls and SMS-ecosystems use different protocols to store this information.
Transfer of messengers: WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram
Telegram has no problems at all: just enter a phone number on a new device, and the entire history of correspondence (except secret chats) will be downloaded from the server, which works cross-platform and does not require additional actions.
WhatsApp is a complicated situation, but it's a solvable one. In the WhatsApp app on Xiaomi, you have to go to the chat settings and select "Chat port." QR-When you initially set up your iPhone or through the Chats menu in WhatsApp on iOS, select Move chats from Android and scan the code with your camera.
⚠️ Note: To port WhatsApp, both phones must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Make sure the Android version of WhatsApp is updated to the latest available on Google Play.
Viber also has a built-in backup feature, but it works via Google Drive on Android and iCloud on iOS, making it impossible to directly transfer the history of correspondence between systems by official means.
What to do if applications are not transferred
One of the features of the transition from Android to iOS is the inability to transfer the applications themselves (.apk files). iOS architecture is closed and programs must be downloaded from the App Store. Move to iOS app only makes a list of installed programs on Xiaomi and if it finds their free counterparts in the App Store, offers to download them.
Paid apps purchased on Google Play don’t carry over to iPhones; you’ll have to buy them again if the developer supports a cross-platform license (which is rare), and you’ll have to download free software manually.
Also, many Xiaomi and MIUI (Themes, Security, Scrolling) systems are unmatched on iOS or work differently, and you have to be prepared to explore alternatives in the Apple Store.
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Apps are not physically portable – you only get a link to download them in the App Store. All data inside apps (game progress, settings) is also not portable unless the app supports cloud sync through its server.