The transition from the Android ecosystem to iOS often causes users to worry about losing important data. You bought a new iPhone and want all your contacts, photos and correspondence to be in place immediately after you turn on the device. Fortunately, Apple engineers have a special mechanism for migration that makes this process as automated as possible.
However, despite the availability of official tools, there are many nuances that are not discussed in electronics stores: for example, transferring messengers requires a separate approach, and some Xiaomi system files are simply incompatible with iOS. In this article, we will discuss all the ways of transferring information, from the official application to manual methods of copying files.
Before you start, it's important to understand that the procedure will take time, the speed depends on the size of your gallery and the number of applications installed, and a stable Wi-Fi connection is critical to the success of the operation, as data transmission over the cellular network can be interrupted or cost a lot of money.
Preparing devices for data migration
Success of the operation 90% It depends on the proper preparation of both smartphones. First, make sure that your iPhone is charged at least on the same level. 50-60%, Ideally, it's connected to the charger throughout the process, and if the battery sits down while you're writing files to memory, you run the risk of a damaged database or a brick that needs to be repaired.
Xiaomi also needs to do a review. Check if you have the latest version of the MIUI or HyperOS. Older versions of Android may have bugs in the network modules, which will break the connection to the iPhone at the most critical time. Clear the cache of system services to free up the CPU resources for the copy task.
⚠️ Note: Do not try to start the transfer if the iPhone has already made the initial sign-in to the Apple account ID The migration function is only available at the initial setup stage (Hello screen»).
It is also critical to free up space. If you are carrying 100GB of data, at least 110-120GB should be free on the iPhone. iOS requires buffer space for temporary files and indexing after transfer. Check the amount of memory occupied in Xiaomi settings along the Settings → About Phone → Memory path.
Use of the Move app to iOS
Apple’s official tool, Move to iOS, is the only recommended way to transfer not only contacts and photos, but also call history. It creates a secure local Wi-Fi network between two devices, through which the encrypted data flow is transmitted.
To get started, download the Move to iOS app from the Google Play store to your Xiaomi. On your new iPhone, select “Move Data from Android” during the setup process. The smartphone screen will show a six-digit or decimal code that you need to enter on your Xiaomi device.
☑️ Ready for transfer
Once connected, select the content to copy. You can migrate contacts, message history, photos and videos, web bookmarks, email accounts, and even some free apps, if available in both stores. The process can take anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours. Don't touch devices or switch to other apps while you're working.
It is important to note that Wi-Fi passwords and some system settings are not portable for security reasons, you will have to re-enter them, and the app does not transfer music purchased outside of iTunes and files protected by DRM.
Transfer of multimedia: photos, videos and music
The largest data block is the media library, and if you have thousands of high-resolution photos, the standard method can be slow or interrupted, and you can use alternative ways, like uploading all the photos to Google Photos on Xiaomi, and then installing the same app on your iPhone and logging in to the same account.
The situation is more complicated for music transfer. Manually downloaded.mp3 or.flac files will not automatically enter Apple Music's library through the cloud unless the media library sync is enabled. The best way is to use the computer as an intermediary. Connect Xiaomi to a PC, copy music, then connect your iPhone and sync via iTunes (on Windows) or Finder (on macOS).
| Type of data | Move to iOS | Google Photo | Computer (iTunes) | Cloud disks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Yes. | No (only through synhr.) | Yes (through synhr) | No. |
| Photos and videos | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. |
| Music (files) | No. | No. | Yes. | Yeah (like files) |
| SMS messages | Yes. | No. | No. | No. |
When using cloud storage like Yandex.Disk or Dropbox, make sure that the “Autoboot” feature on Xiaomi is enabled. Once you’ve finished downloading on your iPhone, just download the app and log in. This is the most reliable way for very large archives that exceed 50 GB.
Why can the photos lose their quality?
Migration of messengers: WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber
The messengers deserve special attention, as they store the most important correspondence. WhatsApp situation is most favorable: the function of transferring the history of chats from Android to iPhone is officially supported. To do this, during the iPhone setup process, you need to select data transfer from Android and follow the instructions on the screen, including scanning. QR-code.
Important: Before you start, make sure that Xiaomi has the latest version of WhatsApp installed from Google Play, not from a third-party source. Also, the iPhone must have the same version of the app (or newer) available from the App Store installed.The process requires that both phones be adjacent and connected to the same network or use an access point.
Telegram and Viber are easy, because they store history in the cloud. You just need to install an app on your iPhone, enter a phone number and wait for sync. However, secret chats in Telegram and local backups in Viber (unless you use the cloud) will not be moved. They need to export manually or use the backup function inside the application before changing the device.
⚠️ Two-factor authentication may require a confirmation code that will come into the SMS Or the authenticator app on your old phone. SIM-The card is transferred to a new phone or the old device has access to the network.
Working with contacts and calendar
If you haven't used Move to iOS or the process has been interrupted, you can transfer contacts through your Google account. This is the most reliable and quickest method. On Xiaomi, make sure that the contacts are stored in your Google account, not in your phone's memory or in your phone's memory. SIM-You can check this in the Contacts app by selecting the display filter.
On iPhone, go to Settings → Contacts → Accounts → Add an account. Select the Google logo and enter your account details. In the sync services list, be sure to tick the “Contacts” box and, if necessary, “Calendars.” In a few minutes, the entire phone book will appear in the Phone app.
For users who keep their contacts on SIM-map (which is rare, but it happens), the process looks different. On your iPhone, go to Settings → Contacts → Import contacts SIM. The system will copy the numbers to the phone's memory. SIM-The card has limitations on the length of the number and the number of characters in the name, so some of the data can be cut off.
KEY NOTE: After importing, always check the correctness of the numbers, especially if they were extra numbers or international codes written in a non-standard format.
Frequent problems and ways to solve them
Despite the fact that the process is fine, users often encounter errors, one of the most common is “failed to connect” or endless waiting during the creation of the security key. This is almost always a problem with Wi-Fi modules. Try to reboot both smartphones and try again, making sure that Xiaomi has turned off the power saving mode, which can “kill” the background transfer process.
Another problem is the lack of space that is found in the middle of the process. iOS doesn't always correctly show the available space in real time. If the process is up, you'll have to interrupt it, reset your iPhone to factory settings (Settings → Main → Move or Reset iPhone → Erase content and settings) and start over with less data to port.
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If Move to iOS is constantly interrupted, try Xiaomi in the Wi-Fi settings to disable the function “Random” MAC-address" for the network to which the iPhone is connected (if the router is used), or create an access point directly on the iPhone.
There are also problems with file formats. Android supports a huge number of video and audio formats that iOS does not read out of the box. Such files can be transferred, but will not open. VLC or infuse.
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The most common cause of errors is an unstable Wi-Fi connection or power saving mode on an Android device.
What to do after a successful transfer
Once you’ve seen the iOS welcome screen and all the icons are in place, don’t rush to throw out the old Xiaomi.During the first days of use, carefully check if all the apps are working correctly.Some banks and enterprise apps may require re-authorization or security updates.
Be sure to set up Face ID or Touch ID, and enable Find iPhone, which is critical for device security, and it’s also recommended that you set up family access and iCloud cloud storage if 5GB of built-in backups aren’t enough.
Remember to log out of your Google and Mi Account account on your old device before selling it or transferring it to another person.Resetting your settings without logging out can lock the device to the new owner due to the theft protection system.