Transferring data from iPhone to Xiaomi: a complete guide to comparing all methods

Moving from iPhone to Xiaomi smartphone is not only about changing the ecosystem, but also the need to transfer all the important data: contacts, photos, notes and even message history. Many users face difficulties at this stage, especially if they have never used Android devices before. Unlike transferring between two iPhones, where everything works through Quick Start, migrating to Xiaomi requires additional steps.

In this article, we’ll look at 7 working ways to migrate data, from official Xiaomi tools to universal solutions like cloud storage and physical connectivity, which is the fastest, which keeps the folder structure, and which is suitable for transferring encrypted backups to iTunes without losing data, and we’ll compare the limitations of each method, such as why AirDrop doesn’t work between iOS and MIUI, and how to circumvent this limitation.

Important: If you plan to sell your iPhone after you switch, remember to delete it completely only after you successfully migrate, otherwise it will be extremely difficult to recover deleted files, especially if you are talking about messages in iMessage or notes from Apple Notes.

1.The official Xiaomi tool: Mi Mover

The easiest way to transfer data from the iPhone to Xiaomi is to use the Mi Mover app, which is pre-installed on all smartphones with MIUI. This tool supports the transfer of contacts, photos, videos, music and even some applications (if they are in Google Play), the main advantage is that you do not need to connect to the Internet or use cloud services.

How it works:

• 📱 Install the Mi Mover app on your Xiaomi (if it’s not by default, download from Google Play).
• 🔗 Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network (or create an access point on Xiaomi).
• 📲 On iPhone, open your browser and enter the address that will appear in Mi Mover on Xiaomi.
• 📁 Select files for transfer and confirm the transfer.

Limitations of the method:

• ⚠️ Not all data types are supported: for example, notes from Apple Notes and iMessage messages will not be transferred.
• 🚫 If the iPhone is enabled Find My iPhone, you may need to turn it off.
• ⏳ Transmission speed depends on the stability of the Wi-Fi network – with a weak signal, the process can take hours.

Turn off Find My iPhone in iCloud settings|Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network|Charge both devices at least 50 times%|Make sure that there is enough space on Xiaomi.-->

If Mi Mover can’t see your iPhone, try:

1. Reboot both devices.
2. Disable VPN or firewall on iPhone.
3. Use another Wi-Fi network (e.g., a mobile access point).

2. Cloud Transfer (iCloud, Google Drive, Mi Cloud)

Cloud storage is a universal way of transferring data that works regardless of the phone model, and the main advantage is that you can selectively download files to Xiaomi without overloading the device’s memory, but each service has its own nuances.

Comparison of cloud services for transfer:

The Google Drive Guide (the most reliable option):

1. On your iPhone, install Google Drive and log in to your Google account.
2. Click + → Download and select files (photos, videos, documents).
3. For contacts: export them via iCloud → Contacts → Export vCard and upload to Drive.
4. On Xiaomi, open Google Drive, download files and import contacts through Contacts → Import/Export.

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If you have a lot of photos, use Google Photos instead of Google Drive – it automatically syncs your pictures in original quality (if you choose the “High Quality” option) and doesn’t take up up up to 15GB of space in your Google storage.

An important nuance: if you are migrating photos from iCloud, note that Apple stores them in HEIC format, which not all Android devices support out of the box. On Xiaomi, these files will open, but you may need to convert to JPEG for editing.

3. Transmission via OTG or Lightning-to-USB cable

Physical connectivity is one of the fastest ways to transfer, but it requires additional accessories.

• 🔌 Lightning-to-USB adapter (official from Apple or certified analogue).
• 📱 Cable OTG for Xiaomi (usually) USB-C Micro-USB, depending on the model).
• 💾 Flash drive with support for iOS (optional if you want to use it as an intermediary).

Instructions:

1. Connect your iPhone to Xiaomi via an adapter and OTG cable. On the iPhone, a request for trust in the device will appear - confirm.
2. On Xiaomi, open Explorer (or Files) and select the connected iPhone in the Devices section.
3. Copy the files (photos, videos, music) to Xiaomi memory. Contacts and messages cannot be transferred this way.

Limitations:

• ⚠️ iPhone doesn’t show up as a removable drive – you’ll only see folders DCIM (Photo/video) and some other.
• 🚫 It is impossible to transfer applications or system data (for example, call history).
• 🔋 When transferring large volumes (10)+ GB iPhone may be discharged faster due to the active use of the Lightning port.

4. Use of a computer (Mac or Windows) as an intermediary

If you have a computer, you can move data through it, and this is a method that works for all types of files, including iTunes backups and encrypted data, but it takes more time and more technical skills.

Methods of transfer via computer:

• 🖥️ Through iTunes/Finder: Create a backup of your iPhone and export the necessary data (contacts, photos) manually.
• 📁 Through Explorer: Connect your iPhone to your PC, copy files to your hard drive, then transfer them to Xiaomi.
• 🔄 Through the Cloud: Upload Data from iPhone to Google Drive/Dropbox From your computer, then download to Xiaomi.

Detailed instructions for Windows:

1. Connect your iPhone to your computer and unlock it.
2. Open this computer -- your iPhone should show up as a device. If not, install iTunes.
3. Go to Internal Storage → DCIM and copy photos/video to your PC.
4. Connect Xiaomi to your computer in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
5. Transfer the copied files to Xiaomi memory.

For the transfer of contacts:

1. Export your contacts from iCloud to.vcf (at iCloud.com).
2. Copy the file on Xiaomi and import through the Contacts app.

Cloud services (Google Drive, iCloud)| Physical connection (OTG cable)| Official tools (Mi Mover)| Through computer (iTunes, explorer)|Another way-->

Warning: If you transfer an encrypted backup of iTunes, you can’t open it directly on Android, in which case use third-party programs like iMazing or AnyTrans, which are able to export data from Apple backups to compatible formats.

5. Message transfer (SMS/iMessage) and call history

One of the hardest types of data to transfer is messages and call history. Apple doesn't provide an easy way to export iMessage, and standard Android tools don't know how to import it.

Message transfer methods:

• 📱 Through iCloud + Third-party apps: download iCloud backup to your computer and use programs like Backuptrans or iMazing to convert to an Android-compatible format.
• 🔗 Email: Send yourself important messages by mail (uncomfortable for large volumes).
• 📧 Through SIM-map: move SMS on SIM (If they fit, then insert it into Xiaomi.

For call history:

1. Export your history via iTunes (in a backup it is stored in the CallHistory.storedata database).
2. Use iExplorer or PhoneView to extract data.
3. Convert to CSV and import through apps like Call Logs Backup & Restore on Xiaomi.

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Messages from iMessage cannot be transferred directly to Android – they must first be converted to the Internet. SMS-Free methods (such as sending by email) are only suitable for a small number of messages.

If you need to move WhatsApp:

1. Back up your chats in iCloud (in WhatsApp → Chat → Backup).
2. Install WhatsApp on Xiaomi and sign in to the same account.
3. When you request, restore your history from Google Drive (if you have previously done a backup on Android) or use third-party tools like WazzapMigrator.

6. Transfer of applications and their data

Apps installed on the iPhone can't just be migrated to Xiaomi, but they need to be re-installed from Google Play, but some programs allow you to save progress or customization.

Methods of transferring data applications:

• 🎮 Games: If the game supports a cross-platform account (for example, through Google Play Games or Facebook), log in to Xiaomi – progress will be automatically picked up.
• 📱 Social networks: log in to the same accounts (Instagram, Twitter, VK) — data is synchronized with the server.
• 💰 Financial applications: most banking applications require re-authorization.Screenshots QR-Entry codes can be transferred via Google Photos.
• 📅 Calendars and Tasks: Export from iCloud to Google Calendar via Web Interface.

To transfer game saves without cloud synchronization:

1. Find the save folder on your iPhone (usually in /var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/).
2. Copy it to your computer using iFunBox or iMazing.
3. On Xiaomi, find a similar folder (e.g., in /Android/data/) and replace the files.

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Before perenosom apps, check if they are on Google Play. Some iOS exclusives (like Apple Music or iMovie) are unrivaled on Android. In this case, look for alternatives: instead of iMovie, you can use CapCut or KineMaster.

7. Transfer of passwords and browser data

If you’ve used Safari or Keychain on your iPhone, you can transfer passwords and bookmarks to Xiaomi in a number of ways, and the key is to keep access to important accounts.

Methods of password transfer:

• 🔑 Google Password Manager: Export passwords from Keychain to CSV (on Mac: Application "Keychain" → File. → Import the file to Google Passwords (via passwords.google.com). On Xiaomi, enable autocomplete passwords in Google settings.
• 🌐 Through Chrome: Install Chrome on your iPhone and sync your data to your Google account. On Xiaomi, log in to the same account – bookmarks and passwords will automatically pull up.

Through third-party managers

1. Export data from Keychain to a compatible format.
2. Import to the selected password manager.
3. Install the manager app on Xiaomi.

For real-time sync, set up Google Keep or Microsoft OneNote on both devices.