How to transfer contacts from iPhone to Xiaomi: all the ways 2026

Why migrating contacts from iPhone to Xiaomi is not as easy as it seems

The transition from iPhone to Xiaomi is not just a change of gadget, but a transition between two completely different ecosystems: iOS and MIUI. If photos or music are more or less clear (they can be copied through the computer or cloud), then contacts often have problems.

Many users experience missing photos of contacts, duplicated posts, or lost additional fields (such as dates of birth or addresses). In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to transfer contacts, from the simplest (via Google Account) to the advanced (using specialized applications), each method tested on the current versions of iOS 17 and MIUI 14/15 (2026).

Before you get started, make sure your iPhone has iCloud contacts synced on (if you plan to use the cloud) or that you have a backup. Also check the space available on Xiaomi - with a large number of contacts, up to 50–100MB of memory can be required.

Method 1: Transferring contacts through Google Account (most reliable)

This method works on 100% of Xiaomi devices, as all Android smartphones out of the box support synchronization with Google Contacts, the main advantage is that the data is automatically updated, and you do not have to repeat the procedure when changing your phone.

Instructions for iPhone:

1. Open Settings → Contacts → Accounts.
2. Click Add Add Account → Google.
3. Enter your Google Account (if not, register a new one).
4. Activate the Contact switch and wait for the synchronization to be completed.

Instructions for Xiaomi:

1. Go to Settings → Google Accounts → Your account.
2. Turn on contact sync.
3. Open the Contacts app and update the data (swipe down).

On the iPhone enabled synchronization with Google|Xiaomi has added the same Google account|Both devices have a stable internet connection.|Contacts are not duplicated in the cloud-->

⚠️ Note: If you have previously had contacts on Google Account, they will merge with those on iPhone.To avoid duplicates, export contacts from iCloud to.vcf file before syncing (see Method 2) and download it manually.

Method 2: Export contacts from iCloud to VCF (for advanced)

If you don’t want to link your iPhone to a Google Account or you have a lot of takeovers, this method will allow you to get a “clean” contact file in the universal.vcf format.

Step-by-step:

1. On your computer, open your browser and go to iCloud.com.
2. Sign in under your Apple ID.
3. Select the Contacts section.
4. Click on the gear in the lower left corner → Select everything → once more gear → Export vCard.
5. The contacts.vcf file will be saved to your computer.

Now transfer the file to Xiaomi:

• 📁 Through Google Drive or another cloud service.
• 🔌 Cable. USB-C/Lightning → USB-A (file transfer mode).
• 📶 Bluetooth (if files are small).

On Xiaomi, open the contacts.vcf file and the system will suggest importing contacts into the phone book. If this does not happen, use the Contacts → Import / Export → Import from the file.

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If you lose contact photos when you import, try using the Contacts+ app from Google Play, which supports restoring avatars from backups.

Method 3: Transfer of contacts through SIM-Card (if there are no other options)

This method is suitable for owners of older iPhone models (before the iPhone 12) or if you do not have access to the Internet.

• ❌ SIM-The card stores only the name and number (without email, addresses, photos).
• ❌ Maximum of 250-300 contacts (depending on operator).
• ❌ Slow process (copying takes up to 5-10 minutes).

How to move:

1. On iPhone: Settings → Contacts → Imports SIM-Contacts (if contact is already available) SIM, skip this step).
2. Insert the SIM into Xiaomi.
3. On Xiaomi: Open Contacts → Settings → Imports/Exports → Import with SIM-map.

⚠️ Note: If you use eSIM on iPhone, this method will not work – Xiaomi (except for flagships Xiaomi) 13/14 Ultra) does not support the transfer of contacts from virtual SIM.

Method 4: Move to iOS, Copy My Data

If you need to move not only contacts, but also messages, photos or notes, you should use specialized applications.

We recommend Move to iOS, but only if your Xiaomi is new and not yet configured. If the phone is already in use, use Copy My Data:

1. Install the app on both devices.
2. On iPhone, select Send Data, on Xiaomi, Receive Data.
3. Connect to a single Wi-Fi network or create an access point.
4. Select Contacts and wait until it is completed.

Through the cloud (Google/iCloud)|Cable.|Using applications|Through SIM-map|In other ways.-->

Method 5: Transfer over a computer (iTunes + MIUI)

If you have a Mac or PC with iTunes, you can export contacts to a file and then upload them to Xiaomi.This method is suitable for users who want to back up before porting.

Steps for Windows/macOS:

1. Connect your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes.
2. In the Information section, tick Sync Contacts with and select Google Contacts or Windows Contacts.
3. Click Apply - the contacts are copied to the computer.
4. Export them to a.vcf file (via Outlook or Windows Contacts).
5. Transfer the file to Xiaomi and import through Contacts → Import.

⚠️ Note: If you use macOS Catalina or later, iTunes is replaced by Finder. To export contacts, open the Contacts app on Mac, highlight all entries and select File → Export → Export vCard.

Frequent Problems and How to Solve Them

Even with proper transfer, errors can occur, and here are the most common ways to correct them:

• 🔄 Contact Duplicates: Use Contacts Optimizer (Google Play) to merge repetitive records.
• 📵 No photos: Check if media sync is enabled in Google Contacts (account settings).
• ❌ Not all contacts moved: Make sure all contact groups are synchronized on your iPhone (some groups may be hidden in iCloud).
• 🔒 Google Authorization Error: Check if two-factor authentication is enabled. If so, generate the app password.

If contacts are moved but are displayed incorrectly (for example, Cyrillic is replaced with question marks), the problem is encoding the.vcf file.

1. Open the file in Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac).
2. Make sure the encoding is UTF-8.
3. Save the file and repeat the import.

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If none of these methods worked, try resetting your network settings to Xiaomi (Settings). → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Network resets. Sometimes synchronization errors are associated with incorrect APN-setting.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions