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

Moving from Xiaomi to iPhone is not only about changing the ecosystem, but also about migrating important data, with contacts coming first. Many users face problems when trying to sync: duplicate posts, lose profile photos or lose additional fields like birthdays. In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to transfer contacts, from standard (via Google Account and iCloud) to alternative (using vCard files and third-party services).

The peculiarity of the process is that Android and iOS use different formats of contact storage: the first relies on.vcf files and synchronization with Google, and the second – on Apple’s proprietary format with reference to iCloud. This creates technical nuances that we will help to bypass. It is also important to consider the version of MIUI on your Xiaomi (since MIUI 12 has changed the interface of exporting contacts) and the iOS version on the iPhone (iOS 17 has new restrictions on imports from SIM).

If you’ve never synced your contacts to the cloud or used Google Contacts, don’t worry – we’ll detail each step, including setting up accounts and solving common mistakes like “can’t import contacts” or “empty list after transfer.” For convenience, there’s a method comparison table and FAQs at the end of the article with answers to frequent questions.

1. Transfer contacts through Google Account (the most reliable way)

This method works on all Xiaomi devices (including Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11) and works even if you don’t have a computer, the main condition is that you have an active Google Account that was linked to your phone, and if you’ve never used Google Contacts, the system still backs up when you first log in.

Instructions:

• 📱 Open the Contacts app on Xiaomi → Click on three dots in the upper right corner → Select Settings → Import/Export of contacts.
• ☁️ Tap Export to Google (if you don’t have an option, first sync your contacts to your account in Settings). → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization of contacts).
• 🔄 Wait until synchronization is complete (it can take up to 10 minutes with a large number of records).
• 📱 On iPhone go to Settings → Contacts → Accounts. → Add an account → Google and log in to the same account.
• 🔄 Turn on the Contact switch and wait until synchronization is complete.

⚠️ Note: If not all contacts are displayed on your iPhone after sync, check the grouping in the Contacts app (Group section.

Check your internet connection on both devices

Make sure that Xiaomi has Google Contact Sync enabled.

Update the Contacts app on iPhone to the latest version

Disable VPN (can block sync)

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Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 Automatically update contacts when adding new ones on any device.
• 📁 All fields are saved: photos, birthdays, addresses and notes.
• 🛡️ Data is backed up in Google’s cloud, which protects against loss when a phone is dropped.

💡

If you have two Google accounts on Xiaomi, check which one you are syncing with before exporting. Go to Settings → Accounts → Google → [your email] → Account Sync and make sure the tick is opposite Contacts.

2. Export contacts via vCard file (no clouds)

If you don't want to use Google or iCloud, you can export contacts to the universal.vcf (vCard) format and transfer them to your iPhone via mail, AirDrop or wired connection, which is suitable for single transfer and does not support automatic synchronization.

Step-by-step:

1. On Xiaomi, open contacts → ⋮ (Menus) → Contact management → Exports of contacts.
2. Select Export to Device (or Export to File in older versions of MIUI).
3. Specify a folder to save (e.g. Downloads) and confirm export. The file will be called contacts.vcf.
4. Transfer the file to your iPhone: 📧 Send yourself to the mail and open the attachment on the iPhone. 🔌 Connect Xiaomi to a computer, copy the file, then transfer it to your iPhone via iTunes or Finder. 📲 Use AirDrop (if you have a Mac or other iPhone on hand).

iPhone

contacts.vcf

⚠️ Note: When exporting to.vcf, call and message data tied to the contact is lost. If you care about your interaction history, use specialized applications like My Contacts Backup.

3. sync via iCloud (for Apple ID users)

If you already have an Apple ID, you can upload your Xiaomi contacts directly to iCloud and then sync them to your iPhone, a technique that is convenient because all the data is immediately in the Apple ecosystem, but requires pre-setting.

How to do this:

• 🌐 On Xiaomi, open your browser and go to iCloud.com. Log in under your Apple ID.
• 👥 Select the Contact section → Click on the gear in the lower left corner. → Import vCard.
• 📁 Download the contacts.vcf file you exported earlier (see Method 2).
• 📱 On the iPhone, check what is in the Settings → [name] → iCloud enabled contact synchronization.

Advantages:

• 🔒 Data is immediately protected by the Apple ecosystem (encryption, backups).
• 🔄 Automatic synchronization with other Apple devices (Mac, iPad).

Disadvantages:

• 🚫 Without Apple. ID method unavailable.
• 📶 Requires a stable Internet connection to download a file.

Through Google Account

Export to vCard file

Synchronization with iCloud

Through SIM-map

Another way.-->

4. Transfer of contacts by means of SIM-cards (for older models)

This method is suitable for devices without Internet access or if you have Xiaomi based on the Internet. MIUI 10 and below, but it has some serious limitations: SIM-The cards only store basic information (name and number), without photos, addresses or additional fields.

Instructions:

1. On Xiaomi, open contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Exports to SIM-map.
2. Select contacts for export (or click Allocate).
3. Wait for the copy to be completed and extract SIM-map.
4. Insert SIM in iPhone → Go to Settings → Contacts → Import contacts with SIM.

⚠️ Note: iPhone with iOS 17 and newer imports from SIM This may be blocked due to Apple's security policy, in which case use alternative methods.

5. Use of third-party applications (for complex cases)

If standard methods don't work (for example, if sync fails or if contacts are stored in Mi Account), you can use specialized applications. We tested the 3 most reliable ones:

Recommendations for use:

• 🔹 My Contacts Backup is suitable if you need to back up contacts in the cloud before penosom.
• 🔹 Copy My Data is convenient for transferring data over a local network (without the Internet).
• 🔹 Move to iOS is the best option when you first set up your iPhone, as it transfers not only contacts, but also photos, messages and accounts.

💡

Apple’s Move to iOS app is the only official way to transfer data from Android to iPhone, but it only works during the initial setup of the new device. If the iPhone is already set up, use other methods.

Comparison of all methods of transferring contacts

Frequent problems and their solution

Even when following the instructions, there may be errors, and we have collected the TOP-5 problems and ways to fix them:

1. Contacts are not synced with Google: Check if sync is enabled in Settings → Accounts → Google → Contact Sync. Update Contacts on Xiaomi to the latest version. Delete and re-add Google Account.
2. On iPhone, duplicate contacts: Go to Settings → Contacts → Accounts and disable duplicate sources (e.g. iCloud and Google at the same time). Use the Contacts Cleanup app to delete duplicates.
3. Cannot import vCard on iPhone: Check the file extension - it should be.vcf, not.txt. Open the file through the Files app on iPhone, not through mail.
4. Contacts are displayed by Krakozabra: Export contacts in UTF-8 encoding (in most applications, this is the default option). Try opening a.vcf file on your computer and saving it again.

The Move to iOS app doesn't find Xiaomi:

• Make sure that both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
• Disable VPN and Firewall on Xiaomi.
• Reboot both phones.

💡

If contacts are missing after transferring to your iPhone, check settings in Settings → Contacts → Contact Display. Sometimes photos are hidden due to limitations of the Apple ecosystem.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions