How to transfer data from iPhone to Xiaomi 12 Lite: 5 proven ways

The transition from iPhone to Xiaomi 12 Lite is not just a change of gadget, but a full-fledged migration between two different ecosystems. If you’ve been using Apple products for years, your contacts, photos, notes, and even in-app purchases are tied to iCloud, iTunes, and other services of the company. Meanwhile, Xiaomi 12 Lite runs on Android and requires a completely different approach to data storage. The main problem is the lack of a universal tool to automatically transfer everything at once.

Many users mistakenly believe that it is enough to simply copy files to a flash drive or send them by mail, which in practice leads to loss of folder structure, duplicate contacts, or even damage to media files. For example, photos from iCloud can lose their shooting dates, and messages from iMessage can become unreadable text. 5 working methods of data transfer, taking into account the specifics of Xiaomi 12 Lite (model) 2203129G/2203129SG), version MIUI and features of interaction with iOS.

We will focus on three key points that are often overlooked:

1. Compatibility of formats (e.g,.HEIC iPhone won’t open on Android without converting).
2. Restrictions on Apple’s proprietary services (e.g., iMessage cannot be transferred directly).
3. Features MIUI 14 on Xiaomi 12 Lite that can block data transfers through USB.

Before you start, check:

• 🔋 Charge of both devices at least 50% (process can take up to 2 hours).
• 📶 Stable Internet connection (cloud methods will require 5-10 GB of traffic).
• 🔌 Original. USB-cable (cheap cables often do not support data transmission).

1.Preparing iPhone for data transfer

Before you start migrating, you need to properly prepare your iPhone, or you risk losing some data or encountering compatibility errors, and the first step is to disable all locking features that could interfere with file transfers.

Go to Settings. → Face ID and password (or Touch) ID and password) and temporarily disable screen protection, so that Xiaomi 12 Lite can access the iOS file system without constant unlock requests. Also make sure that your iPhone has the latest version of iOS installed (current for 2026 - iOS 17.4).+), Older versions may not support modern data protocols.

Check the iCloud settings:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → [Your name] → iCloud.
• 🔄 Make sure all important data (contacts, photos, notes) are synced with the cloud.
• ⚠️ If the iCloud space is over, temporarily expand it or transfer files to your computer.

Critical: If you use iMessage or FaceTime, turn them off 24 hours before transfer, otherwise messages may continue to come to the old number and calls may continue to be reset. → Messages and Settings → FaceTime, then deactivate the switches.

⚠️ Note: If you do not turn off iMessage before retrieving SIM-cards, yours SMS The new Xiaomi 12 Lite may not be delivered for up to 7 days, which is because carriers link your number to Apple servers.

The last step is backing up your computer. Connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC With a cable, open iTunes (or Finder on a Mac) and create a local copy, which is insurance in case something goes wrong during the transfer.

Turn off Face. ID/Touch ID and password|

Update iOS to the latest version|

Synchronize data with iCloud|

Turn off iMessage and FaceTime 24 hours before transfer|

Create a backup copy on your computer-->

2. Method 1: Transfer via the application "Transfer data" (Mi Mover)

Xiaomi 12 Lite has a built-in Mi Mover app (in some regions called “Share data”) that allows you to transfer data directly from your iPhone over a wireless network, a method that is suitable for transferring contacts, photos, videos, music and even some applications (if you have them on Google Play).

Step instructions:

1. On Xiaomi 12 Lite go to Settings → The phone. → Transfer data (or find the Mi Mover app in the menu).
2. Select the option “This is the new device”.
3. On iPhone download the Mi Mover app from the App Store (it is free).
4. Open the app on your iPhone and select “This is the old device.”
5. On both devices, confirm the connection via QR-code.
6. Select the data types to transfer and wait for the process to be completed.

Advantages of this method:

• 🔄 Wireless transmission (no cable required).
• 📱 The structure of folders with photos is preserved.
• 🎵 Playlists from Apple Music are transferred (if tracks are available on YouTube Music or Spotify).

However, there are limitations:

• ❌ No messages from iMessage (only) SMS).
• ❌ Apps are only portable if they are on Google Play (for example, WhatsApp will be migrated, and Apple Maps will not).
• ❌ Photos in format.HEIC automatically convert to.JPEG, what can be.

⚠️ Note: If Mi Mover is stuck during the transfer, check if it blocks the transmission. VPN Or antivirus on your iPhone. Turn them off and try again.

Xiaomi 12 Lite: If you have a version MIUI 14 based on Android 13, before using Mi Mover, turn on the developer mode and activate the option “Debug by” USB» (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → Press 7 times. This will eliminate possible connection errors.

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If Mi Mover can’t see your iPhone, try connecting both devices to the same 5GHz Wi-Fi network. 2.4GHz networks often cause delays when transferring large files.

Method 2: Transfer over Google Drive (for contacts, photos and documents)

If the Mi Mover app fails, the alternative is to use Google Drive, which works even if you don’t have access to your computer, and the main advantage is to keep your change history (for example, for Google Docs or Sheets tables).

Step-by-step:

1. On your iPhone, install the Google Drive app from the App Store.
2. Sign in with the same Google account you use on Xiaomi 12 Lite.
3. Press «+» → «Download" and select files to transfer (photos, videos, documents).
4. For Contacts: Go to Settings → Contacts → Accounts. → Add an account → Google and sync contacts with Gmail.
5. On Xiaomi 12 Lite, log in to the same Google account and download files via Google Drive or Google Photos.

Features of the method:

• 📁 Photos and videos are uploaded in original quality (unless the Google Photos space is over).
• 📇 Contacts are transferred along with call histories (if synced with iCloud).
• 📄 Pages or Numbers documents are automatically converted to Google Docs/Sheets.

Limitations:

• ❌ Google Drive Free Storage is limited to 15GB (for large amounts of data, you will need a paid subscription).
• ❌ Music and apps are not portable.
• ❌ Messages from iMessage will have to be exported separately (more on this below).

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Google Drive is the most reliable way to transfer contacts and media files, but it is not suitable for applications and messages.

Method 3: Transfer over a computer (for large amounts of data)

If you have tens of gigabytes of photos, video in the 4K Or a large library of music, the most reliable way to do this is through a computer, which takes longer, but ensures that all files are safe without loss of quality.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with macOS or Windows.
• 🔌 Two. USB-cables (original to avoid transmission errors).
• 📁 External drive (flash drive or flash drive) HDD, if the data is more than 100 GB).

Instructions for Windows:

1. Connect your iPhone to your computer and unlock it.
2. In Windows Explorer, open the iPhone device → Internal Storage → DCIM (Here are photos and videos).
3. Copy the folders. 100APPLE, 101APPLE etc. on the computer.
4. Connect Xiaomi 12 Lite in File Transfer mode (MTP).
5. Move the files to the folder DCIM or Pictures on a smartphone.

For macOS users:

• 🍎 Use Photos (Photos.app) to export media files.
• 📂 For other data (music, documents) use Finder.
• ⚠️ On Macs with macOS Ventura and later, you may need to allow access to files in System Settings → Confidentiality.

Advantages of the method:

• 💾 There is no limit on the amount of data (you can transfer even 1 TB).
• 🎞️ The original quality of the video (including ProRes and Dolby Vision) is maintained).
• 🎵 Playlists are transferred from iTunes (if you convert them to iTunes.m3u).

⚠️ Note: If you connect Xiaomi 12 Lite to your computer it is defined as a “charger”, unlock the phone and in the notification curtain select the mode File Transfer (MTP). If this item is missing, check the developer settings (Settings) → Additionally. → For developers → Configuration USB default).

To speed up the process, specialized programs can be used:

• 🖥️ iMazing (paid, but supports export of messages and notes).
• 🖥️ Syncios (Free version with limitations).
• 🖥️ AnyTrans (supports WhatsApp and Line portability).

5. Method 4: Transfer messages from iMessage to Xiaomi 12 Lite

One of the hardest aspects of migration is messaging, and Apple doesn't provide an official way to export iMessage, so you'll have to use workarounds. Let's look at two working methods.

Method 1: Through iMazing (paid but reliable)

1. Download and install iMazing on your computer (official website).
2. Connect your iPhone and select the Messages section.
3. Export messages in format PDF or CSV.
4. Move the file to Xiaomi 12 Lite and open it via Google Drive or Excel.

Method 2: Through iCloud + Third-party services (free of charge)

1. On iPhone, enable iMessage backup in iCloud (Settings) → [Your name] → iCloud → Communications).
2. Use iMessage Exporter (e.g. imexporter.com) to upload messages to your website. HTML.
3. Download the archive and transfer it to Xiaomi.

Limitations:

• ❌ Attachments (photos, videos) in messages are not always transferred.
• ❌ Group chats may be displayed incorrectly.
• ❌ Messages from WhatsApp or Telegram are transferred separately (via backups of these applications).

For WhatsApp:

• 📱 Make a backup of chats on iPhone (Settings) → chat → Backup copy).
• 🔄 Install WhatsApp on Xiaomi 12 Lite and sign in to the same account.
• 📥 Restore your history from Google Drive if you made a copy less than 7 days ago).

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If WhatsApp messages don’t recover, check that Xiaomi uses the same phone number as the iPhone.Also make sure there’s enough room for backup on Google Drive.

6. Method 5: Transfer applications and purchases

Unfortunately, the direct transfer of installed applications from iOS to Android is not possible due to different system architectures.

• 🎮 Game data (if linked to Google Play Games or Facebook).
• 💳 In-app purchases (if the developer supports cross-platform synchronization).
• 📥 Settings of some apps (e.g. Spotify, Netflix).

What to do with purchases in the App Store:

• 💰 Movies/Series: If you bought them on iTunes, you can watch them on the web version of Apple TV+ Xiaomi.
• 🎵 Music: Transfer tracks via iTunes Match or download them in format MP3.
• 🎮 Games: If the game is cross-platform (e.g. Genshin Impact), sign in to the same account on Xiaomi.

List of applications that can be transferred with data storage:

For the remaining applications:

1. Check if they are on Google Play.
2. If yes, then install and log in to the same account.
3. If not, look for analogs (for example, instead of Apple Notes, use Google Keep).

7.Setup Xiaomi 12 Lite after data transfer

Once all the files are transferred, you need to optimize the Xiaomi 12 Lite to the new data.

1. Cleaning of cache and unnecessary files:

- Go to Settings. → Memory. → Clean and delete temporary files.

Use the built-in Security app for deep cleaning.

Synchronization setting:

Enable automatic sync for Google Photos, Contacts and Calendar.

- Open the Settings. → Accounts. → Google and activate all the necessary options.

3. Optimization of media files:

- If photos take up too much space, enable compression in Google Photos (Settings) → Quality of loading → High quality).

- For the video in 4K Use Xiaomi’s Galery – it supports viewing without conversion.

Password transfer:

- If you have used iCloud Keychain, export your passwords through Settings → Passwords. → Password export (access code required).

On Xiaomi, import them through Google Password Manager or Bitwarden.

Set up notifications:

- Open the Settings. → Notifications and enable the option to Show notifications on the lock screen.

- For instant messengers (such as Telegram), set up individual sounds in the App Settings → Notifications.

⚠️ Note: If photos in the Xiaomi 12 Lite gallery are not displayed in chronological order after transferring, open the Gallery → Settings → Sorting → If you're missing your date, use the Exif Editor app to restore it.

8. Frequent errors and their solutions

Even if you follow the instructions accurately, you can have problems, and let's look at some of the most common mistakes and how to fix them.

Problem 1: Xiaomi 12 Lite doesn’t see iPhones through Mi Mover

• 🔹 Make sure that both devices have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled.
• 🔹 Reboot both phones.
• 🔹 If used VPN, Turn it off.
• 🔹 Check if the transmission is blocked by an antivirus (for example, Avast or Kaspersky).

Problem 2: Photos moved but not opened

• 🔹 They're probably in the format.HEIC. Install the app on Xiaomi HEIF Viewer or convert them to.JPEG computer-based.
• 🔹 If the photos are damaged, try re-posting them through Google Photos.

Issue 3: Contacts are duplicated

• 🔹 Open Contacts. → Settings → Combine duplicates.
• 🔹 If duplicates are left, export contacts to the VCF, Remove everything, then import back.

Problem 4: The music is not played

• 🔹 Check that the files are not in the format.M4A (Apple's secure format. Convert them to MP3 via iTunes or Audacity.
• 🔹 Install a player that supports all formats (e.g., Poweramp or Poweramp) VLC).

Problem 5: WhatsApp messages have not recovered

• 🔹 Make sure the backup was made less than 7 days ago.
• 🔹 Check that Xiaomi uses the same phone number and Google account.
• 🔹 If a copy weighs more than 2 GB, break it into pieces with iMazing.

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Most data portability errors are due to format incompatibility (HEIC, M4A) or blocking transmission by antiviruses/VPN. Always check these points first.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions