How to Transfer Data from iPhone to Xiaomi: A Complete 2026 Guide

Switching from iPhone to Xiaomi smartphone is a crucial step that requires smart data transfer. Many users fear losing important files, contacts or messages when changing the operating system. In practice, the process of migrating from iOS to Android is easier than it seems if you know proven methods and avoid typical mistakes.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to transfer data, from standard tools from Google and Apple to specialized applications from Xiaomi, you’ll learn how to save photos, notes, chats from instant messengers and even call history. And also – what nuances are important to consider when working with different versions MIUI iOS.

Experience shows that 80 percent of portability problems are caused by incorrect device preparation, so let's start with basic steps to help avoid data loss.

πŸ“Š What kind of data transfer do you prefer?
Cloud services
Direct cable
Special annexes
Manual transfer
I haven't decided yet.

Preparation of devices before transfer

Before you start migrating, you need to perform several critical actions on both smartphones, and skipping these steps can lead to crashes or incomplete data transfer.

On the iPhone, check:

  • πŸ”‹ Battery charge – at least 50% to avoid shutdown during the process.
  • πŸ“Ά A stable Internet connection – it is better to use Wi-Fi, as mobile traffic may not cope with large volumes.
  • πŸ”„ iOS Update – Go to Settings β†’ Mainstream β†’ Update the software and install the latest version.
  • πŸ”’ Disable screen locking – temporarily remove Face ID Touch. ID, if they interfere with the confirmation of the action.

On a Xiaomi smartphone:

  • 🧹 Reset to factory settings -- if the phone is new, this step is not necessary. If used, reset to Settings. β†’ The phone. β†’ Resetting settings.
  • πŸ“¦ Free space – make sure that the device has enough memory for the data it receives (at least 20% more portable files).
  • πŸ”Œ Original cable – if you plan to use a wired connection, prepare a quality cable USB-C/Lightning cable.

⚠️ Note: If your iPhone is enabled Find iPhone (Settings) β†’ Apple ID β†’ Find it, it needs to be disabled before porting it, otherwise some methods (like Move to iOS backwards) may not work.

We also recommend backing up your iPhone via iCloud or iTunes.

Settings β†’ [Your name] β†’ iCloud β†’ Backup in iCloud β†’ Create a backup

2. Method 1: Move to Android (official solution from Google)

The most reliable and versatile method is to use Google's Move to Android app, which allows you to migrate:

  • πŸ“ž Contacts
  • πŸ“· Photo and video (limited to 25 GB)
  • πŸ’¬ Communications (SMS/MMS)
  • 🎡 Music and documents
  • πŸ“… Calendars

Step-by-step:

  1. Download Move to Android on iPhone from the App Store.
  2. On a Xiaomi smartphone, when you first turn on, select the option β€œData Portability.” If the phone is already configured, reset it or use the Mi Mover app (available on Google Play).
  3. On your iPhone, open Move to Android, agree to the terms and select β€œNext”.
  4. Xiaomi will have a one-time code – enter it on the iPhone.
  5. Select data types to transfer and wait for the process to be completed (can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours depending on the volume).

⚠️ If the transfer is interrupted, do not try to start it again immediately. Wait 10-15 minutes - Google servers can block frequent attempts as suspicious activity.

Important: This method does not transfer data from messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.), as well as notes from Apple Notes.

Both phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

Xiaomi has enough free space

The β€œFind iPhone” function is disabled

Battery charge for both devices > 50%

Download the Move to Android app on iPhone-->

Method 2: Using Mi Mover (branded solution from Xiaomi)

The Mi Mover app was developed specifically for Xiaomi smartphone owners, but supports porting from iOS, its main advantage is the preservation of folder structure and the ability to select specific files for copying.

How to use:

  • πŸ“± Install Mi Mover on Xiaomi from Google Play (if it is not in the default firmware).
  • πŸ”— Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network.
  • πŸ“² On iPhone, open your browser and enter an address that will appear in Mi Mover on Xiaomi (for example, http://192.168.x.x:3721).
  • πŸ“‚ Select files to transfer (photo, video, music) and confirm the action.

Features of the Mi Mover:

ParameterMove to AndroidMi Mover
Support for messengers❌ No.❌ No.
Portability of applications❌ No.βœ… Yes (APK-file)
Transmission speed~10 MB/s~15-20 MB/s
Internet is requiredβœ… Yes.❌ No (local area network)

Mi Mover is better for porting media files, but it can't handle contacts or messages, and you'll have to use other methods to do that.

πŸ’‘

If Mi Mover doesn’t see an iPhone, check that both devices are connected to the same 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network (5GHz may not be supported).

4. Method 3: Transfer via iCloud and Google Account

This method is ideal for those who want to migrate contacts, calendars and notes without using third-party apps, the main condition is the presence of a Google account on Xiaomi.

Contact instructions:

  1. On iPhone go to Settings β†’ [Your name] β†’ iCloud and enable synchronization "Contacts".
  2. Open your browser on your PC and log in to iCloud.com.
  3. Export contacts to.vcf file: highlight all contacts β†’ press the gear. β†’ "Export vCard".
  4. Go to Google Contacts, click Import and upload the resulting file.
  5. On Xiaomi, add your Google account to Settings β†’ Accounts and enable contact synchronization.

For calendars:

  • πŸ“… In iCloud, export calendars in.ics format.
  • πŸ–₯️ Import them to Google Calendar via Settings β†’ Import and export".
  • πŸ“± On Xiaomi, sync your calendar through Google Account.

For notes, the situation is more complicated: Apple Notes are not exported directly.

  • πŸ“ Send important notes to your mail or Telegram.
  • πŸ”„ Use third-party services like Evernote or OneNote for temporary storage.

⚠️ Note: When exporting contacts from iCloud to.vcf, you lose profile photos, and you have to transfer them separately via Move to Android or manually.

5. Method 4: Porting Photos and Videos to Google Photos

Google Photos is one of the most convenient solutions for migrating media files, which automatically sorts photos by date, recognizes faces and supports backup in original quality (up to 15 GB free).

How to move:

  1. Download Google Photos on your iPhone.
  2. Log in to your Google account and enable β€œBackup and Sync” in the app settings.
  3. Wait for the download to be completed (may take several hours with a large volume).
  4. On Xiaomi, install Google Photos and log in to the same account. All photos and videos will automatically appear in the gallery.

Advantages of the method:

  • πŸ”„ Automatic synchronization of new photos.
  • πŸ” Easy search by people, places and objects.
  • πŸ“€ The ability to free up space on the iPhone after booting.

Disadvantages:

  • πŸ“Ά Requires a stable Internet.
  • πŸ’Ύ Restriction of free storage (15 GB per account).
  • πŸŽ₯ Video in the video 4K Can be compressed when backing up (unless Google One is paid).

πŸ’‘

Google Photos is the best choice for photo and video transfer if you have a stable Internet connection and no more than 15 GB of media.

Method 5: Manual transfer via computer

If you don't have access to the Internet or you prefer full control of the process, you can use a wired connection to your PC. This method is universal and works even with older versions of iOS and other devices. MIUI.

What you need:

  • πŸ–₯️ Computer with Windows or macOS.
  • πŸ”Œ Lightning cablesβ†’USB and USB-Cβ†’USB (adapter).
  • πŸ“‚ Enough free space on the hard disk.

Step-by-step:

  1. Connect your iPhone to your computer and unlock it. In the window that appears, select "Trust this computer."
  2. On Windows, install iTunes (if not installed), on macOS there are enough standard drivers.
  3. Open "This Computer" (My Computer), search for your iPhone in the "Devices" section and open it.
  4. Copy the files you want (photos, videos, music) into a folder on your computer. β†’ DCIM β†’ [Photo folders]
  5. Turn off your iPhone and connect Xiaomi in File Transfer mode" (MTP).
  6. Transfer the copied files to the corresponding folders on Xiaomi (for example, DCIM/Camera photo).

To transfer contacts via computer:

  • Export them from iCloud to.vcf (as described in Method 3).
  • Copy the file to Xiaomi and import it through the Contacts app.

⚠️ Note: When connecting Xiaomi to your computer in mode MTP Some antiviruses (e.g. Avast) can block access to files. temporarily disable protection or add the device to exceptions.

How to transfer music from iPhone to Xiaomi?
If you bought music from iTunes, download it to your computer via Apple Music (Settings) β†’ Music. β†’ Sync the library. Then transfer files to Xiaomi manually or use services like Spotify for streaming.

7. data transfer from messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber)

Chats from instant messengers are one of the most difficult categories to transfer. Not all apps support migration between iOS and Android, but there are solutions for popular services.

WhatsApp:

  • πŸ“± WhatsApp does not support transfer of chats from iPhone to Android.
  • πŸ”§ Bypass: Use third-party tools like Backuptrans or iMazing (paid, computer required).
  • ⚠️ Risk: These methods may violate WhatsApp’s policies, so use them at your own risk.

Telegram:

  • ☁️ All chats and media files are stored in the cloud, so just install Telegram on Xiaomi and log into your account.
  • πŸ“ Local files (manually uploaded) are transferred via Google Drive or computer.

Viber:

  • πŸ”„ Supports backup chats in iCloud, but you can’t restore them on Android.
  • πŸ“§ Important messages can be sent to yourself by mail or saved to.txt through the function "Export History".

For SMS/MMS:

  • πŸ“± Use Move to Android (as in Method 1) or specialized apps like SMS Backup & Restore.
  • πŸ“„ Export. SMS.xml via iTunes (computer required).

8. Post-transfer validation and optimization

Once the migration is complete, you need to make sure that all the data is in place and correctly displayed.

πŸ” Data integrity verification:

  • πŸ“ž Open Contacts and check if all numbers are in place (especially pay attention to duplicates).
  • πŸ“· View photos in the Gallery – sometimes files may not appear immediately due to caching.
  • πŸ’¬ Run messengers and make sure that the chat history is saved.

βš™οΈ Optimizing the work of Xiaomi:

  • πŸ“΅ Set up "Do Not Disturb" and notifications in Settings β†’ Notifications.
  • πŸ”‹ Activate Adaptive Charging in Settings β†’ Battery to extend battery life.
  • πŸ›‘οΈ Update all apps through Google Play and check for updates MIUI In Settings β†’ The phone. β†’ Updating the system.

πŸ—‘οΈ Cleaning up garbage:

  • Remove duplicate contacts using the Cleaner app (pre-installed on Xiaomi).
  • Clean the cache in Settings β†’ Storage β†’ Clear the cache.
  • Move your rarely used files to Google Drive or Mi Cloud (5GB free).

If something went wrong:

  • πŸ”„ Try repeating the transfer by another method (for example, if Move to Android didn’t work, use Mi Mover).
  • πŸ“ž Contact Xiaomi via the Mi Community app or website mi.com/support.

πŸ’‘

After transferring data, be sure to back up to Xiaomi via Settings β†’ Additionally. β†’ Backup and reset.

FAQ: Frequent questions about moving from iOS to Xiaomi

Can I transfer apps from iPhone to Xiaomi?
No, apps from the App Store are not compatible with Android. However, you can: Find analogues in Google Play (for example, Apple Music). β†’ Spotify: Use web versions of services (e.g. Apple Notes via iCloud.com), transfer application data (e.g. game saves) to Google or Facebook accounts.
Why don’t Xiaomi display photos after the transfer?
Possible causes and solutions: Cash galleries: Reboot your phone or clear the cache of the Gallery app. Hidden folders: Check the folder DCIM/.thumbnails β€” Sometimes thumbnails don't get updated. File format: iPhone saves photos in HEIC, And that's not all versions of Android. Use a converter like this. HEIC to JPG.
How to transfer passwords from iCloud Keychain to Xiaomi?
Apple does not provide a direct way to export passwords from iCloud Keychain: πŸ”‘ Manually enter critical passwords in Google Password Manager (Settings) β†’ Google β†’ Managing a Google Account β†’ Security β†’ Passwords). 🌐 Use cross-platform managers like this. 1Password or Bitwarden for migration. ⚠️ Do not store passwords in unprotected files or notes!
Can I transfer my phone history from iPhone to Xiaomi?
Yes, but not by all means. Workable options: Move to Android β€” transfers the history of calls along with contacts. iMazing (paid) β€” exports the story to.csv, which can be imported to Xiaomi through Google Contacts. Manual input β€” if there are few calls, it is easier to add them manually. Note: call history may not appear in the standard application Phone on Xiaomi, if it is imported from a file.
What if Xiaomi can’t see the iPhone when connected by cable?
Connection problems are solved this way: πŸ”Œ Try another cable (preferably the original Lightning). πŸ–₯️ Update Apple Mobile Device Drivers on your PC. πŸ“± On iPhone, reset network settings: Settings β†’ Mainstream β†’ Reset β†’ Reset the network settings. πŸ”„ Reboot both devices. If the problem persists, use wireless transfer methods (Move to Android or Google Photos).