How to transfer data from Xiaomi to iPhone: the full guide 2026

The transition from Xiaomi to iPhone is not just a smartphone change, but a complete migration of digital life between the two ecosystems. Even if you’ve prepared carefully, the risk of losing photos, contacts or notes remains high: in 2023, 37% of users experience partial data loss in such a transition, the reason lies in the fundamental differences between Android (which runs Xiaomi) and iOS: different backup formats, Apple’s closedness and the lack of universal synchronization tools.

In this article, we will discuss 5 Working methods of data transfer, from Apple’s official solution (Move to iOS) to manual methods for power users, focusing on hidden traps: Why some photos may not be transferred, how to avoid duplicate contacts and what to do if your iPhone “can’t see” your Redmi or your iPhone. POCO All instructions are relevant to the MIUI 14/15 iOS 17/18, In view of Apple’s recent restrictions on data transmission through Lightning/USB-C.

———

1.Official way: the app “Move to iOS”

This is the only method that Apple recommends itself, and at the same time the most problematic. the application “Move to iOS” should automatically transfer contacts, messages, photos, videos, email accounts and even some settings.

• 🔌 Unstable Wi-Fi Direct connection: iPhone and Xiaomi can “lose” each other during transfer, especially if Xiaomi is power saving mode turned on.
• 📱 Limit on volume: if Xiaomi is more than 50 GB of photo / video, the application often “hangs” during the preparation stage.
• 🔒 Lockdown MIUI: On some Xiaomi firmware, the Move to iOS app can't access SMS because of security policy.

To minimize the risks, follow this algorithm:

1. On iPhone, when you first turn on, select Set up manually → Transfer data from Android.
2. On Xiaomi, download Move to iOS from Google Play (link: official page).
3. Connect both phones to charge – the process can take 2-6 hours depending on the amount of data.
4. The iPhone will have a 6- or 10-digit code, type it into Xiaomi.
5. Select data to transfer (see table below) and wait for completion.

Shut down. VPN both-device|Put Xiaomi on charge (battery) >50%)|Make sure there is enough space on the iPhone|Turn off the power saving mode on Xiaomi|Connect to a single Wi-Fi network (if Direct is not working)

-->

⚠️ Warning: If the transfer is interrupted during the 1 minute stage, do not interrupt the process manually! Wait 10-15 minutes - often the iPhone continues processing data in the background.Reboot at this stage can lead to the loss of already copied files.

———

2. Alternative: Transfer via Google Account

If Move to iOS didn't work, the most reliable way is to use Google Account as a stash, which is suitable for contacts, calendars, emails and photo parts. The main advantage is that the data syncs to the cloud, so the risk of loss is minimal.

Instructions for Xiaomi:

1. Open Settings → Accounts → Google.
2. Select your account and enable sync for Contacts, Calendar and Google Photos.
3. Wait for the sync to complete (check in Settings → Accounts → Google → Sync).

Instructions for iPhone:

1. Go to Settings → Contacts → Accounts → Add an account → Google.
2. Enter the same account as Xiaomi.
3. Turn on the switches for Contacts, Calendars and Notes.

For photo and video transfer:

• 📸 Upload all media files to Google Photos on Xiaomi (via app or web version).
• 📱 On iPhone, download Google Photos from the App Store and log in to the same account.
• 🔄 Enable autoboot: Settings → Backup.

💡

If you have more than 15 GB of photos, use the "Affiliate Program" function in Google Photos: it allows you to download files in compressed quality (without limiting the volume). → Storage quality and select "High quality".

⚠️ Note: If you used Mi Cloud to store contacts, you should export them to Google Contacts first. → Settings → Imports/Exports → Export to.vcf, then import the file to Google Contacts via the web version.

———

3. Wire Transfer: via cable and computer

The fastest way to do large amounts of data (50)+ GB - using cable and computer as an intermediary, suitable for photos, videos, music and documents:

• 🖥️ Mac with macOS or Windows (but not Linux – there are often problems with Xiaomi drivers).
• 🔌 Cable USB-C → USB-A (lightning → USB-A old-fashioned).
• 📂 Enough space on the hard disk (volume of data) × 1.5).

Step 1: Copy data from Xiaomi to your computer

1. Connect Xiaomi to your computer via cable.
2. On Xiaomi, select File Transfer (MTP) mode in the Connection Notification.
3. On your computer, open this computer (Windows) or Android File Transfer (macOS).
4. Copy DCIM (photo/video), Downloads (downloads) and Documents folders to your hard drive.

Step 2: Transfer data to iPhone

• 🍎 For macOS: Use Finder or Photos to import photos/video.

———

Official Move to iOS app|Through Google Account|Wireless transfer via computer|Cloud services (Dropbox, Yandex Disk)|Another way.-->

4. Cloud services: Dropbox, Yandex Drive, Telegram

If you have slow internet or little space on your computer, cloud services are a good alternative, and the main advantage is cross-platform: files are downloaded from Xiaomi and downloaded to an iPhone without intermediaries.

• ☁️ Yandex Disk: 10 GB free, high download speed in Russia, automatic sorting of photos by date.
• 📦 Dropbox: 2GB free, but there is a Camera Upload feature for autoloading photos.
• 📱 Telegram: unlimited storage in “Saved Messages”, but a limit on the file size (2 GB).

Instructions for Yandex Disk:

1. On Xiaomi, install Yandex Drive and log in to your account.
2. Enable autoload photo: Settings → Autoboot → Turn on.
3. Manually upload the remaining files (documents, music) to the Cloud folder.
4. On your iPhone, install Yandex Drive, log in to the same account and download files.

Instructions for Telegram:

1. Open the Save Messages dialog on Xiaomi.
2. Press Attach. → File and select the data you need (max. 2 GB per file).
3. On your iPhone, open the same dialog and download the files.

💡

Cloud services are ideal for transferring sample data (such as only photos from the last year or important documents), and for full migration, it is better to combine with other methods.

———

5. Transfer of applications and their data

Apps are more complicated, with Apple and Google using different installer formats (.ipa vs.apk), so direct portability is not possible.

• 📱 Social Media and Messengers: Install the same apps on your iPhone and log in to your account – chat and media history will be downloaded automatically (e.g. WhatsApp, VK, Instagram).
• 🎮 Link progress to your Google Play Games or Facebook account, then log in to the same game on your iPhone.
• 📊 Banking apps: Reinstall via the App Store and log in – data is tied to your phone number or card.

To transfer game saves (unless they are tied to the cloud):

1. On Xiaomi, find a folder with saves (usually) /Android/data/[title of the game] or /Android/obb).
2. Copy it to your computer, then move it to your iPhone via iTunes (for older games) or AltStore (for modified apps).

⚠️ Note: Some apps (such as Mi Fit or Xiaomi Home) are unparalleled in the App Store. Before switching to iPhone, check if there are alternatives, or export data to universal formats (such as training history in the App Store). GPX or TCX).

———

6. WhatsApp portability: separate instruction

WhatsApp is one of the few apps that officially supports chat transfer between Android and iOS.

• 🔄 The transfer only works when you first set up your iPhone (you can’t do it later).
• 📱 WhatsApp version 2.22.10.70 is required+ on Xiaomi and the latest version on iPhone.
• ☁️ You need to use the same phone number as Xiaomi.

Step-by-step:

1. On Xiaomi, open WhatsApp → ⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup copy.
2. Connect Xiaomi to your computer and copy the folder WhatsApp/Databases hard-drive.
3. Install WhatsApp on your iPhone and follow the port instructions (the app will prompt you to scan). QR-code).
4. Connect your iPhone to your computer and move the backup to your WhatsApp folder via iTunes or Finder.

———

7.Verification and cleaning after transfer

After the data migration, be sure to follow these steps to avoid duplication and errors:

• 🔍 Check Contacts: Open the Contacts app on iPhone and remove duplicates through Groups → Show duplicates.
• 📸 Optimize your photo: Go to Settings → Photo and enable iPhone storage optimization to save space.
• 🔄 Sync accounts: Make sure Google Contacts, Calendar and Mail are updated and do not conflict with iCloud.
• 🗑️ Clean up Xiaomi: If you sell or transfer a phone, make a reset via Settings → The phone. → Resetting settings.

To clean the iPhone from unnecessary data:

1. Go to Settings. → Mainstream → iPhone storage.
2. Delete large, unnecessary files (such as Telegram cache or old backups).
3. Enable Unloading of Unused Apps in the same menu.

💡

After transferring data, don’t delete backups from Xiaomi or cloud services for a week, but it’s your insurance in case something goes wrong (for example, photos appear blurred or contacts disappear).

———

FAQ: Frequent questions