How to transfer photos from iPhone to Xiaomi: all the ways from AirDrop to cloud services

Moving from iPhone to Xiaomi smartphone is always an exciting step, especially when it comes to the safety of personal data. Photos taken over the years of using the iPhone, often become the main headache: how to transfer them quickly, without loss of quality and without unnecessary costs to cloud storage? In this article, we will discuss all the current ways of transferring photos – from standard tools Apple and Xiaomi to little-known life hacks that will save your time.

It’s important to understand that the choice of method depends on several factors: the number of photos (tens or thousands of pictures?), the presence of a computer at hand, Internet speed and even the model of your Xiaomi. For example, owners of flagships like Xiaomi 14 Ultra or Redmi Note 13 Pro+ have features that are not available in budget models, we have taken into account all the nuances so that you can choose the best option.

Before you start, check two key points: free space on Xiaomi (iPhotos from the iPhone often weigh tens of gigabytes) and battery power on both devices — some transfer methods discharge smartphones in 10-15 minutes. If you have an iPhone 15 Pro with USB-C or Xiaomi with OTG support, the process will go faster — this, too, will be discussed below.

1. Transfer via AirDrop + Mi Drop (the fastest way for new models)

If you have an iPhone 8 or newer and Xiaomi on MIUI 12 or higher, this method will be your salvation. Apple's AirDrop and Xiaomi's Mi Drop can communicate with each other, although with some limitations. The main advantage is that the transfer is over Wi-Fi Direct protocol at speeds up to 10 MB / s, without using the mobile Internet or computer.

How it works:

• 📱 Turn on AirDrop on your iPhone: swipe down from the top right corner (or up on older models) → hold the tile with the network → activate AirDrop and select For All.
• 🤖 On Xiaomi, open the Mi Drop app (if not, download from Google Play) → click Get Files.
• 📸 On your iPhone, select photos in the gallery → click Share → find your Xiaomi device list (it will show as REDMI-XXXX or MI-XXXX).
• ⚡ Confirm reception on both devices, and the photos will be saved to the Mi Drop folder on internal memory.

⚠️ Warning: This method doesn't work on all Xiaomi models. If you have Poco X3, Redmi 9A or older devices, Mi Drop may not see the iPhone.

2.Using a USB-C/Lightning + OTG adapter cable

Physical cable connectivity is one of the most reliable ways, especially if you need to transfer thousands of high-resolution photos or videos.

• ⚡ Lightning Cable → USB-C (if you have an iPhone 15 or newer) or Lightning → USB-A + USB-A → USB-C for older iPhones.
• 🔌 Adapter OTG for Xiaomi (most current models support OTG out of the box, but check in Settings → Connected Devices → OTG).
• 📱 Xiaomi with USB-C connector (all models after 2019).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your iPhone to Xiaomi via the OTG adapter. The iPhone will be asked to Trust this computer?
2. On Xiaomi, open Explorer (File app) → go to the USB- Device section.
3. Open the DCIM → 100APPLE folder (all iPhone photos are stored here).
4. Select the files you want → click Copy → select a folder on Xiaomi’s internal memory (like Pictures).

Check out OTG support on Xiaomi

Buy Lightning → USB-C adapter (for iPhone 15+)

Charge both smartphones at least 50%

Release. 10-20% memory-->

⚠️ Warning: If Xiaomi doesn't see the iPhone as a USB- device, try:

1. Reboot both smartphones. 2. Use the original Apple cable (cheap analogues often do not support data transfer). 3. In the iPhone settings, check that the Settings → Face ID and password allow the connection of USB- accessories.

3. Cloud services: Google Photos vs iCloud vs Mi Cloud

Cloud storage is convenient when you need to transfer photos without a computer and from a distance (for example, if Xiaomi has not yet come from delivery).

The recommended algorithm for Google Photos (the most versatile option):

1. On iPhone, install Google Photos from the App Store → sign in to your Google account.
2. In the application settings, enable Backup and Sync → select High Quality (Free Compression) or Original Quality (counts in 15 GB).
3. Wait until the download is complete (may take hours with a large volume).
4. On Xiaomi, install Google Photos → Sign in to the same account → photos will appear in the gallery.

💡

If you only need to transfer your favorite photos, create a Shared Album on your iPhone in Google Photos, and then open it to Xiaomi via a link.

4. Transmission via computer (Mac or Windows)

If you have a MacBook or PC, this method gives you maximum control over the process, the main advantage: you can sort photos before the perenosom, convert HEIC to JPG (Apple's not all Xiaomi devices open correctly), and even compress heavy files.

Instructions for Windows:

1. Connect your iPhone to your computer via cable → unlock your iPhone and press Trust.
2. Open This Computer → Find Apple iPhone → Go to Internal Storage → DCIM → 100APPLE
3. Copy the folder with the photo to the desktop.
4. Connect Xiaomi to your computer in File Transfer (MTP) → move the photo to the Pictures folder.

For Mac, use the Photo Program:

• 🖥️ Connect iPhone → Open Photos → Select the device in the side menu.
• 📂 Tag the photos you want → Click Import → specify the folder to save.
• 📱 Connect Xiaomi via Android File Transfer (download from Google) → transfer files.

5. Applications for file transfer: SHAREit, Xender, Snapdrop

Specialized applications like SHAREit or Xender advertise instantaneous transmission without the Internet, but in practice they often slow down and show ads. However, they can help if other methods do not work.

SHAREit (available for iOS and Android):

• ✅ Speeds up to 20MB/s (theoretically).
• ✅ Supports whole folder transfer.
• ❌ Lots of advertising, requires permission to access files and contacts.
• ❌ On iPhones, it often asks to turn on Hotspot, which drains the battery.

Snapdrop (web service, works through the browser):

• ✅ No need to install applications.
• ✅ It works over a local area network (Wi-Fi).
• ❌ Slower than AirDrop (around 2-3MB/s).
• ❌ Does not support folder transfers – only one file.

If you do decide to use Shareit, follow this algorithm:

1. Install the app on both devices from the App Store and Google Play.
2. On iPhone, select Send → highlight photos → click Next.
3. On Xiaomi, select Get → bring the devices to each other (should connect automatically).
4. Confirm the transmission on both screens.

💡

Applications like SHAREit are convenient for transferring small files (up to 500 MB) at a time, and for larger volumes, it is better to use a cable or cloud.

6. Transfer via messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp)

This is the most inconvenient, but sometimes the only way available, for example, if you don't have a computer at hand and the Internet is limited, suitable for transferring a small number of photos (up to 50-100 pieces).

Telegram (recommended):

• 📎 Create a secret chat with yourself on your iPhone.
• 📸 Send photos to chat (up to 2 GB at a time).
• 📱 Open the same Telegram account on Xiaomi → download files.

WhatsApp (limitations):

• 📎 The maximum file size is 100MB.
• 📸 Quality is compressed (even if sent as a "document").
• 📱 You need to send photos one by one or archive (up to 100 files).

⚠️ Attention: Metadata (shoot date, geolocation) is lost when transmitted via messengers. If it is important, use other methods.

7. Automatic sync via Mi Mover (new Xiaomi only)

Xiaomi’s proprietary solution, the Mi Mover app, is designed to transfer data from Android to Xiaomi, but with some tricks it works with the iPhone.

• 🆕 Only works on Xiaomi with MIUI 10 and up.
• 📱 Requires a OTG cable and an iPhone adapter.
• 📸 Only transfers photos and videos (contacts, messages - no).

How to use:

1. Install Mi Mover on Xiaomi (if it is not out of the box).
2. Connect your iPhone to Xiaomi via OTG- adapter.
3. In Mi Mover, select your iPhone as your source → follow the instructions.
4. On the iPhone, allow access to the photo (a request will appear).

⚠️ Warning: Mi Mover often freezes during the preparation phase if your iPhone has Photo Storage Optimization enabled (it saves thumbnails instead of the originals). Before using it, turn it off in Settings → Photos → iPhone Storage Optimization.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions