The shift from iOS to Android often raises concerns about the safety of personal data, especially media libraries. Over the years, the collection of images and video files can be counted in thousands, and losing even some of them will be an unpleasant surprise. Fortunately, modern technology allows you to migrate data as quickly as possible and without loss of quality.
Xiaomi smartphone owners have several effective tools for this task built directly into the MIUI or HyperOS operating system. The process does not require a computer or deep technical knowledge, but requires careful attention at every stage. In this guide, we will discuss all the current methods, from automatic utilities to cloud services.
The choice of the method depends on the size of your gallery and the speed of the Internet connection. If you plan to carry hundreds of gigabytes of information, you better use a local Wi-Fi connection that does not consume mobile traffic. For small volumes, cloud solutions that synchronize content in the background will suit.
Using the Mi Mover application for direct transmission
The most efficient and quickest way is to use the Mi Mover utility, which is pre-installed on most Xiaomi devices, which creates a direct Wi-Fi connection between the old and new device, providing high copy speeds without using the Internet. To start, you need to install the app on the iPhone from the App Store, if it is not there.
The process starts with running the program on both devices. On a Xiaomi smartphone, you should choose the role of "Sender" or "Receiver" depending on which device is new. QR-The device will connect to the iPhone and the user will see a list of data available for transfer.The Mi Mover transmission protocol stores the original photo resolution and the image metadata (EXIF), critical to archives.
It's important to keep the device screens active, and if the transmission stops in the middle, the app will prompt it to resume from the break point, but this will increase the overall operation time, and make sure that the new smartphone has enough free space in memory before the procedure begins.
⚠️ Warning: While running Mi Mover, don’t switch to other apps or lock the iPhone screen, as iOS can break the background Wi-Fi connection to save energy.
Once the copying is complete, all images will be in a standard gallery, and the system will automatically sort them by date, creating a single chronological tape along with photos taken on the new device, which creates a seamless transition between platforms.
☑️ Ready to transmit via Mi Mover
Synchronization through Google Photos
Google's ecosystem offers one of the most convenient ways to save and migrate your library: Google Photos automatically backs up images in the cloud by linking them to your account. To implement this method, you need to install the Google Photos app on your iPhone and log into your Google account.
In the iOS app settings, you need to activate Autoupload, and then you start uploading all the photos to the cloud, and the speed depends on the data plan and the Internet speed, and on the new Xiaomi device, you just need to log in to the same account, and the entire gallery will be available instantly.
- 📸 High compatibility with Android and no need for drivers.
- ☁️ The ability to access photos from any device through the browser.
- 🔍 Advanced search by objects and persons based on artificial intelligence.
Consider that Google’s free plan provides 15GB of space that is shared between Mail, Drive and Photos. If your archive exceeds this limit, you will need to sign up for a Google One subscription or selective download. There is also a nuance with quality: compression can be applied in free mode, although Google’s algorithms make it almost invisible to the eye.
Features of compression in Google Photos
Transfer through cloud storage (Yandex.Disk, Cloud Mail.ru)
Alternatives to Google’s solutions include popular Russian cloud services such as Yandex.Disk or Cloud Mail.ru, which often offer more generous free storage and high server speeds in the country, and are similar to installing an app on an iPhone, turning on autoboots and waiting for the process to be completed.
Once the data is uploaded to the new Xiaomi, the app installs the same service, so you can view photos directly from the cloud without taking up your phone’s memory, or upload them to a local gallery as needed, a great option for those who are afraid of being tied to the Google ecosystem.
A key advantage is that it can automatically sort and create albums, and many services can recognize document scans and checks, separating them from personal images, making it easier to navigate a huge array of data after you move.
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Use the Wi-Fi Only feature in your cloud service autoload settings to avoid running out of all mobile traffic in one session.
Import via computer and wired connection
For users who prefer complete control of data, the ideal option would be to use a PC or laptop as an intermediary, which is independent of Internet speed and allows you to structure files before downloading to a new smartphone. First connect your iPhone to your computer and copy the folder with photos to your hard drive.
Then connect Xiaomi in file transfer mode (MTP). Create a new folder on the internal drive, for example, «Import_iOS», And you can move the copied images there, and when you turn off the phone, the system automatically indexes the new files, and they'll show up in the gallery.
This is especially useful when transferring HEVC (H.265) video files, which may not be displayed correctly in some standard players without conversion, and you can pre-package the video to a more compatible MP4 if you have problems with playback.
A comparison of the main methods of data transfer is presented in the table below:
| Method | Speed. | Internet dependency | Quality preservation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Mover | Very high. | Not required | Original |
| Google Photo | Medium | Required. | Compression or Original |
| Clouds (Yandex/Mail) | Medium | Required. | Original |
| Through the PC. | Tall. | Not required | Original |
Solving problems with HEIC formats and compatibility
One of the frequent issues when switching from iOS is the HEIC format, in which the iPhone defaults to save photos to save space. Android devices, including Xiaomi, are increasingly supporting this format, but older models or third-party apps can have difficulty displaying.
To avoid on-the-fly conversions that can slow down, you can change the settings of the iPhone itself before transferring. From the Settings → Photos menu, you should select the Automatic option in the “Move to Mac or PC” section, in which case, when transferred to a computer or other device, iOS itself will convert files into a compatible JPEG.
If the photos are already transferred in HEIC format and do not open, you can use the built-in converter in the Xiaomi gallery or third-party apps from Google Play. However, it is better to prevent this problem during the preparation stage by changing the camera format settings on the iPhone to “Most compatible” before migrating.
⚠️ Attention: Format HEIC It takes up about twice as much space as JPEG, And then you can convert the entire archive into JPEG, You may experience a lack of free space on your new device.
Organization of the gallery after the transfer
Once the migration is completed successfully, it is important to clean up the new digital environment. MIUI and HyperOS Gallery offer powerful sorting tools. The system automatically recognizes faces, locations and objects, creating smart albums. It is recommended to check the album "Recently Deleted" on both devices to make sure that nothing extra has moved.
You should also set up a cloud album sync if you plan to use it as your primary backup, which will protect your data in the event of future device loss or failure, and regularly cleaning the cache of galleries applications will help keep the system running.
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Regular check of cloud storage and local memory after transferring large amounts of data is a mandatory procedure for stable operation of the smartphone.