How to Transfer Contacts from Xiaomi to iPhone 11: A Detailed Guide to 5 Ways

Moving from Xiaomi to iPhone 11 is not only about changing the ecosystem, but also about migrating important data, which is where contacts come in first. Many users have trouble syncing a phone book, such as duplicated records, lost photos of contacts, or lost linked accounts. In this article, we’ll look at 5 working ways to move contacts, including cloud services, direct transfers, and manual methods, and how to avoid common mistakes.

The iPhone 11 is a closed file system that doesn't allow you to just copy a file with contacts, like you would on Android. VCF-But Apple has its own migration tools, and Xiaomi has built-in export features, so you have to choose the way that suits your situation. Do you have internet access, how many contacts you need to move and do you want to keep your call history.

If you’ve tried to move contacts and have problems (e.g., Cyrillic characters are not displayed or numbers are missing), there’s a section at the end of the article that addresses typical errors, and we’ll compare all the methods in the table to make it easier for you to choose the best option.

1. Transfer contacts through Google Account (the most reliable way)

This method works for almost anyone who has used Xiaomi with a Google account attached, and the advantage is that contacts are automatically synced, and on iPhones they can be easily imported through standard settings, minus if you have never synced contacts with Google, you will have to do it manually.

Here's the step-by-step instruction:

• 📱 On Xiaomi, open Settings → Google accounts → Sync, make sure the switch opposite Contact is active, and if not, turn on sync and wait until the process is complete.
• ☁️ On iPhone 11, go to Settings → Contacts → Accounts. → Add an account → Google and log in with the same login as Xiaomi.
• 🔄 Turn on contact sync and wait until it's done. This usually takes 1-2 minutes, but if there are many contacts (over 1000), it can take up to 10 minutes.
• 🔍 Check that the contacts have appeared in the iPhone Phone app. If not, try rebooting the device.

Make sure that Xiaomi has enabled synchronization of contacts with Google

Check that there is enough space on the iPhone (contacts take up little space, but it is better to have at least 100 MB)

Use a stable Wi-Fi connection (not mobile internet)

Close all background applications on both devices-->

If no contact appears, check:

• 🔌 On Xiaomi in Settings → Google accounts → Your account. → No errors (e.g., synchronization stopped").
• 📶 On iPhone in Settings → Contacts → Selected the Right Google Account as the Default Source.
• ⏳ It has been quite a while (sometimes the synchronization is delayed by 5-10 minutes).

⚠️ Note: If you have used multiple Google accounts on Xiaomi, make sure to sync the one where the contacts are stored. → Settings → Contact management and see which account appears as the main one.

2. Transfer contacts via iCloud (an alternative to Google)

If you prefer the Apple ecosystem and don’t want to use a Google account, you can transfer contacts via iCloud.

Algorithm of action:

1. Export your contacts with Xiaomi to.vcf: 📱 Open the Contacts app on Xiaomi. 🔧 Click on three dots in the upper right corner → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Export to file. 💾 Save the file (usually called contacts.vcf) to your phone or phone. SD-map.
2. Transfer the file to the computer: 🖥️ Connect Xiaomi to your PC via USB-cable. 📁 In the guide, find the Internal Storage folder. → Download (or the one where the file was saved) and copy contacts.vcf to the desktop.
3. Import contacts to iCloud: 🌐 Open your browser and go to iCloud.com, log in to your Apple ID. 👥 Select the "Contact" section". ⚙️ Click on the gear in the lower left corner. → Import vCard and select the copied file.
4. Synchronize contacts with iPhone 11: 📱 On iPhone go to Settings → [Your name] → iCloud and turn on the "Contact" switch". 🔄 Wait for the synchronization to be completed (may take up to 5 minutes).

⚠️ Note: Contact photos are not portable when imported via iCloud. If they are important, use Google Contacts or specialized apps (for more on these in the next section).

I have never transferred my contacts to another phone.

Used a Google Account

I've been through SIM-map

I have tried apps like My Contacts Backup.

Another way.-->

3.Use the Move to iOS app (official way from Apple)

Move to iOS is Apple's official app for migrating data from Android to iPhone, and it can transfer not only contacts, but also messages, photos, emails and even some settings.

• 📱 It works only at the first setup of the iPhone (if the device is already configured, you will have to reset).
• 🔌 Requires stable Wi-Fi connection (not working via mobile internet).
• ⏳ It can take a long time if there is a lot of data (for example, when transferring 500 data).+ contact and photos).

Instructions for use:

1. On Xiaomi, download the Move to iOS app from Google Play.
2. On iPhone 11, start the initial setup process. On the Software and Data screen, select Move data from Android.
3. On Xiaomi, open Move to iOS, accept the terms and enter the connection code that will show up on the iPhone.
4. Select the data to transfer (required to mark "Contacts") and wait for the process to be completed.
5. Once completed, the iPhone will receive a successful transfer notification. Check the contacts in the Phone app.

💡

If Move to iOS is stuck in the connection phase, try disabling the VPN on Xiaomi and restarting both devices, and make sure that there is enough free space on the iPhone (at least 1 GB).

Advantages of this method:

• 🔄 Not only are contacts transferred, but also the history of messages (SMS and MMS).
• 📸 Photos of contacts are saved (unlike the method with the VCF-file).
• 📱 No computer or additional programs required.

Disadvantages:

• ⚠️ It only works when you first set up your iPhone (if you already use your phone, you’ll have to reset it).
• 🐢 Slower than Google sync (due to additional data transfer).

4. Transfer of contacts through SIM-Card (quickly but with limitations)

If you have few contacts (up to 200-250) and don’t want to mess with cloud services, you can use the cloud. SIM-This is a simple method, but it has serious limitations:

• 📵 Only phone numbers and names are transferred (without email, addresses, photos).
• 📏 Number limit: one SIM-The card usually contains no more than 250 contacts.
• 🔠 Cyrillic symbols may not be displayed correctly (depending on operator).

How to transfer contacts via SIM:

1. On Xiaomi, open "Contacts" → press three points → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Exports to SIM-map.
2. Select contacts for export (you can note everything) and confirm the action.
3. Extract. SIM-Xiaomi card and paste it into iPhone 11.
4. On iPhone, go to Settings → Contacts → Import contacts with SIM.
5. Wait for the import to be completed and check the contacts in the phone book.

⚠️ Note: If you use Xiaomi's nano-SIM on the iPhone 11, make sure it's properly cropped (or use an adapter). SIM-Cards can cause data loss or slot damage.

5. Third-party applications for contact transfer

If standard methods don’t work (for example, you don’t have a Google account or don’t want to reset your iPhone for Move to iOS), you can use third-party apps.

• 📱 My Contacts Backup (free, export to the UK) VCF email).
• 🔄 Copy My Data (wi-fi transfer, without computer).
• ☁️ Contacts+ (Synchronization through the cloud, supports photos).

Let’s look at the My Contacts Backup example:

1. Install the app on Xiaomi from Google Play.
2. Open it and click "Backup." The application will create a contact.vcf file.
3. Send the file to yourself by email or save it to the cloud (like Google Drive or Dropbox).
4. On iPhone 11, open a letter or cloud storage, download a file and import it through the Internet: 📧 Mail: Open the attachment → press the file → Add all contacts. ☁️ Cloud: download the file → Open it. → Select Contacts for Importation.

Advantages of third-party applications:

• 🔧 More flexibility (you can selectively transfer contacts).
• 📸 Photos and additional fields (email, addresses) are saved).
• 🌍 It works without a Google account or iCloud.

Disadvantages:

• 🛡️ Data breach risk (not all applications reliably protect information).
• 💰 Some features are paid (for example, backup more than 500 contacts).

💡

If you choose a third-party app, be sure to check reviews and ratings in the App Store/Google Play. avoid programs with suspicious permissions (such as accessing SMS or geolocation for no reason).

Solving Typical Problems When Transferring Contacts

Even if you follow the instructions correctly, you can get errors, and let's look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

Problem 1: Contacts don’t show up on iPhones after syncing

Possible causes and solutions:

• 🔌 Incorrect Default Account: On iPhone, go to Settings → Contacts → Default account and select the one you used to transfer contacts (Google or iCloud).
• 🔄 Sync not complete: Check your internet connection and wait 10-15 minutes.If it doesn't work, reboot your iPhone.
• 📵 Contacts are hidden in settings: Open the Contacts app on your iPhone, click Groups in the top left corner and make sure the desired group is ticked.

Problem 2: Cyrillic symbols are displayed by Krakozabras

This is a common problem when moving through SIM-map VCF-Solutions:

• 📱 Use Google Contacts: This method is guaranteed to keep the encoding.
• 🔧 Check the file encoding: If you export to VCF, Open the file in a text editor (for example, Notepad)++) And save it in encoding. UTF-8.
• 📵 For SIM-Maps: Try importing contacts to an intermediate device (like another Android smartphone) and then transferring them to your iPhone via Move to iOS.

Problem 3: Contact photos are missing

Contact photos are not transferred through SIM-map VCF-To save them:

• ☁️ Use Google Contacts or Move to iOS – These methods save photos.
• 📸 If the photos are already lost, you can restore them manually:

Problem 4: Duplicate contacts

Doubles occur if you have transferred contacts in several ways (for example, through Google and through Google). SIM-To clear the list:

• 📱 On iPhone, open the "Contact" app".
• 🔍 In the upper left corner, click Groups and turn off unnecessary sources (e.g, SIM-Map if your contacts have already been moved through Google).
• 🧹 Use duplicate removal apps like Clearup Duplicate Contacts (available from the App Store).