How to transfer contacts from Xiaomi to iPhone 13: all ways from simple to complex

Moving from Xiaomi to iPhone 13 is not just about changing the ecosystem, it's also about moving important data. You can't lose the contacts you've built up over the years with your smartphone: your colleagues, relatives, customers' numbers are often not duplicated elsewhere. Fortunately, the process of migrating contacts from Android to iOS is fine-tuned today, and you have at least 5 reliable ways to do it without mistakes.

In this article, we’ll look at every method from the fastest (via the SIM- card) to the most versatile (via Google Account or iCloud), and learn how to transfer 50+ contacts, how to avoid duplication of records, and what to do if some of the numbers don’t show up on the new iPhone, and also compare the speed of each method and point out hidden pitfalls, which even the official instructions are silent about.

1.Preparation for the transfer: what to do on Xiaomi before you start

Before you start migrating, make sure your contacts on Xiaomi are up to date. A common mistake users make is trying to migrate data when some numbers are stored in the phone's memory and some are stored in Google Account or on the SIM- card, which leads to duplication or loss of records.

Here's what you have to do:

• 📱 Check where contacts are stored: open the Contacts app on Xiaomi, click on the three dots in the top right corner, and select Contact Management → Storage Location. Ideally, if all numbers are saved to Google Account.
• 🔄 Combine duplicates: in the same menu, select Combine and Fix - the system will automatically find the repeating entries.
• 📡 Connect to Wi-Fi: If you plan to use cloud services, a stable internet connection will speed up the process.
• 🔋 Charge both phones to a minimum of 50%: transfer via Bluetooth or cable can take up to 30 minutes.

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If Xiaomi has MIUI 12 or lower, upgrade to the latest version before the penosom. Older versions of MIUI have bugs with export contacts in.vcf format.

Pay special attention to the export format. The iPhone only supports.vcf (vCard) files, so if you plan to migrate contacts through a file, make sure Xiaomi saves them in this format. You can check this by exporting it. 1-2 test contacts to the memory card.

2. Method 1: Transfer through Google Account (most reliable)

This method works even if you don't have a SIM- card or cable, and the main condition is that you have a Google Account linked to Xiaomi, and the advantage is that contacts are synced automatically and can be restored on any device in the future.

Instructions:

1. On Xiaomi, open Settings → Google Accounts → Sync your account and make sure the slider opposite Contact is enabled.
2. Wait for the synchronization to be completed (a notification will appear in the top panel).
3. On iPhone 13, go to Settings → Contacts → Accounts → Add an account → Google.
4. Enter the same Google Account as Xiaomi and enable contact sync.
5. Open the Contacts app on your iPhone – in 5-10 minutes, all numbers will appear in the phone book.

⚠️ Warning: If you’ve already had contacts on your iPhone, syncing with Google can create duplicates. To avoid this, export your existing iPhone contacts to a.vcf file before adding an account (via Settings → [Your name] → iCloud → Contacts → Export).

3 Method 2: Transfer via SIM- card (quick but with limitations)

If you don't have Wi-Fi, or you only want to transfer basic contacts, the SIM- card is the easiest solution, but there are serious limitations to the method.

• 🚫 A limited number of contacts (usually up to 250) shall be placed on SIM.
• 📛 Only numbers and names are saved — photos, mail, addresses and notes are lost.
• 🔢 Names longer than 14 characters can be cropped.

How to move:

1. On Xiaomi, open Contacts → Settings (three points) → Contact Management → Import / Export → Export to SIM- card.
2. Select contacts for export (or click Allocate) and confirm.
3. Remove the SIM- card from Xiaomi and paste it into the iPhone 13.
4. On iPhone, go to Settings → Contacts → Import SIM- Contacts.

Make sure there is enough memory on the SIM- card (check Settings → SIM- Cards and Mobile Networks → SIM Memory)

Choose only the right contacts – extra will take place

Make sure that the names do not contain special characters (they may not be transferred)

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⚠️ Warning: If you use Xiaomi’s nano-SIM on the iPhone 13, note that some carriers block the recording of contacts on SIM (e.g., Tele2 or Yota) in which case the method will not work.

Important: iPhone 13 does not support SIM- micro-SIM or standard-SIM cards - only nano-SIM or eSIM. If your card is old, it will have to be cropped or replaced by the operator.

Method 3: Transfer over Bluetooth (without the Internet, but long)

Bluetooth is one of the slowest, but most versatile ways, and it works if you don't have one. SIM-cards with enough memory or you don't want to use cloud services. 100+ number out 20-30 minutes.

Step-by-step:

1. On Xiaomi and iPhone 13, turn on Bluetooth (Settings → Bluetooth).
2. Make devices visible to everyone (Xiaomi may need to enable Detection Mode in Bluetooth settings).
3. On Xiaomi, open Contacts, select the contact you want, click Share → Bluetooth.
4. Select the iPhone 13 from the list of devices and confirm the transfer on both phones.
5. Repeat for each contact (or highlight a few and send in a pack if Xiaomi supports this feature).

⚠️ Warning: On iPhones, Bluetooth-received contacts are not stored in the main phone book, but in a separate Other Contacts section, and to be displayed in the general list, you need to manually transfer them to iCloud or Google Account:

1. Open the Contacts app on the iPhone.
2. Click Groups in the top left corner and select Other Contacts.
3. Select the numbers received and click Share → Copy into my contacts.

5. Method 4: Transfer via VCF file (for advanced users)

If you prefer manual control of the process, exporting contacts to a.vcf (vCard) file is the best option, and this method allows you to transfer all data (including photos, mail and addresses), as well as make a backup copy on your computer.

Instructions:

1. On Xiaomi, open Contacts → Settings → Contact Management → Import / Export → Export to File.
2. Select a save location (e.g., Internal Memory or SD- card) and confirm.
3. Connect Xiaomi to your computer via the USB- cable and copy the contacts.vcf file (usually saved in the Download or MIUI/backup folder).
4. Send the file to iPhone 13 in any convenient way: 📧 By mail (open the letter on the iPhone and click on the attachment). ☁️ via iCloud Drive or Google Drive. 💻 Through iTunes (connect the iPhone to the PC, open iTunes → File → Add the file to the library).

iPhone

.vcf

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The.vcf file can be edited manually via a text editor (like Notepad++).This is useful if you need to delete duplicates or fix errors before importing to your iPhone.

⚠️ Warning: If a.vcf file weighs more than 10MB (e.g., when exporting 5000+ contacts), the iPhone may not open it via email, in which case use iCloud Drive or break the file into pieces using services like [VCFSplitter](https://vcfsplitter.com/).

Method 5: Transfer through the “Switch to iOS” app (the official method from Apple)

Apple has developed a special application, "Move to iOS", which makes it easier to migrate data from Android to iOS, transfers not only contacts, but also messages, photos, email accounts and even some settings.

• ⚡ Only works when you first set up your iPhone (if you have your phone set up, you’ll have to reset).
• 🔌 Requires direct Wi-Fi connection between devices (the Internet is not required).
• ⏳ The process can take up to 1 hour with a large amount of data.

How to use:

1. On Xiaomi, download the “Switch to iOS” app from Google Play.
2. On iPhone 13, when you first set up, select Data Transfer from Android.
3. On Xiaomi, open the app, accept the terms and enter the code that will appear on the iPhone.
4. Select the data for transfer (be sure to check Contacts) and wait for completion.

⚠️ Warning: If the transfer is interrupted, do not click Cancel on your iPhone — this may cause you to lose some data. Instead, restart the app on Xiaomi and try again.

7. Comparison of all methods: which one to choose?

To make it easier for you to determine, we have collected the key parameters of each method in one table:

Selection recommendations:

• 👍 For most users, the Google Account is optimal – fast, reliable and data-free.
• 📱 If you have few contacts (up to 200) and no internet access, use the SIM- card.
• 💻 If it is important to keep all the details (photos, addresses, notes) - export to.vcf.
• 🍏 If you’re setting up your iPhone 13 from scratch and want to migrate messages, choose “Switch to iOS.”

8. Frequent problems and their solutions

Even when following instructions, users have difficulty, and let's look at the most common ones.

Problem 1: Contacts have been moved, but the iPhone is displayed in characters.

Solution: This is due to mismatching of the encodings. Before exporting to Xiaomi, change the system language to English (Settings → Additional → Language and Enter), then repeat the export.

Problem 2: Not all contacts on the iPhone are displayed after syncing with Google.

Decision:

1. Check at [contacts.google.com](https://contacts.google.com) if all contacts are in the cloud.
2. On iPhone, go to Settings → Contacts → Accounts → Google and turn on the Contacts switch (if it was turned off).
3. In the same menu, click Account → Additional → Sync now.

Problem 3: When you transfer via.vcf, the iPhone will give you a file corrupt error.

Solution: The file could have been corrupted by copying.

• Send.vcf to the mail and open directly from the iPhone.
• Use another messenger (for example, Telegram instead of WhatsApp).
• Unpack the file on your PC with 7-Zip and repackage it to.vcf.

Problem 4: After transferring via Bluetooth to the iPhone, the Russian letters in the names disappeared.

Solution: This is a MIUI bug when you're transmitting over Bluetooth. To avoid this, change the contact encoding before you send it:

1. On Xiaomi, open Contacts → Settings → Contact Management → Import / Export → Export settings.
2. Select UTF-8 encoding (if you don’t have one, use the.vcf method).

Problem 5: The iOS Transition app doesn’t see the iPhone.

Decision:

• Make sure your iPhone is enabled Flight Mode (a prerequisite for direct connection).
• Reboot both phones.
• On Xiaomi, disable VPN and Firewall (they can block the connection).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions