Data transfer from iPhone to Xiaomi: all ways 2026

Why migrating from iPhone to Xiaomi is not as easy as it seems

The transition from iPhone to Xiaomi smartphone is not just a change of gadget, but a transition between two fundamentally different ecosystems. While Apple is synchronized automatically through iCloud, when migrating to Android (and especially to MIUI firmware), the user has to face a number of technical nuances, the main problem is the lack of a universal tool that would “one click” to transfer all data without loss.

In this article, we’ll look at 4 proven ways to migrate information, from the official Mi Mover app to manual methods via iCloud and Google Account. Focusing on iMessage portability is the most difficult step 87% of users face when switching to Xiaomi (the 2023 4PDA survey), and how to avoid common mistakes, such as why photos can be transferred in low resolution or why contacts are duplicated.

Before you start, check out two key points:

• 🔋 Battery charge on both devices is at least 50%. Data transfer can take from 20 minutes to 2 hours.
• 📶 Stable Internet connection (preferably Wi-Fi) Some methods will require up to 5GB of traffic.
• 🔐 Turn off the screen lock on your iPhone (if you use Face) ID Touch. ID) — It'll speed up the process.

Method 1: Official Mi Mover app – fast but with limitations

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s signature tool that comes with the new smartphone by default.It supports data porting from the iPhone, but doesn’t work with all iOS models. For example, the iPhone 15 Pro with iOS 17.4 can have connection issues — the app just can’t see the device.

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

1. On Xiaomi, go to Settings → About Phone → Data Transfer (Mi Mover).
2. Select the “C iPhone” option and follow the instructions on the screen.
3. On your iPhone, scan it. QR-code that will appear on Xiaomi.
4. Select the types of data to transfer: contacts, photos, videos, music or notes.
5. Confirm the start of the process and wait until it is completed (may take up to 40 minutes).

It is important to note that Mi Mover does not tolerate:

• 💬 Messages from iMessage or WhatsApp.
• 🎮 Data from games (progress, preservation).
• 📅 Calendars and reminders (if not synced with Google Account).
• 🔐 Passwords from iCloud Keychain.

Make sure that Xiaomi has enough memory (at least 20% free space)|

Turn it off. VPN both-device|

Update Mi Mover to the latest version in the App Store|

Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network-->

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If Mi Mover can’t see the iPhone, try restarting both devices and reconnecting, and check if the Xiaomi firewall is blocking the connection (in the security settings).

Method 2: Transfer over iCloud – Reliable, but not for all data types

Using iCloud is one of the most versatile methods, but it requires pre-configuration. The main advantage is that you can transfer data without physically connecting your phones to each other. However, there are also disadvantages - for example, photos and videos will be uploaded in a compressed format if you do not have an iCloud+ subscription.

Instructions for transfer via iCloud:

1. On iPhone, go to Settings → [Your name] → iCloud.
2. Turn on synchronization for all the necessary data: Contacts, Photos, Notes, Calendars.
3. On Xiaomi, open your browser and go to iCloud.com.
4. Sign in with the same Apple ID as you do on your iPhone.
5. Manually export the data: 📇 Contacts: press the gear → Export vCard → Save the file and import it to Google Contacts. 📷 Photo: Select the required files → Download. → Transfer to Xiaomi via Google Photos or Cable.

⚠️ Note: If you have two-factor authentication enabled on Apple ID, To log in to iCloud.com with Xiaomi, you will need to generate a confirmation code on a trusted device (for example, on an iPad or Mac.

Method 3: Using a Google Account Is the Best Option for Contacts and Calendars

Syncing with Google Account is the easiest way to migrate contacts, calendars and email, which works on 100% of devices, but is not suitable for multimedia files (photos, videos, music), but once set up, all data will automatically update to Xiaomi if you make changes to your iPhone.

Step-by-step:

1. On iPhone, open Settings → Mail → Accounts → Add an account → Google.
2. Enter your Google Account (or create a new one).
3. Activate synchronization for Contacts, Calendars and Notes (if necessary).
4. On Xiaomi, go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google and log in to the same account.
5. Enable synchronization for the same data categories.

Instructions:

1. Connect the flash drive to the iPhone via the adapter.
2. In the Files app, select the files you want to transfer (photos, videos, documents).
3. Copy them to a flash drive (Folder On My iPhone → highlight files → Copy → select a flash drive).
4. Disconnect the flash drive from the iPhone and connect to Xiaomi.
5. On Xiaomi, open the Files app and copy the data to internal memory or to a microSD card.

⚠️ Note: Some flash drives are formatted in NTFS Or exFAT, which can cause reading problems on your iPhone. If the device can't see the drive, format it into the iPhone. FAT32 Mac or Windows (but remember that you are not FAT32 Does not support files larger than 4GB).

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OTG cable is the only way to transfer files in their original quality without loss, especially for photographers and videographers who work with RAW or ProRes formats.

Transferring messages from iMessage: the most difficult task

Messages from iMessage are the main stumbling block when switching from iPhone to Xiaomi. Apple does not provide official tools for exporting chats, so you will have to use third-party solutions.

1. Through iMazing (paid software for the Mac/Windows): 💻 Install iMazing on your computer and connect your iPhone. 📤 Export messages to.csv or.pdf format. 📥 Transfer the file to Xiaomi and open it via Google Drive or Excel.

Through iCloud + third-party services (free but risky):

• 🌐 Enable iMessage backup in iCloud.
• 🔗 Use a web service like iMessage Exporter (requires Apple) ID).
• ⚠️ Be careful: these services may request access to your data.

It is important to understand that:

• 🔒 Messages will not be transferred to the Messages on Xiaomi app – they can only be viewed as an archive.
• 📎 The investments (photos, videos, voice) will remain, but without reference to dialogues.
• 🕒 The process can take several hours if the message history is large (more than 10,000 messages).

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If you want to save only the most important conversations, take screenshots of chats on your iPhone and transfer them as photos, which will take less time and work.

Applications portability: what can and cannot be done

Unfortunately, it is not possible to directly transfer installed applications from iPhone to Xiaomi – iOS and Android have different file formats (.ipa vs.apk).

• 📥 Download app analogues from Google Play. Most popular services (for example, WhatsApp, Instagram, Spotify) have versions for Android.
• 🎮 Move progress in games if they support cross-platform sync (e.g. via Facebook or Google Play Games).
• 💳 Restore purchases in paid apps if you use the same account (such as Netflix or Adobe Lightroom).

List of apps that have no analogues on Android:

• 🍎 Apple Music (there is a web version, but there is no full-fledged app).
• 📊 Apple Health (the data can be exported to the XML, But moving Google Fit is hard).
• 🎬 iMovie (alternatives: KineMaster, CapCut).
• 📚 Apple Books (books can be transferred via DRM-free formats).

⚠️ Note: If you have used Apple Pay, you will not be able to transfer your associated cards to Xiaomi, you will have to add them to Google Pay or Mi Pay (if the service is available in your area), the same applies to transport cards (for example, Troika or Strela) - they must be reissued.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions