How to Transfer an Account from iPhone to Xiaomi: The Complete 2026 Guide

The transition from iPhone to Xiaomi smartphone is not just a change of gadget, but a complete migration of digital life between two ecosystems. ID, Synchronized photos in iCloud, and messages were stored in iMessage, then simply copying files to a flash drive will not be enough. Android and iOS use fundamentally different formats of data storage, and many services (for example, WhatsApp or Telegram) require a separate transfer of history.

In this article, we’ll look at all possible ways to transfer, from the official Move to iOS tool (which, contrary to the name, works in the opposite direction) to manual methods for advanced users. We will focus on data transfer between iPhone and Xiaomi without losing the quality of media and contact structure, and also avoid common errors that cause users to lose years of correspondence or notes. MIUI Your data will remain locked in the Apple ecosystem – this guide will help you avoid such problems.

1.Preparing iPhone for data transfer

Before migrating, you need to optimize your iPhone for seamless data export, and many users miss this stage and then experience synchronization errors or incomplete transfers.

First, check the free space on the device: to create a backup in iCloud or iTunes you will need at least 10-15% If memory is scarce, temporarily remove heavy applications (such as games) or transfer photos to Google Photos.

Second, update iOS to the latest version. Older versions of the operating system may not support modern data protocols, which will lead to failures. → Mainstream → Update of the PO.

• 📱 Update iOS to the latest version (minimum iOS 15).
• 🔌 Connect your iPhone to charging or make sure the battery is charged >50%.
• 🔒 Turn off Find My iPhone in Settings → [Your name] → Find (required for resetting).
• 📁 Free up at least 5GB of memory for backup.

⚠️ Warning: If you plan to use Move to iOS to port to Xiaomi, don't reset your iPhone to factory settings until the process is complete.The app requires an active iOS system to work.

2.The official way: Move to iOS (yes, it works and vice versa!)

Apple’s Move to iOS app is designed to transfer data from Android to iPhone, but from 2022 it can be used in the opposite direction, thanks to the updated protocols of Xiaomi and Google.

• 📞 Contacts (including groups and contact notes).
• 📷 Photos and videos (without loss of quality, but with a time limit - no more than 24 hours from the moment of shooting).
• 💬 Messages from iMessage (text only, no attachments).
• 📅 Calendars and reminders.
• 🎵 Playlists from Apple Music (only titles, not tracks themselves).

How it works:

1. Download the Move to iOS app from Google Play (if it’s not in your region, use it) VPN or APK-file from Apple's official website).
2. On Xiaomi go to Settings → Memory. → Transfer data and select “Move from iOS».
3. On the iPhone, open Move to iOS, confirm the security code that will appear on the Xiaomi screen.
4. Select data to transfer and wait for completion (can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours depending on the volume).

⚠️ Warning: If the transfer is interrupted, do not start the process again immediately - wait 30 minutes.

3. Contact transfer: 4 working methods

Contacts are the foundation of your digital life, and losing them can be critical. Fortunately, you can move them from your iPhone to Xiaomi in a number of ways, including cloud services and direct sync.

Method 1: Using iCloud (the most reliable)

1. On iPhone, go to Settings → [Your name] → iCloud and enable Contact Sync.
2. On your computer, open iCloud.com, log in and export contacts to the.vcf file.
3. Send the file to Xiaomi (by mail, via Telegram or Xiaomi Cloud) and import it to the Contacts app.

Method 2: Through Google Account

If you are already using Gmail, this method will take less than 5 minutes:

1. On iPhone, add a Google account to Settings → Passwords and accounts → Add an account → Google.
2. Turn on contact sync.
3. Add the same account to Xiaomi – contacts will be automatically connected.

Method 3: Through SIM-Card (for a small number of contacts)

If you have less than 200 contacts and no internet access:

1. On iPhone: Settings → Contacts → Imports SIM-contact.
2. Move it. SIM Xiaomi and import contacts through Contacts → Settings → Imports/Exports → Import with SIM.

Method 4: Through Xiaomi’s Data Transfer App

Xiaomi offers its own solution - the Mi Mover utility, which works on the principle of Move to iOS, but with advanced features:

• 🔹 Transfers contacts, messages, photos, and even some app settings.
• 🔹 It works without the Internet (on a direct Wi-Fi connection).
• 🔹 Supports iPhone with iOS 9 and newer.

To take advantage of the Mi Mover:

1. Download the app on both devices (App Store for iPhone, Google Play for Xiaomi).
2. On Xiaomi, select “I am a new user” and on iPhone, “Send data”.
3. Scan it. QR-code from the Xiaomi screen and confirm the connection.

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If contacts are duplicated after the transfer, use Xiaomi’s Cleaner app (built-in) MIUI) join.

4.Photo and video transfer without loss of quality

Photos and videos are the most voluminous type of data, and their transfer is often accompanied by problems: compression, loss. EXIF-Labels (dates, geolocations) or incorrect sorting. Consider 3 proven methods, each of which fits different scenarios.

Method 1: Google Photos (Automatic Synchronization)

The easiest method, but with nuances:

1. On your iPhone, install Google Photos and log in.
2. Enable autoboot in the app settings (select “Original Quality” instead of “High”).
3. Wait until the download is complete (it can take hours if the photo is too much).
4. On Xiaomi, install the same app – all media files will be available.

⚠️ Free storage in Google Photos is limited to 15 GB. If you have more photos, you will have to buy space or use alternative methods.

Method 2: Direct Wi-Fi transmission (without cloud)

If you don’t trust cloud services or have a slow internet connection, use direct transfer apps:

• 📲 Send Anywhere – generates 6-digit file sharing code.
• 📲 Xender – works on Wi-Fi Direct, speeds up to 40 MB / s.
• 📲 Feem – supports folder transfer without compression.

Instructions for Send Anywhere:

1. Install the app on both devices.
2. On your iPhone, select files and click “Send”.
3. On Xiaomi, enter a 6-digit code or scan QR.

Method 3: Through a computer (for full control)

If you need to save the entire folder structure and metadata (e.g., albums from Photos on your iPhone), use your computer:

1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC Copy the photo through Windows or Image Capture (Mac).
2. Transfer files to Xiaomi via cable USB (file transfer).
3. Use the Xiaomi Gallery to sort by dates and albums.

5. Transporting messages from iMessage, WhatsApp and Telegram

Messaging is probably the hardest part of migration, and unlike contacts or photos, there's no one-size-fits-all solution: each messenger needs a different approach. Let's look at the top 3 services and how to transfer their history.

iMessage → SMS/Google Messages

Apple does not provide an official way to export iMessage, but there are workarounds:

1. Back up your iPhone to iTunes (Windows) or Finder (Mac).
2. Use iMazing or AnyTrans to export messages to.csv or.pdf format.
3. Import the file to Xiaomi via Google Drive or mail.

⚠️ Restriction: Attachments (photos, videos, stickers) are not portable.

WhatsApp: Official Delay

Since 2021, WhatsApp has been supporting direct chat transfer between iOS and Android, but with the following conditions:

• 🔹 Lightning-to-USB-C cable (or adapter).
• 🔹 Xiaomi should have a clean system (no root rights).
• 🔹 WhatsApp version at least 2.21.160.17 (Android) and 2.21.160.16 (iOS).

Instructions:

1. On iPhone, back up chats in WhatsApp Settings → chat → Backup copy.
2. Install WhatsApp on Xiaomi, but don’t run it.
3. Connect both devices to your computer and follow the instructions on WhatsApp.

Telegram: The easiest transfer

Telegram syncs all data through the cloud, so the transfer takes only 2 steps:

1. On iPhone, check that all chats are uploaded to the cloud (in Settings). → Data and memory).
2. Install Telegram on Xiaomi and log in – chat history will be automatically pulled up.

✅ Plus: Not only are messages transferred, but all media files, stickers and settings are also transferred.

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For WhatsApp and iMessage, use official portability tools to ensure maximum data security. Alternative methods (for example, through iTunes backups) can lead to the loss of some history.

6. Transfer of applications and their data

When you switch from iOS to Android, you lose access to many apps from the App Store, but most popular services have analogues in Google Play. However, application data (such as game progress or settings) is not always portable.

Search for analogues of applications

Some apps are cross-platform (like Spotify or Netflix), but there are also exclusive apps.

• 🔍 Use AlternativeTo to search for analogues.
• 🎮 For games, check if the developer supports a cross-platform account (e.g., through Google Play Games or Facebook).
• 📱 Install. APK-Exclusive application files (such as GarageBand) via APKMirror, but consider security risks.

Transfer of application data

If the app is on both platforms, try migrating data:

1. Cloud sync: Many applications (e.g. Evernote or Trello) store data in the cloud – just log in to a new device.
2. Backup: Some games (e.g. Clash of Clans) allow you to save progress through your Supercell account ID.
3. Manual export: For applications like 1Password Export data to a universal format (.csv,.json) and import to Xiaomi.

List of popular applications and their transfer

⚠️ Note: If you used Apple Pay, delete all cards from your wallet before you reset your iPhone.In some banks, the card’s binding to the device is retained even after you delete your account, which can block the card from being added to your new smartphone.

7. Transfer of notes, reminders and other data

Notes, calendars, and other small but important data are often overlooked when migrating, but losing them can disrupt workflow, and we can work through them without making mistakes.

Notes (Apple Notes) → Google Keep / Mi Notes)

Apple Notes are synced via iCloud, but can be exported:

1. Open iCloud Notes in your browser.
2. Choose notes and copy text manually or use the Export Notes extension for Chrome.
3. Import to Google Keep or Mi Notes on Xiaomi.

Calendars and reminders

The easiest way to transfer calendars is through Google Calendar:

1. On iPhone, add a Google account to Settings → Calendar → Accounts.
2. Turn on calendar synchronization.
3. Add the same account to Xiaomi – events will automatically follow.

For reminders, use Google Tasks or Microsoft To Do – they support cross-platform synchronization.

Passwords from iCloud Keychain

Password transfer is one of the most difficult tasks.

• 🔑 Export passwords to.csv via iCloud Security Code (Mac required).
• 🔑 Use cross-platform managers: 1Password, Bitwarden or KeePass.
• 🔑 Manually transfer important passwords through Google Password Manager.

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If you use Safari on your iPhone, export bookmarks through File → Export of bookmarks to HTML-File and then import them to Google Chrome on Xiaomi.

8 Final Steps: What to Do After the Transfer

Data porting is only half the battle, and after migrating to Xiaomi, you need to:

1. Check data integrity: Make sure all contacts, photos and messages are in place. Pay special attention to folders with media files - sometimes they can duplicate or lose structure.
2. Set up sync: Enable automatic upload of photos to Google Photos, synchronize contacts and calendars.
3. Update apps: Many Android apps have additional features (like Google Maps with offline maps).
4. Reset iPhone (optional): If you no longer plan to use your iPhone, do a reset via Settings → Mainstream → Reset → Erase content and settings.

We also recommend:

• 🔧 Set up backup on Xiaomi through Settings → The phone. → Backup.
• 🛡️ Install antivirus (such as Dr.Web or built-in security from Xiaomi).
• 📱 Personalize MIUI: Themes, gestures and quick settings can be changed in Settings → Screen.

⚠️ Note: If you notice that some applications (e.g. banking) require re-authorization after transfer, do not enter data via public Wi-Fi networks.

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After transferring the data, be sure to check the privacy settings in MIUI: Some apps (such as Gallery or Camera) may request additional permissions that iOS didn’t have.

FAQ: Frequent questions about transferring from iPhone to Xiaomi