How to Transfer Notes from iPhone to Xiaomi: The Complete 2026 Guide

Why migrating notes from iOS to Android is difficult

The transition from iPhone to Xiaomi is not just a change of gadget, but a transition between two fundamentally different ecosystems. If contacts, photos and videos are more or less standardized, then notes are stored in proprietary formats: Apple Notes uses a closed sync protocol via iCloud, and Mi Notes on Xiaomi is integrated with Mi Account and Google services, which is why direct export is often impossible without additional manipulation.

The main problem is that there is no universal standard for notes. While Google Keep or Evernote offer cross-platform solutions, native apps are tied to the manufacturer's ecosystem. For example, notes from Apple Notes can't be copied to Mi Notes just because they need to be converted to a compatible format (for example,.txt,.html or.json). Fortunately, there are several workarounds that we'll discuss in detail below.

It is also important to consider that some methods of transfer can lead to loss of formatting (bold text, lists, attachments) if the notes contain complex elements, so before starting the procedure, we recommend assessing the amount of data and choosing the best way to choose depending on your priorities: speed, preservation of formatting or minimal time.

Method 1: Transfer via iCloud and mail (most reliable)

This is a method that works for users who are actively using iCloud and want to keep the structure of notes. The algorithm works by exporting notes to an email message, which guarantees minimal data loss.

1. 📱 Open the Notes app on your iPhone and select the iCloud folder (if notes are stored locally, transfer them to iCloud first).
2. 📧 Click on the note you want to export, then tap on the Share icon** (square with an up arrow).
3. 📎 In the menu, select Send a copy → Post.
4. ✉️ Enter your email (preferably Gmail, as it integrates better with Xiaomi) and send an email.
5. 📱 On Xiaomi, open an email client, find an email and copy the text of the note to Mi Notes or Google Keep.

The advantage of this method is to save attachments (photo, PDF, audio) as they are attached to the letter. However, if there are many notes, the process can take a long time. To speed up, you can send several notes in one letter, but then you lose the structure (each note will be in one file).

⚠️ Note: If a note contains handwritten text or drawings, they will turn into a static image. To edit them on Xiaomi, you will need third-party software, such as Squid or Noteshelf.

Is Traffic Savings disabled in iCloud| Ample space in your mailbox? | Are all notes synced with iCloud? | Is Xiaomi connected to Wi-Fi to download attachments-->

Method 2: Sync with Google Keep (for simple notes)

Google Keep is one of the most convenient cross-platform solutions for taking notes, especially if you plan to actively use Google services on Xiaomi.

1. 📲 Install Google Keep on iPhone from the App Store.
2. 🔄 Sign in with the same Google account that will be used on Xiaomi.
3. ➕ Manually create new notes in Google Keep by copying text from Apple Notes (or use the Share feature). → Google Keep for every note).
4. 📱 On Xiaomi, open Google Keep, all notes will be there, and you can export them to Mi Notes through copying.

The main advantage of this method is automatic synchronization between devices, but there are also disadvantages:

• 🚫 No support for attachments (photos, videos, documents) – they will have to be transferred separately.
• 🎨 Some formatting is lost (e.g. color highlighting or custom fonts).
• 📌 No folders or tags, only color tags.

If you want to keep your note structure, combine this method with the first one (mail for attachments + Google Keep for text).

Through iCloud and mail | Through Google Keep| Through computer (export/import) | Through third-party apps (Evernote, Notion) | Not yet decided-->

Method 3: Export via computer (for large volumes)

If you have hundreds of notes, manually porting it will take too long, and exporting it over Mac or Windows using scripts or specialized utilities will help, and it requires a little bit of technical skill, but it allows you to transfer all the notes at once.

Instructions for Mac:

1. 🖥️ Connect your iPhone to your Mac and open the Finder.
2. 📂 Move to the ~/Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.notes/ (To see the Library folder, click Cmd in Finder + Shift + G).
3. 📄 Find the NoteStore.sqlite file, which is a database of all the notes. Copy it to your desktop.
4. 🛠️ Use Exporter for Notes (available on GitHub) to convert your base to.html or.txt.
5. 📤 Transfer the files to Xiaomi and import them to Mi Notes or Google Keep.

Instructions for Windows:

On Windows, the process is more complicated because Apple does not provide direct access to the Apple Notes database.

1. 🔌 Install iTunes and sync your iPhone to your computer.
2. 📥 Download the utility iExplorer or AnyTrans (paid, but there are trial versions).
3. 🔍 In the program, find the Notes section and export notes to.csv or.pdf.
4. 📎 Open files on Xiaomi and manually transfer data to the desired application.

⚠️ Note: When working with NoteStore.sqlite on Mac, do not edit the file directly - this can damage the database.

Method 4: Use of third-party services (Evernote, Notion)

If you don't want to mess around with your mail or your computer, you can use cross-platform services like Evernote or Notion, which support import from Apple Notes and export to Android.

1. 📲 Install Evernote on your iPhone and log in.
2. 📥 In Apple Notes, select a note → Share. → Evernote.
3. 🔄 Repeat for all notes (or use the Select Several feature in Evernote for batch imports).
4. 📱 On Xiaomi, install Evernote, log in and sync data.
5. 📤 If necessary, export notes from Evernote to Mi Notes through copying or use the Share feature. → Save in....

Benefits of Evernote:

• 📁 The structure of folders and tags is preserved.
• 🖼️ Supported investments (photos, PDF, audio).
• 🔍 Powerful search, including text in images.

Disadvantages:

• 💰 The free version limits the amount of data you download (60 MB per month).
• 📱 Evernote app on Xiaomi can run slower than native Mi Notes.

The alternative is Notion, which offers more flexible templates but requires manually transferring each note. You can use Zapier (paid) to automatically import from Apple Notes to Notion.

💡

If you work with notes frequently across devices, consider Notion as the primary storage.It supports import from Evernote, Google Keep, and even Apple Notes (via.enex files).

Method 5: Transfer over Mi Mover (official solution from Xiaomi)

Mi Mover is a proprietary utility from Xiaomi for transferring data from other smartphones, including iPhones, and while it is primarily designed for contacts, photos and messages, it sometimes allows you to transfer notes. Here's how it works:

1. 📱 Install Mi Mover on Xiaomi (available from the Mi App Store or via Settings) → The phone. → Mi Mover).
2. 📲 Download Mi Mover from the App Store.
3. 🔗 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network and follow the instructions on the screen.
4. 📋 In the data list for transfer, select Notes (if this item is available).
5. ⚙️ Wait for the process to be completed and check the result in Mi Notes.

Important nuances:

• 🔄 Mi Mover doesn't always carry notes correctly because of the different formats, and most often only text is transmitted without attachments.
• 📡 Both devices must be charged at least 50% or the process may be interrupted.
• 📱 iPhone should be installed iOS 9.0 or later.

If Mi Mover doesn’t see the notes, try exporting them to Google Keep (Method 2) and then migrating them to Mi Mover as part of Google’s data.

💡

Mi Mover is the fastest way, but it doesn't work well with notes. Combine it with other methods to guarantee results (e.g. mail for attachments + Mi Mover for text).

Comparison of methods of note transfer

To choose the best way, evaluate your priorities: speed, data security or minimal effort. In the table below, we compare all of the methods described by key criteria:

For most users, the best solution is to combine email for attachments and Google Keep for text, and if you have hundreds of notes with complex formatting, it’s worth spending time exporting through your computer.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When you're translating notes, many people have typical problems that can be prevented in advance, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to solve them:

1. 🔄 Not synced notes with iCloud Before export, check that all notes are uploaded to iCloud: go to Settings → [Your name] → iCloud → Notes and enable synchronization. If the notes are stored locally on the iPhone, they won't carry over.

If the notes are displayed in hieroglyphics or crakozabra after transfer, it means that there has been an encoding error, in which case repeat the export by selecting the UTF-8 encoding in the utility settings (relevant for the computer method).

⚠️ Note: If you use encrypted notes in Apple Notes, you will have to decrypt them first on your iPhone, since Xiaomi does not support Apple's encryption format.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions