How to quickly and safely drop data from iPhone to Xiaomi: the complete guide

Moving from iPhone to Xiaomi smartphone is not only about changing the ecosystem, but also the need to transfer all the important data: photos, contacts, messages and applications. Many users face difficulties due to the closedness of iOS and the features of MIUI, but in fact, the process can be simplified if you know the right tools and sequence of actions.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 working ways to transfer data, from standard Apple and Xiaomi features to third-party apps that do better than embedded solutions. We’ll focus on migrating encrypted iTunes backups, as this is often a stumbling block for beginners. You’ll also learn how to avoid losing quality photos and why some apps from the App Store don’t work on Xiaomi.

If you've already tried to migrate data and encountered errors (e.g., "Device Unconnected" or "Files Unsupported"), there's a problem-solving section at the end of this article, and for those who want to save time, we've compiled a method comparison table for speed and reliability.

Preparation for data transfer: what to do before the start

Before you start transferring files, it is important to prepare both devices, which will help to avoid crashes and data loss.

On the iPhone:

• 🔄 Update iOS to the latest version through Settings → Mainstream → Update: Older versions may not support modern transmission protocols.
• 🔒 Turn off Find My iPhone (Settings) → [Your name] → Find My → Find My iPhone, or some transfer methods will be blocked.
• 📱 Check the space: if the iPhone is less than 10% of memory, backup may be interrupted.

On Xiaomi:

• 📲 Make sure the latest version is installed on the device. MIUI (Path: Settings → The phone. → Updating the system).
• 🔌 Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network – it is critical for wireless methods.
• 🛠️ Install the Mi Mover app (if it’s not by default) from Google Play.

⚠️ Note: If the iPhone enabled two-factor authentication for Apple ID, When transferring contacts or notes, you may need to enter a confirmation code. Prepare access to a trusted device or phone number in advance.

2. Method 1: Using Mi Mover (official solution from Xiaomi)

Mi Mover is an integrated application on Xiaomi smartphones designed to transfer data from other devices, including iPhones.It supports the transfer of contacts, photos, videos, messages and even some applications (if they are on Google Play).

Step-by-step:

1. Open Mi Mover on Xiaomi (find through app search).
2. Select “I am the sender” on your iPhone and “I am the recipient” on Xiaomi.
3. On your iPhone, scan it. QR-code that will appear on the Xiaomi screen (or connect via Wi-Fi Direct).
4. Select data types to transfer and confirm the start of the process.

The speed of the transfer depends on the volume of data and the stability of the connection, an average of 10 GB of photos is transferred in 20-40 minutes.

Wi-Fi is enabled on both devices|iPhone has disabled the mode “Do not disturb»|Battery charge for both devices > 50%|Xiaomi has enough free space-->

⚠️ Note: Mi Mover does not transfer data from some applications (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) and will require separate solutions, which we will discuss below.

Method 2: Transfer over iCloud (for contacts, photos, and notes)

If you've used iCloud on your iPhone, you can sync some of your data directly to Xiaomi, a method that works for contacts, photos, notes, and calendars.

Contact instructions:

1. On iPhone, go to Settings → [Your name] → iCloud and make sure the Contacts switch is on.
2. On Xiaomi, open Settings → Accounts → Add an account → iCloud.
3. Enter your Apple ID and enable contact sync.

For photos:

• 🖼️ Go to iCloud.com from your computer or Xiaomi.
• 📁 Select photos and download them in format ZIP (or).
• 📲 Transfer files to Xiaomi via USB-Cable or cloud storage (e.g. Google Drive).

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If you add an iCloud account to Xiaomi with a “Unconnected” error, try turning on the VPN. Some regions block access to Apple servers.

4. Method 3: Transfer via Google Account (universal method)

Syncing with a Google Account is one of the most reliable ways to transfer contacts, calendars and email, and it works even if you don’t have access to iCloud or Mi Mover.

How to transfer contacts:

1. On iPhone, add Google Account through Settings → Passwords and accounts → Add an account → Google.
2. Enable Contact Sync (Settings → Contacts → Accounts → Google → Contact Sync).
3. On Xiaomi, add the same Google account and enable sync.

For photos and videos:

• 📸 Install the Google Photos app on your iPhone.
• 🔄 Enable automatic booting (Settings) → Backup and synchronization).
• 📱 On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account and download files through the Google Photos app.

The advantage of this method is automatic data updates, and if you add a new contact to Xiaomi, it will appear on other devices linked to your Google Account.

5. Method 4: Wireless transfer via computer (for large amounts of data)

If you have a lot of photos, videos or music (e.g. 50+GB), wireless methods can take too long, in which case it is better to use the computer as an intermediary.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your iPhone to your computer via USB and unlock it (when you ask “Trust this computer?”, click “Trust”).
2. Open “This Computer” (Windows) or “Finder” (Mac) and find the photo section (iPhone will appear as a removable drive).
3. Copy the necessary files into a folder on the computer.
4. Connect Xiaomi to your computer (enable File Transfer mode in the notification curtain) and transfer the data.

To stream music or video from iTunes:

• 🎵 Open iTunes on your computer and find the folder with media files (usually C:\Users\[Your name]\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media).
• 📁 Copy files in format.mp3 or.mp4 on Xiaomi (Music folder or Movies).

⚠️ Note: If you don’t see photos on Xiaomi, check if they’re hidden in the folder. DCIM/.thumbnails. Sometimes. MIUI Automatically creates thumbnails and hides originals.

Method 5: Third-party applications for portability (alternative solutions)

If standard methods don't work (for example, because of synchronization errors or incompatibility), you can use third-party applications, and we tested a few and selected the most reliable ones.

Top.-3 data-transfer applications:

• 📱 SHAREit supports transfer of files of any type over Wi-Fi Direct. speeds up to 20 MB / s, but can slow down with a large volume.
• 🔄 Send Anywhere - 6-digit code generation for secure transfer.
• 📎 Xender is a simple interface, but sometimes requires additional permissions on the iPhone.

How to use Sharet:

1. Install the app on both devices (App Store for iPhone, Google Play for Xiaomi).
2. On iPhone, select “Send” and on Xiaomi, “Get”.
3. Connect to a single Wi-Fi network or use Hotspot.
4. Select files on your iPhone and wait for the transfer to be completed.

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The side of the application is convenient for a one-time transfer of a small amount of data. For regular synchronization, you should use Google Account or iCloud.

7. Application portability: what you need to know

Unfortunately, direct porting of applications from the iPhone to Xiaomi is not possible due to different operating systems (iOS and Android).

How to save data from applications:

• 📱 For WhatsApp: Back up chats in iCloud, then restore it to Xiaomi via Google Drive (requires reinstallation of the app).
• 🎮 For gaming: check if the game supports a cross-platform account (e.g., via Facebook or Google Play Games).
• 💰 For banking applications: most Russian banks require re-authorization on a new device.

List of applications that cannot be moved:

• 🚫 Apps from the App Store that aren’t on Google Play (such as Apple Music or iMovie).
• 🚫 Apple System Utilities (Health, Wallet, Find My).
• 🚫 Some games with a link to the Game Center.

8. Solving typical problems in data transfer

Even when you follow instructions, you can get errors, and we've collected the most common problems and ways to solve them.

Problem 1: "Mi Mover can't see the iPhone"

• 🔌 Check that both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
• 🔄 Reboot iPhone and Xiaomi.
• 📱 Update the Mi Mover to the latest version.

Problem 2: “Photos are transferred but not displayed in the gallery”

• 🖼️ Check the folder. DCIM/Camera File Manager (for example, Files by Google).
• 🔍 Start scanning media files: Settings → Annexes → gallery → Memory. → Scan.

Problem 3: “Contacts are duplicated after synchronization”

• 📇 Use the built-in merger function in the Contacts app on Xiaomi.
• 🔄 Turn off contact sync for unnecessary accounts (iCloud, VK etc.).

Problem 4: “There’s not enough space on Xiaomi to move”

• 🗑️ Clear the app cache through Settings → Memory. → Clear the cache.
• ☁️ Move some files to the cloud (Google Drive, Yandex Disk).
• 📱 Use a microSD card (if Xiaomi supports it).

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If files are not copied when transferring via computer, try using another one. USB-Cheap cables often don't support data transmission (charging only).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions