The shift from iOS to Android is often accompanied by the question of how to save and migrate the accumulated media library. Xiaomi owners who are moving from the iPhone face the need to quickly migrate the gallery to not lose important points. Fortunately, modern technology offers many solutions, from cloud storage to direct cable connection.
The data transfer process has become much easier in recent years, and now it takes minutes to transfer photos even with a large amount of files. You do not need to be a technician to perform this procedure, since most methods are automated. In this article, we will discuss the most effective and proven ways to ensure the quality of images.
The choice of the particular method depends on the number of your photos, the availability of stable Internet and preferences in the use of tools. Some users prefer local transmission speed, others prefer the convenience of cloud synchronization. Next, we will discuss each option in detail so that you can choose the best one for your situation.
Using the Mi Mover app for migration
The official and most integrated solution from the manufacturer is the Mi Mover utility, which is designed to transfer data to Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices from any other smartphone, and allows you to transfer not only photos, but also contacts, messages and settings of applications without losing structure.
To get started, you need to install the app on both devices. On the iPhone, it's available in the App Store, and on Xiaomi, it's often preinstalled or downloaded from GetApps. Once you start on the new phone, select the Recipient role, and on the old phone, the Sender. The system will create a temporary Wi-Fi network to connect to.
The interface is intuitive, but you should pay attention to the choice of data types. Make sure that the list selects "Images" and "Video", as by default, not all categories may be marked. The transfer speed depends on the number of files and the quality of the wireless connection between devices.
- 📲 Download Mi Mover from the official app stores on both smartphones.
- 📶 Connect your iPhone to the Wi-Fi network created by Xiaomi phone.
- 📂 Select the categories "Photo" and "Video" to transfer in the program interface.
- ⏳ Wait for the process to be completed without turning off the device screens.
⚠️ Note: Do not interrupt the transfer process or block smartphone screens as this may lead to a connection error and the need to start over.
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If the process is 99% frozen, try restarting the app on both devices and try again by pre-clearing the Mi Mover cache in your Android settings.
The main advantage of this method is that it doesn't need to be online, because data is transmitted over a local channel, which is especially true if you have limited traffic or low speed of a home provider, and the application automatically sorts files by date, keeping the chronology of events.
Transfer via Google Photos and iCloud cloud services
Cloud technology is the most versatile way to synchronize the media library between different operating systems. Google Photos is pre-installed on Xiaomi and offers unlimited compressed storage or space in Google One for originals, which allows you to access photos from any device after you log in to your account.
On the other hand, the Apple ecosystem uses iCloud, and to transfer photos, you can download the iCloud app for Windows to your PC, upload photos and upload them to your phone, but the simpler way is to install the Google Photos app on your iPhone, enable backups, and then log in to the same Xiaomi account.
It is important to consider that to download a large amount of photos will require a stable connection to Wi-Fi. Mobile Internet can quickly run out, as modern photos weigh a lot. In the application settings, you can choose the download quality "Saving space" or "Original", which will affect the amount of occupied.
The main advantage of the cloud method is automatic synchronization in real time. When you take a picture on an iPhone, you will immediately see it on Xiaomi if sync is enabled. This eliminates the need to manually copy files every time you want to view them on a new device.
However, free cloud space is always not enough for large archives, users either have to clean the storage regularly or pay a subscription fee, and for a one-time transfer of thousands of photos, this method may be too long due to speed limits.
Local Transfer via Send Anywhere and Shareit
Third-party file transfer applications often run faster than standard tools and do not require registration in ecosystems, and the leader in this niche is Send Anywhere, which uses P2P technology to transfer data directly between devices, and the principle of operation is based on the generation of a unique 6-digit code.
So the process is, you pick up a photo on your iPhone, you click "Send" and you see the code, and you type in the same code on Xiaomi in the receiving mode, and the devices find each other on the Wi-Fi network and start transferring at high speed, and the image quality is not affected, and compression is not applied.
The alternative is the popular SHAREit, which is also widely available in Asia and supports cross-platform transfer, which can transfer files even without Internet access, creating its own access point, but the interface of such applications is often oversaturated with advertising, which can annoy users.
- 🚀 Install the same app on both smartphones from stores.
- 🔗 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network or use a hotspot.
- 🔢 Enter the displayed code to pair devices with each other.
- 💾 Select files and confirm the start of transfer on the receiving side.
⚠️ Note: When using public Wi-Fi networks in a cafe or subway, file transfer may be blocked by router security settings.
These apps are perfect for one-time data transfer when you don't have a cable on hand, and they bypass the limitations of iOS protocols by allowing you to transfer files of any type and size, and unlike Bluetooth, speed is measured in megabytes per second, not kilobytes.
Why can't Send Anywhere find the device?
Synchronization via computer and iTunes
The classic method that's not losing its relevance is using the personal computer as an intermediary, and it's the most reliable way to work with huge archives of tens of gigabytes, independent of Internet speed, and allows you to control every file you move.
To start, connect your iPhone to your PC and copy photos through the standard Explorer or Photos app in Windows. Files are usually saved in the HEIC format, which may not be supported by some older versions of Android without converting. On Xiaomi with a MIUI or HyperOS shell, support for this format is built in, but for compatibility it is better to use JPG.
Once you copy it to your computer, connect Xiaomi to file transfer (MTP) mode. Copy the image folder to your phone's internal memory, preferably to the standard DCIM/Camera directory, or create a new folder. The system automatically indexes new media files and they appear in the gallery.
| Parameter | Windows Explorer | iTunes (Sync) | Mac (Finder) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed. | High (USB 3.0) | Medium | Tall. |
| File format | HEIC / JPG | Depends on the settings. | HEIC / JPG |
| Difficulty | Low. | Tall. | Low. |
| Reliability | Tall. | Medium | Tall. |
Using a cable connection ensures that there are no data losses and interruptions that are typical of wireless methods, and this is the only way that you can physically control the copying process, and if a file is copied to a disk, it is guaranteed to be saved.
☑️ Pre-copying check
The disadvantage of the method is that you need a computer and cables of the appropriate types, and the process requires manual intervention at each step, which can take longer to organize files, but to create a full backup on the hard drive is the best option.
Problems with HEIC formats and their solution
One of the frequent difficulties when switching from iOS to Android is the HEIC photo compression format. Apple uses it by default to save space, but many Android devices, especially older Xiaomi models, may not display such files or open them as a black screen. Modern processors and versions of MIUI usually cope with decoding, but not always.
To avoid compatibility issues, you can change the settings of the iPhone itself before transferring. From the Settings menu → Camera → Formats, select “Most compatible” and then all new images will be saved in the universal JPEG format, which can be read on any device without conversion.
If you've already taken photos and they take up a lot of space in HEIC format, you can convert them when you copy them to your computer. In iTunes or the Photos app on Windows, you can set the "Automatically select compatibility" option when you transfer them to your Mac or PC, which will turn the files into JPG at the time of upload.
For files that are already thrown over, there are special converters, you can use online services or converter apps from Google Play, but this requires additional time and resources of the phone's processor, which can lead to the heating of the device processing.
⚠️ Note: Converting a large number of photos from HEIC into JPG It can take up a significant place in memory, as the new format weighs about 2 times the original.
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The easiest solution is to change the camera settings on your iPhone to “Most compatible” before mass transfer of photos.
Understanding the format differences helps avoid a situation where the gallery is empty or images are corrupted. Xiaomi is constantly improving codec support in MIUI updates, but JPEG's versatility remains out of competition for long-term archive storage.