Recovery of iCloud Photos on Xiaomi: A Complete Guide to Solutions for All Models

Lost access to photos after switching from iPhone to Xiaomi? Or accidentally deleted photos that were only left in iCloud? The problem is that Apple and Xiaomi work on different ecosystems: the first is tied to iOS, the second is to Android. There is no direct way to sync between them, but there are workarounds. In this article, we will discuss all the working methods for recovering photos from iCloud to Xiaomi, including official tools, third-party applications and manual methods for users without access to the iPhone.

Many people mistakenly think it’s easy to log into iCloud via a Xiaomi browser and download files. In practice, this only works partially: photos are downloaded in low resolution, and videos may not load at all. In addition, Apple limits the number of downloads per day. We tested all the current methods (including using an intermediate PC to bypass the iCloud restrictions of 1000 photos per day) and collected them in one guide – with step-by-step instructions, screenshots and solutions to errors.

If you’re looking for a way to recover photos that have been deleted more than 30 days ago, you can immediately go to the iCloud archives section, which describes the nuances of working with backups and third-party services like Disk Drill or EaseUS MobiSaver.

1.Official method: download via iCloud.com

The most obvious method is to use the web version of iCloud on a Xiaomi smartphone.It's suitable if you have access to Apple. ID, But there's no iPhone or Mac, but there are some limitations to this:

• 📱 Low quality: photos are downloaded in compressed format (maximum) 2048×2048 px for photo and 720p video).
• ⏳ Number limit: you can’t download more than 1,000 files at a time (when you try to select more, the system will give you an error).
• 🔄 No batch download: you have to download each photo or video separately.

To minimize quality loss, follow this instruction:

1. Open your browser on Xiaomi (we recommend Google Chrome or Firefox) and go to iCloud.com.
2. Sign up for your Apple. ID (If two-factor authentication is enabled, you will need code from a trusted device).
3. Select the Photos section.
4. Click Select and select the photos you want (maximum 1000).
5. Slip to the Downloads icon (cloud with a down arrow). Files will be saved to Downloads folder.

⚠️ Warning: If photos are not downloaded, check your browser settings. In Chrome, go to Settings → Sites → Download and allow file retention. Also disable ad blockers (such as AdGuard), which may interfere with iCloud.

To speed up the process, you can use the desktop mode in the browser:

1. In Chrome, click. ⋮ → Desktop version.
2. On the iCloud site, you will be able to highlight photos with Shift keys (hold your finger on the screen and choose a range).

2. bypassing iCloud restrictions: downloading via PC

If you need to download more than 1,000 photos or save them in their original quality, use an intermediate computer (Windows or Mac), which allows you to bypass the limitations of the web version of iCloud and download all files at once.

You'll need:

• 💻 Computer with Internet access.
• 🔌 Cable USB connect to Xiaomi.
• 📁 Enough free space on the hard disk (photos in their original quality take up a lot of space).

Instructions for Windows:

1. Open your browser on your PC and go to iCloud.com.
2. Sign in and select the Photo section.
3. Click Select All or manually mark the files you want.
4. Click on the Download icon. The system packs the photos in.ZIP-archive.
5. After downloading, unpack the archive (right mouse button) → Extract everything).
6. Connect Xiaomi to your PC via USB-Cable, select File Transfer (File Transfer).
7. Copy the photos into a folder DCIM → Camera on a smartphone.

For a Mac, the process is even easier:

1. Open the Photos app on Mac.
2. Go to the file. → Import and select iCloud Photo.
3. Export the photos to a folder, then transfer them to Xiaomi via Android File Transfer.

If you have a “Can’t upload photos” error, try:

• 🔄 Update the page and try again.
• 🌐 Use another browser (e.g. Safari on Mac or Edge on Windows).
• 📡 Reconnect to the network (sometimes helps to change Wi-Fi to mobile Internet).

3. Transfer photos from iPhone to Xiaomi directly

If you still have access to an iPhone, the most reliable way is to transfer photos without loss of quality using cable or wireless technology, and let's look at both.

Method 1: Through Lightning cable→USB-C (adapter)

1. Connect iPhone to Xiaomi with Lightning Cable→USB-C (For older Xiaomi models with Micro-USB, you will need an adapter).
2. On the iPhone, the request “Trust this device?” will appear.
3. On Xiaomi, open the Files app and select a section USB-device.
4. Go to the file. DCIM → 100APPLE (Here are stored photos from the iPhone).
5. Copy files into Xiaomi’s internal memory (for example, into a folder) DCIM → Camera).

Method 2: Wireless (Wi-Fi Direct or AirDrop)

For transmission without cable can be used:

• 📲 AirDrop (only if you have a Mac or other iPhone as an intermediate device).
• 🌐 Local area network: apps like Send Anywhere or Xender allow you to transfer files directly between iPhone and Xiaomi via Wi-Fi.

Instructions for Send Anywhere:

1. Install the app on both devices (Android, iOS).
2. On your iPhone, select photos and click Send.
3. 6-digit code is generated – type it into Xiaomi to get files.

⚠️ Note: When you transfer a large number of photos (more than 500 pieces) over Wi-Fi Direct, you may break the connection.

💡

If photos don’t show up in the Xiaomi gallery after copying, reboot your smartphone or use the Files app to manually scan your folder. DCIM.

4. Recover deleted photos from iCloud archive

If the photos were deleted less than 30 days ago, you can recover them from the iCloud Recycle Bin:

1. Go to iCloud.com and log in.
2. Open the Photo section → Recently Deleted (Recently Deleted).
3. Select files and click Restore.

For photos that have been deleted more than 30 days ago, you will need backups of iCloud or iTunes.

Method 1: Using iCloud backup

• 🔄 If you have an iPhone, reset it to factory settings and restore it from backup (during the device setup, select Restore from iCloud).
• 💾 If your iPhone is missing, use third-party tools like iMazing or Dr.Fone to extract photos from your backup on your PC.

Method 2: Recovery programs

Software like EaseUS MobiSaver or Disk Drill can scan iCloud backups and extract photos from them even without an iPhone.

1. Install the program on PC (EaseUS MobiSaver).
2. Sign in to iCloud through the program.
3. Select a backup copy and download it to your computer.
4. Take out the photos and transfer them to Xiaomi.

5. Alternative methods: cloud services and mail

If none of the above methods work, you can use middle-end cloud services or email, which is not the most convenient method, but it works 100% of the time.

Method 1: Using Google Photos

1. On the iPhone, install the Google Photos app (App Store).
2. Sign in to your Google account (preferably the same as Xiaomi).
3. Enable backup: Settings → Backup and synchronization.
4. Wait until the photo is uploaded to Google Photos.
5. On Xiaomi, open the Google Photos app – all the pictures will be available for viewing and downloading.

Method 2: via email

Suitable for transferring a small number of photos (up to 20-30 pieces at a time):

1. On your iPhone, open the Mail app and create a new email.
2. Attach photos (maximum 20–25) MB For the letter, depending on the postal service).
3. Send the email to your email (such as Gmail or Yandex).
4. On Xiaomi, open your mail and download the attachments.

Method 3: via Telegram or Messenger

Messengers allow you to send files without compression (in Telegram - up to 2) GB file-by-file):

1. Create a chat with yourself in Telegram (Saved Messages).
2. Send photos as Files (not as images) to avoid compression.
3. On Xiaomi, open the same chat and download files.

💡

Google Photos is the most reliable way to transfer photos between iOS and Android, but requires enough free space in the cloud (15). GB free-for-free).

6 Problem Solving: Errors and Limitations

When you restore photos from iCloud to Xiaomi, users often encounter common mistakes.

Problem 1: “Failure to upload photos to iCloud.com”

Causes and solutions:

• 🌍 Geo-blocking: Apple may restrict access to iCloud in some countries. VPN (ProtonVPN or Windscribe with a connection to the United States or Europe.
• 🔒 Account Blocking: If Apple ID Block it, unlock it through iforgot.apple.com.
• 📵 Browser problems: Clear the cache or try another browser (e.g. Safari on Mac).

Problem 2: Photos downloaded but not displayed in Xiaomi Gallery

Possible causes:

• 📂 Wrong folder: Move files to DCIM → Camera.
• 🔍 Media Scanner Fails: Install Rescan Media App from Google Play or Restart Your Smartphone.
• 📌 Unsupported format: iPhone saves photos in the.HEIC, And that's not all Xiaomi supports. Convert them to.JPG assisted HEIC to JPG Converter.

Issue 3: Limit 1,000 photos to iCloud.com

Bypasses:

• 🔄 Break up the download into batches: Download 900-950 photos at a time.
• 💻 Use PC: Through the browser on the computer, the restriction does not apply.
• 📱 iCloud for Windows: Install it on PC and it syncs all photos without restrictions.

7 Automation: How to set up a constant synchronization

To keep your photos from being lost in the future, set up automatic sync between iCloud and Xiaomi, and there are two reliable ways to do this.

Method 1: Using Google Photos + iCloud

1. On iPhone, enable photo upload to Google Photos (Settings) → Backup).
2. On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account and enable sync in Google Photos.
3. All new images will be automatically available on both devices.

Method 2: Sync for iCloud application

The Sync for iCloud (Google Play) app lets you connect iCloud as a network drive on Android:

1. Install the app and log in to iCloud.
2. Select the Photo folder and download the necessary files.
3. Set up automatic synchronization (in the pro)-version).

Method 3: through IFTTT (for advanced users)

Service IFTTT (Iftt.com allows you to create a rule: “If a new photo is added to iCloud, save it to Google Drive:

1. Create an account on IFTTT.
2. Activate iCloud Photos to Google Drive.
3. Configure access to iCloud and Google Drive.

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Automatic sync through Google Photos is the easiest way to always have access to a photo on any device, but remember that free storage is limited to 15. GB.

FAQ: Frequent questions