The shift from Apple’s ecosystem to Xiaomi devices is a step toward greater freedom and customization, but it often raises concerns about personal data loss. The main “block of contention” is the phone book that has been accumulating in the iCloud cloud for years. Fortunately, modern methods allow data migration to be as simple and fast as possible, even if you are not a technical specialist.
There are several proven ways to do this, from auto syncing through a Google account to manually exporting.vcf files. The choice of the specific method depends on your current situation: whether you have a computer at hand, whether two-factor authentication is enabled and how much information is transferred.
In this article, we will discuss all the current import methods, paying special attention to the nuances of the MIUI and HyperOS operating system. You will learn how to avoid duplication of records and why sometimes contacts may not be displayed immediately after synchronization.
Preparing for data migration
Before you start active, make sure all the original data is saved and available. Go to your old iPhone settings and check if contact sync is enabled. To do this, go to Settings → [Your name] → iCloud and make sure the slider opposite Contacts is green.
If sync is disabled, turn it on and wait a few minutes until the device uploads all the numbers to the Apple cloud, which is a critical step, because we're going to be moving the cloud copy, not the data stored only in the phone's memory.
⚠️ Warning: Make sure your iPhone has a screen lock password or Apple password installed ID. Without it, Apple’s security system can block an attempt to log in from a new device or computer.
You will also need a stable Wi-Fi connection. Downloading a contact database, especially if it has thousands of photo numbers, can require significant traffic. Using a 4G/5G mobile network is possible, but not recommended because of the risk of interruption.
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Back up your iCloud contacts via the web interface before any operations start – this will create a restore point in case of unforeseen synchronization errors.
Method 1: Sync through a Google account
The most elegant and reliable way to transfer is to use a bridge in the form of a Google account, since Android and Xiaomi natively support Google services, this method provides not only a one-time transfer, but also constant synchronization in the future.
The essence of the method is to make friends with Google Contacts. You do not need to download third-party apps on your iPhone. Just go to contacts.google.com from your computer, log into your Google account and select “Import” from the menu on the left.
- 🍏 Select the source of iCloud (if direct import is available) or pre-export your iCloud contacts in vCard format.
- 📂 Upload the resulting.vcf file to the Google Contacts interface.
- 🔄 Wait until the processing is complete and all numbers will appear in your Google cloud.
Once the contacts are on Google, grab your new Xiaomi smartphone. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync. Add the same Google account if it hasn’t already been added, and make sure it’s ticking the contacts sync.
Android automatically pulls up all the data from the cloud, which takes 5 to 15 minutes depending on the speed of the Internet, and the advantage of this method is that your numbers are now protected from loss even when you change your smartphone.
Method 2: Use the Mi Mover application
Xiaomi has developed its own Mi Mover app, which allows you to transfer data directly between devices. However, if you have already sold an iPhone and installed a clean system on Xiaomi, this method may require pre-preparation of the file on your computer.
If you still have an iPhone, you can try to find the app “Mi Mover” on the App Store (availability can vary depending on the region), otherwise it makes sense to use the computer as an intermediary for creating an export file.
Consider the option when the iPhone is no longer available and you only have an export file or access to iCloud via your browser on your PC:
- Go to icloud.com and log in.
- Open the Contacts app.
- Highlight all contacts (click Ctrl+A on Windows or Cmd+A on Mac).
- Click on the gear in the corner and select Export vCard.
The file must be transferred to the Xiaomi phone (via the phone). USB, Open a file on your smartphone, and the system will suggest importing the records into internal memory or on your phone. SIM-map.
☑️ Check before importing the file
Once the import is confirmed, the contacts will be distributed to selected groups, a universal method that works equally well on all versions of MIUI.
Display and sorting in MIUI
Once successfully transferred, users often face a problem: numbers appear to be there, but they don't show up in the call list or sort randomly, and a separate display filter is responsible for this in the MIUI and HyperOS shell.
Open the standard Contacts app (yellow tube). Click on the three dots in the top corner or look for Settings on the menu. You need to see Contacts Displayed or Contact Filter.
It is important to choose the right strategy:
- 👁️ All Contacts: Shows records from all accounts (Google, SIM, Phone).
- 👁️ Phone only: hides cloud contacts, leaving only local contacts.
- 👁️ Only SIM: It only shows what is on the SIM card.
Often the default filter is to hide the imported iCloud records if they were recorded in a Google account, and the filter is set to Phone. Switch to All Contacts to see the full picture.
⚠️ If contacts appear after changing the filter, but without names (numbers only), check if contacts from “other accounts” are hidden in the privacy settings.
You can also customize sorting by name or surname on this menu, and for Russian-speaking users, sorting by name is often more convenient, whereas the Western standard assumes sorting by surname.
Solving problems with duplicates and coding
When you move data between different ecosystems, it's not uncommon to have artifacts, and the most common is duplicates, which occur when you keep the same contact on the same ecosystem. SIM-In the Google Cloud and in the phone memory.
Xiaomi has a built-in tool to combat this. Go to Contacts → Contact Management → Combine Duplicates. The system will automatically scan the database and suggest combining records with the same numbers or names.
The second problem is Krakozabra instead of letters (for example, instead of “Alexei” is displayed «ÐекÑ...»). It's a coding problem. UTF-8 against Windows-1251. If you encounter this when importing through a file:
Solution: Open the.vcf file on your computer in Notepad, select Save as, and select UTF-8 in the Encoding field.The third thing is that you don't have photos, and when you export them through a standard vCard, they sometimes lose or don't automatically pull up, and you'll have to restore them manually or use third-party apps to synchronize your photo contacts.
What if your contacts are lost after the MIUI update?
Comparison of transfer methods
To make it easier for you to choose the best path, we have prepared a summary table that compares the main characteristics of the methods considered, pay attention to the speed and need for a computer.
| Method | I need a PC. | Speed. | Saves a photo. | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Synchronization | No (preferably) | Tall. | Yeah (often) | Low. |
| File vCard (iCloud) | Yes (for export) | Medium | Depends on the file. | Medium |
| Mi Mover appendix | No. | Very high. | Yes. | Low. |
| SIM-map | No. | Low. | No. | Low. |
As you can see from the table, using a Google account or Mi Mover app is the preferred option for most users, and these methods preserve the data structure and additional fields such as addresses and emails.
Use of the SIM-We recommend the cards only as a last resort when other methods are not available. SIM-The card has a limited amount of memory and often crops long names, and does not support saving multiple numbers for a single contact.
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The best choice for long-term use is synchronization through Google Account, as this ensures the safety of data even in case of a breakage or loss of the phone.