How to transfer WhatsApp from iPhone to Xiaomi: all ways to save history

Switching from iPhone to Xiaomi smartphone is a crucial step, especially when it comes to transferring WhatsApp with a long history of correspondence. Unlike transferring contacts or photos, the messenger does not support cross-platform export out of the box: Apple and Android use different backup formats, and cloud backups iCloud and Google Drive are incompatible.

In this guide, we’ll look at all the current ways WhatsApp can migrate from iPhone to Xiaomi (including the Redmi, POCO and flagship series), from the official Move to iOS tool (yes, it works the other way around!) to alternative methods using a PC. We’ll focus on preserving media in its original quality, a problem that 78% of users face when migrating, and learn how to avoid common mistakes, such as losing a history due to an incorrect version of an app or conflicting accounts.

Preparation for transfer: what to do before the start

Before you start migrating, make sure both devices meet key requirements.Nevertheless, skipping at least one item can result in data loss or inability to complete the process.

• 📱 On iPhone: WhatsApp updated to the latest version (check in the App Store) Minimum supported version is 2.23.10.72.
• 🤖 On Xiaomi: A clean version of WhatsApp (not modified, for example, GBWhatsApp) is installed. Download it from Google Play, not from third-party sources.
• ☁️ iCloud: There's enough free space on the iPhone to create a backup. WhatsApp backup can be as large as 5-15GB when used actively.
• 🔋 Battery charge: Both smartphones are at least 50% charged, and the transfer process can take up to 1-2 hours depending on the amount of data.

Critically, don’t delete WhatsApp from your iPhone until you’ve completed the transfer. Deleting the app automatically erases local backups, and it won’t be possible to restore history. Also, disable two-factor authentication in your WhatsApp account settings (if enabled) to make it easier to sign in to the new device.

⚠️ Note: If you use Xiaomi with global firmware MIUI For China, pre-switch the region in the settings to any other (for example, India or Russia). The Chinese version does not have Google services, and porting through Google Drive will not be possible.

2.Official way: move through "Move to iOS" (yes, it works!)

Few people know, but Apple’s Move to iOS app, designed to transfer data from Android to iPhone, supports the reverse process — but with limitations. WhatsApp can be transferred in this way, if you follow an unobvious algorithm.

Here's the step-by-step instruction:

1. Install Move to iOS on Xiaomi from Google Play.The app is developed by Apple, so it's secure.
2. Reset Xiaomi to factory settings (required!). Go to Settings → About Phone → Reset. This is necessary to activate the migration mode.
3. Set up Xiaomi as a new device before connecting to Wi-Fi. On the Data Copy screen, select your iPhone.
4. On your iPhone, open WhatsApp, go to Settings → Chat → Transfer chats on Android. Follow the instructions on the screen.
5. Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network and wait until the transfer is complete.

Important: This method only transfers your correspondence history and media files, but not your account settings (such as chat wallpaper or fixed dialogues), and the maximum size of the data transferred is limited to 25 GB – if your backup is larger, use alternative methods.

Reset Xiaomi to factory settings|Install Move to iOS on Xiaomi|Update WhatsApp on iPhone to the latest version|Connect both devices to the same 5GHz Wi-Fi network|Charge both smartphones at least 70%-->

3.Move over Google Drive: Why it doesn't always work

The most obvious way is to back up WhatsApp on your iPhone and restore it to Xiaomi via Google Drive. But there are pitfalls here: WhatsApp for iOS saves backups to iCloud, and for Android, it saves backups to Google Drive. There is no direct way to convert one format to another, but there is a workaround.

Algorithm of action:

• 📤 Create a backup on your iPhone: Open WhatsApp → Settings → chat → Backup. Wait for the process to be completed.
• 💻 Export backup to PC: Connect your iPhone to your computer, use iTunes or Finder (on macOS) to copy the backup file: /Users/[Your username]/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/ Look for files with extension.crypt12 or.crypt14.
• 🔄 Convert backup: Use third-party tools like Backuptrans or iCareFone to convert the file to an Android-compatible format.
• 📥 Restore to Xiaomi: Install WhatsApp on Xiaomi, log in to your account and follow the recovery instructions from Google Drive.

⚠️ WARNING: WhatsApp's free online backup conversion services often contain malicious code or sell your data.Use only proven desktop software with a license.

4. Alternative methods: third-party programs and manual transfer

If the official methods don't work, for example, because of the large amount of data or the lack of a PC, you can use specialized tools. Let's look at two proven options.

Method 1: Dr.Fone - WhatsApp Transfer

Wondershare’s Dr.Fone program allows you to move WhatsApp between iOS and Android without losing data, with the advantage of supporting all versions of WhatsApp and the ability to selectively transfer (for example, only certain chats).

Instructions:

1. Download and install Dr.Fone on your PC (official website).
2. Connect your iPhone and Xiaomi to your computer via USB.
3. In the main menu, select WhatsApp Transfer → Transfer WhatsApp messages.
4. Enter the source (iPhone) and target (Xiaomi), then press Start.
5. Wait for the process to be completed (it can take up to 30-60 minutes depending on the amount of data).

💡

Before using Dr.Fone, disable the antivirus – it can block the program from accessing WhatsApp files, which will lead to the error “Failed to load backup”.

Method 2: Manual copying of media files

If you only need photos, videos and documents from WhatsApp (without correspondence history), you can do without third-party tools:

1. On iPhone, open Files → On my iPhone → find the WhatsApp folder (if it is not, connect your iPhone to your PC and copy the data via iTunes).
2. Copy Media and Documents folders to your computer.
3. Connect Xiaomi to your PC and move files to /WhatsApp/Media folder on your internal drive.
4. Install WhatsApp on Xiaomi, log in to your account and wait for the app to scan your media files.

⚠️ Note: When you manually copy files in chats will appear as "downloaded", but the date of sending and the history of correspondence will be lost.

5. Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even when following instructions, users often encounter problems, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to solve them:

• 🚫 "Fails to restore backup": Make sure Xiaomi uses the same phone number as iPhone. WhatsApp is tied to the number and recovery is only possible on the same account.
• 🔄 "Process freezes at 0%": Check that both devices are disabled VPN Also try to reconnect to another Wi-Fi network (for example, from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz).
• 📱 "Xiaomi doesn't display old chats": You may have restored the backup on top of the existing story. delete WhatsApp on Xiaomi, clear the cache and repeat the recovery.
• ☁️ "Google Drive doesn't find backup": Make sure you're signed in to the same Google account that was used to create the backup. also check that Xiaomi has the latest version of Google Play Services installed on it.

6. WhatsApp Business Portability: Are There Differences?

If you use WhatsApp Business on your iPhone, the process of migrating to Xiaomi is almost identical, but there are nuances:

• 🏢 Business profile data (such as product catalogs or quick answers) will not be transferred via Move to iOS or Google Drive.
• 📊 Chat statistics (read, answer, etc.) are also not stored. These data are tied to the device and reset when reinstalled.
• 🔑 Business account confirmation (if you have verified the page) will remain, but you may need to resubmit documents to confirm the document.

To transfer WhatsApp Business, we recommend using Dr.Fone or Backuptrans – these programs support the business version of the messenger and store most of the data, including chat tags and message templates.

7. How to verify the integrity of the transferred data

Once the transfer is complete, it is important to make sure that all data is transmitted correctly.

• 🔍 Text history: Open some old chat rooms and scroll through them to the beginning.
• 📷 Media: Make sure that photos and videos in chat rooms are opened and played. Pay attention to quality - sometimes files are compressed when you transfer them.
• 📎 Documents and Links: Check that the attached files (PDF, Excel, etc., available for download.
• 🔖 Bookmarks and fixed chats: Make sure important dialogs remain anchored and saved messages (Favorites) are in place.

If you find gaps, try repeating the transfer using another method, for example, if Move to iOS can’t handle large files, use Dr.Fone.

We also recommend you create a new backup on Xiaomi immediately after a successful transfer. To do this, go to WhatsApp Settings → Chat → Backup and save data to Google Drive. This will protect your story from accidental loss in the future.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions