The transition from the Apple ecosystem to Android often raises concerns about the safety of personal data. The most valuable asset of the user is the phone book, the loss of which can be a real disaster. Fortunately, modern technology allows you to perform the transfer as quickly as possible and without losing information using Google cloud services.
You don't have to install complex third-party programs or go to service centers. You can do the whole process yourself in a few minutes if you set the export settings on your iPhone and import settings correctly on your Xiaomi smartphone. The main link here is a Google account, which serves as a universal storage.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all the stages: from setting up synchronization on iOS to checking duplicates in the app. MIUI. You will learn how to avoid common mistakes when numbers are stored in memory. SIM-cards or locally on the device, making them inaccessible after changing the gadget.
Preparing a Google account on iPhone
The first and most important step is to ensure that you have an up-to-date copy of your contacts in the Google cloud. Apple devices use iCloud by default, so you need to add your Gmail account to your system settings. Open the Settings app on your iPhone and find the Contacts section.
From the contact menu, select Accounts (or Passwords and accounts on older versions of iOS). Click Add an account and select the Google logo from the list offered. Enter the username and password from the account you plan to use on your new Xiaomi smartphone.
Once you have successfully logged in, the system will suggest you select the data to sync, make sure the switch opposite the Contact point is activated and lit green, and if that item is turned off, the phone book will not be sent to the cloud.
⚠️ Note: If you have two-factor authentication enabled for Google, the standard password may not work.You will need to create a special application password in the security settings of your Google account through your browser.
Set up data export in iOS
Once you add an account, you must force the sync process to start or wait for it to automatically end. Open the standard Phone or Contacts app on your iPhone. Some versions of iOS require you to manually select the contact groups you display.
Click on the Group button at the top left of the list. Make sure it ticks against your Google account (Gmail). All numbers you want to move should be copied to that group, rather than staying in the iCloud or On iPhone section.
☑️ Pre-transfer check
If you create a new contact, it should automatically be identified as a Google contact if the default settings are that account. Check this in Settings → Contacts → Default account. This ensures that all new records go to the cloud immediately.
Importing Contacts via Google Web Interface
Sometimes automatic sync on your phone fails or works slowly, in which case the most reliable method is to use the web version of the service. Go to your computer or use the browser on any device to go to contacts.google.com.
Sign in with the same account you added to your iPhone, and if you synced successfully, you'll see your numbers on the list, and if the list is empty, you'll see that the phone hasn't uploaded to the cloud yet, and you'll need to go back to the previous step.
What if there are no contacts in the web version?
The web interface also provides a convenient way to clean the database before transferring, so you can combine duplicates using the built-in Connect and Correct function, which automatically finds repetitive entries, saving time on the new device.
Primary synchronization settings on Xiaomi
Now, on the new device, when you first turn on your Xiaomi smartphone, MIUI will prompt you to log in to your Mi and Google account, and if you missed this step or are setting up an already working phone, go to Settings and find Accounts and Sync (or Users and Accounts) section.
Click Add Account and select the Google logo. Enter the account details you previously exported your iPhone contacts to. After login, the system will ask what data to sync.
Make sure the Contact Slider is activated. It also makes sense to enable Calendar and Gmail sync to fully recreate your digital environment. Click the menu button (three dots) in the top right corner and select Sync to force the process to start.
⚠️ Attention: On the smartphone Xiaomi with a shell MIUI or HyperOS is sometimes limited to the background activity of applications. Make sure that Google services are allowed to run in the background, otherwise sync may be interrupted.
Managing duplicates and sorting in MIUI
Once you have finished downloading, you may find that some numbers have been duplicated. This is a common situation if you have previously used the number. SIM-A card to store or import data in a number of ways.The standard Contacts app on Xiaomi has a built-in tool to address this issue.
Open the contact app, click on the profile icon or settings menu. Find Contact Organization or Contact Management. Choose the option to Combine Duplicates. The system will analyze the database and suggest that you merge the repeated entries into one card with multiple numbers.
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Use the Favorite feature in Google Contacts before syncing to make important numbers easier to find in the new MIUI interface, as the visual design of lists may differ from iOS.
Also, check where the new numbers are saved, go to the contact app settings and make sure that the check box is "Save new contacts in: Google", which will prevent data loss in the future if the phone suddenly stops working.
Table of comparison of transfer methods
To better understand the available options, we will consider their key features in the comparative table.
| Method | Speed. | A PC is needed. | Risk of data loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synchronization of iCloud + Google | Tall. | No. | Low. |
| Appendix "Moving to Android" | Medium | No. | Medium. |
| Export via vCard (file) | Low. | Preferably. | Low. |
| Copying with SIM-map | Tall. | No. | Tall (name cropping) |
As you can see from the table, the iCloud and Google account bundle is the most reliable and up-to-date. SIM-The card is recommended only as a backup option, as it often crops long names and does not store additional fields such as email or address.
Removing common errors
Despite the simplicity of the procedure, users may encounter technical problems, and one of the most common is an authorization error. If Xiaomi writes "Incorrect password" when you're sure it's correct, it's possible that Google is blocking the login from an unfamiliar device.
In this case, you need to go to the security settings of your Google account through the browser and allow access for less secure applications or confirm the sign-in via a notification on another device, and check if Google storage is crowded, although 15 GB is usually enough for thousands of contacts.
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The main reason for failure is time desynchronization, and make sure that both devices (iPhone and Xiaomi) have the correct date and time, preferably automatically over the network, otherwise the security certificates will not pass the verification.
Another problem is that contacts are in your account but not on your phone. Go to the display settings in the Contacts app on Xiaomi and make sure that you select the All Contacts display, not just Phone Contacts.