The transition from Xiaomi to iPhone (or vice versa) is always accompanied by the question: how to transfer contacts, photos, notes and other data without loss? MIUI And iOS is fundamentally different, and you can sync your devices in a number of ways, from standard cloud services to specialized applications, and you can choose the method that fits your tasks and the amount of data you have.
In this article, we will discuss 5 Check out the proven synchronization methods, including wireless and wired solutions, and consider the typical errors that occur when transferring data between Android devices (Redmi Note). 12, POCO X5, Mi 13) and iPhone (series) 15/14/13/SE). We will focus on the transfer of the call history and SMS — This data is not in iCloud backups and is often lost when you switch.
1. synchronization via Mi Mover (official decision from Xiaomi)
Mi Mover is a proprietary application from Xiaomi, which was originally developed to transfer data between devices to the Internet. MIUI. But since 2022, it has been supporting data export to iPhones (albeit with limitations), a method that is suitable if you are switching from Xiaomi to iPhone and want to transfer basic data in one step.
The app copies:
- 📞 Contacts (including groups and contact notes)
- 📷 Photos and videos (no albums, only files)
- 📄 Documents (PDF, DOC, XLS from the Downloads folder)
- 🎵 Audio files (only from standard Music and Ringtones folders)
Not tolerated.
Mi Notes
To take advantage of the Mi Mover:
- Download the app to Xiaomi from Google Play (if it’s not in firmware).
- Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (or create an access point on Xiaomi).
- On iPhone, open your browser and go to the address that will appear in Mi Mover on Xiaomi.
- Select data for transfer and confirm the transfer.
⚠️ Note: If iPhone enabled Find iPhone (iCloud Lock), Mi Mover can block file transfer. → Apple ID → Find it.
Disable iCloud Lock on iPhone|Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network|Charge your phones at least to 50%|Release. 2-3 GB of memory on iPhone-->
2. Transfer contacts through Google Account and iCloud
The most reliable way to synchronize contacts between Xiaomi and iPhone is to use an intermediate cloud service, which is two options: through Google Contacts or directly through iCloud. The first method is more versatile, since it does not require a Mac or iTunes.
Method 1: Through Google Account
- 📱 On Xiaomi, open contacts → Settings → Imports/Exports → Export to file VCF (save it to the memory card).
- 🖥️ Go to contacts.google.com from your computer, click Import. → Select a file and download.vcf.
- 🍎 On iPhone, add Google Account to Settings → Contacts → Accounts. → Add an account → Google and enable contact sync.
Method 2: iCloud (requires a computer)
- 📱 Export your contacts to.vcf (as in method 1).
- 🖥️ Open iCloud.com, log in and go to Contacts. Click on the gear. → Import vCard.
- 🍎 On iPhone, enable synchronization of contacts with iCloud in Settings → [Your name] → iCloud → Contacts.
| Method | Pluses | Cons | Transfer time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Contacts | No computer is needed, it works on any device. | Contacts are duplicated if you have already been on iCloud | 5-10 minutes |
| iCloud (via computer) | Native synchronization with iPhone, no take | Required. Mac/PC, Errors are possible when importing | 10-15 minutes. |
| Mi Mover | Transfers photos and documents along with contacts | Not all data is supported, you need a stable network. | 15-30 minute |
Google Contacts|iCloud|Mi Mover|Other service|I couldn't stand it)-->
3. Photo and video transmission: cloud vs. cable
Photos and videos take up the most space, so moving them requires special attention.
1. via Google Photos (up to 15GB free)
- 📱 On Xiaomi, enable autoload in Google Photos (Settings) → Backup and synchronization).
- 🍎 On iPhone, install Google Photos from the App Store and sign in to the same account.
- 🖼️ Select albums or individual files to download to your device.
⚠️ Note: If you have more than 15GB of photos, you will have to buy space in Google One or use another method. Alternatively, compress photos before uploading in the Google Photo settings (Quality) → High instead of Original).
2. via iCloud (if little data)
- 🖥️ Upload photos from Xiaomi to your computer (via cable or Mi Mover).
- 🌐 Open up. iCloud.com/photos, Drag the files to the library.
- 🍎 On iPhone, enable photo sync in Settings → [Your name] → iCloud → Photo Photo.
Direct transmission via cable (no clouds)
This will require:
- ⚡ Lightning adapter → USB-C (if Xiaomi is the type USB-C).
- 🖥️ Computer with Windows or Mac (for intermediate copying).
Instructions:
- Connect Xiaomi to your computer, copy the photos to your folder.
- Disable Xiaomi, connect your iPhone and transfer files via Windows or Photos (Mac).
💡
If there are many photos (more) 50 GB), use an external SSD-adapter Lightning/USB-C. The transmission speed will be in 3-5 higher than Wi-Fi.
4. Synchronization of notes, calendar and mail
Notes and calendars are the most difficult to carry because of the differences in formats. MIUI And iOS, here's the working solutions:
Notes from Mi Notes:
⚠️ Note: Mi Notes does not support exporting all notes at once. If there are many, use third-party apps like Notion or Evernote for interim saving.
Calendar and events:
- 📅 On Xiaomi, export your calendar to.ics via Calendar → Settings → Imports/Exports.
- 🖥️ Import the file to Google Calendar (on your computer).
- 🍎 On iPhone, add a Google Account and enable calendar sync.
Mail:
If you use Mi Mail, transfer accounts manually:
- 📧 On iPhone go to Settings → Post → Accounts. → Add an account.
- 🔄 Select your email provider (Gmail, Yandex, Mail.ru) and log in.
- 🔁 Enable synchronization of mail, contacts and calendar (if necessary).
How to transfer passwords from Mi Browser?
5. Transfer of music, books and documents
Music files, e-books and documents are the easiest to transfer — they can be simply copied through the cloud or cable.
Music:
- 🎵 If you bought music from Apple Music or iTunes, just log in to your iPhone.
- 📁 For local files (.mp3,.flac: copy them to your computer, then drag and drop them to iTunes (Windows) or Music (Mac) and sync with your iPhone.
- 🎧 Alternative: Upload files to Google Drive or Dropbox, then download them to your iPhone via the app.
Books and documents:
- 📖 For.epub or.pdf books, use Apple Books: Drag files into an app on your computer and sync.
- 📄 Upload documents (.docx,.xlsx) to iCloud Drive or Google Drive, then open them via Files on your iPhone.
Annexes:
Unfortunately, it is not possible to transfer installed applications between Android and iOS.
- 🔍 Find analogues in the App Store (for example, Xiaomi Home) → Mi Home for iOS).
- 💰 If the app is paid, check if it supports a cross-platform license (e.g. Notion, Spotify).
💡
For music and books, it is better to use cloud services (iCloud Drive, Google Drive), as they support streaming and do not take up space on the device.
6. Common mistakes and how to avoid them
When syncing Xiaomi and iPhone users often face the following problems:
1. Contacts are duplicated
⚠️ Note: If your iPhone already has contacts in iCloud and you add a Google Account, there may be duplication.Solution: Before transferring your contacts from your iPhone to a.vcf file (backup). After importing from Google, delete the duplicates via Settings → Contacts → Delete duplicates.
2. Photos are not uploaded to iCloud
- 📸 Check if there is enough space in iCloud (free only 5GB).
- 🔄 If photos take a long time to load, connect your iPhone to charging and Wi-Fi network.
- ⚙️ B Settings → Enable Synchronization over the cellular network (if necessary).
3: Mi Mover doesn't see iPhone
- 🔌 Make sure both devices are connected to the same 5GHz Wi-Fi network (2.4GHz may not work).
- 🔄 Reboot both phones and try again.
- 📱 On iPhone, turn off the tracking limit in Settings → Confidentiality.
4. SMS and call history are not portable
⚠️ Note: Apple and Xiaomi do not provide official tools for the transfer SMS. Solutions: Use third-party apps like Backuptrans (paid, computer required). Take screenshots of important messages and save them to Google Photos. Export SMS to the.xml file through SMS Backup & Restore (Android only), then convert to readable format.
7. Alternative applications for synchronization
If standard methods don’t work, try specialized apps:
| Annex | What's transferable | Pluses | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| SHAREit | Photos, videos, music, documents | Fast Wi-Fi Direct transmission, no volume restrictions | Advertising, sometimes breaks the connection |
| Send Anywhere | Any files, folders. | Direct transmission by code, encryption | 10 GB Limitation on the Free Version |
| Dr.Fone — Phone Transfer | Contacts, SMS, photos, applications | Even the call history, it works on Mac/Windows | Paid (from 40)$), computer |
| Syncios | Music, video, books, contacts | Free version with basic functions | Interface overloaded, slow support |
For maximum reliability, we recommend:
- 🔹 Use Dr.Fone or Syncios if you need to move SMS call history.
- 🔹 Select Send Anywhere or Shareit for fast transfer of large files (video, archives).
- 🔹 Before using third-party applications, disable the antivirus on the computer - it can block data transfer.