Changing a mobile device with Android to iOS often raises concerns about losing important data, especially the phone book. For Xiaomi users accustomed to the flexibility of MIUI, moving to Apple’s strict ecosystem may seem difficult, but the process of migrating contacts has long been standardized.
There are several proven ways to do this, each with its own advantages depending on the amount of data and the availability of an Internet connection: you can use Google cloud services, the official Apple app, or the classic method of exporting through a file.
In this guide, we will take a detailed look at all the current options so that you can choose the most convenient for your situation.We will look at the nuances of working with Google Account, the features of the Move to iOS application and manual backup methods that will help in the absence of a network.
Using a Google account to sync
The most elegant and automated way to carry a phone book is to use Google cloud storage. Because Xiaomi smartphones run on Android, your contacts are often already saved by default to your Google account. You don't have to export anything manually if sync was enabled earlier.
First, make sure that all numbers are stored in your account, not in your phone’s memory or on your phone. SIM-Open your settings on Xiaomi, search for Accounts and Sync, and select your Google profile. Make sure the switch opposite Contacts is active and the data is successfully uploaded to the cloud.
After checking on your Xiaomi device, pick up your new iPhone. During the initial setup or through the settings menu, add the same Google account. iOS will automatically prompt you to sync your data, including email, calendar and, of course, contacts.
- 📱 Open the Settings app on your iPhone and go to Contacts».
- 🔐 Select “Accounts” and click “Add Account».
- 📧 Enter the login and password from your Google account that was used on Xiaomi.
- ✅ Make sure the Contacts slider is green to activate the download.
⚠️ Note: If your contacts are saved in your phone’s local memory or account on Xiaomi MIUI Cloud, they won't show up on your iPhone automatically. First, you need to copy them to Google Contacts via the Contacts app on Android.
Once synced, the iPhone will start downloading data from the Google cloud, and the speed of the process depends on the number of records and the speed of the Internet connection, usually a few hundred numbers load in less than a minute.
Move to iOS app: Apple's official method
Apple has developed a special application Move to iOS, which is designed to migrate data from Android devices, including Xiaomi, to new iPhones, this method is ideal if you just bought a phone and are in the initial setup stage, when the welcome screen is not yet passed.
The main advantage of this method is to create a direct secure communication channel between devices over Wi-Fi. Data is transmitted directly without being downloaded to third-party servers, which provides a high level of privacy.
To get started, download the Move to iOS app from the Google Play store to your Xiaomi. There's no download on your iPhone, the feature is already built into the system. Launch the app on Android and follow the instructions on the screen.
☑️ Preparing for migration through Move to iOS
When a six-digit code appears on your iPhone screen, type it into Xiaomi. The devices will connect, and you can select the type of data to transfer. Be sure to tick "Contacts" so that the phone book is copied.
⚠️ Warning: Do not switch to mobile internet or open other applications on Xiaomi while transferring data.This can break the Wi-Fi Direct connection and interrupt the copying process.
It’s important to understand that this method only works during the initial setup phase of the iPhone, and if the phone is already set up and in use, you’ll have to reset it to factory settings to take advantage of this method, or choose another portable method.
Export and import via VCF file
A universal method that works everywhere and always is to create a backup file in.vcf (vCard) format, which is supported by all modern smartphones and allows you to transfer contacts even without access to the Internet, simply by transferring the file in any convenient way.
On a Xiaomi smartphone, open the standard Contacts app. Click on the menu (usually three dots or settings icon) and select the option “Import and export contacts.”
The system will create a file with all the numbers selected, and then the file must be transferred to an iPhone, which can be done via Bluetooth (although this is a long time), via instant messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp), or by sending the file to itself by email.
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For export through VCF Make sure you choose to export all contacts, including those on the SIM-Sometimes, by default, only internal memory is selected.
Once you have a file on your iPhone, just open it. iOS automatically recognizes the vCard format and prompts you to add all the contacts you find to your phone book, and you only need to confirm the action by clicking the Add All button.
This method is particularly good because it creates a physical copy of your phone book that you can store on your computer or flash drive as a backup, and in the event of any disruption to cloud services, you will always have a current backup.
Transfer of contacts from SIM-card
Some users still keep numbers on the SIM-The switch is from an old button phone or if it was convenient before.Although Xiaomi and iPhone use different storage formats, portability is possible, but has its limitations.
First, you need to copy the contacts with SIM Go to the contact app, select the import settings and specify the source. SIM-Once you copy the numbers, they'll appear in the phone's memory and, when you sync them, they'll go to Google.
However, if you want to migrate them directly to your iPhone without using Google’s cloud, you’ll need a physical reshuffle. SIM-Insert the SIM in your iPhone, go to Settings. → Contact and find the button “Import contacts with” SIM».
| Parameter | SIM-map | Google Account | VCF File |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | Limited (usually 250) | No restrictions. | Depends on memory. |
| Number length | Frequently circumcised | Full format | Full format |
| Supplementary fields | Name and number only | Photo, email, address | Photo, email, address |
| Coding | Cracosabras are possible. | UTF-8 (correct) | UTF-8 (correct) |
It is worth noting that SIM-The cards have serious limitations: they often do not support long names, Cyrillic in company names or additional numbers.
Decision and possible errors
As users migrate data, they often encounter technical nuances that may seem like mistakes, but they are not. Understanding the logic of how Android and iOS work helps to quickly resolve problems.
One of the common problems is duplicate contacts, which happens when you sync a Google account that already had numbers and import them from the same site at the same time. SIM-Maps or files. iOS may perceive this as new records.
To combine the takes on your iPhone, go to the Contacts app, select a repeat entry, and scroll down. If the system finds similar contacts, it will suggest a "Connect" or "Connect" button, which will merge all the data into one card.
Another problem is that no contact photos are available, and when you transfer them over SIM or old vCard formats, the images may not be saved, and only manually adding photos or re-synchronizing them through a full Google account with media downloads enabled will help.
⚠️ Note: If contact names are not displayed correctly after transfer (e.g. instead of letters, characters), the problem is in encoding the export file. Try using the synchronization method via Google, as it automatically converts the encoding to the correct format.
Organization of the phone book on the new iPhone
After successfully migrating contacts from Xiaomi to iPhone, it’s helpful to do a record audit.The iOS ecosystem offers powerful sorting tools that are worth using to clean up.
You can set the order of the contacts in the phone settings, so it's more convenient for Russian-speaking users to sort by surname and map by first and last name, which speeds up the search in the alphabetical list.
It’s also a good idea to check where the new numbers are saved. iPhones can offer iCloud saves by default, but if you’re used to Google, you can change your standard account for new contacts in the settings menu.
How to delete all contacts from iPhone at once?
Regularly backing up your device via iCloud or iTunes (Finder on Mac) ensures that you don’t lose your accumulated number base in the future when you change your device, and it’s critical to periodically check the backup status, as it doesn’t always happen automatically when your battery is dead.