Changing an ecosystem is always stressful for the owner of a smartphone, because you have to get used to the logic of the interface again and re-configure familiar usage scenarios. However, the most painful moment when switching from iOS to Android is often not the lack of familiar icons, but the risk of losing important information accumulated over the years. This is especially true for the phone book, where hundreds of numbers of friends, colleagues and delivery services can be stored.
Fortunately, modern technologies allow you to solve this problem in just a few clicks, and you do not need to be an IT expert. There are many proven methods, from cloud synchronization to using special applications developed by device manufacturers. In this article we will analyze in detail how to transfer contacts from iPhone to Android Xiaomiusing the most reliable and fastest methods available at the moment.
Don’t worry if some method seems complicated or doesn’t work the first time - we will look at alternative options that are guaranteed to lead to success. The main thing is to have both devices at hand and a stable Internet connection for some methods. Let's start with the simplest and most popular method, which Google itself offers.
Using a Google account for synchronization
The most “native” and correct way for the Android ecosystem is to use Google cloud storage. Since any operating system Android is linked to a Google account, your contacts saved there will automatically appear on any device after authorization. On your iPhone, you'll need to install the app Google from the App Store or set up synchronization through the iOS system settings.
The process is as follows: After installing the Gmail app on your iPhone, log into your account (or create a new one). Then you need to go to the settings of the application itself or to the phone settings, find the “Accounts” section and select your Google profile. There you need to activate the “Contacts” slider. The system will ask for access permission and begin uploading data to the cloud.
⚠️ Attention: Make sure that synchronization of the exact folder where the numbers are stored is enabled on your iPhone. Sometimes contacts can be saved locally on the device (“On This iPhone”) or in iCloud, but not in Google. In your account settings, check that the switch is in the active position.
After you see the message about successful synchronization on the iPhone, pick up your new smartphone Xiaomi. When you turn it on for the first time (or by manually adding an account to the menu Settings → Accounts and synchronization), log in to the same Google account. The system will automatically pull up all saved numbers. This method is good because it creates a backup copy that cannot be lost even if the phone is physically broken.
- 🔄 Automatic update: any changes made from the iPhone will instantly be reflected on Xiaomi.
- ☁️ OS independence: access to numbers can be accessed from any device via a browser.
- 🛡️ Security: data is protected by Google two-factor authentication.
The official Mi Mover application from Xiaomi
The company Xiaomi took care of users moving from other platforms and developed its own application Mi Mover. It allows you to transfer not only contacts, but also photos, music, videos and even some system settings. This is one of the fastest methods, since data transfer occurs over a local Wi-Fi channel, bypassing Internet traffic.
To get started, you need to download the Mi Mover application on your iPhone from the App Store. On a Xiaomi smartphone, it is already preinstalled and is located in the “Tools” folder or in the “About phone” settings section. Launch the application on both devices. On iPhone, tap “I Send”, and on Xiaomi, tap “I Receive”. The devices will find each other, and you will need to scan the QR code or enter the password that will appear on the screen of the new smartphone.
☑️ Checklist for preparing for transfer via Mi Mover
After connecting, select the “Contacts” (or “System Data”) category. You will see a list of items available for transfer. Start the process and wait until it finishes. The transfer speed depends on the amount of data, but usually contacts are transferred in a matter of seconds. It is important not to minimize the application or turn off the device screens until the operation is completed.
⚠️ Attention: While Mi Mover is running, iPhone may temporarily lose access to the Internet, as it connects to a Wi-Fi point created by Xiaomi. This is normal behavior, do not try to forcefully close the connection.
The main advantage of this method is that it saves the data structure exactly in the format familiar to the shell MIUI or HyperOS. In addition, the application can filter duplicates if you have previously tried importing data in other ways. If you have a large volume of multimedia, this method will also be preferable to cloud methods.
Export contacts to a VCF file and manual movement
If you prefer full control over the process or you do not have the opportunity to use cloud services and transfer applications, you can use the classic method of exporting to a file .vcf (vCard). This universal format is supported by all modern smartphones and allows you to transfer your phone book without access to the Internet during the transfer stage.
On your iPhone, open the standard Contacts application. In the top left corner, click on the lists menu to see all your contacts at once. Select All Contacts, then tap the three dots or the Share button (depending on your iOS version). In the menu that appears, select the option “Export contacts” or simply “Share”, and then “Save to Files”. You will create a file, for example, contacts.vcf.
Now this file needs to be transferred to Xiaomi. This can be done via:
- 📧 Email (send the file to yourself).
- 💬 Messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber).
- 💾 Bluetooth (if devices support file pairing).
- 🔗 Cloud storage (Yandex.Disk, Dropbox).
Once you receive the file on Xiaomi, just click on it. The system will offer to open it using the standard “Phone Book” or “Xiaomi Contacts”. After confirmation, the import will begin. This method is good because it creates a physical copy of your phone book, which can be stored on your computer as a backup.
What to do if the file does not open?
If, when you try to open a VCF file on Xiaomi, the system writes “Format not supported” or the file is empty, try renaming the extension from .vcf to .vCard. Also make sure that when exporting to iPhone you select the vCard format rather than CSV, as CSV requires special field markings to import correctly on Android.
Transfer via SIM card: the old tried and tested method
Although this method is considered obsolete due to restrictions on the number of characters in the contact name and the lack of support for additional fields (addresses, social networks), it remains relevant for basic number transfer. The SIM card acts as a physical medium, which eliminates problems with software glitches or incompatibility of software versions.
First you need to export contacts from the iPhone to the SIM card. Go to Settings → Contacts on your iPhone. Look for “Import contacts from SIM” (for the reverse effect) or, if this option is not available in your version of iOS, use a third-party application from the App Store, such as “Copy to SIM”. After writing the data to the card, remove the SIM card from the iPhone and insert it into Xiaomi.
On your Xiaomi smartphone, go to the Contacts application, click on the three dots in the corner or the settings menu. Select “Import/export contacts” → “Import from SIM card”. The system will ask you to choose where to save the numbers: to your phone memory or to your Google account. It is recommended to choose phone or Google memory so as not to depend on the SIM capacity.
| Parameter | SIM card | Google Account | VCF File |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed | Low | High | Medium |
| Name length | Limited | No restrictions | No restrictions |
| Contact photo | Not saved | Save | Save |
| Additional. fields | Number only | All fields | All fields |
The main disadvantage of the method is the cutting off of long names and loss of photos. However, if you just need to quickly get a list of numbers to call, this is a working option. After importing to Xiaomi, be sure to check the list for duplicates or truncated names.
Before removing the SIM card from the iPhone, make sure you know the PIN code for it, if you have one. A new Xiaomi phone may request a code when you first install a card, and without it, access to contacts will be denied.
Synchronization via iCloud and third-party services
For users who are deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem, the option of uploading contacts directly from iCloud may be convenient. This method does not require installing additional applications on your iPhone if synchronization has already been enabled previously. All you need is a computer or a browser on Xiaomi itself.
Go to the site icloud.com from any browser. Sign in with your Apple ID. Select the "Contacts" section. Select all contacts (by pressing Ctrl+A on the keyboard or through the settings menu in the web interface). From the (bottom left corner) or gear menu, select “Export vCard.” The file will be downloaded to the device.
Then the process is similar to working with a VCF file: transfer this file to Xiaomi and open it. There are also third-party services, such as Move to iOS (works in the opposite direction) or universal managers like AnyTrans, but they often require connection to a PC. The cloud method via iCloud is good because it is “clean” and does not leave garbage in the system.
⚠️ Attention: The iCloud.com interface may change. If you don't see an export button, check that at least one contact is selected. Also make sure that “Contacts” is checked in the iCloud settings on your iPhone, otherwise they simply won’t be in the cloud.
This method is especially effective if you have accumulated a lot of contacts with a complex structure (several phones, emails, addresses). The vCard format generated by iCloud is usually very correct and maps correctly to the fields of Android contacts.
Solving problems and eliminating duplicates
After transferring data, users often encounter the problem of duplicate records. This happens when the same contact is saved in both SIM, Google, and phone memory. Xiaomi has a built-in tool to solve this problem, which works very effectively.
Open the Contacts application on Xiaomi. Click on the menu (three dots or profile) and find the option “Clean up duplicates” or “Merge duplicate contacts”. The system will offer to view the found pairs and combine them automatically. This will keep your phone book in perfect order.
Always check your phone book after the transfer: even the best tools can make mistakes in the encoding of names or split one entry into two due to different number formats (+7 vs 8).
It is also worth paying attention to the number formatting. On iPhone, numbers could be written in international format (+7...), and on Android, local format (8...) could be used. In modern versions MIUI and Android Smart Typing usually ignores these differences, but to be sure, you can run a bulk edit if such a feature is available in your version of the shell, or use the Google Contacts app to batch change prefixes.
If some contacts aren't showing up, check the display filter. In the Contacts app, tap the menu and select Contacts to display. Make sure the “All contacts” checkbox is checked or the specific accounts where you saved them are selected. Sometimes the system hides SIM card contacts or hidden groups by default.
Why did contact photos disappear after transfer?
Photos may not have been transferred if you used the SIM card method (it does not store photos) or if the “Text Only” option was selected when syncing with Google. Try repeating the procedure through Mi Mover or make sure that photo transfer is enabled in the Google synchronization settings on your iPhone.
Is it possible to transfer call history from iPhone to Xiaomi?
It is impossible to transfer call history (call log) from iOS using standard Android tools due to the closedness of the Apple system. This will require specialized paid apps on a PC that make a full backup of the iPhone and convert it into a format understandable by Android, but the (success) of such operations is not guaranteed.
What to do if the contacts are in Chinese or English?
If after transferring instead of names you see “crazy” or incomprehensible characters, this is an encoding problem. Try importing the VCF file through the Google Contacts application in the browser on your PC - there you can most often select the correct encoding (UTF-8) before downloading to your phone.