Changing your smartphone, even to a new model from the same manufacturer, always causes a slight panic. The biggest fear is losing important phone numbers and business connections. Fortunately, the Xiaomi ecosystem offers a lot of built-in tools that make it as fast and painless as possible. You don't have to manually interrupt hundreds of digits if you know where the functions are.
There are several proven methods of data migration, and the choice of the specific method depends on your current situation. SIM-It's important to understand that backup is not just about copying, it's about creating a reliable copy that can be restored at any time. In this article, we'll take a look at all the current options so you can choose the most convenient one for you.
Before you start, make sure that both devices are at least 50-60% charged. Although the process does not require huge energy costs, suddenly turning off the phone can interrupt data transfer and cause a synchronization error. Also check for a stable Internet connection if you plan to work with cloud storage. The fastest and most reliable way for devices of the same brand is to use the built-in Mi Mover application.
Using the Mi Mover app for quick migration
The most effective tool for Xiaomi app owners is the Mi Mover app, which is pre-installed on most modern devices and allows you to transfer not only contacts, but also photos, applications, music and even system settings, which is ideal for the initial configuration of a new gadget, since it creates almost a complete copy of the old device.
To get started, you need to run the app on both smartphones. On the new device, select Recipient, and on the old device, Sender. The system automatically creates a Wi-Fi hotspot through which data will be exchanged. You don't need an external router or mobile Internet, the connection is established directly between the gadgets.
After connecting devices through QR-A code or password, a list of data categories will appear on the screen of the old phone, and find the Contacts section and make sure it's ticked, and you can choose to transfer only the selected numbers or the entire phone book at once. The speed of the transfer depends on the amount of data, but usually the process takes no more than a few minutes.
☑️ Preparation for transfer via Mi Mover
- 🚀 High speed: Direct Wi-Fi Direct connects faster than Bluetooth.
- 📱 Universality: You can transfer not only contacts, but also the history of calls, SMS and the placement of icons on the desktop.
- 🔒 Security: Data is transmitted over a local channel and is not uploaded to the Internet, which guarantees confidentiality.
⚠️ Note: Do not interrupt the transfer process or leave the Mi Mover app until a successful completion message appears, otherwise the contacts may be copied partially or with errors.
Synchronization through Mi Account and Cloud Storage
If you have a Xiaomi account, your contacts are probably already in the cloud, which is the laziest, but most efficient way to do it in the background, you don't have to do anything manually when you change your phone, you just have to log in, and that keeps the data up to date on any device in the brand.
On your old smartphone, open Settings and go to the Mi Account section. Find Sync or Cloud and make sure the switch opposite Contacts is active. Press Sync to make sure the latest version of your phone book is uploaded to the server. Without this step, new numbers may not appear on the new device.
On the new phone, sign in to the same Mi Account. The system automatically prompts you to recover data from the cloud. If no automatic offer is received, go to the Contacts app, go to the settings and select Import from Mi Cloud. All entries will appear in the list in a few seconds.
What to do if the contacts are duplicated?
- ☁️ Automation: Changes to the address book on one device instantly appear on all other gadgets.
- 🔄 Recovery: If you lose or break your phone, the numbers will not be lost, just log in to your account.
- 📂 Management: You can edit contacts directly through the i.mi.com web interface from your computer.
If you keep heavy photos and videos there, the space may run out, but text recordings are rarely affected.
Transfer through Google Contacts (Android Standard)
Android has its own, deeply integrated sync system through Google Account. For many users, this is the main way to store numbers. If you have previously used smartphones from other brands or are just used to the Google ecosystem, this method will be the most familiar and reliable for you.
Check on your old device where new numbers are saved. Open the Contacts app, go to the settings, and find the default location. You'd better choose your Google account instead of your phone or"SIM-If the numbers are stored in the memory of the phone, they must be exported beforehand.
For forced sync, go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google. Make sure the check box opposite Contacts is there. After that, on the new Xiaomi, just add the same Google acca-unt when you first start or in the settings. The phone book will automatically fill in in in the background.
| Method | Speed. | We need the Internet. | Saves a photo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Mover | Very quickly. | No (locally) | Yes. |
| Mi Cloud | Quickly. | Yes. | Yes. |
| Google Sync | Middle-Average | Yes. | Yes. |
| SIM-map | Slowly. | No. | No. |
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Tip: Check contacts.google.com regularly to make sure your numbers are actually saved in the Google cloud, not just in the device’s memory.
Import and export via VCF file
Sometimes cloud services are not available, or you prefer to store backups locally, and in this case, VCF (vCard) comes to the rescue, a universal file that contains contact information and can be opened by almost any device or email client. This is a digital business card in its pure form.
To create a file like this on the old Xiaomi, open the Contacts app. Click on the menu (three dots or bars) and select Import/Export Contacts. Select Export to Drive or Export to File.vcf. The system will create a file that is usually called 00001.vcf or contacts.vcf.
The resulting file must be transferred to a new phone, this can be done via Bluetooth, messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp) or tossed through the phone. USB-You can just open the file on the new device, and the system will suggest importing all the records it contains.
- 💾 Independence: You can store a file on a flash drive, computer or send yourself an email as an archive.
- 🔗 Compatibility: Format VCF Supported by iOS, Android, Windows and macOS without additional converters.
- 📦 Grouping: Contacts can only be exported from a particular group or from a particular group. SIM-map.
⚠️ Note: When exporting to the file VCF Contact photos may not be saved in all cases, depending on the version MIUI. Check the file after importing.
Use of the SIM-card-carrier
This method is considered outdated, but it remains the only working option if the smartphone does not turn on, the screen is broken, or there is no access to the Internet and computer. SIM-The card has very limited memory and functionality, but the basic numbers and names it stores securely.
On the old device, go to Contact Management and select "Import/Export." You need the "Export to Export" option. SIM-The phone will warn you that some data (e.g. multiple numbers per contact or long names) may be cropped. Confirm the action and wait until the copy is finished.
Replace it. SIM-Go to the contact app, again select the import/export menu, but now click "Import with" SIM-Choose where to save data – it is recommended to choose a Google account or phone memory immediately, so that in the future it does not depend on plastic.
- 📉 Limitations: Entry to SIM-The card often crops long names and does not save addresses, emails and photos.
- 🐢 Speed: The process of reading and writing to SIM-The card is slow, especially if there are many contacts.
- ✅ Availability: Works on even the oldest button phones and screenless smartphones.
Solving and eliminating errors
Despite the simplicity of the procedures, users sometimes face technical problems, such as contacts may not be displayed immediately after transfer, often this is solved by checking the display filters. In the Contacts app, click on the settings and select Contacts to Display. Make sure that the check box is "All contacts", not just "Phone" or "SIM".
Another common problem is name encoding, and if you see a set of characters instead of Russian letters, the problem may be the way you transmit via Bluetooth or the old file format, so you'd better use Mi Mover or Google synchronization, which handles UTF-8 encoding correctly.
If sync is frozen, try clearing the cache of the Contacts app and Google Play services. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find the right services and click Clear Data. After restarting the phone, the process should continue from the stoppage.
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For Xiaomi appliance owners, the best solution is to combine Mi Mover for initial porting and constant synchronization via Mi Cloud or Google to protect against future data loss.