How to add a contact to Xiaomi: detailed instructions

Modern Xiaomi smartphones offer many ways to manage a phone book, but the process of saving a new number can be different from the usual algorithms of other manufacturers. Users often face a situation where the number is lost when changing devices or does not appear in messengers due to an error in choosing a storage location. Understanding the structure of the MIUI address book is critical to prevent the loss of important data.

In the Android operating system, which runs the MIUI shell, there is a clear separation between the local phone storage, Google account and Mi Account profile. The wrong source selection when creating a record can lead to the fact that when you reset or reflash the entire database of numbers will be irretrievably lost. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to correctly add a contact to Xiaomi, so that it is always at hand.

There are several proven methods of entering data: through the standard Contacts app, through a voice assistant, or by importing from files and other devices, each of which has its own characteristics depending on the firmware version and regional configuration of the device, we will consider all the current options so that you can choose the most convenient for your situation.

Adding a number through a standard application

The most common and quick way to enter a new number is to use the built-in Contacts or Phone app, which is optimized in the MIUI shell, but contains hidden settings that you should pay attention to. When you first start, the system can suggest you choose the main account to save, and this choice will become a priority by default.

To create a new record, open the app and find a button with a plus symbol or a "Create Contact" sign, which is usually located in the lower right corner of the screen or at the top of the interface, depending on the orientation of the display, and click on a form where you need to enter your name, surname and phone number, and choose where exactly the information will be stored.

• 📱 Press the badge «+» in the annex Contacts.
• 📝 Enter the name and phone number in the appropriate fields.
• 💾 Select a save location (Google, Mi Account or Phone).
• ✅ Click "Save" or the tick in the corner of the screen.

It's important to note that when you enter data, you can immediately add additional fields, such as your email address, job title, or address of residence, often by scrolling down the form or clicking on the "More" button to expand the list of available fields, which allows you to create a full-fledged person card that will sync across all your devices.

⚠️ Note: If you choose the phone option or «SIM-Your contacts will not automatically sync to the cloud, and if your device breaks or is lost, it will be extremely difficult to recover this data without prior backup.

Once you have filled in all the necessary fields, the system will suggest assigning a unique ringtone or setting a photo for the subscriber, which will help you visually and audibly identify the caller without looking at the screen, a feature that is especially useful for older people or in situations where the phone is in the bag.

Selecting storage location: Google, Mi Account or SIM

One of the most critical things about adding a contact to Xiaomi is choosing an account to save. At the top of the record creation form, the current selected account is usually displayed, which many users don't pay attention to, and it depends on where the file will physically lie with your data and how it will sync.

Google Account is the most versatile solution for Android smartphone owners.It provides instant sync with Gmail, making it easy to transfer the entire phone book to any other Android smartphone just by logging into your profile.In addition, Google offers advanced tools to recover deleted records within 30 days.

Mi Account’s own service also provides cloud storage that is deeply integrated into Xiaomi’s ecosystem. If you use multiple devices of the brand (smartphone, tablet, smartwatch), synchronization through Mi Cloud will allow you to see the current data on all gadgets at the same time.

⚠️ Note: Keeping contacts exclusively on SIM-The map is a relic of the past. SIM-The cards have limited storage and often do not support saving additional fields such as email or second number.

To switch the default save location, you need to go to the Contacts settings, where you can set the priority akka unt, so that the system automatically prompts you to save new numbers to the desired cloud, bypassing manual selection each time, which eliminates human error and guarantees the safety of data.

Import of contacts from other sources

Often times, you need to move a large number base from an old device or from a backup file. Xiaomi provides powerful built-in tools to import data from a variety of formats, making migration much easier. You don't have to manually type hundreds of numbers if you have an export file.

Supports vCard (.vcf) formats, which are the de facto standard for transmitting contact information, and can be obtained from older phones by exporting them via Bluetooth or saving them to a memory card. SIM-card, if you have just installed it in a new smartphone.

Settings → System and device → Memory → Import / Export contacts

In the import menu, the system will suggest selecting a source: internal memory, SD-map SIM-Once the source is selected, the device will scan the files available and suggest that you select the ones to add to the phone book, a process that takes only a few minutes for even a few thousand records.

• 📂 Open the Contacts app and go to the menu.
• 📥 Select the item "Import / Export contacts».
• 💿 Specify the source (.vcf file or SIM-map).
• 📲 Confirm the import to the selected account.

If you are switching from an iPhone, you can use the “Move to iOS” app or export contacts via iCloud in vCard format and then upload them to Xiaomi in the way described above, ensuring that no number is lost when you change platform.

Synchronization and backup

To ensure that the added contacts are not lost in the event of a system failure, you need to configure automatic synchronization. In Xiaomi smartphones, this process is controlled by the system settings of accounts. Without the enabled synchronization, the addition of the contact occurs only locally, which carries risks.

You can check the sync status in the account settings section, and this shows the time of the last successful upload to the cloud, and if you see a sync error warning, you may have run out of space in the cloud or need to re-authorize.

It is recommended to periodically make a manual backup of the phone book as a.vcf file and save it to a third-party medium or send it to yourself by mail, which is a “gold reserve” that will help restore data even if cloud services are unavailable or blocked.

⚠️ Note: When you turn on Google sync, make sure that the checkmark is in front of the contact item. Often users sync only mail and calendar, forgetting about the phone book.

Work with duplicates and consolidation

If you change devices frequently or import them from different sources, the phone book can become duplicated, and the same person can be recorded twice: once with a different source. SIM-Maps, another time from Google. MIUI has a built-in mechanism for searching and combining such records.

To clear the list, go to the Contacts settings and find the "Combine Repetitive Contacts" option. The system will offer automatic matching by name and number, you can agree to the system's offer or manually choose which entry to leave the main one.

Also available is Clear Contacts, which allows you to delete posts without a phone number or with an incorrect format, which helps keep the phone book clean and speeds up the search for the right subscriber through the built-in search bar.

• 🔍 Open the settings menu in the Contacts app.
• 🧹 Select the item “Contact Management” or “Contact Management».
• 🤝 Click on "Combine duplicates».
• ✅ Confirm the action for selected couples.

If the automatic connection didn’t work correctly, you can manually combine contacts, open the card of one of the takes, click the menu (three dots) and select “Combine”, then specify the second contact with which you want to merge.

Display and sorting setting

The ease of use of a phone book depends not only on the number availability, but also on how it is sorted. In the settings of the Contacts app, you can change the order of sorting by name or surname. For Russian-speaking users, it is often more convenient to sort by name, whereas in Western countries, the order by surname is adopted.

You can also set the format of the name in the contact list, so you can choose to have the full name displayed, only the last name or the first letter of the last name, and this affects the readability of the list, especially if you have many people with the same names.

An important feature is setting up "Large Mode" or resizing the font, which is relevant for people with low vision, and changing the font size in the system settings of Xiaomi will automatically apply to the contact list, making it more readable.

⚠️ Note: Changing the system font or theme may affect the layout of the contact card. Some names with a lot of characters may be cropped or mistranslated.

Remember, you can set up a personalized photo for each contact, which not only graces the interface, but also helps to identify the caller more quickly, and photos pulled from social networks or added manually are synchronized with the contact.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)