How to import contacts on Xiaomi Redmi 8: a step-by-step guide

Changing a mobile device or restoring a system after a reset often puts users in a position to quickly move their phonebook. For owners of budget but reliable Redmi series smartphones, this process can seem confusing due to the features of the MIUI shell. Unlike pure Android, the data management interface here has its own specifics that require careful attention.

Importing contacts correctly on Xiaomi Redmi 8 ensures that all important numbers, email addresses and additional fields of information are safe, and errors at this stage can lead to data loss or the creation of many duplicates that will have to be cleaned up for a long time, so it is important to clearly understand which method of transfer will be best for your situation.

There are several proven ways to upload an address book, each with its own technical nuances: you can use cloud services, local files or direct transfer from the Internet. SIM-The choice of the specific method depends on the format in which your data is stored and whether there is access to the Internet.

Preparation for data portability

Before you start importing, make sure that the source data is available and not corrupted. If you plan to transfer information from another smartphone, make sure that it is synchronized or an export file is created. For Redmi 8, it is critical that there is free space in internal memory, since the system contacts are stored there.

Check the stability of the Wi-Fi connection, especially if the volume of the phone book is large. Downloading hundreds of records via the mobile Internet can take a considerable time and consume traffic. It is also recommended to charge the Xiaomi device at least up to 50%, so that the process does not interrupt in the middle due to battery drain.

Back up your current records if your phone already has any numbers, and this will prevent you from accidentally losing information if you experience software failures, as you do through the standard Contacts app or Google account settings on MIUI.

⚠️ Warning: Before starting mass import, make sure the device has the correct time zone and date.Incorrect time can lead to errors sorting records by date of creation.

Import of contacts from SIM-card

The most common scenario is the transfer of numbers from the old one. SIM-This method is suitable if you previously saved data directly to the operator chip, although the current storage standard recommends using the cloud. MIUI.

To start, open the Contacts app and find the settings menu, usually represented by three dots or a gear. select Import/Export Contacts, and then specify the source of Import with SIM-The system will tell you to choose where to save data: in Google account, in memory of the phone or in the Mi Account.

Once the destination is selected, the copying process will begin. SIM-It can take a while to do this, and don't interrupt the process or switch to other heavy applications to avoid putting a strain on the device's RAM.

• 📱 Open the Contacts app on the home screen.
• ⚙️ Click on three dots in the corner and select "Import/Export».
• 💾 Select the option “Import with” SIM-map».
• ☁️ Specify a Google account to save data.

It is worth noting that SIM-cards have limited memory and often crop long names or do not support saving multiple numbers for a single contact.

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Save your contacts directly to your Google account, not your phone’s memory, and this ensures that they are automatically restored when you lose or replace your device.

Synchronization through Google Account

The most reliable and modern way is synchronization through the Google ecosystem, which allows you to store the database in the cloud, making it available from any device after authorization. For owners of Xiaomi Redmi 8 is the main recommended channel for working with personal information.

To start the process, go to your smartphone settings and find the Accounts and Sync section. Make sure your Gmail account is added to the system. If it's not there, add it by entering your username and password. Then activate the sync slider for Contacts.

The system will automatically upload all the records associated with that account to the phone book of the device, a background process that does not require constant user involvement, and the download speed depends on the number of records and the speed of the Internet connection.

If sync is not happening, check if you have an active Internet connection and the password you entered is correct. Sometimes you need to manually run the update by clicking on three points in the account menu and selecting Sync.

⚠️ Note: When synced with Google, old remote contacts can return if they were deleted locally but remained in the cloud service basket in the past 30 days.

Transfer from a VCF or CSV file

Often, it is necessary to import contacts from a file received from another user or created on a computer. VCF format (vCard) is a universal standard for exchanging contact information. CSV files are also supported, but require more careful preparation of the structure.

To import a file, place it in your smartphone memory, such as the Downloads folder. Then open the Contacts app, go to settings and select Import/Export Contacts. As the source, select Import from storage and find the file you want in the list.

The system will suggest selecting an account to save downloaded records, selecting the main Google account to ensure that they are synchronized, and importing the data quickly, even for large files.

When importing from CSV-It's important that the field separator is a comma or semicolon, depending on the regional settings of the phone. The wrong separator will cause all the data to be written in the same field or distributed randomly.

Use of the Mi Mover app

For users switching from another Xiaomi or Redmi device, the ideal solution will be the proprietary utility Mi Mover. This application is preinstalled in the MIUI system and allows you to transfer data over Wi-Fi Direct without consuming Internet traffic.

Run the app on both devices. On the new Redmi 8, select Receiver, and on the old one, Sender. QR-code and connection setup select the category "Contacts" to transfer.

The advantage of this method is that it is fast and capable of transmitting not only numbers, but also call history, messages and installed applications, which is fully automated and does not require user intervention after start-up.

• 🔄 Run the Mi Mover app on both devices.
• 📡 Create an access point or connect to an existing one.
• 📂 Select the category “Contacts” in the data list.
• 🚀 Click "Send" and wait until it is completed.

It is important that the screens of both devices are turned on during the transmission, and if the screen goes out, the connection may break, and the process will have to start again.

Solving duplicate problems

Once you import contacts from different sources, you often have the problem of duplicate records, the same person can be listed several times: once with SIM, another from Google, a third from Viber or Telegram, which creates inconvenience when searching and dialing.

The MIUI shell has a built-in tool to combine takes, go to the contact settings and find "Combine Repetitive Contacts," and the system will analyze the database and suggest options for merging records with the same names or numbers.

Check the options offered by the system carefully, especially if you have contacts with the same names but different numbers (for example, several Ivanovs).

For manual cleaning, you can only use the contact display function from a specific source. SIM-You can delete them if they're already in the cloud, and that'll only keep the current and full versions of the cards.

⚠️ Warning: Before mass deletion or contact combination, make sure to back up. Cancel a mass merger manually will be extremely time-consuming.

Frequent questions and answers

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The most reliable way to avoid data loss is to sync regularly with your Google account and periodically export your backup to your VCF file.