How to Import Google Account Contacts to Xiaomi

Switching to a new smartphone or reinstalling the operating system often involves re-establishing a personal number base. For Android ecosystem users, particularly owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices, this process is made as simple as possible thanks to the deep integration of Google services. However, despite automation, users often face situations where the phone book is empty or not all records are displayed. Understanding the mechanics of cloud storage avoids data loss.

The main reason for the lack of numbers after the initial setup is incorrect synchronization or choosing the wrong display source in the Contacts application. The MIUI system installed on Xiaomi devices has its own features of working with access rights and data source priorities. Import of contacts can occur both automatically when you log in to an account and manually through the settings menu. It is important to know where to look for these options so as not to waste time on repeat manual dialing.

In this article, we will discuss in detail all the ways you can transfer a phone book from the Google cloud to your Xiaomi. You will learn how to force a data update, how to check the status of synchronization and what to do if the numbers “disappeared” after a firmware update. Google Contacts synchronization is the main and most reliable way to save the database of numbers, since the data is stored on the company’s servers, not only in the memory of the device. Following the instructions will restore access to the entire phone book in minutes.

Account preparation and background data verification

Before you start setting up your smartphone, you need to make sure that your contacts are actually saved in the Google cloud. Often users mistakenly believe that the numbers were saved automatically, although at the time of recording they were placed only in memory. SIM-Checking the source of the data is the first and critical step. Open the browser on your computer or any other device and go to contacts.google.com.

Log in to the same Google account you plan to use on the new Xiaomi. If you see your number list there, the data is safe and ready to be moved. If the list is empty, you first need to export contacts from the old device to this account. Without data in the cloud, there will be nothing to sync. Make sure that the Internet connection is stable, because with a lot of data, it can take time to download.

• 📱 Make sure your old phone has your contacts synced before it is dumped or sold.
• 🌐 Check access to your Google account via a web interface from your computer for visual confirmation of your numbers.
• 🔐 Remember your account password, as it will be required to log in to your new Xiaomi device.

⚠️ Note: If you have previously used a non-Android smartphone (like an iPhone), simply logging into a Google account won’t carry numbers.You’ll need to pre-load the Google Contacts app on iOS and enable sync so that the data gets to the cloud.

Adding Google Account to MIUI

The import process begins with authorization in the system. When you first activate, Xiaomi suggests entering Google account data immediately. If you miss this step or reset the phone, you need to add the account manually through the settings. Go to the Settings menu, scroll down to the Accounts and Sync section (in some versions of MIUI, this item may be simply called Users and Accounts).

Click Add Account and select the Google logo from the list of services offered. The system will redirect you to the login page where you need to enter your email address and password. Once you log in, the system will prompt you to choose which data to sync. Make sure the switch opposite Contact is activated. This is the setting responsible for downloading the phone book from the cloud.

Once you add an account, the system can request permission to access your phone data. This is the standard Android security procedure that allows apps and system services to correctly display callers ID names when incoming calls. Without this permission, even downloaded contacts may not appear in the call interface. It is also worth noting that an additional Mi Cloud service can be activated on Xiaomi devices, but it is not required to import from Google, although it can duplicate backup functions.

Manual start and synchronization control

Often, an account is added but the contacts never appear on the list, which may be due to a server delay or a temporary network failure, in which case you need to initiate forced synchronization. Go back to the Settings menu → Accounts and Sync → Google. Select your main account from the list.

You'll see a list of all the services that can sync with Google's servers: Mail, Calendar, Drive, and of course Contacts. Click on Contact Sync (or just tap the service name, depending on the Android version). If you see "Sync enabled," try turning off and re-enable this switch, which will reset the current process and launch a new request to the server.

Note the time of the last sync, which is usually displayed at the bottom of the screen or under the name of the service. If the time is current and there are no contacts, there may be a problem in the display filter (which will be discussed below). If the time has not been updated for a long time, check the Internet connection. For large databases (more than 1000 numbers), the process can take several minutes.

It's important to understand the difference between automatic and manual synchronization. Automode works in the background and updates data when information changes on the server. Manual startup is only required in the event of a crash or on the first login. You don't have to constantly tug the settings if you see that the process has started - give the system time to process the request.

Configure the display of contacts in the application

The most common problem faced by Xiaomi owners is that the contacts are loaded into the phone’s memory, but not visible in the phone book, due to the filtering settings in the Contacts app. The system allows you to hide numbers from certain sources so you don't clutter up the list. SIM-Maps, while hiding all the records from Google.

To fix this, open the standard Contacts app (yellow or blue, depending on the topic). Click on the three dots in the top corner or look for the Settings button (often looks like a gear). In the settings menu, look for the Display Contacts or Contact Filter. By default, there may be a restriction, such as "Only from your phone" or "Only with SIM."

You need to select All Contacts. After this action, all numbers that have been downloaded from your Google account should instantly appear in the list. If you use third-party calling apps (like Truecaller or True Phone), the settings should be checked inside each of them separately, since they do not always inherit the system display settings.

• 👁️ Open the Contacts app settings and find the filtering section.
• 📂 Make sure that the source of the “All Contacts” is selected, not a specific group or SIM-map.
• 🔄 After changing the settings, completely close the application and open it again for the changes.

Also worth checking is whether the "Favorites Only" mode is turned on or some specific sort that may hide some of the records. MIUI sometimes encounters interface bugs when display preferences are reset after a firmware update, and checking these settings regularly helps to quickly identify the cause of the "lost" numbers.

Import via web interface and recovery

If automatic synchronization doesn't work, or you want to selectively transfer only a fraction of your contacts, you can use the Google Contacts web interface, which is especially useful if you need to clear duplicates before downloading to your phone or recover data from an archived copy. Go to contacts.google.com from your computer.

In the left menu bar, find Export (for upload) or Import (for download). You can download a file in.csv or.vcf format that was previously saved from another device. Once you upload the file to the cloud, go back to your sync settings on your Xiaomi and start the update manually as described in the previous sections.

Google also offers Contact Recovery, which allows you to roll back the status of the phone book to a previous date (up to 30 days ago).This saves you in situations where you accidentally deleted an important list or synced the number erased due to a conflict of versions. From the menu on the left, select Settings (cogs) → Cancel changes and select the desired date.

Once retrieved, the data will automatically be pulled to the phone when the Internet is available, a method that is more reliable than working with local files, since Google's server takes the role of arbitrator, resolving conflicts between the old and new versions of the database. Using VCF files via Bluetooth or messengers is less reliable and often leads to duplicates.

Solving problems with duplicates and numbers

When synchronized between devices frequently or imported from multiple sources (SIM, phone, WhatsApp, Viber), duplicates often occur. The same person can be displayed twice: once as “+7999...,” and the other as “8999....” Xiaomi has a built-in tool to combine such records.

Open the Contacts app, click on the menu (three bars or dots) and select Contact Management or Tools. Find the Unite Duplicates function. The system will automatically analyze the database, find similar names and numbers, and prompt them to merge into a single card, which will significantly clear the phone book.

If numbers are missing partially (e.g., there are no letters or entries), check if they are hidden in the archive or basket. In Google Contacts, deleted entries are stored in the basket for 30 days. Also make sure that the phone has a system update installed, as older versions of MIUI may have bugs when working with name encoding (especially if the names have rare characters).

⚠️ Note: When combining duplicates, the system may request confirmation for each pair.Be careful not to accidentally combine different people with similar names (for example, two different ones").

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)