Changing your smartphone is often associated with a long setup process and data portability, which causes understandable stress for users. However, the Xiaomi ecosystem offers such a sophisticated tool that it takes literally a few minutes to migrate, keeping the structure of your phone book in perfect shape. In this article, we will examine all the available methods, from built-in utilities to cloud services, so you can choose the most convenient for your situation.
Whether you’ve bought a new flagship or a budget Redmi, the synchronization process will be identical and won’t require you to have deep technical knowledge.Modern versions of the MIUI shell and HyperOS have automated this process as much as possible, but knowing the nuances will help avoid common mistakes such as duplicates or loss of numbers.
Before you start to take action, make sure that both devices have enough battery power so that the process is not interrupted halfway due to discharge. It is also recommended to check the availability of free space in memory, although the contacts themselves occupy a negligible amount. Let's look Step-by-step, how to make this process as fast and safe as possible.
⚠️ Warning: Before starting any data transactions, make sure that both devices have a lock screen on or a strong password set to prevent unauthorized access during setup.
Using the Mi Mover app for quick migration
The most efficient and quickest way to transfer data between devices of the same brand is the proprietary utility Mi Mover. This application is pre-installed on Xiaomi smartphones and allows you to transfer not only contacts, but also photos, applications and system settings through a direct Wi-Fi connection. To start, you do not need the Internet, it is enough that both devices are in close proximity to each other.
Run the application on the old device and select the role "Sender" (Old phone), and on the new one - "Receiver" (New phone). QR-code or connect to the created access point. After establishing a connection in the data selection menu, be sure to tick the "Contacts" item to transfer the phone book, not just media files.
The speed of the transfer depends on the amount of data, but the phone numbers themselves are copied almost instantly. An important advantage of the method is that Mi Mover automatically recognizes duplicates and offers them to combine, which keeps your database clean and optimized.
- 📲 Open the Mi Mover app on both smartphones via the tool menu.
- 🔗 Connect devices to each other by scanning QR-camera-code.
- ✅ Select the category "Contacts" and click the button "Send".
- ⏳ Wait for the process to be completed and verify the integrity of the data.
☑️ Pre-migration checks
If there is an error in the transmission process, try to turn off mobile Internet on both devices, leaving only the Wi-Fi module active. Sometimes background processes can interfere with the installation of a direct connection between the gadgets.
Synchronization with your Mi Cloud account
The Mi Cloud is a native solution for Xiaomi owners to provide automatic data backup, ideal if you don’t have physical access to both phones at the same time or if your old phone is already sold/lost but synced beforehand.
To implement this method on the old device, you need to log in to your Mi Account and activate contact synchronization. Settings are on the Settings path → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Contacts. Make sure the slider is activated and is ticked “Sync”.
On the new smartphone, you just need to log into the same account, and the system automatically prompts you to download data from the cloud.
| Parameter | Description | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Speed. | Depends on the Internet. | Stable Wi-Fi |
| Data volume | Up to 5GB free | Mi Account |
| Automation | Complete. | Synchronization enabled |
| Security | High (encryption) | Two-factor authentication |
What to do if contacts do not appear?
Transfer via Google Contacts
Google’s ecosystem remains the universal standard for Android, and ignoring it when switching to the new Xiaomi would be a mistake, and many users don’t even realize that their numbers are already saved in the search engine cloud, as this feature is often turned on by default when you first activate your smartphone.
Check for backup by going to contacts.google.com from your computer or opening the Contacts app on any Android device. If your numbers are there, the new Xiaomi just add this Gmail account in the Settings → Accounts and Sync section.
Once you add an account, the system will ask you what data to sync, and you can select Contacts, and within minutes, your entire phone book will be loaded, and this method is particularly convenient because it provides cross-platform, you can see numbers even from an iPhone or any other device.
- 📧 Sign in to your Google account on your new Xiaomi device.
- ⚙️ Go to account synchronization settings.
- 🔄 Turn on the "Contacts" switch to automatically download.
- ✔️ Check the Phone or Contact app for confirmation.
The main advantage of using Google is the clever combination of duplicates: search engine algorithms independently analyze records and suggest combining the numbers of one person if they were recorded differently.
Import and export via VCF file
VCF (vCard) is a universal standard for storing contact information that is supported by all phones, and is the gold standard for manual transfer when cloud services are unavailable or the Internet is unstable.
The method is to create a single file with all the numbers on the old device and then open it on the new one. On the old Xiaomi, go to the Contacts app, select a menu (three dots or stripes) and find the item "Import / Export Contacts." Select "Export to internal memory" or "Export to storage".
The created file (usually called contacts.vcf) can be transferred in any convenient way: via Bluetooth, messenger (Telegram, WhatsApp), email or simply copy it to your computer. On the new device, just click on this file, and the system will suggest importing the entries contained in it.
⚠️ Note: When transferring a file via messengers (such as WhatsApp), make sure to send it as a “Document” and not as a media file, so as not to damage the data structure.
This is a great way to be autonomous: you don’t need accounts, the Internet, or special apps, but it’s worth remembering that when exporting to VCF, some specific fields, such as contact avatars or social profiles, may not be saved if they are not tied to standard Android fields.
Copying with SIM-maps: the old reliable method
Despite the development of technology, SIM-The map remains one of the easiest ways to transfer basic information, ideal for those who do not want to deal with clouds and applications, or if both smartphones are button/simple models.
The process is extremely simple: on the old Xiaomi you need to go to the contact settings and select "Copy contacts" →"From phone to phone SIM-It's a map. It's worth considering that SIM-The card has a limited amount of memory and often crops long names, leaving only the first characters, and does not save additional numbers or email addresses.
After copying, rearrange. SIM-The system will automatically detect new records and prompt them to be imported into the phone's memory or account.
- 💾 Go to contact management on your old phone.
- 📲 Select the copy option on SIM-map.
- 🔄 Transform the map into the new Xiaomi smartphone.
- 📥 Import data to the device memory via the menu.
💡
When copying on SIM-Contact names can be cut to the 10-15 Symbols, so after transferring to a new phone, they will have to be edited manually.
Solving problems with duplicates and synchronization
A common problem after data transfer is the appearance of duplicates, when the same contact is displayed twice or three times, this happens if you used several methods at the same time (for example, synced Google and then imported the file). VCF). MIUI It has a built-in tool to deal with this.
To clear the list, open the Contacts app, click on the settings menu, and select Contact Management. There will be a "Combine Duplicates" function. The system will analyze the database and suggest combining records with the same names or numbers.
You also need to pay attention to the display settings, and sometimes contacts are not visible, not because they're deleted, but because the display filter only selects the contact. SIM-map, and the numbers are in the phone's memory. Check the display settings to see all the sources.
⚠️ Warning: Before mass deletion or consolidation of duplicates, always back up, as it can be difficult to undo the action of combining individual records.
💡
Regularly checking for duplicates and using a single sync source (Google or Mi Cloud) will prevent chaos in the phone book in the future.
Compliance with these simple rules will allow you to always have an up-to-date and clean number base on hand, no matter how many times you have changed devices.