Switching to a new smartphone or replacing it SIM-The card often asks Xiaomi owner to question the safety of important phone numbers.Redmi model owners 9T You may encounter a situation where the numbers stored in the memory of the old SIM are not automatically displayed in the interface. MIUI. This is due to the peculiarities of the Android architecture, where data storage on card plastic is considered less reliable and functional than in the cloud or internal memory.
The import process on Xiaomi devices with MIUI shell has its own nuances, different from stock Android. The user needs to clearly understand the difference between copying and moving data, so as not to lose valuable information during the synchronization process. Below we will discuss in detail all the steps of the procedure, and also consider possible errors.
To do this successfully, you will need to have a stable device and access to the contact management menu, and we will look at standard methods built into the system that do not require third-party software to be installed, which ensures the security of your personal data.
Device preparation and verification SIM-map
Before you start any manipulation of the phone book, you need to make sure that SIM-The card is correctly defined by the system. Insert the card into the corresponding Redmi slot. 9T And wait for the network icons to appear in the status bar. PIN-code, enter it, but be careful: three times entering the wrong code will lead to blocking the SIM.
Make sure that the map does have saved records. Modern smartphones often default to save new numbers to your Google account or phone memory, so on the phone itself. SIM-The map may be empty. You can check for records through the control menu. SIM-map.
It is important to understand that memory SIM-It's extremely limited and obsolete, and it allows you to store only the base number and the short name, often cropping long company names or full names, and importing contacts is the only way to bring them to a modern format with full information.
⚠️ Attention: Never take out SIM-This can cause damage to the file system of the card and complete loss of records.
- 📱 Make sure that SIM-The card is active and visible in the system.
- 🔋 Charge the Redmi battery 9T Up to 30% to avoid sudden shutdown.
- 📶 Check the availability of the network signal for the correct operation of the communication module.
If you use a micro-SIM or nano-SIM adapter, make sure the card is tightly attached in the tray.Any contact disruption can cause a data readout to fail, and the system will issue an import error even if the card is physically intact.
Use of the standard application Contacts
The main tool for working with the phone book in Xiaomi is the regular application Contacts, through which you interact with the phone database and external media. To begin, open the app menu and find an icon with a picture of a human silhouette.
The interface of the application may vary depending on the version of MIUI, but the logic of the operation remains the same: you need to get into the settings of the application itself, not the general settings of the phone. This is usually done through the menu button (three dots or three bars) in the upper right or lower corner of the screen.
In the menu that opens, select "Import/Export Contacts." The system can request permission to access contacts and storage - confirm it, otherwise the operation will not be possible. Next, select the data source, in our case this will be "Import from the Internet". SIM-map».
Once you select the source, the system will suggest you specify the target storage. The safest option is to choose a Google account, as this ensures that the data is safe when you reset. If you choose Phone, the data will only be linked to that particular Redmi 9T device.
- 📂 Open the Contacts app on the home screen.
- ⚙️ Click on the settings menu (three dots or stripes).
- 📥 Select the item "Import / Export Contacts».
- 💾 Specify the source «SIM-Map and recipient (Google or Phone).
The copying process can take anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes, depending on the number of records, at which time the screen can flash or temporarily go out, which is normal for a system to actively write to a database.
Alternative method through system settings
Sometimes, direct access through the Contacts app fails because of software interface failures, and in such cases, you can take advantage of Xiaomi’s deep system settings, which are often more reliable because they are directly accessing system services.
Go to Settings for the main menu of your Redmi 9T. Scroll down and find the Apps section. Here you are interested in managing system components. Find Contacts and Dial or just Contacts.
Inside the app menu, go to the data storage section, and you can see how much space the contacts take up. Although there may not be a direct import button, cleaning the app's cache sometimes solves the problem of freezing the import process if it has previously been interrupted.
⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse cache cleaning with data cleaning. Data cleaning will remove all local app settings, but shouldn't affect the contacts themselves if they're synced to the cloud.
Also in the general settings of the phone, in the section "Passwords and security", there may be a paragraph "Privacy". In some versions of MIUI, import functions are brought to the section special features or rights management.
Why is the import menu missing?
Working with several SIM-map
Model Redmi 9T supports the two SIM-This creates additional complexity when importing, because the system needs to specify which card to read the data from, and a mistake in choosing a slot will lead to the fact that you will see an empty list or contacts from the wrong SIM.
When choosing the source of imports «SIM-The card system will open an additional window where the available cards will be listed (SIM 1 and SIM Take a close look at operator names or phone numbers to choose the right source.
If you change SIM-The slots may be numbered differently, for example, a card from the left slot may become SIM 2 after rebooting if you have changed your priorities in settings.Always check the current status of the cards in the screen cap before you start importing.
| Parameter | SIM 1 (Main) | SIM 2 (Additional) |
|---|---|---|
| Priority of data | High-pitched | Low/Disconnected |
| Import of contacts | Available. | Available. |
| Storage format | Standard GSM | Standard GSM |
| Limit of name symbols | Restricted (14-20) | Restricted (14-20) |
It is recommended that after importing contacts from both cards immediately combine duplicates. Xiaomi system has a built-in tool for finding the same numbers, which is true if you previously used both SIMs in the same phone.
Importing decisions and mistakes
Users often experience a situation where the import process ends with a success message, but contacts do not appear in the list, most often this is due to a display filter. In the Contacts app, click on the display settings and make sure that the tick is opposite to All Contacts or the selected account.
Another common problem is the encoding of names, because memory is a problem. SIM-card does not support UTF-8, When imported, Cyrillic names can turn into a set of question marks or incomprehensible characters, in which case only manual editing or the use of specialized converter applications will help. MIUI It rarely happens.
If you get a “Not enough space” error, it means the phone’s internal memory is overflowing, not just the phone’s internal memory. SIM-Free up a few megabytes by deleting temporary files or cache of heavy apps.
☑️ Diagnostics of import problems
- 🔍 Check the display filter in the contact menu.
- 🔄 Reboot the Redmi 9 device.
- 🗑️ Make room in the internal storage.
- 📝 Check if the contacts are hidden in the Archive folder».
In rare cases, the problem is that the contact file system is damaged. SIM-The card is to a.vcf file on internal memory, and then import it from that file. This two-step method often bypasses system errors of direct copying.
Synchronization and backup of data
After successful importation of contacts with SIM-maps on Xiaomi Redmi 9T It's critical to ensure that they're safe in the future (SIM) — This is an archaic method that carries the risk of data loss in case of breakage or loss of the card.
It is recommended to immediately configure sync with your Google account. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google and make sure that the Contacts switch is active. This will automatically save all changes in the cloud.
There is also a local backup feature in the Contacts app, so you can export all contacts to a.vcf file and send it to yourself by email or save it to the Mi Cloud cloud storage.
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Use the “Contacts Connect” feature immediately after importing to avoid duplicate entries if you have previously entered these numbers manually.
Checking backups regularly is a good habit. Open contacts.google.com every few months and check if all numbers are in place. This will take a minute, but saves the phone book recovery hours in case you lose your phone.
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Syncing with a Google account is the only reliable way to ensure that your contacts are not lost when replaced. SIM-card or smartphone breakdown.