How to transfer contacts from Google to Xiaomi phone: 5 proven ways

Why Google Contacts Aren’t Shown on Xiaomi

You bought a new Xiaomi smartphone (or upgraded your MIUI firmware), but Google Account contacts didn't show up automatically? This problem is familiar to many users.The fact is that MIUI defaults to its own Mi Account-linked Contacts app, and sync with Google Contacts is often disabled or error-proof.

In this article, you will find 5 working ways to transfer contacts, from automatic synchronization to manual export/import via.vcf files. We will also analyze common errors (for example, duplicate contacts or no synchronization) and give recommendations for configuring MIUI for smooth operation. If you are switching from Android to Xiaomi or just want to back up, this guide is for you.

Important: Once you transfer your contacts through your Google Account, they will be available on all devices where you are logged in to the same email — even if your smartphone breaks or is reset.

Method 1: Automatic synchronization through Google Account

The easiest method is to enable contact sync in Xiaomi settings, which is suitable if you have already added a Google Account to your phone, but contacts are not tightened.

Instructions:

📱 Open the Settings. → Accounts and synchronization (or passwords and security) → Accounts in new versions MIUI).
🔍 Find your Google Account (usually displayed as your email) and tap it.
⚙️ Turn on the slider next to Contacts (if it is gray, sync is disabled).
🔄 Click Sync Now (or wait for the automatic update for 5-10 minutes).

If no contact is made:

🔄 Restart your phone - sometimes MIUI "forgets to apply the settings.
📶 Check your internet connection (sync only works via Wi-Fi or mobile network).
🔧 Update Google Contacts app in Play Market.

Google account added to Xiaomi settings|Contact synchronization enabled|Internet access.|Google Contacts app updated-->

⚠️ Note: If you have previously used Mi Account to store contacts, duplicates may appear after you have enabled sync with Google. To avoid this, export contacts from Mi Cloud to.vcf before setting up (see Method 3).

Method 2: Manual export/import via.vcf file

If automatic synchronization fails (for example, due to MIUI errors or corporate account limitations), backup through file is universal and works even without the Internet.

Steps:

Exporting contacts from Google: 🌐 Open contacts.google.com on your computer or phone. ⚙️ Click on the gear icon (Settings) → Exports. 📁 Select the Google format CSV vCard (for iOS) (better vCard, as it is for iOS) MIUI It is supported without conversion). 💾 Click Export and save the file (e.g. contacts.vcf).

Imports to Xiaomi:

📲 Flip the.vcf file to your phone (via Bluetooth, email or cloud).
📞 Open the Contacts app → ⋮ (menu) → Contact management → Imports/Exports.
📄 Select the.vcf file and confirm the import.

Advantages of the method:

🔒 It works without the Internet (after downloading the file).
📊 You can edit contacts in the.vcf file before importing (e.g., delete unnecessary ones).
📱 Suitable for transferring contacts from iPhone or other platforms.

What if Xiaomi doesn’t see a.vcf file?

If the Contacts application does not offer import, try: 1. Rename the file to contacts.vcf (without spaces and Cyrillic alphabet). 2. Open the file through Files (built-in manager) - the system itself will suggest importing contacts. 3. Install a third-party application, such as Contacts +, and import through it.

Method 3: Sync through Mi Cloud (for Mi Account users)

If you’re actively using the Xiaomi ecosystem (like you have a Mi Band or Mi Home), you can move contacts over Mi Cloud, which is useful if you want to back up your Xiaomi cloud in parallel with Google.

How it works:

📱 On an old phone, export contacts to.vcf (see Method 2).
🖥️ Go to i.mi.com (Mi Cloud web version) and log in.
📁 In the Contacts section, click Import and download the.vcf file.
🔄 On the new Xiaomi, enable sync with Mi Cloud in Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Contacts.

Limitations:

🚫 Free storage Mi Cloud – only 5 GB (as opposed to 15 GB in Google).
🌍 Cloud interface in English/Chinese (not fully Russified).
🔄 Synchronization can be slower than Google.

Mode of transfer	Internet is required	Suitable for large bases	Keeps contact groups	Backup
Synchronization of Google	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.	✅ Automatic.
Import.vcf	❌ No (only for downloading the file)	✅ Yes.	❌ No, only contacts)	❌ Handheld.
Mi Cloud	✅ Yes.	⚠️ Up to 10,000 contacts	✅ Yes.	✅ Automatic.
Third-party applications (such as My Contacts Backup)	❌ No.	✅ Yes.	❌ No.	✅ Inside the app

Automatic synchronization with Google|Manual import/export.vcf|Mi Cloud|Third-party annexes|Another way.-->

Method 4: Using Third-Party Applications

If the built-in MIUI tools fail (e.g., you can't see the import option or the sync is constantly down), install a dedicated application. We tested 3 reliable options:

1. My Contacts Backup (free, no ads):

📲 Exports contacts to.vcf file and sends them to email.
🔄 You can restore contacts directly from the application.
🛡️ Encrypts backup copies.

2. Contacts Optimizer (for cleaning duplicates):

🧹 Removes repeated contacts after synchronization.
🔍 Shows contacts linked to different accounts (Google, Mi, SIM).
📊 Sorts by group (e.g., "Work", "Friends").

3. SIM Card Contacts Recovery (if contacts are on SIM):

📱 Copying contacts with SIM-Maps in memory of the phone or Google Account.
🔄 Supports old formats SIM (including 128KB).

⚠️ Note: Apps like Truecaller or GetContact also offer backup features, but they upload your contacts to their servers. If privacy is important, use offline solutions (like My Contacts Backup).

💡

Before using third-party apps, check permissions in Settings → Apps → Permissions. Disable access to contacts for unnecessary programs (such as games or social networks).

Method 5: Transfer contacts via computer (for advanced users)

If you have a lot of contacts (like more than 20,000 records) or need to migrate them selectively, use the Google Contacts API or MIUI Tools on your PC, a method that takes longer, but gives you complete control over the process.

Step-by-step instructions for Windows/macOS:

Exports from Google: 🖥️ Open Google Takeout. ✅ Select only Contacts and click Next. 📦 Download the archive (will arrive by email in a few minutes).
Editing (optional): 📝 Unpack your archive and open your contacts.csv file in Excel or Google Sheets. ✏️ Remove unnecessary columns (such as Notes or Custom Fields). 💾 Save how CSV (comma-separators).

Imports to Xiaomi:

📲 Connect your phone to your PC through USB (Enable File Transfer in the Notification Curtain).
📁 Copy the edited contacts.csv to the Download folder on your phone.
📱 Use the Contacts app+ or Contact MIUI import CSV.

For Linux users or those who prefer the terminal, you can use gcontact2vcf (a utility for converting Google Contacts to.vcf):

pip install gcontact2vcf


gcontact2vcf -u your email@gmail.com -p your password -o contacts.vcf

💡

Use Google Takeout if you want to transfer not only contacts, but also other data (photos, mail, calendars) from your Google account.

Typical errors and their solution

Even after successfully transferring contacts, problems can arise, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

1. Contacts are duplicated

Reason: Simultaneously enabled synchronization with Google and Mi Account.
Decision: 📱 Open Contacts. → ⋮ → Contact management → Combine the takes. 🔧 Turn off contact sync in Mi Cloud (if not used).

2. Contacts are not displayed in the "Phone" appendix

Reason: The Contacts app only shows contacts from Mi Account by default.
Decision: 📞 Open Contacts. → ⋮ → Settings → Display contacts. ✅ Select All Contacts or tick Google.

Synchronization error ("Unable to synchronize")

Causes: 🔌 No Internet or Google Block (e.g. China). 🔒 An outdated version of Google Play Services. 🛡️ Limitations of corporate account (if the mail is working).
Decision: 📶 Connect to another network (for example, via a network) VPN, if the blockage is regional). 🔄 Update Google Play Services to Play Market. 📧 Try adding an account through Settings → Accounts. → Add an account → Google is back again.

4. Contact photos missing

Reason: MIUI doesn’t always correctly display avatars downloaded through Google.
Decision: 🖼️ Open the contact in Google Contacts on PC, upload the photo again. 🔄 Synchronize your account (Settings) → Accounts. → Google → Synchronize).

FAQ: Frequent questions about moving contacts to Xiaomi

Can I transfer contacts from iPhone to Xiaomi without a computer?

Yes. The easiest way: On iPhone, open Settings → Contacts → Accounts → Add an account → Google and sync contacts. On Xiaomi, add the same Google Account and enable sync (see Method 1). Alternative: export contacts from iCloud to.vcf (via icloud.com) and import to Xiaomi.

Why are some contacts displayed without names (numbers only) after transfer?

This happens if: 📇 The contact does not include the name field (only the number). 🌍 Number format not recognized (e.g. without country code). 🔧 In the settings MIUI Disabled display of international numbers (Settings) → Additionally. → Solution: edit such contacts in Google Contacts (add name and country code, for example) +7 for Russia).

How to transfer contacts from SIM-card to Xiaomi?

Instructions: Insert SIM Xiaomi. Open your contacts. → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Import with SIM-Choose where to save contacts (Google Account or phone memory). ⚠️ Restriction: on SIM-The card usually only stores numbers and names (no email, addresses, etc.).

Can you automatically sync your contacts between Xiaomi and Google?

Yeah, but with nuances: 🔄 If you edit a contact on Xiaomi, the changes will apply to Google Contacts (and vice versa), but with a delay of up to 15 minutes. 📱 V MIUI By default, contacts are saved to Mi Account. To sync them with Google, when editing, select Save to: Google. 🚫 If the contact is duplicated in Mi Account and Google, the changes may not sync. In this case, combine the duplicates (see section "Typical errors").

What if after resetting Xiaomi to factory settings contacts disappeared?

If contacts were linked to a Google Account: Add the account back to Settings → Accounts: Enable contact synchronization; wait until sync is complete (may take up to an hour with a lot of contacts); If contacts were only stored in the phone's memory or Mi Account: 🔄 Restore them from Mi Cloud backup (if sync was enabled). 📞 Use remote data recovery applications (like Dr.Fone) but the odds are low. Conclusion: Always set up automatic sync with Google or Mi Cloud to avoid losses!