Changing a mobile device is often stressful for the user, especially when on the old device. SIM-The card has a huge list of phone numbers, and owners of Xiaomi, Redmi or Poco smartphones often wonder how quickly and without loss to transfer these records to the internal memory of a new gadget. MIUI (HyperOS provides built-in tools for data migration that do not require the installation of third-party software.
The import process takes only a few minutes, but it requires careful consideration when choosing a place to save, so if you just copy data without checking the result, you may experience duplicates or loss of information the next time you reset your settings, and it's critical to understand the difference between storing numbers on a plastic card and storing them in a cloud account or device memory.
In this guide, we will take a closer look at all the stages of transfer, look at possible errors, and suggest how to make the process as safe as possible. SIM-How to organize your phone book for ease of use.
Preparation for data portability
Before you start any manipulation of the phone book, you need to make sure that SIM-The card is physically correct and correctly defined by the system.Put the card into your Xiaomi slot and wait for the network icon to appear in the status bar. PIN-code, be sure to enter it, otherwise access to the entries on the card will be blocked.
It’s also worth checking if there’s enough space in the smartphone’s internal memory. Although text recordings take up a minimum of space, a crowded app cache can cause system utilities to crash, and it’s recommended that background applications that are actively using CPU resources be closed.
⚠️ Warning: Make sure the battery is at least 30-40%. Although the copying process is not energy intensive, suddenly turning off the smartphone while writing data to memory can damage the contact database.
It is not superfluous to back up important numbers in advance, if they are stored on the old device, by any available means, which will create an additional recovery point in case of unforeseen software errors during the migration process.
Import contacts through the standard application
The built-in Contacts app in the MIUI shell is the main tool for working with the phone book. To start the transfer, open the application menu and find the three-dot button or the gear settings, usually located in the upper or lower corner of the screen.
The system will suggest that you choose the source of the data. SIM-Once you've selected the source, the phone will tell you where you're going, and you'll need to make no mistake: you can choose your phone, or better yet, your Google account if it's added to the system.
☑️ Pre-import checks
Depending on the number of recordings, the process can take anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. During the operation, the progress bar can be displayed on the screen. Do not interrupt the process or switch to heavy applications so as not to cause the interface to freeze.
⚠️ Note: When importing with SIM-Cards are often lost additional fields such as email addresses, subscriber photos and additional numbers, as the format of storage on the card has strict restrictions.
Once the operation is complete, the system will notify you of the successful copy, and now all numbers are available in the device's memory, but for complete security, it is recommended to sync them with the cloud.
Synchronization with Google account
Storing contacts directly in the phone’s memory (“Phone”) carries risks: it will be difficult to restore numbers if the device breaks or is lost. The most reliable way is by linking to a Google account. To do this, go to your smartphone settings, find the Accounts and Sync section (or “Users and Accounts”).
Select your Google account from the list. Make sure the switch opposite Contacts is active. If sync is enabled, the phone will automatically download all numbers from the cloud and update changes in real time. This is a key advantage of the Android ecosystem over other platforms.
If you've previously copied numbers to your phone's internal memory, you can move them to the cloud manually. Open the Contacts app, select the settings menu, and find the "Move Contacts" option. As the source, specify "Phone" and destination is your Google account.
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Tip: Check contacts.google.com regularly from your computer to make sure all new numbers are displayed correctly in the cloud and are not lost when you change your device.
Using cloud storage allows you to instantly restore the phone book on any new device, just enter the username and password from the account. SIM-card or backup files.
Work on duplicate numbers
A common problem with data transfer is the appearance of duplicate records. SIM-It's in the card, and in the phone's memory, and in the Google account. MIUI It has a built-in tool to solve this problem, which is located in the contact management menu.
Select the option “Connect Duplicate” (or “Contact Management” → “Contact Management”). The system will analyze the phone book, find records with the same names or numbers, and suggest combining them into one card, which will help clear the list and make the search for subscribers more convenient.
Manually, this process will take much longer, especially if there are hundreds of numbers on the list. Automated unification usually works correctly, but before the final confirmation, it is recommended to quickly review the proposed pairs, so as not to accidentally combine different people with similar names.
| Parameter | SIM-map | Phone memory | Google Account |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limit of symbols in a name | Limited (often 14-22 characters) | No restrictions. | No restrictions. |
| Number of rooms | Usually 1 contact. | A few to contact. | A few to contact. |
| Photo of contact | Not supported | Supported | Supported |
| Risk of loss | High (physical damage) | Medium (when the phone breaks) | Low (cloud storage) |
Use of the Mi Mover app
For users who switch to Xiaomi from another Android smartphone or iPhone, the company has developed a special application Mi Mover.It is preinstalled in the system and allows you to transfer not only contacts, but also photos, applications and settings.
Run the app on both devices. On the new phone, select "I'm the recipient" and on the old one, "I'm the sender." Devices will connect via Wi-Fi Direct. In the data transfer list, be sure to tick "Contacts." This method is convenient because it immediately puts data in the correct storage, bypassing the stage. SIM-map.
What if the Mi Mover can’t see the device?
The speed of data transfer via Mi Mover is much faster than when copying via Bluetooth or cloud services with unstable Internet. the application creates a direct connection between devices, which guarantees the confidentiality of the transmitted information.
Possible errors and their solution
Sometimes the import process can be interrupted or terminated with an error, most often it involves formatting data on the data. SIM-If the numbers are displayed as “Unknown Number” or contain strange characters, try exporting them on your old phone to vCard (.vcf) and transfer the file to your new smartphone.
Another common problem is memory overflow. SIM-Modern Xiaomi smartphones by default save all new records in the memory of the phone or the cloud, ignoring SIM-The map that is the correct behavior of the system.
⚠️ Note: If names are missing after importation but numbers are left, check the encoding. In rare cases, when transferring from old push-button phones, text encoding may be lost, requiring manual renaming.
If the contact system fails completely, you can try clearing the Contacts and Contact Storage app cache through the Apps menu in the settings. This won’t delete your numbers, but will reset the display settings and can eliminate software glitch.
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The most reliable way to keep contacts is to not keep them on the Internet. SIM-Map, and immediately import into your Google account, which will provide access to them from any device in the world.