Ownership of Xiaomi smartphone opens access to powerful system functions MIUI Or a new HyperOS, but the basic tasks are sometimes difficult, and one of those is to move the phone book to the phone. SIM-This is often the case when you change your device or need to have a backup of your numbers in a physical medium.
Modern Android smartphones by default offer to store data in the Google cloud or on internal storage. SIM-The card remains the universal way to transfer the call list between devices of different brands. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to copy without losing data.
The procedure may seem simple, but the interface Xiaomi has its own features, we will look at the regular tools of the system, work through the application “Contacts” and possible nuances that users face when trying to export.
Why Keep SIM Numbers in the Cloud Age
Storing numbers in cloud storage is convenient, but requires stable Internet and account binding. SIM-The card in this context acts as a standalone medium that is independent of servers and network failures, and this is especially true for older phone models or situations where you need to quickly switch to a button caller».
And backing up to a physical chip protects against accidental data loss when you reset your smartphone to factory settings, so if you forgot to sync your Google account before you sell your device, the numbers will remain on plastic, a reliable, if somewhat outdated, method of archiving important information.
⚠️ Attention: Memory SIM-It's very limited, and it usually only holds a name and a number, cutting long company names, email addresses and subscriber photos.
When you migrate to SIM, you convert data, and complex fields, such as additional numbers, addresses, and notes, will be permanently deleted, so you should back up all the data to the cloud or computer before mass migration, so you can restore the full version of the contact.
Device preparation and memory check
Before you start the procedure, you need to make sure that your SIM-The card is good and correctly defined by the system. Put the chip in the slot, wait for the network to appear and check if the operator is displayed in the status bar. Without an active connection to the network, some functions may not be available, although local storage always works.
The important step is to check the available space on the chip: standard cards can hold 250 to 500 entries. If your contact list exceeds this limit, the system will give an error or copy only a part of the data, in such cases, it is worth filtering the list, leaving only the most important numbers.
To check the storage capacity, go to your phone's settings. Find the About Phone section or use the Contacts app. In modern MIUI shells, memory status is often displayed on the top menu of the subscriber list. Make sure there are free cells on the map for new information.
Instructions: export of contacts through the "Contacts" application
The easiest and most reliable way to migrate data is to use Xiaomi’s built-in Contacts app, which has a user-friendly interface and does not require third-party software installation, and the algorithm is the same for most firmware versions, whether it’s MIUI 12, 13, 14 or the new HyperOS.
First, open the app and go to the list of all subscribers. Click the menu button (usually three dots or three bars in the corner of the screen) and select Import/Export contacts. This is where we're interested in the export function, because we're transferring data from phone to map.
☑️ Export algorithm
After selecting the export point SIM-The system will suggest you to select contacts. You can mark specific numbers manually or select the option to select all. Be careful: if you select contacts already saved on the SIM, the system may suggest creating duplicates or skipping them.
Press the confirmation button. The copying process will take anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes, depending on the number of records, during which time the screen may flash or show progress bar. Do not turn off the phone or remove the card tray until the operation is completed, so as not to damage the file system of the storage.
Alternative method through system settings
If you can't do the action through the app, you can use deep Android settings. This method is useful if the standard Contacts app is not working properly or has been removed. The path to the desired function may vary slightly depending on the version of the operating system.
Go to your Xiaomi smartphone Settings. Search by settings (top line) and type the word “Contacts” or “Import.” The system will provide the desired section. Alternatively, you can go a step further: Applications → Application Management → Contacts → Storage, although direct export from here is not always available.
Often the desired item is hidden in the section Passwords and security or additional settings. Find the Contacts subsection and select Copy Contacts. Here you will be asked to choose the source (Phone) and destination (SIM-This is a more clumsy method, but sometimes the only one that works.
What to do if the item "SIM-card inactive?
The system settings allow you to bypass some of the launcher interface bugs, but the functionality is often stripped down: you may not see the contacts previewed before copying, so backing up before such experiments becomes a critical stage of preparation.
Table: Comparison of data storage methods
To better understand which storage method to choose for your situation, compare the main characteristics: internal memory of the phone, Google account and SIM-The card has its strengths and weaknesses that affect usability.
| Parameter | Internal memory / Telephone | Google Account (Cloud) | SIM-map |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memory capacity | Limited only to smartphone memory | Almost unlimited (15 GB+) | Very small (250-500 rooms) |
| Details of contact | Full (photo, email, address) | Full + synchronization | Name and number only |
| Network dependency | Not required | Required for synchronization | Not required |
| Security | Medium (risk of loss in case of breakdown) | High (password protection) | Low (easily lost physically) |
The table shows that SIM-The card loses in functionality, but it gains in universal compatibility. Any phone, even the oldest one, will read this format. So you only have to store the gold pool, the numbers of the immediate and emergency services.
Possible problems and ways to solve them
When transferring, users often encounter an error such as "Memory is full" or "Could not be copied." This may be due to map formatting. SIM-The cards use a file system that is incompatible with new versions of Android, in which case only replacing the card from the operator with a new one with support will help. USIM.
Another common problem is the encoding of names, and Russian letters can turn into question marks or Krakozyabr, because of the differences in encoding between the phone and the chip, and unfortunately, it's hard to fix this at the phone level; names can only be displayed correctly after a reboot or on another device.
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Tip: If contact names are cropped or displayed incorrectly, try renaming them Latin before exporting, which guarantees 100% readability on any device.
Also worth mentioning is the problem of duplicates. When repeated exporting, the system may not warn you about copy creation, which will result in subscribers to the list "Mom", "Mom (1)", "Mom (2)". To clean up, use the Connection function in the application, which automatically finds and glues duplicates.
⚠️ Note: Do not try to edit your contacts directly SIM-It's very likely to damage the memory structure of the chip, which will lead to the complete loss of the notebook.
Import contacts back to the smartphone
Once you have switched to a new phone or restored the device, the contacts must be returned from the phone. SIM-The procedure is symmetrical to exports, but requires a different direction. Open the Contacts app and go back to the Import/Export menu.
This time, select the option to import from SIM-The system will ask you where to save the data: to Google account, to phone memory or to another profile, the best choice is to save to Google account, as this will provide automatic synchronization and protection from loss in the future.
Confirm the import. The phone quickly reads the data and creates new records. If the map has contacts with the same numbers but different names, the system can suggest choosing which record to leave or combining them.
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Main conclusion: SIM-The card is an excellent tool for temporary storage and transfer of the number base, but not for permanent use due to limited functionality.
After successful importation, it is recommended to delete the data from the SIM-maps to free up space and increase privacy if you plan to use the card on other devices, you can do this from the same menu by selecting "Delete contacts from the user interface" SIM».