Changing your smartphone, especially the Xiaomi or Redmi ecosystem, always starts with the most important thing: saving your phone book. Losing numbers can be a disaster, so how to copy your contacts to Xiaomi is a priority for thousands of users every day. Fortunately, modern shells MIUI and HyperOS offer a variety of tools for data migration, from cloud services to local transfer via Bluetooth.
In this article, we’ll look at all the current methods of importing a phone book that are guaranteed to work in 2026, learn how to avoid duplicates, why it’s important to link numbers to a Google account, and what hidden features make life easier when changing a device.
Whether you’re switching from another Android smartphone or an iPhone, the algorithms will be similar but have their own nuances. We’ll look at standard system tools, as well as proven third-party snails, and the main thing is to take your time and follow the steps carefully so that no important number gets lost in the digital space.
Preparing for data transfer and checking accounts
Before you start moving actively, you need to make sure that both devices (old and new) are ready to go. On the new Xiaomi smartphone, the first thing you need to do is sign in to your Google account, which is the main storage for most users, ensuring synchronization between any devices.
Also check for free space and stable Wi-Fi connectivity if you plan to use cloud-based methods. Local data transfer via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct also requires activation of the appropriate communication modules on both devices. Without this, the process can be interrupted halfway.
⚠️ Note: Before any contact transactions are initiated, it is strongly recommended to back them up in.vcf format, even if you are confident of the success of the operation.This will take 30 seconds, but save you from data loss in the event of a failure.
Make sure that the old phone doesn't have any random contacts, and it's often the case that some numbers are saved to the phone. SIM-The map, part in the phone's memory, and part in the operator's account, and the consolidation of data before the transfer will simplify the task and prevent the occurrence of duplicates.
☑️ Ready for transfer
Transfer contacts from Android to Xiaomi via Mi Mover
The fastest and most reliable way to copy contacts from an old Android smartphone on Xiaomi is using the proprietary Mi Mover application. This utility is preinstalled on all modern devices of the brand and allows you to transfer not only phone numbers, but also photos, applications and system settings.
To get started, open the app on your new smartphone and select the "I'm the recipient" role. On the old device, if the program isn't installed, scan it. QR-code or download the app from the Google Play Store. After creating a connection via Wi-Fi Direct, select the Contact category and start the transfer.
- 📲 The app will automatically detect all available contact sources on the old device.
- 🚀 Transfer speed is independent of the Internet, as a direct Wi-Fi connection is used.
- 🔄 The process retains the group structure and additional fields, such as email addresses.
It is important not to fold the application or block the screens of devices during transmission.The data protocol in Mi Mover is optimized for large amounts of information, but interrupting the connection may require a repetition of the procedure.
What if Mi Mover can't see an old phone?
Synchronization through Google Account
A classic method that works seamlessly on any version of Android, if your contacts were previously saved to Google, they will be automatically downloaded when you enter your username and password on the new Xiaomi, but if the numbers are stored locally, you must pre-upload them to the cloud.
On your old phone, go to your Google account settings and make sure the Contacts slider is activated. Then click the Sync button. On your new Redmi or POCO device, just add the same account to Settings → Accounts and Sync.
The good thing about this is that it's continuous, and any change, addition or deletion of a number on one device will instantly impact all the other devices that log in to that account, and it creates a single data ecosystem.
| Parameter | Description | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Speed. | Depends on the Internet. | Use Wi-Fi. |
| Security | High (encryption) | Two-factor authentication |
| Data volume | Up to 25,000 contacts | Enough for any user |
| Autonomy | Continuous synchronization | Requires Internet connectivity |
Import numbers from SIM-card
Many users still keep numbers on the SIM-To copy these contacts on Xiaomi, open the standard Contacts app. Click on three dots in the corner or the menu button and select Import Contacts».
Please indicate as a source «SIM-You can choose Google or Phone as your destination, and you can choose which numbers to copy or import all at once, and it takes seconds even with a full memory card.
⚠️ Attention: SIM-cards have limited memory and often crop long names or do not support keeping multiple numbers in one name. After import, check the record to ensure the data is displayed correctly.
After importation, it is recommended to SIM-map and check that the numbers actually appear in the list. If you choose to save your Google Contacts, they automatically sync to the cloud, providing additional protection against loss.
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After importation from SIM-Always check for duplicates in the Contacts app, click "Management» → «Combine Repetitive Contacts" to Clear the Phone Book.
Transferring the phone book from iPhone (iOS)
iPhone owners who decide to switch to Xiaomi will need a slightly different approach, as direct sync via Google on iOS works differently.The easiest way is to use the “Move to iOS” app during the initial setup phase, but if the phone is already set up, exporting through iCloud will help.
Go to iCloud.com via your computer browser, log in and go to Contacts. Select all numbers (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A), click on the gear in the corner and select Export vCard. Send the.vcf file you receive to your post office or to your new phone's messenger.
Opening a file on a Xiaomi smartphone, the system automatically prompts you to import the found records. This is a universal format that is supported by all modern OS. The vCard file contains not only numbers, but also photos, addresses and notes, if they were filled in.
- 🍎 On iPhone, make sure that iCloud settings enable contact synchronization.
- 💻 Exporting via computer is more convenient than via Safari mobile browser.
- 📂 The vCard format is the de facto standard for phone book exchange.
Alternatively, install the Google Drive or Google Contacts app on your iPhone and enable sync, and then on your Android device, just log in to the same account and all numbers will appear automatically.
Solving problems: duplicates and missing numbers
A common problem after migration is the appearance of duplicates, when the same contact is displayed several times, this happens if the numbers were copied from different sources (for example, part SIM, part Google), MIUI has a built-in tool to solve this problem.
Open the Contacts app, go to the settings or management menu, and find the "Clear duplicates" option, and the system will suggest combining or deleting similar records, a critical step in keeping order in the phone book.
⚠️ Attention: Automatically pairing contacts may cause the system to fail if the names are written differently (e.g., "Alexei" and "Lesha"). Always check the result of the pairing manually.
If contacts are lost after a system update or reset, don't panic. Go to contacts.google.com, click on the menu on the left and select "Cancel Changes." You can roll back the status of the phone book by 24 hours, a week or a month.
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Regularly checking and cleaning the phone book from duplicates and outdated records prolongs the life of the device and speeds up the search for the right subscriber.