How to keep your contacts on Xiaomi SIM-map: step-by-step guide

Changing your smartphone or having to back up your numbers often puts Xiaomi’s phonebook on the table. In modern smartphones, all records are saved by default to a Google cloud account, which is convenient for synchronization, but makes it difficult to switch to a button phone or another operating system device, and it is in these situations that you need to copy data directly to a physical medium.

This process is not complicated, but the shell interface MIUI Or HyperOS can hide the menu items in non-obvious places, and users are often lost trying to find the export feature among the many privacy settings and cloud services. SIM-The card has a limited storage space and data storage format, so some information may be lost during the transfer.

In this article, we will take a detailed look at the algorithms for different firmware versions so you can guarantee that you keep important numbers, and we will also discuss the chip’s technical limitations and alternative redundancy options that may prove more reliable in the long run.

Technical limitations of the format SIM-map

Before you start copying, you need to be aware of the physical and software limitations that the GSM standard imposes. SIM card is primarily a tool for identifying a subscriber in the network, and not a full-fledged data store, so its ability to write a phone book is greatly reduced compared to the internal memory of a smartphone or the cloud.

The main problem is the length of the contact name. The old encoding standard often limits the number of characters in a name, which can cut long job titles or full names. In addition, you can usually save only one phone number per record, whereas there can be several (mobile, work, home) in a phone's memory.

• 📉 The maximum length of the contact name is often limited. 14-20 symbols depending on the operator.
• 🔢 Only one phone number is recorded per SIM card memory cell.
• 🚫 Additional fields such as email, address or photo are not saved when exported.

That's why it's worth checking before you start the procedure whether your phone book contains entries with critically important long comments or second numbers that may be lost. If you're planning to move to an old phone, it's okay, but for modern devices, it's better to use cloud-based methods.

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Always check the contact list after transfer on another device to make sure the long names aren’t cropped and the numbers read correctly.

Preparation for data portability

To successfully perform the operation, make sure that the SIM card is properly installed in the device and is determined by the system. In Xiaomi smartphones with a hybrid slot, make sure that the card is inserted in the same connector that supports data transfer, although this is not always critical for a phone book, since the system sees both SIMs.

If your current contacts are scattered across multiple sources (part on Google, part on your phone, part on a SIM card), the copying process may take longer or lead to duplicates.

Also worth noting is the presence of duplicates: Google or MIUI’s standard Contacts app has a bundle feature that will clear the list of repeats, especially if you’ve tried to sync your data in different ways before.

Exporting contacts through the standard application

The easiest and most reliable way to move numbers is to use the built-in Contacts app. Depending on the shell version (MIUI 12, 13, 14 or the new HyperOS), the interface may vary slightly, but the logic of actions remains the same.

Once you open the app, find the settings menu. In the classic MIUI interface, it is often hidden behind three dots in the upper right or lower corner of the screen, or behind the “More” button. In newer versions of Android, settings can be put into a separate tab or hidden under the avatar of your Google account.

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse export with import. Import is designed to upload numbers from a SIM card to a phone, and we need to do the opposite: save data to the SIM card.

You need to find the item "Import/Export Contacts" in the settings menu. You click on it and you will see a list of actions available. SIM-map or "copy on" SIM-The system can choose the source (from where we copy) and the recipient (where we copy).

• 📱 Choose the source: Phone or your Google account».
• 💾 Select the recipient: «SIM 1" or «SIM 2" if there are two active cards in the device.
• ✅ Confirm the action by clicking “OK” or “Copy».

The copying process takes anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes, depending on the number of records, and during the operation, it is better not to switch between applications and not to lock the screen, so that the system does not interrupt the background writing process to the chip.

Import through the system settings menu

If you can’t find the desired feature through the Contacts app (which sometimes happens on custom builds or specific firmware versions for China), you can use Android system settings. This method is deeper and works at the operating system level, bypassing the interface limitations of the shell.

To do this, go to the main smartphone settings menu and find the Apps section. From the list of installed programs, select Contacts (or Contacts and Phone), then go to Storage or Memory, where the application data management buttons are located.

Settings → Applications → All Applications → Contacts → Storage → Import / Export

However, in newer versions of MIUI, the path can be simplified. Try searching by settings: type the word “contacts” or “sim” in the search bar, and the system will suggest the desired menu item for managing the phone book.

The system menu also provides technical information about the SIM card’s occupancy status, which can display the status “150 of 250 occupied” to help you understand whether to delete some of the data before copying new ones.

Working with two SIM-map

Xiaomi smartphone owners often use two numbers at the same time. When exporting contacts, the system will ask which SIM card you want to write data to, which is an important point, since the default card can be the one installed for voice calls, rather than the one you planned to use for porting.

If you need to copy contacts to both SIM cards (for example, for two different phones), the procedure will have to be repeated twice. First, select SIM 1, wait for the process to end, and then repeat the same actions, choosing SIM 2 as the recipient.

Note that when you change the SIM card slot (switching physically from slot 1 to slot 2), the phone may perceive this as a new card if you have not been pegged. So copy the data to the card that will be used in the target device.

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When working with two SIM cards, always carefully check which source and which recipient is selected in the dialog box, so as not to copy the data to the wrong chip.

Alternative methods of reservation

Although the question was about a SIM card, one cannot but mention the more modern and reliable methods of saving a phone book: SIM copying is an archaic method that should be used only in extreme cases when other methods are not available.

The most reliable option is synchronization with a Google account, in which case your contacts are saved on the company's servers and automatically appear on any device where you enter your login and password, which eliminates the need for manual copying and protects against data loss when your phone breaks.

You can also create a backup file in.vcf format. This file can be saved to internal memory, to a microSD card, or sent to a messenger. This file contains all the information: names, multiple numbers, addresses and email addresses, which a SIM card cannot provide.

⚠️ Note:.vcf is universal. You can create a file like this on your iPhone, send it to Xiaomi and open it with a single touch, all contacts will be recorded in the device’s memory.

To create a.vcf file, go to the contact settings, select Import/Export, and click Export to.vcf or Export to Internal Memory. The system will create a file that will lie at the root of the contacts folder or in the download directory.

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