Changing a mobile device or switching from a button phone to a modern smartphone often puts the user in the face of the need to migrate the phone book. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices often wonder how to properly save their records so that they do not get lost when changing their SIM card or resetting. In 2021, the MIUI operating system offers several reliable ways to import data, but the standard menu paths may differ depending on the shell version.
A SIM card has limited memory and often cannot store additional fields such as email or subscriber photos, which is why importing contacts into the device’s internal memory or into a cloud account is a critical step for any user, not only freeing up space on the chip, but also keeping numbers safe even in the event of a physical breakdown or loss of the SIM card itself.
In this article, we will take a look at the nuances of the transfer procedure, look at the typical errors and provide a step-by-step algorithm for how to avoid duplication of records and why storing data in a Google account is preferable to local storage on a device.
Preparation for data transfer and SIM card verification
Before you start any manipulation of the phone book, you need to make sure that the SIM card is correctly defined by the system.If you just inserted the chip into a new slot, the device may take several minutes to fully log in to the network and read the SIM memory structure.
It's worth noting that older Mini-SIM or Micro-SIM SIM cards cropped under Nano can have damaged contacts. This can lead to read errors when trying to copy a large number of records. If the copying process is interrupted or the phone freezes, it's recommended to remove the chip, wipe the contacts with soft cloth and paste back before a characteristic click.
It's also important to check if the SIM card itself is full, and the standard limit is often around 250 entries, and if your contacts are longer than usual or contain Unicode symbols, the limit may be much smaller, in which case the copying may not be complete and some numbers will remain on the chip.
- 📱 Make sure the SIM card is inserted into the main slot (SIM 1) if there are several versions, as some versions MIUI It is the default scanning that is being done.
- 🔋 Charge the device to minimum 40-50%, so that the sudden power outage does not interrupt the process of writing data to memory.
- 📶 Check for free space in the smartphone’s internal memory, although text numbers require a minimum of space.
☑️ Import readiness
Standard method of import through the Contacts app
The most common and secure way to migrate recordings is to use Xiaomi's built-in Contacts app. The interface may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI (12, 12.5 or 13), but the logic of the actions remains the same. Open the app, which usually has a green icon with a human silhouette.
In the upper right corner of the screen, there's a settings menu, which is indicated by three dots or a gear, and if you click on it, you'll see a list of actions available. You'll have to select Import Contacts. The system will tell you to choose the source of the data, in this case, it's the source of the data. SIM-Once the source is selected, the phone will suggest the destination.
It is critical to choose the right target folder, so if you choose Phone, the contacts will only be stored in the memory of that particular device, and if you select your Google account (Gmail address), all numbers will automatically sync to the cloud, which will allow you to restore them to any other Android smartphone just by entering your username and password.
⚠️ Note: When choosing the Phone or Mi Account option, make sure you remember the login details. If you sell a device or break it, access to locally stored numbers may be lost without recovery.
Once you select your target account, you will start copying, and the duration of the transaction depends on the number of entries on the SIM card, and don't switch to other apps or lock the screen during this process to avoid software failures.
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If you have two SIM cards, the system can suggest choosing which card to copy numbers from, and carefully check this step to avoid missing the desired entries.
Using Mi Mover to migrate from another Android
If you’re switching to Xiaomi from another Android smartphone and want to transfer not only the contacts from the SIM card, but also the entire history of calls, messages and applications, the best solution is the Mi Mover utility.
Run the app on your new phone and select Receiver. On the old device, also run Mi Mover (you can download it from the Play Market if it's not available) and select Sender. Scan. QR-code that appears on the screen of the new smartphone, for pairing.
In the list of available data to transfer, be sure (check) against the contact point. The system automatically prompts you to transfer it from the memory of the old device and from the SIM card installed in it. This method is preferable because it retains the structure of names, photos and binding to messengers, if they were saved.
| Method | Speed. | Photo preservation | Network dependency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Import with SIM | Tall. | No. | Not required |
| Google Synchronization | Medium | Yes. | Wi-Fi required |
| Mi Mover | Very high. | Yes. | Local Wi-Fi |
Working with duplicates and combining records
A common problem when transferring contacts from SIM card to phone is the appearance of duplicates, which happens if the number has already been stored in the device memory and you have copied it again from the chip, resulting in two identical entries in the contact list, which makes it difficult to find and makes the phone book sloppy.
The MIUI shell has a built-in tool to address this problem: Go to the Contacts app, click three dots in the corner and select Contact Organization (or Contact Management).
The system will analyze the phone book and suggest combining the records with the same numbers or names, you can agree to an automatic offer or manually choose which card to leave the main one, and it is recommended to save the record that contains more information (photo, email, address).
Also, the clean-up feature is available in the same menu, which allows you to delete contacts that do not have a phone number, or erase all records if you want to start from scratch after a failed import. Be careful when using the deletion feature, as data recovery without a backup will not be possible.
Synchronizing with Google Account as the main method
In 2021, storing contacts exclusively on a SIM card is considered an archaic and insecure method: a SIM card is easily lost, broken or forgotten at home. The most reliable way is to link a phone book to a Google account, which provides instant number recovery when buying any new Android smartphone.
To set up sync, go to Settings on your smartphone, then to Accounts and Sync. Select your Google account from the list. Make sure the switch opposite Contacts is activated. If it's turned off, turn it on and wait for the sync to finish.
Once synced, all new contacts you create will automatically be saved to the cloud. For old records that are already in your phone's memory, sync will also automatically run in the background. You can check the result by opening contacts.google.com from your computer.
What to do if the synchronization is not working?
⚠️ Note: When you delete a Google account from your device, all contacts stored in that account will disappear from the phone book, they will remain in the cloud, but they will not be on your phone until you log in again.
Recovery of contacts from backup
If you make a mistake in transferring from your SIM card or accidentally delete important numbers, don’t panic. Xiaomi has a local and cloud backup system, and usually it takes only a couple of minutes to recover.
To recover from local copy, go to Settings → About Phone → Reservation and Restore. Select the Mobile Device tab and click on the Restore button. Select a backup date when contacts were still available and start the process. The phone will restart and the data will be returned.
If you've used cloud sync, it's even easier to restore, just add a Google account to your phone and enable contact sync, as described in the previous section, and all numbers saved to Google Contacts will automatically appear in the list.
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Regularly backing up before any manipulation of data (import, export, dump) is the only guarantee that you will not lose important information.