How to transfer contacts from your phone to another phone: the full guide

Changing your smartphone is always accompanied by a mild stress of saving important data. Especially worrisome when it comes to a phone book, the loss of which can paralyze business and personal communications. Xiaomi’s technology offers many ways to migrate data, making the process as fast and secure as possible.

In this article, we’ll take a look at all the available methods, from cloud services to local file transfers, how to migrate records from Android to Android, from iPhone to Xiaomi, and even restore data from a backup. Whether you’re changing the Redmi Note to the flagship Xiaomi 15 or just creating a duplicate database.

We'll look at the nuances of the Mi Mover app, the sync features of Google Contacts, and even the good old ways of exporting to a file. Each method has its advantages depending on the state of the old device and the availability of Internet access.

Using the Mi Mover app for quick migration

The most effective and modern way to transfer contacts from phone to phone without unnecessary manipulation is using the Mi Mover utility. This tool is preinstalled on all current models of MIUI and HyperOS and allows you to transfer data over a high-speed Wi-Fi channel without spending mobile traffic.

The process starts with running the app on both devices, and on the new smartphone you choose the Recipient role, and on the old one you choose the Sender role. QR-The code instantly creates a secure connection between gadgets, and the main advantage of the method is that it transfers not only numbers, but also folder structure, photos of contacts and additional notes.

It is important to note that when you transfer a large amount of data (for example, if you copy the entire phone book with the media files attached), the process can take several minutes. Interruption is not critical, but it is better to wait for completion to avoid duplication of records. If the new device already has contacts, the system will suggest combining them or replacing them.

• 📱 Open the Settings. → The phone. → Mi Mover or find the application in the Tools folder».
• 🔗 On your old phone, select “I am the sender” and scan the code displayed on the new device.
• 📂 In the data selection menu, tick the "Contacts" item and click "Send».
• ✅ Wait for the message of successful completion and check the list of subscribers on the new device.

⚠️ Warning: Make sure the screens of both smartphones don't go out during the transmission.Some energy-saving settings can break the Wi-Fi connection if the device goes into sleep mode.

Syncing through Google Account: The Cloud Method

The most reliable way to avoid having both phones physically close by is to sync through Google Account, which is ideal if your old phone is lost, broken, or just far away, and all your contacts are saved in the cloud and automatically appear on any device after you enter your login and password.

To work, the old device needs to be synced, and you can check this in your Google account settings. If you just bought a new Xiaomi, just type in your Gmail when you first set up the system, and the phone book will load automatically in the background.

You can use a web interface to force the transfer. Go from your computer or other device to contacts.google.com, export the.vcf (vCard) database, and then import the file to the new Xiaomi via the contact management menu. This is a universal way that works even when you switch from iOS or button phones.

• ☁️ On your old phone, go to Settings. → Accounts and synchronization → Google.
• 🔄 Make sure the Contacts switch is active and click Sync».
• 🔑 On the new Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account when you first set up or in the settings menu.
• 📥 Data will be automatically downloaded when you have an Internet connection.

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Use the Restore Contacts feature in the Google Contacts web version if you accidentally delete numbers or they have been overwritten with incorrect data. Change history is stored for up to 30 days.

Export and import via vCard (.vcf)

If the internet connection is unstable or you prefer to store data locally, the best solution is to back up vCard, a universal standard that is supported by almost all operating systems, including Android, iOS and Windows.

The file creation process takes seconds. Open the Contacts app on your old device, select the settings menu and find Import/Export Contacts. Select Export to Memory of Device, and the system will create a contacts.vcf file that can be transmitted via Bluetooth, Mi Drop or instant messengers.

Once you transfer a file to a new Xiaomi, just open it. The system automatically recognizes the format and suggests importing the records. The key here is choosing the location of the save. When importing, always choose your Google account or your phone's memory, but don't. SIM-Map to save all information, including long names and email addresses.

⚠️ Note:.vcf files may contain personal data. Do not send them to shared chats and delete the file after successful import to avoid leakage of information.

Transfer contacts from iPhone (iOS) to Xiaomi

iPhone owners who choose to switch to Android don't have to worry about losing contacts. Apple's tightly integrated ecosystem with iCloud makes it easier. The easiest way to make sure that your iPhone is enabled to sync contacts with iCloud.

To do this, on iOS, go to Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud and make sure the Contacts switchboard is green. After that, on the new Xiaomi, when you set up, select the addition of an iCloud account (if available in your version of MIUI) or, more reliably, use a web browser.

Go to icloud.com from any computer, log in and export contacts in vCard format. Send the resulting file to your mail or cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox), open it to Xiaomi and import. Alternative way – the application “Move to iOS” here will not help, as it works in the opposite direction, but the Mi Mover application has an iOS mode that requires you to install a special application on the iPhone.

• 🍏 On iPhone, make sure your contacts are synced with iCloud.
• 🌐 Go to icloud.com via browser and export all contacts to file.vcf.
• 📲 Transfer the file to Xiaomi in any convenient way (messenger, mail, cable).
• 📥 Open the file on Xiaomi and confirm the import in the phone book.

Work with SIM-map: old but working method

Despite the development of cloud technologies, the method of copying through SIM-The map remains relevant, especially when switching from button phones or in the absence of Internet, but this method has significant limitations, which you need to know in advance.

Modern. SIM-These cards have a small amount of memory and an outdated data storage structure, and often do not support long names (short them out), do not save additional numbers for a single contact, email addresses, and photos. Therefore, it is recommended to use this method only as a temporary solution or for the basic telephone book.

Insert it for copying. SIM-card in the old phone, find the contact menu option "Copy on" SIM-map or “Export to the SIM». After completion, insert the card in Xiaomi, go to Contacts → Settings → Imports/exports → Import with SIM-The system will prompt you to choose a place of saving - be sure to specify the memory of your phone or Google account.

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Use of the SIM-The most versatile, but least informative, way of doing this is for basic numbers, but it loses the extended contact data."

Solving Common Problems in Transfer

Even when following instructions, there may be technical difficulties. Often users are faced with a situation where contacts have been moved but are displayed as “Unnamed” or duplicated, this usually involves file encoding or a conflict between local memory and the cloud.

If you see duplicates, use the built-in cleaning function. The Contacts app on Xiaomi often has a tool called “Combine Repetitive Contacts” to solve the problem, and cleaning the cache of the contacts application through the application menu in the system settings can also solve the problem.

If the import of the file.vcf is not correct (for example, all the numbers are written in the same field), try to open the file in the text editor. Sometimes it helps to manually fix the separators, but it is easier to use the service Google Contacts on a PC, which has more powerful tools to correct import errors.

⚠️ Note: If contacts are displayed after the transfer but no new records are saved, check which account is the default to save. Often the phone tries to save a new number to a crowded one. SIM-map.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)