How to Send Contacts to Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

Changing a smartphone, even within a single brand, is often stressful because of the risk of losing important data, especially the phone book. Xiaomi ecosystem owners are in a great position to benefit from the many built-in tools for seamless migration. You don’t have to search for third-party apps or manually interrupt hundreds of numbers if you know the right algorithms.

In this article, we will discuss in detail all the current methods of transferring address book between Mi and Redmi devices, we will look at both cloud technologies and local ways of transferring without using the Internet, the choice of the specific method depends on the number of records stored and the speed of your Internet connection.

Before you start the process, make sure that both devices are at least 50% charged to avoid a sudden shutdown at a critical moment. Also check that both smartphones have current versions of the MIUI or HyperOS shell, as the menu layout may vary slightly in different versions of the firmware, which will help avoid confusion when searching for the right items.

Synchronization through Mi Cloud: Cloud Method

The most reliable and modern way to save and transfer contacts is using the Mi Cloud, which is ideal if you already have a Mi Account or are ready to register it, and synchronization allows you not only to transfer data, but also to protect it from loss in the event of a device breakdown.

To start working on your old smartphone, go to Settings and find Mi Account (usually at the top of the list). If you are not already logged in, enter your login and password. After logging in, you need to activate the switch opposite to Contacts to start the process of downloading data to the server.

On the new phone, log in to the same account, and once the device connects to the network, it automatically pulls up all the stored records, a process that can take anywhere from seconds to a couple of minutes depending on the volume of your phone book.

⚠️ Warning: Make sure that the new device has an Auto Sync checkmark in the sync settings, otherwise contacts may not appear immediately after logging in to your account.

The main advantage of this method is the ability to recover data at any time, even if the old phone has already been sold or lost. Xiaomi cloud stores backups long enough, which gives the user time to set up a new gadget.

Using the Mi Mover app for fast transfer

The Mi Mover app is a specialized tool created by Xiaomi engineers to quickly transfer any data, including contacts, between smartphones. It works over a local Wi-Fi channel, which provides high speed transfers and does not consume mobile traffic.

Run the app on both devices. On the old phone, select the role "Sender" (or "I send"), and on the new one, "Receiver." QR-code or connect to the Wi-Fi network you created manually. Once you have established the connection, select Contacts and press the Start Transfer button.

The process of cloning data is very fast, even if there are several thousand numbers in the list. The interface of the application is as simple as possible, so it is almost impossible to make mistakes. Once the operation is completed, the new device will report the number of successfully transmitted records.

If you don’t have an app pre-installed, it can be found in the Tools folder or downloaded from the GetApps store. It’s important that geolocation is enabled on both devices, as the Android operating system requires this permission to run Wi-Fi Direct.

Export and import via VCF file

The universal method that works on any phone is to create a backup file in VCF (vCard) format, which contains the entire structure of the contact card: name, number, email, address and even a photo, and you can transfer this file in any convenient way: through a messenger, email or simply save it to a memory card.

To create a backup, open the standard Contacts app on your old smartphone. Click on the three dots in the corner of the screen (settings menu) and select “Import/Export Contacts.” Next, click “Export to Device Memory.”

The system will create a file with the.vcf extension at the root of the internal memory. Now this file must be transferred to a new phone. The easiest way is to send it via Telegram (Favorites) or Bluetooth. Once you get a file on a new device, just click on it, the system will automatically prompt you to import the found entries into the phone book.

This is especially good because the VCF file can be saved to a computer or flash drive as an additional insurance.VCF format is an industry standard, so your contacts will be readable not only on Xiaomi, but also on iPhone or Samsung in the future.

Transfer of contacts from SIM-card

Although this method is considered outdated, it is still relevant for users of button phones or those who store backups on a “Simka”, the main limitation of the method is low capacity and no support for additional fields (addresses, multiple numbers on a single name).

First, copy the data to the map. Go to the contact settings, select Import/Export and click Import with SIM-cards" (if the data is on the SIM) or "Export to the SIM-card" (if the data is in the phone's memory). SIM-map to the new Xiaomi smartphone.

On the new device, open the contact menu again, select “Import/Export” and click “Import with” SIM-The system will tell you to choose where to save the numbers: in memory of the phone or in the Google account.

⚠️ Note: When copying the SIM-Long names can be cut off and numbers in international format can lose sign «+». Always check the results after importation.

Use this method only as a temporary solution or for the most important numbers, and for the full migration of hundreds of contacts, it is better to use the digital methods described above, which will take less time and preserve the quality of the data.

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Save contacts in your Google or Mi Account by default, and this will save you the need to back up manually in the future.

Synchronization through Google Contacts

Because Xiaomi smartphones run on Android, deep integration with Google services is a native feature: If you’ve used Android before, your contacts are likely already saved to Google’s cloud, even if you didn’t know it.

To check, open your phone's settings, look for Accounts and Sync (or just Google) section. Make sure your inbox is added and the Contacts switch is active. If your old phone has your contacts saved to the device's memory, you need to first move them to your Google account through the Contacts App Export menu.

On the new Xiaomi, you just need to log into the same Google account when you first set up or through the settings menu. Within minutes of connecting to Wi-Fi, the phone book will automatically fill up, one of the most “invisible” and convenient ways to migrate.

It is also convenient to manage saved contacts via a web-based interface at contacts.google.com, where you can combine duplicates, delete excess and edit data from the computer’s large screen before syncing with a new phone.

Solving problems in transfer

Sometimes the data transfer process may encounter technical obstacles, such as contacts may not be displayed immediately after synchronization, in which case check the display settings in the Contacts app: click on the menu and make sure that the check box is in front of the desired source (Mi Account, Google or Device Memory).

Another common problem is the appearance of duplicates. If the same number is recorded several times with different names, use the "Combine duplicates" feature, which is built into MIUI, which automatically finds matches by phone number and merges them into one card.

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Regular backups are the only guarantee that you will not lose important numbers when you change or break your smartphone.

If neither of these works, try restarting both devices. Often, a simple restart of sync services solves the problem of data hanging, and make sure that there is free space on the phone to record new information.