Buying a new smartphone from Xiaomi is always an exciting moment, but it is often overshadowed by the need to transfer data from an old device.The most valuable information for any user is a phone book, the loss of which can lead to serious communication problems. Fortunately, the Android ecosystem and proprietary shells MIUI or HyperOS offer many effective tools for migrating data.
In this article, we will take a look at all the current methods, from cloud sync to local file copying, how to avoid duplication of records and what to do if standard methods do not work. The process can take only a few minutes if both devices are properly prepared.
Whether you're switching from another Android smartphone or an iPhone, there are proven algorithms for how to do it. It's important to choose the way that best suits your current situation and the state of your old phone. Let's look at each option in detail.
Preparation of devices before the migration
Before you start actively transferring data, you need to make sure that both smartphones are ready to work. Charge both devices to at least 50-60%, as the process of synchronizing or transmitting over Bluetooth can require significant energy resources. Also check the availability of free space on the new Xiaomi, although the contacts take up a little space, the clipboard may require a backup.
Make sure that both devices are on screen and do not go into sleep mode during transmission. For older phones with a small screen, this is especially true, since the system can interrupt the connection when it locks. It is best to set the screen timeout to 10 minutes or Never for the duration of the procedure.
⚠️ Warning: If you use third-party memory cleanup apps, temporarily turn off their aggressive power saving modes, as they can force the data transfer process to close in the background.
On an older device, updating Android to the latest available version can fix contact sync bugs. On the new Xiaomi, it is also advisable to set up the initial configuration and update the system components before importing.
Synchronization through Google account
The most reliable and modern way to save a phone book is to use Google Contacts cloud storage, which ensures that your numbers don’t go missing even if your smartphone physically breaks down. All you need is a Gmail account that can already be linked to your old phone.
On your old device, go to the settings, look for Accounts or Users and Accounts. Select your Google account and make sure that the contact is actively synced. If the slider is off, turn it on and manually press the sync button.
On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, the system will prompt you to enter Google’s login and password. Once authorized, contacts will automatically be pulled from the cloud. If the phone is already configured, just add an account through Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google and enable contact sync.
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Use Google’s Contacts app on your old phone to force all local records to the cloud before you change your device.
The advantage of this method is that it doesn't require both phones to be on hand at the same time, and you can restore numbers even after a few months just by logging in to your profile, which is a critical step for long-term data retention.
Use of the Mi Mover app
The Mi Mover (or "Mi Moving") utility is designed specifically for the rapid migration of users to Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO. The app allows you to transfer not only contacts, but also photos, music, messages and installed applications. It works by creating a local Wi-Fi network between devices.
Install the app on both smartphones. On the new Xiaomi, it's often built-in or available in the Tools folder. On the old phone, you need to download it from Google Play or the official website. Run the program on both devices.
☑️ The rules of action in Mi Mover
On the old phone, select the role of "Sender" (Old phone), and on the new Xiaomi - "Receiver" (New phone). QR-code that will appear on the screen of the new device, the camera of the old one. Once you have established the connection, tick "Contacts" and click "Send".
⚠️ Warning: Do not switch to other apps or lock the screen while Mi Mover is running, as this may break the Wi-Fi connection and interrupt the process.
The speed of the transfer depends on the number of records and the presence of media files (contact photos), which usually takes less than a minute for several hundred numbers, which is one of the fastest ways if both phones are in your hands.
Transfer with SIM-maps and via Bluetooth
If the Internet connection is unstable or you don't want to use cloud services, you can use classic methods. SIM-The card is universal, but has limitations on the number of characters in the contact name and the lack of support for additional fields.
Put it in. SIM-Open the Contacts app, click three dots in the corner or the menu button and select Import Contacts"SIM-The system will copy all the records to the phone's internal memory.
Alternatively, Bluetooth is a method that is convenient if you only want to share a portion of your contacts or if your old phone doesn't have access to Google services, select the numbers you want (or all of them via the "Select All" menu at once), click "Share" and select Bluetooth.
Accept the file on the new device. Contacts can come as a.vcf file or be integrated into the phone book immediately, depending on the version of Android on the old device. If a file comes in, just open it and the system will suggest importing the data.
Limitations SIM-map
Export and import via VCF file
The most flexible way to back up a phone book is to create a single file, and the VCF format is supported by all modern smartphones and email clients, and you can save it to a memory card, send it to your messenger or email.
On an old phone, go to the contacts app, select a menu, and click "Import/Export." Select "Export to Device Memory" or "Export to Storage." The system will create a file, commonly called contacts.vcf or with a date.
Transfer this file to the new Xiaomi in any convenient way: USB-Open a file on a new phone, automatically recognizes the format and suggests adding all the contacts found to the phone book.
| Method | Speed. | Saves a photo. | We need the Internet. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Account | Tall. | Yes. | Yes. |
| Mi Mover | Very high. | Yes. | No (locally) |
| SIM-map | Medium | No. | No. |
| VCF file | Tall. | Yes. | No. |
And the good thing about this is that you can store a file as an archive, and if you lose your phone, you'll have a copy of all the numbers, and for large organizations or very large phone books, it's the safest option.
Solving and duplication of records
Often, after the transfer, users encounter a problem: the same contact is displayed twice or three times. This happens when the numbers were saved in different places: on SIM, in the phone's memory and in Google. MIUI has a built-in tool to solve this problem.
Open the Contacts app, click on the profile or menu, and find Contact Management or Tools. Select the Combine Duplicates option. The system will analyze the database and suggest combining records with the same numbers or names.
If contacts don't show at all, check the display settings. In the contact app, click on three dots → "Contacts to Display" (or "Contact Filter"). Make sure that the check box is "All Contacts" and not just "Phone" or "SIM".
⚠️ Note: Before combining duplicates, it is recommended to make a backup copy, as automatic merger can sometimes mistakenly connect different people with similar names.
Also, check where new numbers are saved by default. In your contact settings, prioritize your Google account so that all new entries will automatically sync to the cloud in the future.
Transfer contacts from iPhone to Xiaomi
Switching from iOS to Android requires a slightly different approach, but it’s also not difficult. The easiest way is to use an iCloud account. On your iPhone, go to Settings → [Your name] → iCloud and make sure the Contacts switch is on.
Then, on your computer or directly on the new Xiaomi, go to iCloud.com via Safari or Chrome. Log in under your Apple ID, select Contacts, select All (Ctrl+A) and find the export button (cog at the bottom left) → Export vCard.
So you can send the file to your new phone and open it. An alternative way is to use the Move to Android app (which is analogous to moving to iOS, but you can use export to get back), which you can find on the App Store, and it helps you to flip data over Wi-Fi directly.
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When switching from iPhone, it is important to manually check the preservation of names in the format of "Family Name", since in iOS and Android, the fields of name and patronymic can be interpreted differently.
After importing, be sure to check the correct display of names and the presence of photos. Sometimes when cross-platform transfer avatars may not load, and they will have to update manually or repeat sync through Google Contacts.