Changing a smartphone always causes a mild stress, with the risk of losing important data, especially when it comes to a phone book that stores the numbers of colleagues, relatives and delivery services, and Android ecosystem owners are more fortunate than users of closed systems, because the architecture of the OS allows flexible management of user data.
Modern Xiaomi devices running under the control of shells MIUI Or the new HyperOS, which offers a lot of migration scenarios, you can use cloud services, you can use local files, SIM-The specific method you choose depends on which device you are using and whether you have access to the Internet.
In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to quickly and without loss transfer your phone book, we will look at both standard system tools and third-party solutions for complex cases.
Synchronization through Google account
The most reliable and modern way to save your data is by binding to a Google account, which is good because your numbers are not physically tied to a particular phone memory chip, but stored in the cloud, and if you lose your device or break it, just enter your username and password on a new gadget so that all the records return.
To get started, make sure your old phone is synced. Go to settings, find Accounts or Users and Accounts, select your Gmail address, and make sure the switch next to Contacts is active. The system automatically sends all the records to the company's servers.
On the new Xiaomi smartphone, the process is even easier. When you first turn on or in the settings menu, add the same account. Once you log in, the system will prompt you to restore data from the backup, which usually takes a few minutes depending on the number of records.
- 📲 Automatic update of data on all devices in real time.
- ☁️ Recovery is possible even if the old phone is completely broken.
- 🔒 High level of security of personal information storage.
⚠️ Note: Make sure you sync your Google contacts, not just your phone’s local memory or SIM-cards, otherwise, when resetting the settings, the data may be lost.
Transfer with Mi Mover
Xiaomi has developed its own Mi Mover app (or Mi Drop in some regions) that allows you to transfer data between phones without using the Internet, ideal if you do not have access to Wi-Fi or mobile traffic is limited.
The app is pre-installed on all modern models of the brand and is located in the Tools folder. If you move from another Android smartphone, the app can be downloaded from the Play Market. iPhone owners also have an App Store version, although functionality may be limited.
The way you do this is you run a program on both devices, and you pick the Receiver on the new phone, and the Sender on the old phone, and you connect the devices over a temporary Wi-Fi network that one of the phones creates, and then you start copying.
The main advantage of the method is its speed and the ability to transfer not only contacts, but also photos, applications and system settings, but it is worth remembering that when transferring large amounts of data, the batteries of both devices can run out faster than usual.
What if the Mi Mover can’t see the device?
Make sure both phones are GPS and Bluetooth enabled. Also try to turn off mobile internet on the transmitting device, as it sometimes interferes with the creation of a local access point. Restarting the application often solves the problem of freezing during the search phase. Export and import via the VCF file The universal format for storing phone books is a file with the.vcf extension (vCard). This method is good in that it does not require accounts or special applications, working at the file level. To create such a file on an old phone, open the Contacts app, click on the menu (and select the Export points or the "Export" to the devices). The resulting file can be transferred to the new Xiaomi in any convenient way: via Bluetooth, instant messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp), email or USB-On the new device, just open the file and the system will suggest adding all the numbers contained in it.Speeding method Needs Internet Reliability Google Synchronization High Yes Maximum Mi Mover Very High No High File VCF Average No Average No Average SIM-Card Low No Low ⚠️ Note: When importing from the file VCF Keep a close eye on the process so as not to create duplicate records if part of the numbers have already been stored in the memory of the new phone. SIM-This method is considered outdated, but still has the right to live in emergency situations when there is no Internet or cables at hand. SIM-The card has a very limited memory and storage format. On the old device, you need to go to contact management and select the function “Copy contacts» -> «S SIM-cards (if they are there) or "copy on" SIM-The card is then transferred to the new Xiaomi. The new smartphone repeats the procedure in reverse order: "Import from the phone". SIM-It is important to understand that this transfer often cuts off long names, loses additional numbers (work, fax) and email addresses associated with the contact. 📉 Loss of data: only name and primary number remain. ⏳ Low speed with a large number of records. 📼 Limit the number of characters in the contact name, use this method only as a temporary solution or if other methods categorically do not work. A common problem after data migration is the appearance of duplicates, which occurs when the same number is stored in the memory of the phone, in the Google account, and on the Internet. SIM-The system sees them as different entities. MIUI And HyperOS has a built-in cleaning tool. Open the Contacts app, click on the menu, and look for Contact Management or Contact Management. There's a "Connect Duplicate Contacts" function. The system will analyze the list, find matches by phone numbers and suggest combining them into a single card, which will clear the phone book and make the search for the right person instantaneous. Cleaning the phone book regularly not only improves visual perception, but also speeds up search and dialing. Duplicates can interfere with the correct operation of the number detector and messengers. 💡Automatic pairing of duplicates is the best practice after any massive data import that should not be ignored for ease of use.Mi Cloud synchronization Xiaomi smartphone owners have access to its own cloud service Mi Cloud. It works in parallel with Google and allows you to store backups of contacts, messages, notes and photos in the brand ecosystem. To activate the feature, go to the Mi Account settings, select "Mi Cloud" and enable contact sync. This is especially useful if you plan to buy a phone of this brand again in the future, since the recovery will be as fast and native as possible. However, if you switch to a phone from another manufacturer, reliance on Mi Cloud can be a barrier, as access to data will only be possible through a browser or installing Xiaomi services on someone else’s system. Using two clouds at once (Google and Mi Cloud) can lead to confusion, so it is recommended to choose one primary service for storing a phone book, and use the second only for system settings or gallery. 📊 How do you most often transfer contacts?Through your Google account Using Mi Mover SIM-File VCFI can’t stand it, I write down Frequently Asked Questions again (FAQ) Contacts Missed After Update MIUI, If you've been able to sync with Google or Mi Cloud before you upgrade, you can recover the data. Go to your account settings and click “Restore Contacts” by selecting the date before the update. If sync was turned off, it is almost impossible to return data from local memory after the reset. Why are contacts not synced with Google? Check the Internet connection and correct date and time on the device. Also try to clear the cache of the Google Play Services and Contacts application. Sometimes re-enter the account: delete it from the settings and add it again. Can you transfer contacts from the iPhone to Xiaomi without losing data? Yes, the best application is to use the “Perceive on the Google iphone, then save them on the mobile phone on the iOS account. If you select a phone, they are in a local database. contacts2.db, access to which is restricted without root rights. SIM-They are stored only if you have explicitly selected this item when saving the card.