Transfer contacts to Xiaomi via Bluetooth: the complete guide

Changing your smartphone is always accompanied by a question of privacy, and the most critical asset for most users is the phone book. When you unpack a new gadget from Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO, the first thing you want to see on the call list is familiar names, not void. Fortunately, Bluetooth technology allows you to solve this problem without connecting to the Internet and installing unnecessary applications.

Many people mistakenly believe that this method is outdated and slow, but for text data such as phone numbers and email addresses, it has more than enough bandwidth. It takes a few minutes even with a large contact base, and the main advantage is the complete locality of the operation, you do not need to upload backups to the cloud or fear for data leakage through third-party servers.

In this guide, we will take a detailed look at each step of pairing devices and setting access rights. You will learn how to avoid the typical errors when the phone sees a device but cannot transfer a file, and why visibility in settings is crucial. Follow the instructions to make your new Mi smartphone work at full speed immediately after turning on.

Preparing the old device for data transmission

Before you start searching for devices, you need to make sure your current phone is ready to work in detection mode. Often users turn on Bluetooth but forget to activate visibility, which makes the new Xiaomi just can’t “see” the old device in the list of available. Go to the settings and make sure that the wireless slider is green.

On some Android models, especially those with a heavily modified interface from manufacturers like Samsung or Huawei, additional confirmation may be required to transfer files. Security may request permission to send vCard files, which is fine. Also check battery power, as the process of searching and sharing data can consume energy.

Make sure the screen of the old device displays a name by which you can easily identify it in the list «SM-G950F» It is better to replace it with a clear one, for example, «Old_Phone», So as not to get confused at the time of the coupling.

• 📱 Turn on the Bluetooth module in the notification curtain or settings of the old smartphone.
• 👁️ Activate “Visible to Everyone” or “Detected” mode so that the new phone can find the device.
• 🔋 Check that the charge of both devices is at least 30-40% steady-work.

⚠️ Note: If an old phone has an aggressive power saving set, the system can automatically turn off the communication module during transmission. Add the Contacts or File Manager app to the battery exclusion before the process begins.

Setup of file reception on the Xiaomi smartphone

Now, to a new device. The MIUI or HyperOS shell interface has its own rights management features. When Bluetooth is first turned on, the system can request permission to change system settings or access contacts — be sure to agree with this, otherwise import will not be possible. Without these rights, the phone will work in audio-only mode, ignoring data files.

It is important to note that in modern versions of Android and MIUI files received via Bluetooth are saved by default to a hidden folder or download folder, and the phone may not prompt you to open them immediately.You will need to manually find the resulting file with the.vcf or.vcard extension. This is done for security reasons, so that attackers can not stealthily introduce malicious data.

Make sure that the new device is geolocated, too. It may sound strange, but current Bluetooth Low Energy protocols and Android standards require location access to fully search for devices nearby. Without GPS enabled, the search can go on indefinitely or fail to yield results.

• 📥 Allow access to storage and contacts when you first run standard applications.
• 📍 Turn on geolocation (GPS) In the notification curtain for correct device search.
• 📂 Create a folder in advance or remember the path to Downloads for a quick file search.

The process of pairing and transfer of the contact file

Once both devices are ready, go to the direct connection. On the new Xiaomi, start searching for devices. The list should show available gadgets. Choose the name of your old phone. Both screens will show a confirmation code — check the numbers and click Connect or Accept. This creates a secure channel between the devices.

The next step depends on how you decide to export data on your old device. The most reliable way is to open the Contacts app, select a menu, and click Import/Export. Choose Export to Storage or Export to VCF. Once you create the file, find it through the file manager, click on it and select the Bluetooth transfer method.

When you transmit a new phone, you'll see a request for a file, and you'll be sure to click "Accept." The speed will depend on the number of contacts: 500 numbers will take less than a minute, a few thousand minutes, and interrupting the process will require you to repeat the operation again, because partial transmission of the contact file usually causes damage to the file.

⚠️ Warning: Don't unlock phone screens during transfer if they go out.Some Xiaomi models can interrupt file transfers when going to sleep to save energy.

Once the transfer is complete, you will see a notification of receipt of the file. Don't try to open it immediately through the notification, you better go to the file manager. The file will lie in the Bluetooth or Downloads folder. Click on it and the system will prompt you to select the application to open - select Contacts or Contact Imports.

Importing data to the MIUI phone book

Once you have clicked on the received.vcf file, the system MIUI The import wizard will run it, and you'll be asked to choose where to save the numbers. SIM-It is strongly recommended (although we avoid template phrases, but this is critical here) to choose a Google account or phone memory, as SIM-Cards have restrictions on the length of the number and the presence of special symbols.

If you choose to import into a Google account, your contacts are automatically synced to the cloud, which means that even if you lose your phone or decide to change it in a year, all numbers will recover instantly after logging in, the most reliable method of redundancy in the Android ecosystem.

When importing, the system can display a warning of duplicates. Xiaomi can combine repeating entries if it finds matches by number or name. Agreed to combine so that your phone book remains clean and structured, without unnecessary repetitions of the same people.

• ☁️ Select a Google account for automatic synchronization and data security.
• 🔗 Allow the system to combine duplicates for cleanliness of the phone book.
• 💾 Avoid saving on SIM-card if the numbers contain more than 15 digits or letters.

When you finish the process, you'll see a message that you've successfully imported a certain number of contacts, so you can open the Phone or Contacts app and make sure that all the records are in place. If any numbers are missing, check if they've been saved to the phone. SIM-Old phone card – you need to import them separately through the menu SIM-map.

Comparison of data transmission methods

While Bluetooth is a versatile and reliable way, it’s helpful to understand how it differs from other methods available on Xiaomi.The following is a table to help you choose the best option based on your situation and the amount of data you have.

As you can see from the table, Bluetooth is winning in autonomy, but it's losing in speed to specialized utilities. But for the ones that weigh kilobytes, speed doesn't matter, and the key here is that you don't have to set up complex networks or have access to a Wi-Fi router.

If you’re planning to port photos, videos or heavy apps, you’d better use Mi Mover, which uses direct Wi-Fi between phones, but for the “contact only” task, Bluetooth remains the fastest solution to set up.

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Use the Favorite feature in pre-transfer contacts to quickly set up widgets on your desktop after importing to your new phone.

Solving connection problems and errors

Despite its simplicity, users often face difficulties. One of the common problems is that the phone sees the device, but when you try to pair it, it gives an error "Unable to hide" or "Unaccessible." This is often because one device already has an encryption key from another device with the same name but different parameters. The solution is simple: find an old phone in the list of associated devices, click on the gear or icon of information and select "Forget" or "Uncouple" then try again.

Another situation: the file was transferred, but no contacts appeared. In this case, check the folder "Blocked" or "Spam" in the contact app, although this is rare. Most often the problem lies in the file format. Make sure that you exported the vCard, and not a text file or format specific to iOS (although modern Android can read them, but there may be encoding errors).

If the transfer is 99% over, don't rush to interrupt the process. Sometimes the system will finalize the data entry to the database, and this can take time at a large volume. However, if the progress is more than 5 minutes, it is better to interrupt, restart both phones and repeat the procedure, having previously cleared the cache of the Bluetooth application in the settings.

⚠️ Note: When transferring contacts from iPhone to Xiaomi via Bluetooth, profile photos and additional fields (birthdays, addresses) may not be saved, since the vCard format of Apple has extended fields that a standard Android importer can ignore.

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If standard import does not work, try sending contacts not with one large file, but break them into groups of 100-200 pieces – this will increase the stability of Bluetooth transmission.

Additional Contact Management Opportunities

Xiaomi offers powerful tools to manage the phone box, you can set up blacklists, contact groups with individual notification sounds, and even assign your photos to subscribers if they do not automatically pull up.

You should also look at the Guest Mode or Second Space feature if you plan to use your phone for work purposes, and you can easily move your contacts between those spaces, creating an isolated environment for work or personal calls, which is especially true for users who want to share the flow of information.

Regular backups are a guarantee of peace of mind. Set up automatic sync with Google or use the Mi Cloud cloud so that if you lose your device, you can restore numbers in a few minutes. Just log in to your account on any Android smartphone, and the phone book will update itself.

• 🎨 Assign customized tunes for important contacts through the card editor.
• 🛡️ Set up automatic lock of unknown numbers to protect against spam.
• ☁️ Enable autosynchronization in your Google account settings right now.