How to transfer contacts with Xiaomi to Xiaomi and Redmi: the complete guide

Smartphone owners often face the need to transfer data when buying a new device or after resetting. Especially relevant is the question of how to transfer contacts from Xiaomi to Xiaomi, as the ecosystem of MIUI and HyperOS offers unique tools for migration. Unlike other Android smartphones, here the process can be automated to the smallest detail thanks to deep integration of services.

There are several proven methods, each with its own advantages depending on the size of the database and the speed of the Internet connection. You can use cloud synchronization, local recovery or even the good old-fashioned ones. SIM-The best way to do this depends on how quickly you need to access the numbers on your new phone.

In this article, we will take a look at all the options available, including hidden settings and possible import errors, how to save not only numbers, but also photos, email addresses and job positions associated with them. The right approach to backup ensures that no important contact is lost during the transition.

Using Mi Cloud for Automatic Synchronization

The most reliable and modern way is to use the branded Mi Cloud, which is ideal if both devices have Wi-Fi access and a Mi Account is already created, and the system automatically updates the database in the background, so when you log in to a new smartphone, all the records will appear on their own.

To start, you need to go to the settings of the old phone and select Mi Account, and you should activate the slider opposite the "Contact" item and press the "Sync" button, make sure that the indicator shows a successful completion of the process before moving on to the next step.

On a new Redmi or Xiaomi device, sign in to the same account. Once logged in, the system will prompt you to restore data from the cloud. If you do not automatically start, go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud and manually enable contact sync.

⚠️ Warning: Free space in the Mi Cloud is limited to 5GB. If you have a huge phone book with lots of photos and attachments, the place may run out and sync will be interrupted.

The advantage of this method is that it retains the entire structure of records, including tags and groups. MIUI processes this data correctly, without cropping long names or additional fields. It is the best choice for those who value order and a full copy of their address book.

Local Transfers via Mi Mover App

If the Internet connection is unstable or you don’t want to use the cloud, Mi Mover, a proprietary application that is pre-installed on most of the brand’s smartphones, allows data to be transmitted over a direct Wi-Fi channel between devices, while transferring speeds are much faster than Bluetooth.

Run the app on both phones. On the old device, select the role "Sender" and on the new one, "Receiver." QR-If you have code or manually connected to the network you've created, select the "Contacts" category to transmit.

Importantly, Mi Mover not only transmits numbers, but also call history, messages and installed applications, making it versatile when you first set up a new gadget, interrupting the process, for example, due to the exit of Wi-Fi coverage, will require repeating the operation again.

Using this method, data does not leave your devices, which ensures a high level of privacy. No third-party servers are involved, all traffic goes directly from Source to Target device.

Export and import via VCF file

The classic method, which works on any version of Android and is brand independent, is to create a special file with the.vcf extension, which contains all the information about contacts in text format, and this file can be transferred in any convenient way: through messenger, mail or other means. USB-cable.

To create a backup, open the Contacts app on your old phone. Click on the menu (three dots or gear) and select "Import/Export Contacts." Then select "Export to Device Memory" or "Export to Storage." The system will create a file commonly called contacts.vcf.

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Save the VCF file not only in the phone’s memory, but also copy it to your computer or send it to Telegram/Email, which will create an additional recovery point in case both devices break down.

Once you have the file on your new device, just click on it. Android automatically recognizes the format and prompts you to import the entries into the phone book or on the phone book. SIM-This is especially useful if you want to transfer your contacts with Xiaomi to a phone from another brand or very old model.

The main advantage of the method is complete independence from accounts and the network, you get a physical file that can be stored for years, but when importing large files (more than 10,000 contacts), the process can take several minutes, and the phone can temporarily freeze — this is normal behavior of the system.

Synchronization through Google Contacts

Google's ecosystem is the standard for Android, and you shouldn't ignore it. If you've got Google sync on the old Xiaomi, all your contacts are already in the cloud, and on the new phone, just type in the same Gmail address, and the numbers will appear automatically.

Check sync status in the Contacts app from Google or through the web interface contacts.google.com. Make sure the sync switch is active in Settings → Accounts → Google. Often users forget that contacts are only saved in the phone memory, not in the account.

The advantage of using Google is that it can be cleverly sorted and recover deleted records from the past 30 days through the shopping cart, and Google Contacts is great at recognizing duplicates and offering to combine them, which is often not the case with a standard MIUI call.

If you plan to switch your smartphone brand to Samsung or Pixel in the future, using a Google account is the most logical step, which will ensure seamless migration of data to anywhere in the world where there is an Internet connection, without being tied to a specific iron manufacturer.

Transfer through SIM-map and Bluetooth

The most conservative method that helps in emergency situations when there is no Internet and cables. SIM-The card has a limited amount of memory and supports only text data (name and number), so photos and additional fields will be lost.

To implement the method, copy the contacts to SIM-card via the "Import/Export" menu on the old device. Then paste the card into the new phone and select "Import with" SIM-The process is slow but reliable for the basic phone book.

⚠️ Note: When copying the SIM-Long names can be cut off, and the Cyrillic characters in some old cards can be displayed as Cracosabras.

Bluetooth also allows you to transfer contacts, but in one or a small group. This is inconvenient with a lot of data. Choose a contact, click Share and select Bluetooth. On the receiving device, confirm the request to pair and receive the file.

Despite its slow speed, Bluetooth doesn’t require network or account setup, making it a useful tool for “last resort,” but it’s better to use the more advanced digital techniques described above to make a full-fledged move to Redmi.

Addressing import problems and mistakes

Sometimes the transfer process can be a mess, because users are faced with contacts that are not displayed, names are missing or numbers are zero, and often the reason is that the new device hides the source of the display.

Go to the Contacts settings and find Display Contacts. Make sure that the "All Contacts" check box or the specific accounts (Mi, Google, Phone) are selected. If it's "Only Phone", the synchronized data will not be visible.

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If contacts are lost after the MIUI update, check to see if the default default account has switched to local storage instead of the cloud.

Another common problem is encoding, and if you see characters that are not clear, then the VCF file has been stored in the wrong encoding, and try opening it on your computer through Notepad and resaving it with UTF-8 encoding.

Some older Xiaomi models can’t import VCF files larger than 2 MB at a time, so you need to break the file into pieces on your computer or export contacts in groups.