Changing a smartphone is always accompanied by the inevitable stress of losing important data. However, owners of Mi and Redmi devices do not need to worry about the safety of the phone book, since the manufacturer’s ecosystem offers several reliable migration methods.
In this tutorial, we will take a look at all the options available, from using Google cloud services to the specialized Mi Mover app, and learn how to avoid duplicates and save not only numbers, but also photos, email addresses and account binding.
No matter what your old phone is, like a Samsung, iPhone or push-button device, you’ll find the right way to do it, and the key is to choose the method that best suits your current situation and the state of both devices.
Preparing devices for data migration
Before starting the procedure, make sure that both devices are ready to work, a basic step that can cause a process to be interrupted or information to be partially lost, and make sure that both phones have at least 50 percent battery power, as it can be energy-intensive to transfer large amounts of data.
Check for space on your new smartphone. While the contacts themselves weigh a bit, if you plan to port media, free memory is critical, and it’s also worth updating the system software on both devices to the latest available version to eliminate software conflicts.
- 🔋 Charge both smartphones to at least half the battery capacity.
- 📶 Make sure you have a stable Wi-Fi connection for cloud methods.
- 📱 Unlock the screens of both devices and keep them close together.
- 🔒 Temporarily disable antiviruses or firewalls if they block file transfers.
⚠️ Note: If you use a corporate smartphone with strict security policies, data transfer through third-party applications may be blocked by the network administrator.
Pay special attention to cleaning up the memory of junk files on the old device, which will speed up the scanning and transfer process, delete unnecessary screenshots and temporary files that can slow down the system during the migration.
Using the Mi Mover app for fast transfer
The most efficient and native way for Xiaomi ecosystem is the Mi Mover utility, which is pre-installed on most modern models and allows data to be transmitted over a local Wi-Fi channel without using the Internet, which ensures high speed and security of transmission.
Run the app on both devices. On the new phone, select Receiver and on the old phone, Sender. The system automatically creates an access point that you need to connect to, and after you connect, you can select data categories to transfer.
☑️ Check before launching the Mi Mover
The interface allows you to flexibly configure filtering, you can only move contacts or add messages, calls and system settings to them, the process is completely controlled by the user, and at any time it can be paused.
⚠️ Warning: Do not switch to other apps or lock the screen while Mi Mover is running, this may break the connection and interrupt the transfer.
Once the copy is complete, the system will suggest checking the integrity of the data, and it is recommended to open the phone book and make sure that all records are displayed correctly, without distorting the encoding of the names.
Synchronization through Google account
The most versatile method that works regardless of the brand of the old phone is sync through Google Account, which is ideal if you are switching from another Android device or even an iPhone, having previously installed Google services there.
On your old phone, make sure that contact sync is enabled. Go to your Google account settings and check if the check box is ticked against Contacts. If the data is uploaded to the cloud, it will automatically appear on the new device after you enter your login and password.
| Parameter | Description | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Speed. | Depends on the speed of the Internet | Use 5GHz Wi-Fi |
| Data volume | Not limited (depending on Google quota) | Up to 15GB free |
| Difficulty | Minimum | Automatic synchronization |
| Risk of loss | Practically zero. | Data is stored in the cloud |
To activate on the new Xiaomi, just add the same account in the Settings → Accounts and synchronization section. The system itself will offer to restore backups and upload contacts to the device memory.
What to do if your contacts are not synchronized?
The advantage of this method is that your numbers will always be safe, even if your phone is lost, and you just need to log in from any device to regain access to the phone book.
Transfer through SIM-map and local files
If the Internet is not available or the devices are too old, you can use the classic method of importing from the Internet. SIM-This method is suitable for base numbers, but has limitations: usually only the name and number are saved, without additional fields.
Insert the SIM card from your old phone into your new Xiaomi. Go to the Contacts app, open the settings menu, and select Import Contacts «SIM-Map and the target folder “Phone” or “Google».
Alternatively, use a.vcf file. On an old device, export contacts to a file and transfer it via Bluetooth or messenger. On a new phone, simply open the file and the system will prompt you to import the records.
- 📤 Exports: Contact menu → Management → Export to file.vcf.
- 📥 Import: Contact menu → Management → Import from file.vcf.
- 💾 Storage: The file can be saved to the cloud or to a computer for.
This is a great way to be autonomous, because you don't need the Internet, you don't need special apps, you don't even need Bluetooth on if you just move the SIM card.
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For importation with SIM-The names of the cards can be cut to 10-15 After the transfer, check the long names and edit them manually if necessary.
Solving Duplicate Contact Problems
A common problem after migration is the appearance of duplicates, which happens if you use multiple methods at the same time or have already synchronized some of the data, and the MIUI system has a built-in tool to combine records.
Open the Contacts app and go to settings. Find the item "Combine Repetitive Contacts," and the system will analyze the database and suggest a list of pairs that can be combined into one record.
Automatic integration is safe: it summarizes all available fields (number, email, address) from two entries into one. You don't need to manually delete duplicates, it's better to use a regular tool to avoid losing important information.
If duplicates are caused by multiple accounts synchronizing (e.g., Google and Mi Account), check the display settings. In the contact filter, you can choose to show only one or combined records.
Switching from iPhone to Xiaomi
iOS owners also have an easy migration route, and the best way to do this is to use the Move to iOS app during Xiaomi’s initial setup phase, or use the iCloud cloud.
To transfer via iCloud, make sure your iPhone has contact sync enabled. Then on your computer, go to iCloud.com, export your vCard contacts, and import them to your Google Account via contacts.google.com.
Then, on Xiaomi, just add your Google account. All the numbers that were on iCloud will automatically pull up to the phone book. This is the cleanest way to move between ecosystems.
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Using a Google account as an intermediary is the most reliable way to transfer contacts from iPhone to Android without data loss and formatting.
Do not try to use Mi Mover to switch from your iPhone if you do not have the ability to install a special app on iOS, as the functionality may be limited compared to Android-to-Android transfer.