How to Transfer Contacts from Android to Xiaomi: A Step-by-Step Guide

Changing a smartphone is always a mild stress, not so much with getting used to a new interface as with the risk of losing important data. Especially a phone book that has often accumulated over the years and contains hundreds of numbers of friends, colleagues and delivery services. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices can breathe a sigh of peace: the MIUI and HyperOS ecosystem offers advanced tools for seamless migration. You do not need to manually interrupt every number or look for complex ways to synch.

Modern methods allow you to copy the entire phone book in minutes, while preserving the structure of records, photos of subscribers and additional fields like email addresses. The most reliable way is to use Google cloud sync or a specialized application Mi Mover, which minimizes the risk of data loss. In this article, we will analyze in detail all available options, from the classic to the fastest so that you can choose the ideal one for your situation.

Before you start taking action, you need to make sure that both devices are ready for basic use. This is a foundation without which even the most perfect instruction can fail. Check the battery power on both devices — it should be at least 50-60%. Also make sure that both smartphones are connected to a stable Wi-Fi network if you plan to use cloud services.

Ignoring preparation often causes the process to be interrupted halfway, leaving the user with partially transferred data. Make sure that contacts are open and displayed correctly on the old device. If you use multiple accounts, decide in advance where to pick up numbers so that you do not get confused during the synchronization process.

Using the Mi Mover app for quick migration

The most effective and native way for Xiaomi devices is to use the Mi Mover utility, which is designed specifically for data migration between smartphones and works much faster than standard Android tools. It creates a direct Wi-Fi connection between devices, so that data transfer speeds do not depend on the speed of your ISP.

To get started, install the app on both phones. On the new Xiaomi, it is often built into the system and is in the Tools folder or available through settings when you first launch. On the old Android smartphone, you can download the app from the Google Play Store. Once you launch, select the device role: on the new phone, click "I am the recipient" and on the old one, "I am the sender."

The devices will find each other through scanning. QR-You'll be asked to select the type of data you want to transmit, and then you'll be asked to check the "Contacts" box, and you can also select the transmission of messages, the history of calls and photos, but for our task, a phone book is enough.

The copying process is done in the background, and the device screens can go out to save power — that's OK. Don't interrupt the connection or leave the application until the successful completion message appears. Once the procedure is over, all records will automatically appear in the standard Contacts app on your new Xiaomi.

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If Mi Mover is stuck in the device search phase, try temporarily disabling mobile internet (4G/5G) on both smartphones, leaving only the Wi-Fi module active.

Synchronization through Google account

The Android ecosystem is built around a Google account, and this is probably the most reliable way to save data forever. If your old phone has been synced, all contacts are already in the cloud. You just have to log in to the new device, which ensures that even if your phone is lost or broken, your phone book is safe.

To check the sync status on your old device, go to the settings and look for Accounts or Users and Accounts. Select your Google account and make sure the switch next to Contacts is active. If you see the Sync button, click on it to make sure the latest changes are in the cloud.

On the new Xiaomi, when you first set up, the system will prompt you to enter Google’s login and password. If you missed this step or reset your phone, add an account through the Settings menu → Accounts and Sync → Google. Once you enter the data, the system will automatically tighten all the saved contacts, which can take from a couple of minutes to an hour depending on the number of records.

It's important to understand the difference between storing contacts if the numbers on the old phone were stored in the device's memory or on the phone. SIM-If you're going to use the map, they won't go to the cloud automatically, you'll first need to copy them to your Google account through the contacts app on your old phone, using the "Export" or "Copy to your account" function».

Data transfer from SIM-maps and Bluetooth

Although modern smartphones have a huge memory, the method of transferring through the SIM-The card remains relevant to older models or situations where the Internet is not available, and this method has its limitations: usually only the name and number are copied, and photos and additional fields may be lost.

On an old Android device, open the contact app, go to settings, and select “Import/Export Contacts.” SIM-The system will warn you of possible loss of data (long names, email addresses), but for a simple list of numbers, this is permissible. SIM-Map and paste it into the new Xiaomi.

On the new device, the process is reversed. Go to the Contacts app, open the settings menu and select Import with SIM-The system will prompt you to select a save location - be sure to specify your Google account or phone memory so that you can sync in the future. SIM-A card in an old phone if you plan to use it.

Using Bluetooth to transfer contacts is possible, but it is extremely inefficient for large lists: You can only transfer contacts in one or small groups through the standard Share menu. To transfer hundreds of numbers, this method will take hours and require constant confirmation on both devices, making it impractical for a full migration.

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Method SIM-The card is suitable only for emergencies, as it does not save subscribers photos and additional data, cropping long names.

Work with vCard (.vcf) files and local storage

The universal format for storing contacts is the vCard file with the.vcf extension. This format is supported by almost all operating systems and email clients. The essence of the method is to create one common file with all contacts on the old phone and then import it on the new one.

To create a file on old Android, go to the contacts app, select the menu and click on Import/Export → Export to.vcf (or Export to Storage). The system will create a file, usually in the root folder or Contacts folder. This file can be transferred to the new Xiaomi in any convenient way: via messenger (Telegram, WhatsApp), via email or via Bluetooth.

Once you have a file on Xiaomi, just click on it. The system automatically recognizes the format and suggests importing the entries contained in it. You can choose which account or medium to save the data to, and it's a great way to make a local backup that you can store on your computer or flash drive.

The advantage of the method is that it is independent of network settings and accounts, and even if a Google account is blocked or there are network problems, the vCard file will allow you to restore access to numbers. SIM-with the card, with frequent export and import, duplicate records may occur, which will have to be manually cleaned.

Import from iCloud and other cloud services

Often, users switch to Android from iPhone, but sometimes the opposite is true, or the person has used Yandex, Samsung Cloud or other services. If your contacts are stored in iCloud, you can get them on Xiaomi by adding an iCloud account to the Accounts and Sync settings section. After authorization, you need to enable contact sync.

Similarly, Yandex.Mail or Samsung. If you've used a Samsung smartphone before, your contacts may have been saved in their cloud, sign up for a web version of the service, or add an account to Xiaomi's settings. The Android ecosystem allows you to connect a lot of third-party services to synchronize data.

For services that do not have direct integration, use the web interface. Go through the browser on the cloud service site (for example, iCloud.com or Yandex.Contacts), find the export function and download the file in.vcf or.csv. Then upload this file to your phone and import it with standard MIUI tools.

Removal of duplicates and sorting after transfer

After data migration, there is often a problem of duplicate records, this occurs when the same contact is stored in different sources (for example, in Google and on the Internet). SIM-card) or has been imported several times. MIUI HyperOS has built-in tools to address this problem, but sometimes manual intervention is required.

Open the Contacts app on Xiaomi, click three dots or a menu button, and select Contact Organization or Contact Management. There should be a Repeat Combination feature. The system will analyze the list and suggest combining the records with the same names or phone numbers.

Also worth checking your display settings. From the contacts menu, select Contacts to Display and make sure all the sources are marked. Sometimes users think contacts are lost even though they are simply hidden by the filter. Regular cleaning of the phone book helps avoid confusion in the future.

If duplicates are not automatically removed, you can use third-party apps to clean contacts from Google Play, which have more flexible comparison algorithms, but built-in MIUI tools usually solve 95% of duplicate problems.

Comparison of methods of transfer of contacts

The choice of method depends on your priorities: speed, Internet availability or the need to save advanced data. Below is a table that will help you quickly navigate and choose the best option for your situation.

As the comparison shows, Mi Mover and Google Sync are leaders in data functionality and security. SIM-The card should only be considered as a temporary or emergency solution. vCard files are good for making archival copies.

⚠️ Note: When using any transfer methods, make sure that the receiving device has enough free memory.Crowded storage can cause import error and damage to the contact database file.

⚠️ Warning: Never interrupt the sync or import process with a forced reboot of your phone, which can corrupt your contact database and make it extremely difficult to recover without a backup.

To conclude, switching to Xiaomi is a simple process if you approach it prepared: Choose the method that suits you, follow the instructions, and your phone book will be safe and sound on the new device.