Transfer contacts to Xiaomi via Google account: Full instructions

Changing smartphones, especially the Xiaomi brand, often raises concerns about privacy. The most valuable information for most users is the phone book, the loss of which can lead to serious communication problems. Fortunately, the Android ecosystem is designed to minimize risks by providing powerful cloud storage tools.

The most reliable and versatile way to migrate data is to use a Google account, which does not require the installation of third-party programs, cables or complex Bluetooth connection configurations, but takes place in the background, ensuring the integrity of numbers, names and additional fields.

In this article, we will discuss in detail the synchronization mechanism that allows you to transfer contacts from any Android device to the new Xiaomi smartphone (Redmi, POCO), you will learn how to properly adjust saving priorities and solve typical problems that arise when exchanging data between the corporation’s servers.

Preparing the old device for synchronization

The first and most important step is to check the status of contacts on your current smartphone. SIM-maps or locally in the device's memory, making them invisible to cloud services.

Open the Contacts or Phone app on your old device and go to settings. Find the contact management section and check where it is saved. If you see the option to Copy Contacts or Move Contacts, select it and target your Google account.

⚠️ Note: Do not try to transfer contacts through SIM-The limit of the characters in the name on the SIM is limited, and long names can be cropped, and special characters can be lost.

Once you have selected a save target, the system will suggest combining duplicates or simply copying the data. Select the Gmail account you plan to use on your new Xiaomi phone. Make sure the device is connected to a Wi-Fi network, as uploading data to the cloud may require traffic.

• 📱 Open your contact settings on your old phone.
• ☁️ Select the option “Sync Now” or “Copy to Google Account».
• ✅ Check that the switch opposite the Gmail box is activated.
• 🔄 Wait for the message of successful completion of the download.

Your data is now securely stored on Google servers, and you can check it at any time by logging into contacts.google.com from your computer, which ensures that even if your old phone is physically broken, the information will not be lost.

Setting up a Google account on a Xiaomi smartphone

After switching on the new Xiaomi smartphone and going through the initial language and region setting, the system will prompt you to log in. Entering a password from your Google account at this stage will automatically start the data recovery process, including contacts, calendar and notes.

If you missed this step or want to add a second account, go to the Settings menu.Look for Accounts and Sync (in some versions of MIUI or HyperOS, it may simply be called “Accounts”).Click Add Account and select the Google logo.

Enter your login and password. Once you've logged in, the system will ask you what data to sync with, make sure that the slider opposite the "Contacts" item is on, and that's the parameter that's responsible for loading the phonebook from the cloud into the device's memory.

It’s important to understand the difference between on-premises storage and cloud storage. When synchronized, any change you make on your Xiaomi phone will automatically be reflected in the cloud and on all other devices that log in to that account, creating a single information environment.

⚠️ Warning: When logging into a Google account on someone else’s or temporary device, always turn on two-factor authentication and do not save a password in your browser unless you own the gadget.

Automatically loading contacts

Once synchronization is activated, the Xiaomi phone starts the background data loading, which depends on the number of contacts and the speed of the Internet connection, usually loading several hundred numbers takes less than a minute.

To force the process to start, go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google. Click on your account name to reveal the list of services. Find Contacts and make sure the switch is green. If it is already on, turn it off and turn it on again to reset the error.

At the bottom of the sync screen, you often see the time of the last successful upload or download, and if it says "just" or the current time, it's a success, and if you see an error icon or a long wait, check the stability of the Internet connection.

Once the procedure is complete, open the standard Caller or Contacts app on your Xiaomi. swipe down the list to update it. All numbers saved previously on the old device should appear in alphabetical order.

Manual import and export via VCF file

In some cases, automatic synchronization may not work due to software failures or network problems.An alternative and very reliable method is manual transfer through a.vcf file. This format is a universal standard for exchanging contact information.

On an older device, go to the contacts app, select a menu (three dots or bars) and find “Import/Export contacts.” Select “Export to.vcf” or “Export to drive.” The system will create a file that can be transferred via Bluetooth, messenger or saved to cloud storage.

Once you have a file on a Xiaomi smartphone (for example, by sending it to yourself via Telegram or Mi Drop), just click on it. The system automatically recognizes the format and prompts you to import data. You will be asked to choose a save location: it is recommended to choose your Google account, not your phone memory.

Using a.vcf file is especially useful if you are transferring contacts from a device that is not able to log into your Google account, or if you want to back up "just in case." The file can be saved to your computer and archived.

Resolving duplicate problems

A common problem when changing phones or re-syncing is the appearance of duplicate records, which can occur if contacts were stored in both the phone's memory and Google account, and then the system combined them incorrectly. Xiaomi smartphones have a built-in tool to solve this problem.

Open the Contacts app, click on the management menu, and select Contact Management (or Contact Management). Find the Combine Duplicates function. The system will analyze the list and suggest combining entries with the same numbers or names.

You can choose to automatically merge all the matches you find, or you can manually review them, and be careful when you manually merge them, and check if important details, such as your email address or your contact photo, are lost when you merge the cards.

Once you clear the list, remember to start syncing again so that the changes can be applied to the cloud, which will prevent duplicates from appearing the next time you log in to your account on any device.

Setting up display and sorting on Xiaomi

Once the data is successfully transferred, contacts may not appear the way you normally would. You can flexibly configure the list in the MIUI or HyperOS shell, go to the Contacts settings and find the Contacts Display section.

You can select this by name or surname, and you can only display your phone contacts or any existing records, and if you can't see some numbers, check if certain accounts are hidden in the same menu.

⚠️ Note: If you use multiple Google accounts, make sure that the display settings tick “All contacts”, otherwise part of the phone book may be hidden from view.

You can also customize the format of the name in the call list, and for Russian-speaking users, the "Name of the Name" format is often more convenient, whereas in some Western regions, the reverse order is adopted, and the changes apply instantly to the entire phone book.

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Use the Favorites feature in Xiaomi contacts to pin frequently used numbers in the widget on the home screen, which will speed up dialing in emergency situations.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

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Regularly checking Google Contacts cloud storage is the best way to prevent number loss when changing devices.