Changing a smartphone is always an exciting process, often overshadowed by the fear of losing important data accumulated over the years, especially when a user moves from the Flyme OS ecosystem from Meizu to the current shells of MIUI or Xiaomi’s HyperOS. Although both systems are based on Android, their approaches to storing local data can differ significantly, which requires a careful approach to migration.
In this article, we’ll take a look at all the available methods for transferring your phone book so you can start using a new device without having to manually interrupt hundreds of numbers. Modern cloud technology allows you to do this in a couple of clicks, but there are also time-tested “offline” ways that will help in the absence of a stable Internet.
The choice of the specific method depends on the size of your database, the version of the operating system on your old device, and personal privacy preferences.We will look at both automated solutions from developers and the universal tools of Google that guarantee compatibility between any Android smartphones.
Preparing devices for data migration
Before the active phase of the transfer, you need to perform a number of preparatory actions that minimize the risk of loss of information. First of all, make sure that both the old Meizu and the new Xiaomi have a sufficient battery charge, preferably at least 60-70%.
It is also critical to check for free space in cloud storage if you plan to use a Google account or manufacturer's cloud.A phone book, even containing thousands of records, takes up minimal space, but if your account is crowded with photos and documents, sync may simply not start.
It is not superfluous to back up contacts in.vcf format right on the Meizu device before any manipulations, this will create a “rollback point” in case the automatic transfer scripts work incorrectly or duplicate records.
⚠️ Note: If your Meizu has custom firmware or a modified version of Flyme installed, standard export tools may not work well, in which case manual export to the file should be given priority.
☑️ Checklist before transfer
Method 1: Synchronize with a Google account
The most reliable and versatile method recommended by Android developers themselves is sync through a Google account, which is ideal for those who want contacts to automatically appear on any new device immediately after entering a username and password, regardless of the smartphone brand.
To implement this method on the old Meizu, you need to open your system settings and find the account section. Depending on the version of Flyme, the path can look like Settings → Accounts and Sync or Settings → Users and accounts. Here you need to select your Google account and make sure that the switch opposite to Contacts is activated.
Once synchronization is enabled, the system will prompt a forced update of the data. Press the appropriate button to initiate the transfer of all numbers to the cloud. The process can take from a few seconds to several minutes, depending on the speed of the Internet connection and the number of entries in the phone book.
On the new Xiaomi, you just need to log into the same Google account when you first set up or add it through the Settings → Accounts and Synchronization menu. The system will automatically pull up all saved numbers by distributing them in the appropriate fields (name, surname, company, additional number).
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If contacts didn’t appear immediately after sync is enabled, try tapping three dots in the corner in the Contacts app on Xiaomi and selecting Update or Sync Now.
Method 2: Use the Mi Mover application
Xiaomi has developed its own Mi Mover app, which is specifically designed to transfer data from other Android devices, including Meizu smartphones. This tool is good because it transmits data over a local Wi-Fi channel, without consuming mobile traffic and working faster than cloud synchronization with a large amount of data.
The process starts with installing the app on both devices. On Xiaomi, it is often built into the system and is located in the Tools folder or available through settings on the first run. On Meizu, you will need to download Mi Mover from the Google Play Market or the official MIUI website. Once you run the application on both smartphones, select the role of Sender on the old device and Receiver on the new one.
The devices will connect through QR-code or create a temporary Wi-Fi hotspot. In the Meizu phone's data selection menu, make sure to tick "Contacts." You can choose to move only numbers or copy as well. SMS, photos and installed applications, but for the purity of the experiment it is better to transfer only the necessary data.
The main advantage of Mi Mover is that it automatically recognizes the structure of the Flyme database and correctly converts it to a format understandable by MIUI or HyperOS, avoiding problems with encoding names (for example, when Krakozyabry appear instead of Russian letters).
What if the Mi Mover can’t see the device?
Method 3: Export and import via VCF file
The classic method, which works even without access to the Internet and accounts, is to manually export a phone book to a.vcf (vCard) file, which is especially relevant if you don’t have a Google account on your old phone or prefer to store data locally.
On a Meizu smartphone, open the standard Contacts app. In the management menu (usually called by clicking three dots or swiping), find Import/Export Contacts. Select Export to Internal Memory or Export to.vcf. The system will create a file that can be called contacts.vcf by default or have a name with a current date.
The file you receive must be transferred to the new Xiaomi, via Bluetooth, messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp), email, or simply copying the file to your computer and then to your new phone. Once the file is in Xiaomi’s memory, open the Contacts app, select Import/Export again, and specify the path to the saved.vcf file.
The system will offer to choose the place of preservation of imported numbers: in memory of the phone, on the SIM-For maximum security and ease of further use, it is recommended to choose saving to a Google account or device memory with subsequent synchronization.
| Method | Speed. | Internet dependency | The risk of doubles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Sync | Tall. | Required. | Low. |
| Mi Mover | Very high. | Not required (Wi-Fi Direct) | Minimum |
| VCF file | Medium | Not required | Medium (depending on settings) |
| SIM-map | Low. | Not required | Tall (name circumcision) |
Method 4: Transfer through SIM-map (reserve option)
Use of the SIM-The oldest and least recommended method of mapping as a storage medium, however, it remains the only working option in situations where the Meizu smartphone is broken, does not turn on completely, or software methods are blocked by antiviruses.
The main disadvantage of this method is the technical limitations of the SIM-It only stores the phone number and the name of the caller, often cutting down long names to the number of the caller. 10-15 And then you can use the symbols and completely ignore the extra fields, like email, address, photo, or second number, and the encoding of names when you move between different carriers or phones can get confusing.
To use this method, on Meizu you need to go to the contact settings, select "Import / Export" and specify "Export to the destination". SIM-Once the process is complete, remove the card and paste it into Xiaomi. From the new phone's contact menu, select "Import with". SIM-All numbers are copied to the memory of the device.
⚠️ Note: Before copying the SIM-Make sure to back up the contacts already stored on the card. SIM Often overwrites existing records and you may lose important numbers saved previously on the map.
Solving problems with coding and duplicates
After transferring contacts from Flyme to MIUI, users may face two main problems: incorrect display of Cyrillic (instead of names - question marks or characters) and the appearance of duplicate records. The encoding problem is usually solved by re-importing with the choice of the correct encoding if the importing application offers such a choice, or by editing the.vcf file on a computer in a text editor encoded with UTF-8.
Duplicate products are harder to fight, but modern Xiaomi shells have built-in cleaning tools. Open the Contacts app, go to the settings or management menu, and find the option “Clear duplicates” or “Combine repeat contacts.” The system will suggest automatically finding pairs with the same numbers and combining them into one card.
If automatic cleaning didn't work, you can use Google Contacts (contacts.google.com) via your browser on your computer, and there's a "Combine and Fix" feature that lets you see all the takes and combine them manually or automatically in a couple of clicks, which is especially useful if you've been migrating contacts in multiple ways at once.
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The cleanest result without duplicates and coding errors is the use of the Mi Mover application or synchronization through a Google account, since these methods take into account the structure of modern Android databases.