Changing your smartphone is always accompanied by a desire to start using a new device as quickly as possible without wasting time on routine operations. The most critical stage of migration for most users is to save the phone book, because losing important numbers can lead to serious inconveniences in work and personal life. Fortunately, the Android ecosystem and Xiaomi’s MIUI or HyperOS proprietary shells offer many built-in tools for quickly copying data.
There are several proven methods, each with its own advantages depending on the condition of the old device and the availability of an Internet connection.You can use cloud services, direct Wi-Fi connection, Bluetooth or even physical data transfer from the Internet. SIM-In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available methods so that you can choose the most suitable for your situation and guaranteed to save all records.
Whether you’re switching from another smartphone to Android or changing an old Xiaomi model to a new one, the process usually takes no more than a few minutes with the right approach.It’s important to pre-prepared both devices by checking battery power and network connection stability if it’s required for the chosen synchronization method.
Using the Mi Mover application for direct transmission
The most efficient and quick way to migrate data between smartphones is to use the proprietary Mi Mover application. This tool is pre-installed on most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, and for other Android smartphones it can be downloaded free of charge from the Google Play store. The main advantage of the method is to create a direct Wi-Fi connection between devices, which provides high transfer speeds without the consumption of mobile traffic.
The process starts with running the app on both phones, and on the new device you choose the Reciever role, and on the old one, the Sender. QR-If you have a code or manual connection to the network you've created, you can choose the types of data you want to transfer, and you can also see the contacts, but you can also see the messages, the photos, the applications, and the settings.
⚠️ Warning: Make sure the screens of both smartphones don’t go out during the process, as some Android models may break the Wi-Fi connection when going to sleep to save energy.
If the old phone doesn't have a built-in Mi Mover, it only takes a couple of minutes to install it, and once it's done, all the records will be automatically distributed in the appropriate fields in the phone book of the new device, ideal for those who want to clone the old phone into a new one-for-one.
☑️ Check before launching the Mi Mover
Synchronization through Google account
The most reliable and versatile method that works even when an old device is lost or broken is sync via the Google Contacts cloud. If your previous smartphone had sync enabled, all numbers are already saved in the cloud and ready to be downloaded to any new Android. This is a fundamental ecosystem feature that no smartphone owner should ignore.
To activate this method on the new Xiaomi phone, you need to log in to the same Google account that was used on the old device. Once authorized, the system will automatically prompt you to sync the data. If this does not happen, you need to manually check the settings: go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google and make sure that the switch opposite to Contacts is active.
It's important to understand where the numbers are stored. MIUI The default is to save to a Google account, which is best practice, but if your records are stored in your phone's memory or on your phone, it's not a bad thing. SIM-map, they must be pre-imported to the Google account on the old device through the “Contact” app».
- 📲 Open the Contacts app on your old phone.
- 🔄 Click on the settings menu and select “Import/Export».
- ☁️ Select the option “Import from your phone memory” and specify your Google account as your destination.
- ✅ Wait for the synchronization to be completed by checking the status in the account settings.
This method ensures that your phone book is accessible not only on your phone, but also through a web interface from any computer, especially for editing large lists or recovering data in case of an emergency.
What to do if your contacts are not synchronized?
Transfer through SIM-map
Use of the SIM-The old school is still relevant, especially if you want to move contacts from a button phone or device without the support of modern cloud services: SIM-The card usually stores only a name and one number, cropping off additional data such as email addresses, photos and second numbers.
The process starts with the old device: you need to open the contact application, find the export function and select "Copy on the device". SIM-The system will warn you about the possible loss of some data, because the format SIM-The map is limited. SIM-map to the new Xiaomi smartphone.
On the new device, open the Contacts app, go to settings and select Import with SIM-You will be asked to choose a place to save: it is recommended to choose a Google account or phone memory immediately, so that in the future it does not depend on a physical card.
| Parameter | SIM-map | Google Account | VCF file |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photo preservation | No. | Yes. | Yes. |
| Several rooms. | No (usually 1) | Yes. | Yes. |
| Network dependency | No. | Internet is required | No. |
| Limit of symbols in a name | Restricted (10-14) | No. | No. |
Use this method only in extreme cases when other options are not available. To fully use the capabilities of the smartphone Xiaomi is better immediately after importing to switch to cloud storage.
Export and import via VCF file
The universal format for exchanging contacts is a file. VCF (This method allows you to back up the entire phone book as a single file, which can be transmitted in any convenient way: via instant messengers, Bluetooth, email or USB-This is a great option if you want to transfer contacts to a phone that is not yet configured or has no Internet access.
On your old device, go to the Contacts app, open the management menu, and select Export Contacts. The system will prompt you to save the file to internal memory. Once you create the contacts.vcf file (or similar name), transfer it to your new Xiaomi smartphone.
⚠️ Note: When transferring a file via messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram), make sure that you send the file, not the attached contact, to save all the data in one archive for mass import.
On the receiving device, you just open the file you receive. Android automatically recognizes the format and prompts you to import the records. You can choose which account or which one to which. SIM-This is also a useful method for creating local backups before resetting your settings.
Synchronization with your Mi Cloud account
Xiaomi device owners have access to their own cloud service, Mi Cloud, which is deeply integrated into the system shell, which is especially effective if you move from one Xiaomi smartphone to another, as it allows you to synchronize not only contacts, but also system settings, notes and voice recordings.
To work, you need to create or log in to an existing Mi Account on both devices. On your old phone, go to Settings → Mi Account → Sync and make sure the slider opposite Contact is on. Click Sync to upload data to the cloud.
On the new device, sign in with the same login. When you first set up, the system will suggest you recover data from the cloud. If the phone is already configured, just turn on sync in the same account settings. Mi Cloud speeds may vary in some regions, so with large amounts of data, the process can take longer than local transmission.
The advantage of using Mi Cloud is the ability to manage contacts through the i.mi.com web interface, where a convenient editor is available to merge duplicates and recover deleted entries from the cart over the past 30 days.
Solutions and duplicates
After the contacts are transferred, users often face the problem of duplicate records, where the same contact is displayed several times.This happens if the records were saved in different places (for example, part on SIM, part on Google) and when imported were not combined. Xiaomi phones have a built-in tool to solve this problem.
Open the Contacts app, click on the menu (three dots or bars) and select Contact Organization or Contact Management. Find Repeated Contacts Combination. The system will analyze the phone book and suggest lists of take to merge. You can combine them one or all at once.
- 🧹 Clean your contacts regularly to avoid confusion.
- 💾 Always check which account has new numbers.
- 🔒 Export to the file periodically VCF locally.
If contacts are not displayed correctly after transfer (for example, instead of numbers), check the file encoding when importing or try re-entering your Google account. In rare cases, cleaning the Contacts cache through the app settings menu helps.
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Save your contacts directly to your Google account so that whenever you change your phone or reset your phone book, your phone book will be automatically restored immediately after you enter your login and password.
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The most reliable way is to combine Mi Mover for quick initial migration and constant background synchronization through Google Account.