How to transfer contacts from one phone to Xiaomi Redmi: all ways

Changing a smartphone is often stressful because of the risk of losing important data, and the first thing users worry about is the phone book. Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi devices have several effective tools for quickly cloning records, but the choice of method depends on the operating system of the old device and the amount of information. Modern shells MIUI and HyperOS offer built-in solutions that avoid manual reprinting of numbers and complex manipulation of files.

The data migration process has become much easier in recent years, but it’s important to understand the difference between simply copying numbers and fully syncing profiles. If you’re switching from Android to Android, it’s a matter of minutes, whereas iPhone owners will have to use third-party utilities or cloud services. In this article, we’ll break down all the current methods so you can choose the most suitable for your situation.

Before you start active, make sure that both devices are at least 50-60% charged, as active data transfer can significantly consume energy. It is also recommended to check the availability of free space on the new device, although contacts occupy minimal memory. Backup is a gold standard security that should never be ignored before starting any system changes.

Using the Mi Mover app for fast transfer

The most convenient and native way for users of the Xiaomi ecosystem is the Mi Mover app, which is pre-installed on most devices or available in the GetApps store. This tool allows you to transfer not only contacts, but also photos, applications, system settings and even placement of icons on the desktop. To start work, you need to run the application on both devices: on the old phone you choose the role of “Sender”, and on the new Redmi – “Recipient”.

After the scan. QR-If you have a code or a connection through a Wi-Fi network you're building, you'll have to choose the types of data you want to transfer, and you'll need to be careful, because you can default to heavy files that you don't need right now. You can deselect everything superfluous, leaving only the “Contacts” item to speed up the process and save traffic if the transfer is over a mobile network, although the application prefers a local connection.

You should pay special attention to contact formats, if the old device has numbers saved in the format. SIM-The card, the application may suggest first importing them into the phone's memory for proper processing. Name conflicts or duplicates may occur if you have previously tried to sync data from another source, so it is recommended to conduct a phone book audit after the process is completed.

⚠️ Note: Do not interrupt the data transfer process or block smartphone screens while Mi Mover is running, as this may cause file damage or synchronization to freeze.

Synchronization through Google account

The most universal method, independent of the smartphone brand, is synchronization through the Google Contacts cloud service. This method is ideal if you go from any Android device or even from an iPhone (when you install the Google application), the essence of the method is that all contacts are uploaded to the servers of the corporation and automatically appear on the new device immediately after entering the username and password.

To implement this plan on an old phone, you need to go to your Google account settings and make sure that the slider opposite the Contacts item is active and is blue. If you haven't synced in a long time, click three dots in the corner of the screen and select Sync Now, which ensures that the most current version of the phone book is sent to the cloud before you change device.

On the new Xiaomi Redmi, the process is even easier: when you first set up the system, you will be asked to log in to your existing Google account. Once you have successfully logged in, the system will prompt you to restore data from the backup. If the phone is already configured, just go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google and turn on the desired switch.

• 📲 Advantages of the method: contacts are available from any device through a browser, including a computer.
• 🔄 Automation: Any changes to one device are instantly displayed on all other devices.
• 🛡️ Security: Data will not be lost even if your smartphone is physically damaged or stolen.

It's important to understand that this method requires a stable Internet connection, and if you have thousands of contacts, it can take a few minutes to load the initial download, and it's also worth considering that Google can combine duplicate records if it finds the same numbers with different names, which sometimes leads to an unexpected result.

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Google sync is the only way to ensure that your contacts are safe even if your physical device is completely lost or broken.

Transfer contacts from iPhone (iOS) to Xiaomi

iPhone owners who decide to switch to Android will need a slightly different approach, since direct synchronization of iCloud with MIUI is impossible without intermediaries. The easiest way is to use the application “Move to iOS” in the opposite direction will not work, so we will use the standard export through the settings of the iPhone itself or third-party utilities.

The first option is to use iCloud. Go to iPhone in Settings → [Your name] → iCloud and make sure the Contacts switch is on. Then go to iCloud.com on your computer, log in and select all the records under Contacts (click Ctrl+A or Cmd+A). On the screen, find the gear icon and select Export vCard. The resulting.vcf file will need to be transferred to the new phone.

The second option is to use the application “Move data” from Xiaomi to the iPhone, if it is available in the App Store, or use the function “Import contacts with the iPhone”. SIM-maps" if you pre-copyed numbers to the SIM via your iPhone settings (Settings) → Phone. → Import with SIM-However, formatting names when copying into SIM It is often affected, so the vCard method is preferable.

Once you receive a file.vcf on Xiaomi, simply open it through the file manager. The system automatically recognizes the format and prompts you to import entries to your chosen account (Google or Mi Account), which is the most reliable way to save the name structure and additional fields, such as email addresses.

Import and export via VCF file

VCF (vCard) is a universal standard for sharing contact information between platforms and devices, and is indispensable if you don’t have access to the Internet for cloud sync, or if you want to make a local backup before flashing or resetting your settings.

To create such a file on an old Android smartphone, open the Contacts app, click on the menu (three dots or bars) and select Import/Export Contacts. In the menu that appears, select Export to File.vcf or Export to Storage Device. The system will create a file, commonly called contacts.vcf or 00001.vcf, that will contain all the selected records.

Transfer of the file to the new Redmi can be carried out in any convenient way: via Bluetooth, instant messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp), email or USB-The key is not to open the file as text, but to import it. On the new device, find the file in the download folder or Download, click on it and confirm the import.

⚠️ Note: When importing a large file VCF (over 1000 contacts) the process can take up to a few minutes.Do not try to open the file in the text editor during import, this can cause an application error.

This method is also convenient because it makes it easy to combine contacts from different devices. You can collect files from an old phone, tablet and working SIM card, and import them sequentially to a new device. Xiaomi will automatically offer to combine duplicates if you find the same numbers.

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When exporting contacts, choose saving the device in memory, not on the device. SIM-card to keep full names, photos and additional numbers (fax, work, home).

Work with SIM-map: limitations and opportunities

Use of the SIM-Contact card is a "grandfather" method that still has a right to life, especially when switching from push-button phones or very old smartphones.

The main problem is the amount of data. SIM-The card often limits the length of the contact name. 10-15 It does not support saving photos, email addresses or multiple numbers for a single contact. SIM The long name may be cut off, and the second number simply will not be recorded.

Insert the transfer to perform SIM-card in the old phone, go to contacts and select "Copy contacts on the SIM-After that, move the SIM to the new Xiaomi. In the contact app, select the "Import Contacts" menu and specify the source"SIM-The system will copy the data into internal memory.

• 📉 Quality: Additional fields and photos will be lost.
• ⏳ Speed: Slow process with a large number of records.
• ✅ Availability: Works even on devices without internet and Bluetooth.

It is recommended to use this method only as a temporary solution or as a last resort. After importing, be sure to check the phone book: chances are many names will be cropped, and numbers can be broken down into several separate contacts with postscripts (2), (3), etc.

Removing duplicates and cleaning the phone book

After transferring contacts from different sources (SIM, Google, old phone), there is often a problem of duplication of records. The same person can be listed three times: as Ivan, Ivan Ivanov and Ivan. MIUI and HyperOS have built-in tools to solve this problem.

Go to the Contacts app, click on the menu and select Contact Management or Contact Management, and it will be "Connect Repeated Contacts," and it will analyze the list, find the matches by phone number, and suggest that you combine them into one card, so you can clean the list and make it neat.

It’s also worth checking where new contacts are saved. By default, Xiaomi can offer to save them to your phone’s memory or to your Mi Account. The best thing to do is change the default settings to save to your Google Account" →"Account to save and enter your Google profile.

In conclusion, moving contacts to Xiaomi Redmi is a simple procedure, if you choose the right tool. For most users, the best solution is a bundle of Google Account and Mi Mover, which ensures maximum data and multimedia content security. Don’t neglect to check the migration results to make sure that all the important numbers are at hand.