Buying a new smartphone like Xiaomi Redmi 10S, The most important part of any user's digital life is the phone book, which contains the numbers of friends, colleagues and emergency services. SIM-They need to be moved quickly and securely to the device’s internal memory or cloud account.
The import process on MIUI (or HyperOS) shell devices is as simple as possible for developers, but beginners may have difficulty finding the right menu. Unlike older push-button phones, modern smartphones require a choice of save location to avoid duplication or loss of data when changing operators. We will look at a step-by-step algorithm that allows you to save all records without errors.
It's worth noting that the Xiaomi Redmi 10S has enough internal storage, so it doesn't make sense to keep thousands of numbers on a plastic card with limited capacity. By transferring data, you not only protect it from physical loss of the SIM, but also access the extended fields to record contact information. Let's see how to do it correctly.
Preparation of SIM-card and data verification
Before you start copying directly, you need to make sure that the data source is intact. SIM-map 10S, Give the system a few seconds to recognize the network and read the data from the chip, sometimes contacts do not appear immediately if the card was transferred from another device with a non-standard encoding or recording structure.
Make sure that the card does have saved numbers, so you can temporarily install the SIM in any other phone or use the preview function in the import menu. SIM-The card has a limited amount of memory and often trims long names or does not support saving additional numbers (mobile, work, home) for a single record.
⚠️ Warning: Before any contact transactions are initiated, it is strongly recommended to back up your current phone book, even if it is empty, in case of an unforeseen system failure.
Also check if your Google or Mi Account is activated. Although they are not always required to import from a SIM, they will allow you to sync your data to the cloud immediately after copying. This is critical for security, since in the event of a loss or breakdown of the Xiaomi Redmi 10S, you can restore numbers to any other device in a couple of minutes.
Import contacts through the standard "Contacts" application
The main way to transfer data is built into the standard Contacts app, which is preinstalled on each Xiaomi Redmi 10S. This is the most reliable method that does not require installing third-party software. Open the application, find the menu icon (usually three horizontal bars or dots in the corner of the screen) and select Import Contacts.
The system will suggest that you choose the source of the data. SIM-Once you've selected the source, the phone can scan the contents of the chip for a while, MIUI will ask you which SIM to read the data from (SIM 1 SIM 2).
Next comes the critical step of choosing your destination, and you'll be offered a few options.
- 📱 Phone – Contacts will only be stored in the device memory.
- ☁️ Google numbers will go to the cloud and sync with your account.
- 📲 SIM-card – a copy will be recorded on another SIM (if supported).
You should choose a Google account because it provides cross-platform security, and if you choose Phone, the data will remain local, and once you select your destination, the system will show you the list of records you found, you can select all contacts at once, or you can check only the ones you want, and you can click Import or Copy, and the process will start.
☑️ Import verification
Alternative method through system settings
Sometimes a standard application may not work properly or the interface may differ in different versions of the firmware, in which case you can use the system settings of Xiaomi Redmi 10S. This method is deeper and allows you to manage contacts at the system level, bypassing some limitations of the application interface.
Go to the Settings menu, then scroll down to the App section, or search by settings by typing the word "Contacts." You need the Import and Export Contacts item, where the functionality duplicates the capabilities of the application, but sometimes works more stable with a lot of data.
In the menu that opens, select the option Import with SIM-The system will alert you that duplicates can be created if the numbers are already in memory. 10S It has a smart merger algorithm, but you better double-check the result.
⚠️ Note: When importing through system settings, do not extract SIM-the card until the operation is complete, otherwise the database file may be damaged.
Once the procedure is complete, it is recommended to restart the device, which will allow the system to fully index the new database and correctly display the callers ID names when incoming calls. If after the reboot you see empty fields or squares instead of letters, it may be a problem in the encoding, and you will need to manually import one contact.
Working with duplicates and combining records
A common problem when transferring data to a new smartphone is the appearance of duplicates. For example, the same number can be saved with both SIM and from the cloud, or one record can be in Russian and the other in English. Xiaomi Redmi 10S has a built-in tool to solve this problem.
Go to the Contacts app, click on the menu and select Contact Manager or Contact Management, and you will have the option to combine duplicates, and the system will automatically analyze the database, find matches by phone numbers, and suggest combining them into one card.
The process of integration is as follows:
- 🔍 The system scans the list and finds similar records.
- 🔄 You are shown a preview: what information will remain and what will be added.
- ✅ You confirm the action and the duplicates disappear, remaining in a single contact with the full story.
This is especially useful if you have used different phones and synced with different services before. Contacts are merged on Xiaomi at the SQLite database level, so changes are instant and visible in all applications using the phonebook. Don't ignore this step, as a cluttered contact book makes it difficult to find and dial.
What to do if contacts are not combined?
Synchronization with Google and Mi Cloud
After successful transfer of contacts with SIM-maps on Xiaomi Redmi 10S, It is important to set up their backup, which will protect you from data loss in the future. Owners of Xiaomi devices have dual protection: sync through Google Contacts and through the cloud service Mi Cloud.
To set up Google sync, go to Settings → Accounts and Sync. Find your Google account and make sure the switch opposite Contacts is active. Now any changes you make to your phone book will automatically fly to the cloud.
Table of comparison of methods of storage of contacts:
| Parameter | SIM-map | Phone memory | Google Account |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | Low (250-500 entries) | High (thousands of records) | Limited to Google Drive only |
| Supplementary fields | Name and number only | Photo, email, address, notes | Full support for all fields |
| Security | Low (risk of card loss) | Medium (depending on the phone) | High (access from any device) |
| Speed. | Slow search | Quick search | Instant synchronization |
Using Mi Cloud is relevant if you are deeply integrated into the Xiaomi ecosystem. However, for most users, the Android + Google bundle is more versatile, as it makes it easy to transfer contacts not only to another Android, but also to, for example, iPhones in the future.
💡
Use the contacts.google.com web interface to quickly edit your contacts from your computer, and the changes will instantly affect your Xiaomi Redmi 10S with the Internet.
Possible problems and ways to solve them
Despite the simplicity of the procedure, users may face a number of difficulties, and one of the most common problems is that contacts were imported but displayed in "krakozera" or instead of letters are question marks, which indicates a problem with encoding, especially if the SIM card was used in older phones.
In this case, you can try changing the input language or encoding in the system language settings, but more often the following method helps: export contacts to the.vcf file through the import/export menu, and then import this file again by choosing the correct encoding (usually UTF-8).
Another common issue is that the phone does not see contacts on the phone. SIM-Make sure that you have a map:
- 📶 SIM-card correctly installed in the slot.
- 🔒 Card not blocked PIN-code (or code entered).
- 📂 Contacts are actually saved on a map, not in the memory of an old phone.
⚠️ Note: If the import process is delayed 99%, Don't panic or reboot your phone right away. 5-10 With a lot of records, the system can handle the request for a long time.
Also worth mentioning is the problem with photos. SIM-Contact photos are not transferred because the technical standard SIM-The cards do not support storing graphic images. Photos will have to be added manually or wait for them to download from the social network or messenger during synchronization.
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The most reliable way to avoid encoding and data loss problems is to regularly export contacts to a.vcf file and store it on an external medium or in the cloud.