How to transfer contacts to Xiaomi Redmi 9: all proven methods

Changing your smartphone, especially to a new model like the Xiaomi Redmi 9, is always a thrill, but it also brings the need to migrate data. The most important asset for any user is not photos or apps, but a phone book containing hundreds of numbers of colleagues, friends and delivery services. Losing even one important contact can be a serious problem, so how to transfer contacts from your phone to another Xiaomi Redmi 9 phone is at the top of the list of tasks in the initial setup.

Fortunately, the Android ecosystem and the brand shell MIUI They offer a lot of tools to automate this process, making it fast and safe, so you don't have to manually interrupt numbers at the risk of making a mistake, or look for complex third-party programs. Modern methods allow you to copy the entire list in a couple of minutes using Google cloud services, local transfer over Wi-Fi or even good old-fashioned data. SIM-base-number.

In this guide, we will take a closer look at each method available, evaluate their pros and cons, and look at the common mistakes users face, and learn not only to import data, but also to properly configure synchronization so that in the future your contacts are always safe, regardless of the state of the device itself.

Preparation of devices before the migration

Before you start directly copying data, you need to make sure that both the old and the new Redmi 9 are ready to work. The basic requirement for most modern methods is a stable connection to the Wi-Fi network, since transferring large amounts of data over the mobile Internet can be slow and costly. It is also critical to monitor the battery level: it is recommended that both smartphones have at least 50-60% of power, so that the process is not interrupted halfway due to discharge.

Special attention should be paid to cleaning the phone book on the old device from duplicates. Often the same number is saved several times with different names or recording formats, which after transfer will create chaos in the new address book.

⚠️ Note: If you are planning to use SIM-A portable card, remember that it has a limited amount of memory and often crops long names or does not save additional fields such as an email or address.

Make sure that both devices are enabled with Bluetooth and geolocation if you plan to use “over the air” transmission methods, as some protocols require activation to detect devices. Also check that the new Xiaomi has enough free space, although contacts take up a minimum of space, system processes may require a buffer zone.

Syncing with a Google account: the most reliable method

The most versatile and recommended way to migrate is to use Google Contacts cloud storage.This method is ideal in that it doesn’t tie you to a particular smartphone brand; you can transfer data from an iPhone, Samsung, Huawei or any other Android device to the Xiaomi Redmi 9. The essence of the method is that all numbers are not stored on the device, but are tied to your Gmail account.

To start with, you need to open your settings on your old phone, find the Accounts or Users and Accounts section, and select your Google profile. Make sure the slider opposite Contacts is activated, and press the sync button. If you use an iPhone, you will need to pre-installe the Google Contacts app from the App Store and log in to download all the numbers from iCloud or phone memory.

Once you have made sure that the data is updated in the cloud, proceed to the setting Redmi 9. When you first turn on or through the Settings menu → Accounts and Sync, add the same Google account. The system automatically prompts you to sync the data, and in a few minutes your entire phone book will appear in the Contacts app.

The main advantage of this approach is security, because even if you lose your phone or it gets crashed, your contacts stay intact in the cloud, just type in your login and password on any new device, and the phonebook will recover instantly, making Google synchronization the only way to guarantee that you'll be able to save data when the device is completely broken.

Using the Mi Mover app to transition to Android

If your previous phone also ran on Android, Xiaomi offers a native and very fast solution, the Mi Mover app, which is often pre-installed on new Redmi devices, but can also be downloaded from Google Play to an older device, which allows you to transfer not only contacts, but also photos, music, apps and even system settings over a direct Wi-Fi connection.

The process starts with running the app on both smartphones. On the new Xiaomi Redmi 9, you choose the role of "I am the recipient," and on the old device, you choose the role of "I am the sender." QR-You can use code or manually connect to a Wi-Fi network you've created, you can open a data selection menu, and you can set up what you want to move in detail by selecting contacts or adding media to them.

The speed of transmission via Mi Mover is much higher than through Bluetooth, because it uses a local Wi-Fi channel, the process is fully automated: once the copy is completed, the system will allocate the numbers to the correct fields, which is especially convenient if you need to transfer contacts with large avatars or en notes.

It is important to note that while Mi Mover is running, the device screens may go out, but it is not recommended to interrupt the process.The application will create a temporary tunnel between the gadgets, and the connection break may require restart procedures. However, unlike cloud methods, Internet traffic is not consumed here, which makes the method cost-effective.

Transfer contacts from iPhone to Xiaomi Redmi 9

Apple iPhone owners who choose to switch to Android don't have to worry about losing their phonebook. Although ecosystems vary, the mechanism for moving contacts has been fine-tuned for years and works flawlessly. The easiest way for Apple users to also use a Google account, but there are also specific nuances to working with iOS.

On iPhone, go to Settings → Contacts → Accounts. If you already have a Google account, select it and make sure the Contacts switch is green. If you don't have an account, add it to Add Account. Once synced, the iPhone will send all the numbers to Google's servers, from where they will instantly reach your new Redmi 9 when you log in to the same account.

Alternatively, using Move to iOS backwards doesn't work, but you can use third-party tools or export through iCloud. Go to iCloud.com from your computer, select Contacts, select everything (Ctrl+A) and export in vCard (.vcf) format. This file can be transferred to your phone and opened, the system will suggest importing the data.

⚠️ Note: When migrating from iPhone to Android, specific fields such as “sound name” or some types of social profiles may not be saved, as the structure of the iOS database is different from Android.

After successful importation, Xiaomi recommends checking the formatting of numbers.Sometimes iPhone numbers come with country code at the beginning, which can create duplicates with local numbers. Xiaomi's contact app has a function of combining duplicates to help clean up the order.

Local import via VCF and Bluetooth file

The classic method that helps when there is no Internet or account problems is to transfer a backup file. On Android, contacts can be exported to a.vcf (vCard) file. This file is a text list of all your records, which can be transferred in any convenient way: via Bluetooth, messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp) or copy through the Internet. USB-computer-mount.

To create such a file on an old phone, open the Contacts app, click on the menu (three dots or bars) and select Import/Export Contacts. Then select Export to File.vcf or Export to Storage. The system will create a file, usually at the root of the memory or Contacts folder, which you then need to transfer to Xiaomi Redmi 9.

The file you get on the new phone is easy enough to open, and the system recognizes the format and starts the import wizard, and you can choose which account to save the data to: in memory of the phone, on the phone. SIM-Google Map or Google: It is recommended to choose a Google account for automatic sync in the future.

This is a great way to do this: almost every phone, including Nokia and Sony Ericsson, understands the.vcf file. If you have a very old phone, it probably can send business cards in that format via Bluetooth. It can take time if you have thousands of contacts, because Bluetooth is slow.

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Save the file.vcf to a cloud drive or send it to an email, which will create an additional backup that can be used even after a few years.

Work with SIM-map: copying and restrictions

The oldest and most “iron-concrete” method is physical transfer. SIM-Many users still store numbers on a card chip, believing that it is more reliable than the cloud. SIM-From the old phone to the new Redmi 9, you will get access to your numbers right away, but with important caveats.

The problem is that modern smartphones often default to retain new contacts in the memory of the phone or the cloud, ignoring the new ones. SIM. To see numbers from the SIM on Xiaomi, you need to go to the Contacts app, select the display settings and enable the display of contacts from the SIM-But just inserting a SIM is not enough to make a full database transfer.

To fully transfer the numbers from SIM-cards to internal memory or cloud of new phone, use import function. In the contact menu, select Import/Export → Import with SIM-The system will tell you to choose a destination, and then all the numbers will be copied to the memory of the device, and SIM-The card can be used as a normal communication module.

As you can see from the table, SIM-The card is the least functional way in the world today, and it doesn't save extra numbers, addresses, emails, and most importantly, contact photos. Use this method only as a temporary solution or if other methods are not available.

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SIM-card is suitable only for basic numbers, but for a full migration with photos and additional fields, it is better to use cloud synchronization or Mi Mover.

Solutions and duplicates

After transferring contacts to Xiaomi Redmi 9, users often face the problem of duplication, which occurs when the same contact is saved on Google, on the phone, and on the phone. SIM-map. MIUI has a built-in tool to combat this: in the Contacts app, click on the menu and select Organizer or Contact Management, then Combine Repetitives".

Another common problem is that no photos are available from contacts after transfer, which happens if you used the method of exporting to vCard without attaching photos or transferring data via SIM, in which case only manual addition or re-synchronization through Google will help if the original photos were there.

If the contacts are gone after the transfer, don't panic. They're probably just hidden by the filter. Go to the contact display settings and make sure you've selected "All contacts" or the account you've been sending them to. Also check the Recycle Bin folder in the Google Contacts app, where you can recover the deleted ones from the last 30 days.

Now that you know all the ways to transfer contacts from your phone to another Xiaomi Redmi 9 phone, you can choose the one that is most suitable for your situation. Whether it is a quick migration via Mi Mover or reliable synchronization via Google, your data will be safe.