Xiaomi smartphone owners often have to move the phone book when changing devices or switching from Android to a button phone. Despite the fact that modern cloud services make data synchronization almost invisible, physical copying of records on the phone is not easy to see. SIM-This is especially important for those who do not trust cloud storage or want to have a backup of numbers always at hand, regardless of the status of the Google account.
The procedure for copying on devices with a shell MIUI or HyperOS has its own features that differ from pure Android. The interface may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the logic of actions remains the same. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to export data, what are the limitations on the amount of memory of the SIM card, and what to do if standard methods do not work.
It is worth noting that saving contacts directly to the SIM card has a number of technical limitations that you need to know about before starting the procedure. Unlike internal memory or the cloud, the SIM card chip has a small volume and an outdated file system, which can lead to the trimming of long names or loss of information during transfer.
Preparation for data transfer and compatibility check
Before you start active, you need to make sure that your SIM card is ready to record information. Modern carriers usually provide cards with enough memory, but old samples can be limited to only 50-100 entries. It is also important to check whether the SIM card in the slot is correctly defined, especially if you use dual-sim devices.
You should determine where your numbers are stored in advance. Xiaomi smartphones often sync with your Mi or Google account by default, and they may not be physically stored on the device. To successfully transfer to the SIM card, data must be available in the phone’s local storage.
- 📱 Make sure that the SIM card is installed in the active slot and is determined by the system.
- ☁️ Check the current room storage location in the Contacts app settings».
- 🔋 Charge the device to minimum 30-40%, to avoid resetting the settings when discharged.
- 📶 Make sure there is free space on the SIM card for new entries.
⚠️ Note: When transferring to a SIM card, additional contact fields such as email, address, photo and multiple phone numbers for a single name may be lost.
If you plan to transfer a large number of records, it makes sense to pre-clean the phone book of duplicates, which will speed up the process and reduce the risk of errors when writing to the chip. Xiaomi's built-in tools allow you to quickly find and combine repetitive contacts.
Standard method of copying through the “Contacts” application
The easiest and most common way to migrate data is to use the regular functionality of the Contacts or Phone application, which is quite functional in the MIUI shell and allows you to manage imports and exports without installing third-party software. The algorithm of actions may vary slightly depending on the version of the system, but the overall path remains the same.
To start, open the Contacts app. You need to access the management menu, which is usually hidden behind a three-point button or a gear settings. Depending on the regional version of the firmware (Global, China, EEA), the interface can be called Settings or Contact Management.
Next, you should select "Import/Export contacts" and the system will suggest you to choose the direction of data movement. SIM-map or "copy on" SIM-The system will automatically determine which source to take data from (usually a “phone memory” or a “Google account»).
☑️ Algorithm of action
Once you select a source, you'll be asked to mark specific contacts or select all at once. If you want to copy the entire phone book, use the "Select All" function. Then click "Export" or "Copy" button. The process can take anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes depending on the number of records.
- 📂 Open the Contacts app on the home screen.
- ⚙️ Go to the settings menu through the gear icon or tripod.
- 📲 Select the item "Import / Export contacts».
- 💾 Click "Export on" SIM-map and confirm the action.
It is important to understand that the copying process does not delete the originals from the phone's memory. The data is duplicated, so you can rest assured that the information in the main storage of the device is safe. Once the operation is completed, the system will notify you of a successful export or report errors if any contacts were not recorded.
Using the system settings menu to manage SIM
Sometimes, the standard Contacts app may not work properly or have a stripped-down functionality in certain firmware versions, so you can use the system settings menu of the smartphone itself, which controls the SIM card settings, a deeper method that allows you to see how the system sees the contacts on the chip.
Go to your Xiaomi’s main Settings. Find a section that might be called “Apps,” “System Apps,” or simply “Contacts.” In some versions of MIUI, the path looks like Settings → Apps → All Apps → Contacts. However, it’s SIM card management that we’re interested in.
A more direct path is often in the About section or the notification drop-down menu if you keep your finger on the SIM icon for a long time. But the classic way through settings is: Settings → Passwords and Security → Privacy → Special Access → Contacts Access. Here we check the rights, but not the transfer itself. To move through the settings, look for the SIM card and mobile network section.
In the SIM card management menu, there is often a “Contacts on” item SIM-When you go there, you'll see a list of numbers that have already been saved. If the menu is empty, click the menu button (usually at the bottom right or at the top) and select "Copy Contacts." The system will prompt you to select the source and destination.
Why can the menu be different?
This method is good because it works at the system level, avoiding possible bugs of a particular app-caller. If you have third-party “callers” from Google or Truecaller, the system settings menu Xiaomi will still manage the physical SIM card correctly.
Working with two SIM cards: the nuances of export
Xiaomi smartphone owners often use two SIM cards at the same time, which creates additional confusion when transferring data. When you choose the export function, the system must understand which chip to write information on. A mistake in choosing a slot can lead to you looking for numbers on the wrong card.
When you start the copying procedure, if two SIM cards are installed in the phone, a dialog box will appear with a suggestion to select the phone. SIM-Look carefully at the symbols, they're usually signed as SIM 1 and SIM 2, or by operator names. It is recommended to remember in advance which slot is the card to which you plan to back up.
If you need to transfer contacts to both cards (for example, two different phones), you have to repeat the procedure twice. First, select the first SIM card, export the data, then repeat the process for the second. There is no automatic distribution of contacts between the two cards.
| Parameter | SIM 1 (Slot 1) | SIM 2 (Slot 2) |
|---|---|---|
| Substantive function | Frequently Internet and phone calls | Second number/calls |
| Contact limit | Depends on the capacity of the chip (usually 250) | Depends on the capacity of the chip (usually 250) |
| Choices in export | Requires manual selection | Requires manual selection |
| Recording speed | Standard. | Standard. |
Note that some old or specific SIM cards may have a limited amount of memory that is less than the specifications stated. If you received an overflow error when exporting to a second SIM card, try clearing it of old entries through the same control menu.
Format limitations and name coding problems
One of the most common problems when migrating contacts to a SIM card is name distortion, which is because the SIM storage standards (GSM) are significantly outdated and do not support long lines of text or special characters in the way that modern Android databases do.
The maximum length of a contact name on a SIM card is usually limited to 10-14 characters; if the name is longer, the system will automatically crop it up. In addition, there may be problems with the Cyrillic alphabet: instead of Russian letters, question marks or a chaotic set of characters can be displayed, depending on the encoding that the chip of a particular SIM card supports.
The SIM card's storage format also prevents you from saving more than one number per name, and if a contact has "Mobile", "Worker" and "Home" on their phone, only one primary number will be added to the SIM card, and the rest will be ignored when exported.
⚠️ Warning: Don't be surprised if the contacts' names become shorter or if the extra numbers disappear after the transfer. SIM, Not a Xiaomi smartphone error.
To minimize losses, it is recommended to rename important contacts before export, reducing their names to an understandable minimum (for example, “Mother slave” instead of “Mother’s work”), and it is also worth checking which number is set as the main one for each contact, since it will be copied.
Alternative methods: Google account and VCF file
If a direct transfer to a SIM card is not possible due to technical limitations or errors, you can always use intermediate methods, the most reliable of which is synchronization with a Google account, which is a modern sim card, but with unlimited potential.
To do this, open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google. Make sure that the checkmark is opposite to Contacts. Once synced, all your numbers will be saved to the cloud. On the new phone, just type in your Google login and password, and the phone book will recover automatically, without cropping names and losing data.
The second option is to create a backup file in.vcf. From the Import/Export Contacts menu, select Export to Memory of Device or Export to File.vcf. This file can be transferred via Bluetooth, messenger or saved to a flash drive. On another device, you just open this file and the system will suggest importing all contacts.
- ☁️ Google syncs save photos, addresses and all numbers.
- 📁 File. VCF Convenient for a full backup of the entire phone book.
- 🔄 Cloud-based method allows you to change phones without losing data.
- 🛡️ A backup file can be stored on a computer as an archive.
These methods are preferable to SIM storage, as they are free of limitations on the volume and format of data, and SIM card is better viewed as an emergency option or a way to quickly transfer a basic list of numbers to a button phone.
💡
Keep your contact backup file (VCF) not only in your phone’s memory, but also send it to your email or cloud storage, which will save your data in the event of a total loss or breakdown of your smartphone.
Solving problems and errors when copying
During the transfer process, users may encounter various errors. The most common is "Memory". SIM-Even if you didn't manually save the numbers, the carrier could write down their service contacts, which took up space, and the solution is one: log into the SIM card contacts menu and delete the extra ones.
Another problem is that the Export button may be inactive (gray), which occurs if there is no contact in the source (e.g., in the phone's memory), or if the SIM card is not determined by the system, check if flight mode is not on, and restart the device if the problem persists.
Sometimes it's in the middle, so don't panic and take out the SIM card, wait for a timeout, or try restarting the Contacts app by clearing the cache in the app settings beforehand, and if the problem recurs, try copying your contacts in small groups of 50.
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The main cause of export errors is overflowing memory of the SIM card or damage to the file system of the chip, 90% of the time helps pre-cleaning the SIM card from old records.
If neither method works, the SIM card itself may be physically damaged or have a critically small amount of memory (e.g., an old 8KB card), in which case the only solution would be to replace the SIM card from the carrier with a new one, with support for modern USIM standards.