Replacing an old smartphone with a new Xiaomi Redmi model is always accompanied by a desire to quickly start using the device without spending time manually entering dozens of phone numbers. Fortunately, the Android operating system and the proprietary shell MIUI or HyperOS provide built-in tools for instant data import. Transferring contacts from a SIM card to a phone is a basic procedure that allows you to save important information in the cloud or internal memory, protecting it from loss when you change the operator or damage to the plastic carrier.
Unlike older push-button phones, modern gadgets allow you to flexibly manage your address book, sort entries and combine duplicates. The copying process takes only a few minutes, but requires careful attention when choosing the target storage so that there is no confusion between local copies and synchronized Google data. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the nuances of data migration, including working with two SIM cards and recovering from backups.
It’s worth noting that a SIM card has a limited amount of memory and often trims long names or doesn’t save additional fields like email or address. So transferring numbers to your phone is not just copying, but the first step to fully organizing your digital phone book. Next, we’ll look at the algorithm of actions that is relevant for most Redmi Note, Redmi and Poco models.
Preparation of the device and checking the SIM card
Before you start actively copying, you need to make sure that the SIM card is correctly installed in the slot and is determined by the system.Put the plastic media into the tray, observing the orientation of the slice, and wait for the network icons to appear at the top of the screen. If you have a model that supports two SIM cards, make sure you know which slot (SIM 1 or SIM 2) the card with the right contacts is installed, since in some versions of the firmware, imports can only be made from the main active card.
Make sure the device is on and unlocked. To get started, you’ll need access to the standard Contacts app, which is a system component of Android. Sometimes users install third-party calls, but for system import operations, it’s best to use a standard tool from Xiaomi or Google to avoid data format compatibility errors.
⚠️ Note: If the SIM card is physically damaged or has old contacts recorded in a format that is not compatible with modern standards UTF-8, Some names may not be displayed correctly (in krakozyabr), in which case, before transferring them, it is recommended to copy them to an old phone and save them in vCard format.
Also check for free space in the internal memory of the device, although this is rarely a problem for text data. However, if you plan to make a full backup of the system immediately after import, free space will be a critical parameter. Make sure that the battery charge is at least 20-30% so that the device does not turn off at the most inopportune time.
Import contacts through the standard application
The main and fastest way to move numbers is to use the built-in functionality of the Contacts app. Open the app menu and find an icon with a phone handset or a person’s silhouette. At the bottom of the screen or in the side menu (depending on the MIUI version), you need to find the “More” button or three dots that open the drop-down settings menu.
In the list that opens, select "Import contacts" and the system will prompt you to select a source of data «SIM-If you have two SIM cards on your phone, you'll have a choice between SIM 1 and SIM 2.After selecting the source, the system will scan and show a list of found records ready for transfer.
☑️ Pre-import checks
Next, you will be asked to choose a destination for stored numbers, and it is important not to confuse the options: “Phone”, “Google” or “Mi Account”. It is recommended to choose a Google account, as this will ensure automatic synchronization and data security even if you lose or break your smartphone. By clicking “OK” or “Import”, you will start the copying process, which usually takes a few seconds.
Once the operation is complete, a successful import notification will appear on the screen, and now all the numbers that were previously stored only on a plastic chip are duplicated in the device memory or the cloud, and you can check the result by scrolling down the contact list — new entries are usually added to the end of the list or sorted alphabetically.
Working with Google Contacts for Synchronization
Using the Google ecosystem is the most reliable method of storing a phone book. Unlike storing it on a SIM card or in a phone’s memory, a cloud account allows you to access numbers from any device: a tablet, another smartphone or even a computer through a browser. To get started, make sure your Google account is added to your Xiaomi Redmi settings and sync is enabled.
Open the Contacts app and go to settings. Find Accounts or Sync. Here you will see a list of connected services. Make sure the switch opposite Contacts is active. If you just imported numbers from a SIM card into your phone's memory, you also need to sync them. Sometimes the system does this automatically, but it's better to monitor the process.
If you want to manually manage contacts through a web interface, go to contacts.google.com from your computer, where you will see a full copy of your phone book, a convenient way to edit names, add photos or delete duplicates before the data is synchronized with your Redmi again. Any changes made to the site will instantly affect your phone with the Internet.
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Use the “Combine Duplicates” feature in Google Contacts to clear the list of repetitive entries that often occur when multiple imports from multiple sources.
It is important to understand the difference between on-premises storage and cloud storage. When choosing a Phone as your destination, contacts will only be available on that particular device. When choosing Google, they will be linked to an account. Xiaomi owners also have Mi Cloud, which works on a similar principle but requires separate authorization through Mi Account.
Using the Mi Mover app for migration
For users who are switching to Xiaomi from another Android device, the company has developed a special Mi Mover app, which allows you to transfer not only contacts, but also photos, messages, system settings and even the location of icons on the desktop.
Run Mi Mover on both devices. Select Receiver on the new phone and Sendr on the old one. Devices will connect via the Wi-Fi network you create. Make sure to check Contacts on the data transfer list. You can choose to import specifically from the old phone's SIM card or from its internal memory if the contacts have already been stored there.
The advantage of this method is that it bypasses the limitations of the SIM card. If the old SIM card has its names trimmed to 10 characters, Mi Mover will try to read the full data from the phone book of the old device. The speed of transfer depends on the amount of data, but for contacts it is always an instantaneous process, taking fractions of a second.
What if Mi Mover can’t see the contact?
Once the transfer is complete, the data will be automatically distributed to the corresponding applications on the new Redmi, and the system will offer to combine duplicates if it finds the same numbers written under different names, a powerful tool for initial configuration that eliminates manual work.
Solving Common Import Problems
Despite the simplicity of the procedure, users sometimes face difficulties, and one of the common problems is that the Import button is inactive or hidden. PIN-If you have a code and you have not entered it when you download it, or if the contacts on the SIM card are technically damaged, then try to remove and re-insert the SIM card after cleaning the contacts.
Another thing is, contacts were imported but lost after the reboot, and that's a sure sign that you saved them to a temporary memory or a guest profile, or that the sync was turned off and a reset occurred. Always check which account or storage is being recorded. Visually, you can switch between groups in the Contacts app to see where your numbers are.
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision-making |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts are not displayed | Display filter activated | In the contact settings, select “All Contacts” |
| Names are cut off | Restriction of SIM memory | Rename contacts after importing in the phone |
| Import error | Damage to a file or SIM | Try importing via Bluetooth or PC |
| Duplicate numbers | Re-importation | Use the function "Combine duplicates" |
If none of the software methods helps, perhaps it is the hardware compatibility of the SIM card. Very old Mini-SIM cards inserted through the adapter can work unstable in modern Nano-SIM slots. In this case, the best solution is to contact the salon of your operator for a free replacement of the SIM card with a new one, while saving the number and tariff.
Organization and cleaning of the telephone book
After successfully transferring numbers from the SIM card to Xiaomi Redmi, it is recommended to conduct an audit of entries. SIM cards often contain “junk”: old numbers that are no longer relevant, or entries with names like “House 2” without specifying the last name.
Open a contact that requires editing. Here you can add additional fields: email, address, company, position, as well as as assign a unique ringtone or vibration to a particular subscriber. Android allows you to add multiple numbers of a single person (mobile, work, home), combining them into a single card.
⚠️ Note: When editing contacts synced with Google, the changes are applied instantly on all devices.Be careful when deleting records, as they can only be restored through the shopping cart in the web version of Google Contacts within 30 days.
You can also use the sorting function, you can set the list by name or surname, which is especially true if your book has a lot of contacts with full names. In the display settings, you can also turn on or off the display of photos and avatars from social networks, if such integration is supported by installed applications.
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Regular cleaning of contacts and removal of duplicates speeds up the work of the application “Phone” and improves the quality of search on the database of numbers.
Remember that after transferring from the SIM card, the original data on the card itself remains unchanged (unless you have chosen the option of deleting after copying, which is rare), however, relying on the SIM card as the main storage in 2026-2026 is no longer worth it due to its technical limitations and low reliability.