The transition to Xiaomi’s smartphone often comes with the need for rapid data migration, and the most important of these is the phone book. Contacts are not just a list of numbers, but a basic communication, the loss of which can be a serious problem. Modern devices based on MIUI offer many tools for working with the address book, but beginners are often confused in the options for saving.
In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can migrate numbers to a Xiaomi SIM card or save them to the cloud so you don’t lose them when you change your device. You’ll learn about the intricacies of working with a Google account, built-in utilities and manual copying. Understanding these processes ensures that your data stays safe, regardless of the state of the phone itself.
It is worth noting that the architecture of Android and shells MIUI It has its own characteristics, like direct physical recording. SIM-The card has limitations on the number of characters in the name and the total number of entries, so before starting a mass transfer, it is important to evaluate the relevance of the chosen method of storage.
Features of the storage of contacts in MIUI
System system MIUI, The device installed on Xiaomi smartphones, by default, offers multiple places to save phone numbers. The user can choose the device memory, Google account, Mi Account or physical SIM-Each of these options has its own technical limitations and advantages that must be considered when planning data migration.
The main difference between storage SIM-The old storage format on the card chip often does not support long names (more 10-15 Character fields, such as email or address, are free from these limitations, allowing you to create complete contact profiles.
⚠️ Note: When maintaining contacts exclusively on SIM-You risk losing additional data (photos, addresses, social networks) because the card chip does not support them.
In addition, working with a physical media requires caution, the recording process takes longer, and interrupting the operation can damage the file system of the SIM card itself. In today's world, using Google Contacts or syncing with Mi Cloud is a more reliable and faster way to organize a phone book.
Preparation for data portability
Before you start the transfer process, you need to make sure that the source data is available and correct. If you are switching from another Android device, make sure that the numbers are not scattered across different sources. Check whether they are stored in the memory of the old phone or on its SIM card.
To work with contacts on Xiaomi, you use the standard Contacts app or Google’s more advanced utility. SIM-The card you are planning to write to and it is correctly defined by the system. → The phone. → SIM-map.
☑️ Preparation for the migration of contacts
It is important to understand that SIM-The cards have a limit on the number of records, which is usually 200 to 500 contacts, depending on the operator and the type of chip. If your phone book exceeds this volume, you can't transfer it to the map completely without deleting some of the data.
Import contacts from your phone memory to SIM
The most common scenario is to transfer numbers already stored in a smartphone’s memory to a SIM card, often required when switching from a button phone or preparing to sell a device, and the built-in MIUI tools allow this operation to be performed in a few steps without installing third-party software.
To start, open the Contacts app. Depending on the shell version, the interface may be slightly different, but the logic remains the same. You need to find the control menu, which is usually hidden behind three dots or a menu button, and that's where the import and export functions are.
Select the Import/Export option and then click Export in SIM-The system will suggest you to select the source of contacts (for example, "Phone" or "Google"). Once the source is selected, the copying process will begin. Please note that when you export long names, they will be cropped to the format supported by the standard. GSM.
What to do if the export button is inactive?
When you copy, the phone can make a characteristic sound or vibrate to confirm the recording of each memory cell. Don't remove the card or turn off the screen until the operation is complete. Once you're done, you'll receive a successful completion notification or error report if some contacts fail to be recorded.
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Exports to SIM-The card is convenient for backup on older phones, but not suitable for full backup due to data format limitations.
Use Google Contacts for Synchronization
The most reliable and modern way to move numbers is to use the Google ecosystem, which allows you not only to copy the numbers, but also to save the entire history of correspondence, photos and additional numbers, synchronization is automatic and invisible to the user.
To move contacts through Google, you first need to make sure they are saved in that account. Open the Google Contacts app. If your numbers are in your phone's memory, move them. Select contacts, click the menu, and select Change → Move to your account.
Once all contacts are in the Google cloud, the process of their appearance on the new Xiaomi takes minutes. Just add the same Google account in the settings of the new device (Settings → Accounts and sync) and enable synchronization of contacts. All numbers will automatically be loaded into the phone book.
| Parameter | SIM-map | Google Account | Phone memory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limit of records | 200-500 | No restrictions. | Depends on memory. |
| Length of name | Up to 15 characters | No restrictions. | No restrictions. |
| Photo of contact | Not supported | Supported | Supported |
| Access to PC | No. | Yes (contacts.google.com) | No (no software) |
The advantage of this approach is that you can manage contacts from any device, you can edit numbers through a browser on your computer, and changes will instantly affect your Xiaomi smartphone, making synchronization an indispensable tool for active users.
Work with VCF (vCard) files
The universal format for transferring contacts between different platforms is the.vcf (vCard) file, which is ideal if you need to transfer contacts from an iPhone, an old Android smartphone from another brand, or just back up your computer. The vCard file contains the entire structure of the contact book in text form.
To create a backup on Xiaomi, open the Contacts app, go to the management menu and select Import/Export → Export to storage. The system will create a file with the.vcf extension, which will be saved in the root folder or in the Downloads directory. This file can be sent to yourself by email, saved to the cloud or transferred via Bluetooth.
To import numbers from the vCard file to Xiaomi, place the file in the phone's memory. Then in the Contacts app, select Import from storage. The system will find all available business card files and suggest choosing which account to save them to. It is recommended to choose a Google account for automatic synchronization in the future.
⚠️ Note: When importing from a.vcf file, duplicates may be created if contacts are already partially present in memory. Use the "Combine Duplicates" function in the contact settings after import is complete.
This method is also handy for mass cleaning of the phone book: You can export all contacts to a file, clear the phone's memory, and then import the data back by filtering out the extra. vCard files support UTF-8 encoding, which ensures that Cyrillic names and special characters are correctly displayed.
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Keep backups of.vcf files not only in the cloud, but also on a physical medium (a flash drive or a computer) to access data even without the Internet.
Solving typical transfer problems
Users may encounter various technical difficulties in the process of data transfer. One of the most common problems is the message that: SIM-The card is full, even if you can add visual contacts, because of fragmentation of the chip memory or hidden system records.
Another common situation is that the "crackers" instead of letters in the contact names after transfer, which is a problem of encoding, because old SIM cards or phones could use different standards for encoding text, in which case it is recommended to recode the contacts through computer programs or simply overwrite them manually if there are few of them.
Sometimes the system MIUI may not see SIM-In this case, it will help to reboot the device or check the contact of the SIM card with the metal plates of the phone. Wipe the chip with a soft dry cloth and make sure that it is inserted before clicking according to the shape of the tray cutout.
If contacts are gone after the system update, don't panic. You probably have a change in the default display source. Go to the contact display settings (usually the filter at the top of the list) and make sure that the checkmark is placed against the correct account or storage. Data is rarely deleted completely, more often it is simply hidden from view.