How to transfer numbers to Xiaomi SIM card: the complete guide

Changing your smartphone or switching to a new SIM card often involves migrating your phone book. Xiaomi device owners face this issue regularly, especially when switching from push-button phones or devices of other brands. It is important to understand that modern smartphones offer several ways to solve this problem, and the choice of the wholesale method depends on the version of the operating system and the source of data.

The process of transferring contacts to a SIM card in the shell of MIUI or HyperOS is not always obvious at first glance, as manufacturers try to shift the focus of users to cloud storage. However, local storage of numbers on a physical medium remains in demand, especially for backups or when changing the carrier without losing important data.

In this article, we will take a look at all the ways to import and export a phone book, learn how to manage contacts through standard system tools, and learn about the nuances that can arise when working with.vcf or.csv files.

Preparation for the relocation of contacts

Before you start taking action, you need to make sure that the original data is saved and available. If you plan to transfer numbers from another phone to Xiaomi, check whether they are stored in the device’s memory, on your Google account or directly on the old device’s SIM card. Backup is a key step, ignoring which can lead to irretrievable loss of information.

Make sure the SIM card you are planning to write to is properly installed in the slot. In some dual-SIM models, the system may request a specific slot for contact operations. It is also worth checking the amount of free memory of the SIM card itself, since older media may have a limit on the number of characters in the name and the total number of records.

⚠️ Note: SIM cards have limited storage and often do not support saving additional fields such as email, addresses or photos.

If your contacts are in the Google cloud, the process is simplified to a minimum, since sync is automatically performed when you sign in, but forced export to physical media requires you to perform a series of actions through the contact management menu.

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Before you start a mass transfer, back up your contacts in.vcf and save them to the cloud or computer, which will take a couple of seconds, but save you from losing data in the event of a crash.

Importing contacts from Google account

The most common scenario is to transfer numbers from Google’s cloud storage to the SIM card of Xiaomi’s new smartphone, which requires you to log in first. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync, and add your Google account if you didn’t do it the first time you started.

Once logged in, the system will automatically pull up all the saved numbers. To move them to the SIM card, open the standard Contacts app. In the MIUI interface, you often need to click three dots in the corner of the screen or select the Organizer tab to find the import/export function.

• 📲 Open the Contacts app on the home screen.
• 📂 Click on the settings menu (three dots or gears).
• 📥 Select the item "Import / Export Contacts».
• 💾 Specify the source of Google or Phone and the recipient «SIM-map».

The system will warn you of a possible loss of data, because the SIM card format is less informative. Confirm the operation and wait for the process to be completed.

Transfer from another Android smartphone

If you have an old Android smartphone, you can transfer data directly bypassing cloud services, using a backup file. On an old device, create an export file through the contact menu and transfer it to Xiaomi via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct or messenger.

The file will have a virtual business card extension,.vcf. Once you receive the file on a new Xiaomi device, just open it. The system automatically recognizes the format and prompts you to import the entries you find, and you can choose whether to save the numbers in your phone memory, your account, or your SIM card.

In some cases, especially when switching from custom shells, you may need to use the Mi Mover application, which allows you to transfer not only contacts, but also messages, applications and system settings to the fullest.

Use of the Mi Mover app

For owners of Xiaomi and Redmi devices, the developers have created a utility Mi Mover, which greatly simplifies data migration. This application is pre-installed on most new models and is available in the GetApps store for older devices.

The process of connecting devices is by creating a Wi-Fi hotspot. You don't need the Internet, the phones connect directly to each other, and it ensures high speed and security of data, because they don't leave the local perimeter of your gadgets.

When choosing the type of data to transfer, be sure to tick the item "Contacts", after copying all the numbers will be in the memory of the new phone, then you can distribute them to the SIM card through the standard menu described above.

Work with VCF and CSV file formats

Sometimes you need to move contacts from desktop programs or other sources where data is presented in tables or text files..csv format is often used for export from Outlook or Excel.

There are online converters that convert.csv to.vcf. Once converted, the file is loaded into the phone. When imported from.vcf, the MIUI system usually recognizes the encoding correctly, but in rare cases, there may be problems with Cyrillic.

If you encounter “pretty-bitty” instead of names, try changing the file encoding to UTF-8 before importing, and you can do this on your computer using a text editor like Notepad++ by selecting the option “Save with Encoding”.

The use of universal formats allows for flexible management of the database, but for direct use as the main phone book on the SIM card, they serve only as an intermediate stage.

Removal of errors in importation

During the transfer process, users may encounter various errors, one of the most common is the message "Memory is full" or "Can not be saved", which is often associated with a limit on the number of entries on the SIM card, which is usually from 250 to 500 contacts.

Another problem is duplication of numbers. If you import contacts from multiple sources, the system can create copies. To solve this problem, MIUI has a built-in cleaning tool. Go to the contact settings and select "Combine duplicate contacts."

⚠️ Warning: Do not interrupt the import process by removing the SIM card or restarting the phone.This can damage the file system of the media and lose all records on it.

If contacts are saved with distorted names, check the phone's regional settings. Coding mismatch between the source and the receiving device (for example, when transferring from an iPhone or an old Nokia) may require manual editing or the use of an intermediate converter.

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Always check the result of the import selectively: open a few random contacts and make sure the numbers and names are displayed correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)