Buying a new Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone always starts with a pleasant anticipation, but is overshadowed by the need to transfer old information. The most critical element for most users is the phone book, the loss of which can be a real disaster. Fortunately, the Android ecosystem and proprietary MIUI utilities offer many ways to migrate data, making this process as simple as possible.
There are several proven methods, each of which is suitable for different use cases. You can use cloud services, physical services. SIM-map or specialized applications for fast transfer of files over Wi-Fi. The choice of the specific method depends on which device you are accessing and whether you have access to the Internet.
In this article, we will take a look at all the current options so that you can transfer contacts without losing a single number.We will look at the nuances of working with a Google account, the features of importing from the iPhone and the hidden features of the standard Contacts app.
Synchronization through Google account
The most reliable and modern way to save and transfer a phone book is to use Google Contacts cloud storage, which ensures that your numbers are not lost even if your smartphone is lost or broken, since they are stored on the servers of the corporation.
Go to your old phone settings, select Accounts or Users and Accounts. Go to your Google profile and make sure the switch opposite Contacts is activated. If you just switched on sync, click Sync to force the cloud to update your data.
Once the data has gone to the cloud, pick up your new Xiaomi. When you first set up your system or in the Accounts section, type the same email address. The system will automatically pull up all the saved numbers.
- 🔄 Open the settings of the old smartphone and find the section "Accounts".
- 📲 Select your Google account from the list of available profiles.
- ☁️ Activate the synchronization slider for the Contacts section".
- ✅ Press the Forced Data Update button.
It is important to understand the difference between on-premises storage and cloud storage if the numbers are stored only in the memory of the phone or on the phone. SIM-The contacts saved in the Google account are restored even after a complete reset (Hard Reset).
⚠️ Note: If you have a dual-sim phone, make sure that when you save new numbers, you choose your Google account instead of your memory by default. SIM-Maps to avoid data loss in the future.
Use of the Mi Mover app
Xiaomi has developed its own application Mi Mover, which allows you to transfer data from any Android smartphone or iPhone to a MIUI device. This is one of the fastest ways, since the transfer goes over a local Wi-Fi network without using Internet traffic.
The app is usually pre-installed on new Redmi and Poco phones in the Tools folder. If it's not available, download it. APK-Run the program on both devices: on the old one, select "I submit" and on the new Xiaomi one, "I receive".
After the scan. QR-You can see a list of data that you can transfer to the code and connect, and in addition to the contacts, you can also flip photos, messages, installed applications, and even system settings.
☑️ Preparation for transmission via Mi Mover
The process can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour depending on the amount of data you have, and don't interrupt the connection or turn off the device screens until you've done the work, and the progress status is shown as a percentage on both screens.
- 📲 Launch the Mi Mover app on both smartphones.
- 🔗 Scan it. QR-code for a new phone to create a pair.
- 📂 Select the category "Contacts" in the list of transmitted data.
- 🚀 Press the "Send" button and wait until it is completed.
⚠️ Note: When transferring data from iPhone to Android via Mi Mover, some specific contact fields (such as social networks or unique ringtones per subscriber) may be lost due to differences in the database structures of iOS and Android.
A unique feature of Mi Mover is the ability to interrupt the process and resume it later, although this is rarely the case for contacts due to their low weight.
Transfer from iPhone (iOS) to Xiaomi
The transition from the Apple ecosystem to Android is often difficult due to the closedness of the iOS file system. However, there are several effective ways to pick up your numbers, the easiest is using the iCloud cloud and the web version.
Go from your computer or directly from your iPhone in your browser to iCloud.com. Sign in with your Apple ID and go to Contacts. Select all numbers (click Ctrl+A or Cmd+A) and find the gear icon or control menu.
Select the option "Export vCard". The device will download a file with the extension.vcf. This universal format is supported by all phone books. Pass the resulting file to the new Xiaomi via Bluetooth, messenger or USB-cable.
| Method | Speed. | I need a PC. | Saves a photo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| iCloud vCard | Tall. | No. | Yes. |
| Annex "Relocation" | Medium | No. | Partially. |
| SIM-map | Low. | No. | No. |
| Google Synchronization | Tall. | No. | Yes. |
You can also use the application "Move to Android" (Move to iOS, on the contrary, does not work, but there are third-party analogues), which requires installation on the iPhone. However, the method with a.vcf file is considered the cleanest and does not require the installation of excess software.
Once you transfer the file to Xiaomi, just open it. The system will ask where to save the contacts. Select your Google account for automatic sync in the future.
Import and export via VCF file
VCF (vCard) is the gold standard for sharing contact information, and allows you to back up your entire phone book in a single file that you can store on a flash drive, in the cloud, or send yourself by mail.
On an old phone (or in an emulator if you change device), open the Contacts app. Go to the control menu (usually three dots or a gear) and select Import/Export contacts.
Select Export to Device Memory or Export to Storage. The system will create a file that can be found in the root of internal memory or in the /Contacts folder. Copy this file to the new Xiaomi.
What to do if the file is not opened?
On the new device, repeat the path: Contacts → Menu → Import / Export → Import from storage. Specify the.vcf file and select the account to save. All numbers will appear on the list instantly.
- 📁 The format is universal for Android, iOS and Windows.
- 💾 A single file can contain thousands of contacts.
- 🔒 The file can be encrypted or hidden for security.
This method is especially useful if you are transferring contacts from a button phone or device with an outdated version of the OS that does not have a Google account.
Transfer of contacts from SIM-card
The oldest, but still relevant method is the use of SIM-It is ideal in situations where there is no access to the Internet or cloud services, but has serious limitations in the volume and format of data.
Put it in. SIM-card from your old phone to your new Xiaomi. Open the standard Contacts app (preferably using a system from Google or Google) MIUI, Not third-party shells. Go to the app settings.
Find "Contact Import" or "Copy Contacts." Select the source"SIM-The system reads the records and suggests you save them. Important: make sure you choose to save to your Google account or your phone's memory instead of re-saving them. SIM.
⚠️ Attention: SIM-The card has a limited amount of memory and often trims long names, does not support the preservation of multiple numbers per subscriber, email addresses, photos and additional fields.
After importing, it is recommended to check the list: often the names may be displayed incorrectly or duplicated. SIM-cards after successful transfer so as not to get confused in the future.
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Before extraction SIM-cards from the old phone make sure that it is selected to save contacts on the phone. SIM, Not in the phone memory, otherwise the import will be empty.
Decision and duplicates
After transferring, users often face the problem of duplication of records, which occurs when the same contact is stored in both the phone's memory and on the phone's memory. SIM-map, and in Google account. MIUI It has a built-in tool to solve this problem.
Open the Contacts app, click on the menu and select Cleanup Duplicates or Combine Repeated. The system will automatically find matches by number or name and suggest combining them into a single card.
If the numbers don't show at all, check the display filter. In the contact menu, select "Make contacts" and make sure that the check box is "All contacts" or the appropriate account is selected. SIM-map.
- 🔍 Use the "Combine" function to merge cards.
- 👁️ Check the display filter settings in the menu.
- 🗑️ Remove empty or broken records manually.
Cleaning the phone book regularly not only makes room, but also makes it easier to find subscribers and the system as a whole.
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Regular sync with Google account is the best way to prevent contact loss and duplicates in the future.