How to Transfer a Phone Book to a New Xiaomi Phone

Buying a new smartphone is always a thrill, but the migration of personal data is often a real test for nerves, especially the contact book, which stores the numbers of colleagues, friends and important business contacts. Losing even a few records when changing devices is a scenario that cannot be allowed, so the question of how to transfer the phone book to a new Xiaomi phone is the first one for millions of users.

Fortunately, the MIUI and HyperOS ecosystem offers a variety of tools to address this challenge, from cloud services to local Bluetooth transmission. You don't need to be a technician to perform this procedure quickly and safely. In this guide, we'll take a look at all the available methods, their pros and cons, so you can choose the best option for your situation.

You don't have to rely on the occasion or hope that the numbers will somehow spread. Modern Xiaomi smartphones don't have a physical button to automatically clone data without first setting up or using special software. So it's important to prepare both devices in advance: old and new, ensuring they are charged and ready for the transfer process. Let's look at the main ways to solve this problem.

Using a Google account to sync

The most reliable and modern way is to use Google Contacts cloud storage. If you've used an Android smartphone before, your numbers are probably already stored in the cloud, and you can check this by logging into your Google account through a browser on your computer or any other device, which ensures that your data is not tied tightly to a physical medium and will not be lost in a breakdown.

To transfer to the new Xiaomi, it is enough to simply log in when you first set up the device. During the activation process, the system will ask if you need to restore data from the backup. Select your account, and the phone will automatically tighten all records. If the device is already set up, go to Settings → Google → Configure and restore. Here you can start forced synchronization.

⚠️ Warning: Make sure your old phone has your contacts synced before you change the device. → Accounts. → Google and check if the check box is ticked against Contacts. If sync has been off for months, fresh numbers may not be able to fly to the cloud.

The advantage of this method is that Google automatically combines duplicates, so if you have the same number written twice with different names, the system will suggest combining them, which is a great way to clean up the phone book before you start using a new gadget, which takes from 2 to 10 minutes depending on the speed of the Internet connection and the number of records.

Transfer through SIM-map: classical method

Despite the development of cloud technology, the method of transfer through the SIM-The card remains relevant, especially if you want to quickly flip numbers from a button phone or device without access to the Internet, which is universal, but has its limitations in the volume and format of data stored. Usually, only the name and number can be written to the SIM card, without additional fields such as email or address.

The procedure is done in two steps. First, you need to export contacts on your old phone. Go to the Contacts app, click on the menu (three dots or a gear) and select Import/Export Contacts. Then specify the source "Memory of the phone" and the recipient «SIM-The system will warn you that some data may be lost - confirm the action.

After the export is completed, re-export SIM-The new Xiaomi card, and the algorithm looks like this:

• 📱 Open the standard “Contacts” app on your new smartphone.
• ⚙️ Click on the settings menu (usually three dots in the corner) and select "Import/Export».
• 💾 Select the option “Import with” SIM-map».
• ✅ Specify your Google account or phone memory as a place to save and confirm the action.

If your phone book is larger, you'll have to repeat the method several times or choose another method, and when importing, you may have problems encoding names if they contain Cyrillic, but this is rare on modern versions of MIUI.

Mi Mover app for quick migration

Xiaomi has developed its own Mi Mover app, which allows you to transfer data between smartphones without using the Internet. This is one of the fastest ways, since it transfers over direct Wi-Fi connection between devices. The application works not only between Xiaomi phones, but also with other Android devices and even iPhones.

To get started, install the app on both phones (on the new Xiaomi, it is already built into the Tools folder), run the program on both devices. On the new phone, select Recipient, and on the old one, Sender. Scan. QR-code that appears on the screen of the new device to establish a connection.

Once connected, you'll see a list of data categories. Select Contacts (and other files you want if you want) and click Start Transfer. Copy speed is very fast, hundreds of contacts are transferred in seconds. The main advantage of the method is that all the recording fields are saved, including photos, posts and additional numbers.

⚠️ Warning: Do not turn off smartphone screens during the transmission process. Although the connection is secure, interruption of the process during the recording stage can damage the contact base on the receiving device.

If you have an iPhone, the process is a little different: you need to download Mi Mover from the AppStore and give access to contacts. The app will create a local network and transfer data. This is ideal for those who are switching from iOS to Android and want to keep the entire structure of their phone book without manual input.

Import and export via vCard (.vcf)

The universal format for storing contact information is the vCard file (extension.vcf). This method is good because it allows you to create a full backup of the phone book, which can be stored on a flash drive, sent via messengers or stored in the cloud. The vCard file contains all the contact information, including photos and complex fields.

To create such a file on an old phone, go to the Contacts app, select Import/Export, and click Export to Memory.The system will create a file commonly called contacts.vcf or 00001.vcf, root-folder MIUI/backup/. This file can be transferred to the new Xiaomi via Bluetooth, USB-cable or upload to the cloud.

On the new device, the import process is also simple:

• 📂 Find the resulting file.vcf through the file manager.
• 👆 Click on it – the system will automatically prompt you to open it through the “Contacts” app».
• 📥 Select the account to which you want to save your records (locally or on Google).
• ⏳ Wait for the import process to finish, which can take time with a lot of data.

This is often used by system administrators or when the device is completely replaced, when you need to ensure that all data is transferred “one to one”. The vCard file can be edited on a computer, deleting unnecessary entries before downloading to a new phone, which gives additional control over the contents of the phone book.

Comparison of methods of transfer of contacts

The best way to choose depends on your conditions: the availability of the Internet, the type of old phone and the amount of data, and to make it easier for you to decide, we have prepared a comparative table of basic methods.

As you can see from the table, Mi Mover and Google Account are the frontrunners in functionality, and they store all the information, including contact avatars, which makes the phonebook live and recognizable. SIM-The card should be used only as a backup or if other methods are not available for technical reasons.

Note that when you use cloud-based methods (Google), your data is always up to date. If you lose your phone, just buy any new Android, enter your username and password, and all the numbers are in place. This is a level of security that no physical SIM card or file on a flash drive can provide.

Solving problems in transfer

Sometimes the migration process can go wrong, with users facing duplicates where one contact is displayed twice, or missing a part of the numbers, most often the problem is that the contacts are stored in different places: part in the phone's memory, part on SIM, part in the account.

To avoid chaos, it is recommended to clean up after the transfer. Go to the contact settings and find the function "Joint duplicates" or "Contact management." Xiaomi system is able to automatically find repeated records and prompt them to merge. It takes a couple of minutes, but the result is worth it.

If contacts don't show up after import, check the display filter. In the Contacts app, click on the settings and make sure that you check the "Show all contacts" box or select all the accounts from which the import was made. Often, the phone "sees" the recordings, but hides them from the default view.

⚠️ Note: When importing from an iPhone via cable or iCloud, numbers written in non-standard format may sometimes not be ported to "home" or "mobile." Carefully check the most important contacts immediately after transferring.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)