Changing your smartphone is always a little stressful, with a huge amount of personal data being transferred. The most valuable asset of any user is a phone book, the loss of which can lead to serious communication problems. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices can face difficulties when switching from another operating system or even from another Android smartphone if they do not know the correct algorithms of actions.
Fortunately, the ecosystem MIUI And HyperOS offers a lot of built-in tools for data migration that don't require a lot of technical knowledge. You can use cloud services, local wireless connectivity, or even the good old-fashioned ones. SIM-The choice of the specific method depends on the device you have used before and how much information is stored.
In this article, we will take a look at each available method so you can choose the best one for your situation.We will look at working with a Google account, using the proprietary Mi Mover app, as well as manual methods of importing via files and Bluetooth. It is important to understand that before starting any data transfer operation, it is strongly recommended to back up the current phone book on the old device to avoid accidental loss of numbers.
Before you start to take action, you need to make sure that both devices are ready for the procedure of synchronization. battery charge on both smartphones should be sufficient, preferably more than 50%, so that the process is not interrupted halfway due to the discharge.
Particular attention should be paid to connection stability. If you plan to use cloud methods or wireless transmission, make sure that the Wi-Fi network works correctly. Some methods will require Bluetooth enabled and geolocation, since modern data protocols use them to detect devices.
- 🔋 Charge both smartphones to a minimum of 50-60% Ensure the completion of the process.
- 📶 Connect devices to the same Wi-Fi network or make sure you have a stable mobile internet connection.
- 🆔 Check that both devices are logged in to the respective accounts (Google or Mi Account).
It is not superfluous to audit the old phone book, often in the contact lists accumulate duplicates or entries without numbers, which are better removed before the transfer, this will speed up the synchronization process and make the new address book on Xiaomi more accurate and structured.
⚠️ Note: If the contacts are stored only in the device memory (not on the old phone) SIM and not Google, be sure to export them to.vcf before resetting or selling the gadget.
Synchronization through Google account
The most reliable and versatile way to transfer a phone book to Xiaomi is to use Google Contacts cloud storage, which is ideal if you are switching from another Android smartphone, since most users already have an associated account, in which case the data is stored in the cloud and automatically pulled up to the new device.
First, make sure your old phone is synced, go to settings, find Accounts or Users and Accounts, select your Google account, and make sure the switch next to Contacts is active, and then the system automatically uploads all the numbers to the cloud.
The new Xiaomi makes it even easier. When you first turn on or in Settings → Accounts and Sync, you add the same Google account. The system will suggest syncing the data, and in a few minutes the entire phonebook will appear in the standard Contacts app.
What to do if your contacts are not synchronized?
If you don't have numbers after adding an account, try manually running sync. Go to Settings → Accounts → Google → Select an account → Click Sync. You can also open the Contacts app, click three dots in the corner, select Settings → Account Sync and select the right Google account. > The advantage of this method is that you can restore numbers at any time, even if you lose your phone. It's just enough to log in to your account on any device. In addition, Google automatically combines duplicates by clearing the list from different Miver files for the Mover application (using a quick migration tool). It allows you to move not only contacts, but also photos, apps, system settings and even desktop layout.It is the best choice for those who are switching from another Android smartphone, even if it is not Xiaomi. To get started, install the Mi Mover app on both devices. On the new Xiaomi, it's often pre-installed in the Tools folder. Launch the program, accept the terms of the agreement, and select the device role: "I send" on the old phone and "I receive" on the new one. Devices will connect via a temporary Wi-Fi hotspot. The new phone will show up on the screen. QR-The code that you need to scan with the old device. Once you've established the connection, you'll see a list of data categories to transfer. 📱 Select the Contacts or System Data category to transfer the phone book. ⚙️ If you wish, tick other data: SMS, call history, images. 🚀 Press the send button and wait until the process is complete without turning off the screens. The data transfer speed via Mi Mover is much faster than via Bluetooth, since it uses a direct Wi-Fi Direct channel. Once completed, all contacts will be distributed in the appropriate fields in the memory of the new smartphone.Move from iPhone (iOS) to Xiaomi iPhone owners who decide to switch to Xiaomi, also do not need to worry about losing contacts. Apple's ecosystem is pretty closed, but the migration tools make it easy to retrieve the phone book, and the easiest way is to use an iCloud account or the same Mi Mover app that has an iOS version. If you’re using Mi Mover on iOS, the process will be similar to the Android version: install the app from the App Store, select “I’m sending” and scan. QR-But there's a caveat: because of the limitations of iOS, the app can request access to contacts, which must be verified in the iPhone privacy settings. Alternatively, and very reliable, is through iCloud settings. On iPhone, go to Settings. → [Your name] → iCloud and make sure the Contacts switch is on. Then on your computer go to iCloud.com, log in to your account, select Contacts, highlight everything (Cmd)+A or Ctrl+A) and in the settings (cogs bottom left) select "Export vCard». Method Complexity Speed Saving photo Mi Mover Low Yes iCloud vCard Medium Medium Yes Google Synchronization Low High Partially Received file.vcf can be transferred to Xiaomi in any convenient way (via messenger, mail or Bluetooth) and simply open it. The system automatically prompts you to import all the entries you find into the phone book, which is a universal format that can be read by any device. SIM-Classical method of transfer through SIM-The card is still relevant, especially for push-button phones or older smartphone models: SIM-The card usually stores only the name and number, cropping long names and removing additional fields like email or addresses. SIM-map to the new Xiaomi. Open the Contacts app, click three dots in the corner or the menu button, select Import/Export Contacts «SIM-The map" and the destination "Phone" or "Google" is a more modern and flexible option - using the.vcf file. This file can be obtained on an old phone through the "Contact Export" function in the phone book menu. 00001.vcf. Transfer this file to Xiaomi via Bluetooth, Telegram, WhatsApp, or upload it to cloud storage. Once the file is in the memory of the new device, just tap it. The system will run the import wizard and suggest you select an account to which the numbers will be stored. ⚠️ Note: When importing with SIM-Contact names can be cut to the 10-15 symbols, and Cyrillic in some cases may be displayed incorrectly (krakozyabs), if the encoding of the card is old. After transferring the phone book, users often face the problem of duplicate records, which occurs when the same contact is stored simultaneously in the phone's memory, on the phone. SIM-map and Google account. MIUI And HyperOS has a built-in tool to solve this problem, so go to Contacts, click on the menu, and select "Clean Duplicates" or "Combine Repeats." The system will analyze the list and suggest combining the records with the same names or phone numbers. This will make the book clean and comfortable, and another common problem is that the contacts don't have photos after the transfer, because some methods of migration (especially through the migration of people who are not in contact with the user) are not available. SIM or old export formats) graphic data are not transmitted. To fix this, you will have to update the avatars manually or repeat the procedure through Google Contacts, where photos are saved more reliably. If some of the numbers do not appear or are replaced by dashing, check if contacts are hidden from certain sources. In the contact display settings (usually available through the three-dot menu» → «Contacts for display) make sure that the tick “All contacts” is ticked». 🧹 Use the Duplicate Cleanup feature regularly after each major data import. 👁️ Check the display settings to see contacts from all accounts and SIM-map. 🔄 If you have problems with encoding, try importing contacts again by selecting encoding. UTF-8, If you have this option, following these simple rules will help keep your phone book in order. Not only does the right numbering save time, but it also keeps your personal data safe by preventing it from being lost when you crash. What if, when you import, contacts are stored with country code (+7, +380, etc.) at the beginning of the name? This is a common problem when you transfer from some phone models. It's massively difficult to fix, but you can use third-party contact editors from Google Play that can batch rename records by removing unnecessary characters from the Name field. Can you transfer the call history along with contacts? Yes, call history can be saved from this mobile phone model, but you can't save it from the mobile application for the standard, or you can make it better for the mobile phone log. Where are the contacts physically stored after syncing with Google? Contacts are stored on Google servers in connection with your account. The local copy is in the smartphone database. You can see and edit them at any time in the web version at contacts.google.com, and the changes will apply on all devices.