Changing your smartphone is always accompanied by a desire to start using a new device faster, but the process of migrating personal data can be difficult, especially for the most valuable thing – your phone book, where the numbers of friends, colleagues and emergency services are stored. Android ecosystem owners often face the question of how to quickly and without loss transfer information from the old Samsung to the new Xiaomi, while maintaining the structure of records and additional fields.
Fortunately, today's operating systems offer many tools to automate this process. You don't have to manually type in hundreds of numbers or search for complex PC programs. We'll take a look at proven methods that ensure data security, including cloud synchronization, the use of a proprietary Mi Mover utility, and classic SIM-based methods.
Before you start the procedure, it is important to prepare both smartphones. Make sure that both devices are at least 50-60% charged, as transferring a large amount of data can take time. Also check the stability of the Internet connection if you plan to use cloud services, or make sure that Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modules work correctly on both gadgets.
Preparation for data transfer and choice of method
The success of the operation depends on the pre-preparedness of the original device, and on the Samsung phone you need to check where exactly your contacts are stored. Often users do not suspect that their records are scattered across different sources. SIM-A part of the card is in the phone’s memory, and a part is already synced with a Google account.
To start, open the Contacts app on your old device and go to settings. Find the contact management or display. Your job is to make sure that all the numbers you need are visible and exportable. If you see Contact Management, select copy or move to collect all the records into a single source, such as a device memory or directly into a Google account.
It is important to understand that the transfer of SIM-The card has a 255 character limit on the contact name, so long names can get cropped. If your phone book has important names, you better choose a digital method of transfer.
The choice of the specific method depends on the amount of data and the speed of the Internet connection. Bluetooth or SIM will do for small lists, but for a full migration with photos and details, it is better to use Wi-Fi Direct or cloud technologies. Determine which option is most convenient in your situation, and go to the appropriate instructions.
Synchronization through Google account
The most reliable and modern way to migrate is to use Google cloud storage, because both smartphones are Android-based, your contacts are likely already partly in the cloud, a good way to do this is that it doesn't require additional software and works even when you change your brand.
On a Samsung device, open your settings and search for Accounts or Accounts and Archiving. Select your Google account and make sure the switch next to Contacts is activated. Click Sync or Sync to make sure all the latest data is sent to the company's servers.
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If you change your phone number, be sure to update it in your Google account security settings before you start transferring data so you don’t lose access to recovery.
Now, pick up the new Xiaomi. When you first turn on, it will prompt you to log in to the same Google account. When you set up the original setup wizard, ask if you need to recover data from the cloud. Accept this suggestion, and the phonebook will automatically load into the device's memory.
If your phone is already set up and you've missed this stage, don't worry. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google. Choose the right email address and tick the "Contacts" box. In a few minutes, the list of numbers will be updated, and all the records will appear in the phone book.
Use of the Mi Mover app
Xiaomi has developed its own utility, Mi Mover, which is designed to quickly replace an old smartphone, which can transfer not only contacts, but also photos, messages, Wi-Fi settings and even home screen layout. Both devices must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network, or one of them must create an access point.
On the new Xiaomi, the app is already built in and is in the Tools folder. Launch it, accept the terms of the agreement and select the role "I am the recipient." On the old Samsung, you need to download Mi Mover from the Google Play Store or scan it. QR-code that will appear on the screen of the new phone.
☑️ Check before launching the Mi Mover
Once launched, both devices will start searching. When the phones find each other, a connection request will appear on the Samsung screen. (Confirm) connection. In the data selection menu, tick the "Contacts" box. You can deselect from heavy files like videos or apps if you only need numbers.
The copying process will be done quickly enough by using direct Wi-Fi between devices, don't turn off your smartphone screens and keep them close to each other, and when you're done, you'll get a report of the number of records transferred, and all contacts will be distributed in the appropriate fields, including photos of subscribers.
⚠️ Note: When using Mi Mover on One-shell devices UI Samsung may sometimes need permission to access storage and location without these permissions, the app will not be able to read data for transmission.
Transfer through SIM-map and Bluetooth
If the internet is not available or you prefer classical methods, you can use the Internet. SIM-This is a universal process, but it has limitations in memory and name length. SIM-Samsung card if it’s not there yet, and copy your contacts to it through the contact management menu.
Then rearrange. SIM-In the "Contact" application, find the import settings and select "Import with" SIM-The system will prompt you to select a place to save — specify “Phone” or your Google account, so that the data is not lost the next time you change the SIM.
Alternatively, you can transfer via Bluetooth as a vCard file. On Samsung, select all contacts, click Share and select Bluetooth. Send the file to Xiaomi. The receiving party will receive a notification about the incoming file, which you need to open and confirm the import.
| Method | Speed. | Data quality | Network dependency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Account | Tall. | Full (photo, email) | Wi-Fi/4G is required |
| Mi Mover | Very high. | Full + settings | Not required (Wi-Fi Direct) |
| SIM-map | Low. | Only number and name. | Not required |
| Bluetooth (VCF) | Medium | Good. | Not required |
Choose a method depending on your situation, to transfer hundreds of contacts with photos at a time. SIM-The map will not work, as the process will be long and time-consuming. Bluetooth is good for transferring individual groups of contacts, but for a full migration it is better to use cloud technologies.
Solving problems with coding and duplicates
Sometimes, after transferring, users are faced with the fact that instead of letters, they display incomprehensible characters or squares, a problem of encoding that often occurs when importing old vCard files or transferring from push-button phones via SIM. This is rare in modern Xiaomi and Samsung smartphones, but this scenario cannot be ruled out.
If you notice that names are written in translation or distorted, try changing the input language or encoding when importing, if this option is available in the application used. Most often, re-importing through Google Contacts in the web version helps: go to contacts.google.com, find the problematic contact, edit it and save. Changes are synchronized on the phone.
What to do with duplicate contacts?
Duplicates are another common problem, and they can occur if you've already synced some numbers with Google before and then added them to the same number. SIM-In the Google Contacts app or in a standard call MIUI It's a cleaning function that allows you to quickly remove repetitive entries or combine them, which makes the phone book neat.
It's important to do regular contact audits, delete numbers that are no longer relevant, and add missing information like an email address or company to your cards, which will improve your smart dialing experience and help your voice assistant be more specific about who you want to call.
Display setting and grouping
After the data transfer is successful, you can take the time to set up the phone book display on the new Xiaomi, the MIUI or HyperOS shell offers flexible sorting tools, you can choose whether contacts are sorted by name or last name, and you can also set the order of the display.
To do this, go to the Contacts app, click three dots in the corner or the menu button, and select Settings. Find the Contact Display section. You can turn on only contacts with phones, hide contacts without numbers, or show all associated accounts.
⚠️ Note: When enabling the display of contacts from all accounts (Google, SIM, Phone, Mi Account, the list can get very long. Use filters to see only the right sources.
It's also useful to create contact groups, such as Family, Work or Friends, which will allow you to quickly send group messages or customize individual audio profiles for different categories of subscribers. On Xiaomi, this is done through the Group menu in the contact app.
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The correct grouping of contacts not only organizes the list, but also increases security, allowing you to block whole groups of unwanted numbers in one action.
Make sure to check if the photos are correct. Sometimes when you move, the avatars may get lost or not loaded due to differences in screen resolutions. You can manually update the photos of the most important contacts using high-quality images that will look good on the display of your new smartphone.