How to transfer all contacts with SIM-cards on the Xiaomi phone

Changing mobile devices is often a source of concern for users who are worried about the safety of personal information. The contact book is the same digital asset that can paralyze communication and business activity. Xiaomi smartphone owners who switch from notebook phones or devices of other brands often face the need to migrate data.

The modern Android operating system and the proprietary shell MIUI (or HyperOS) provide powerful tools for managing the phone book. However, the transfer process is not always obvious to the beginner, especially when it comes to old records stored directly on the SIM card chip. In this article, we will discuss all the stages of importation, eliminating the risk of data loss.

Before you start active actions, you need to make sure that the SIM card is physically healthy and correctly defined by the system. SIM-The card is limited to 255 characters per name and does not support saving multiple numbers or photos for a single contact.

Preparation of the device and compatibility check

The first step before starting the import procedure is to properly install the SIM card into the device slot. Xiaomi smartphones are often equipped with combined slots, so make sure that the card is inserted into a connector that supports reading data, not just voice transmission. Once the device is turned on, the system must automatically recognize the media and display the corresponding icon in the status bar.

Then you need to check access to contacts. To do this, open the standard Contacts or Phone app that is pre-installed on your device. If the app requests permissions to access a memory or phone book, they must be confirmed, otherwise the import process will be technically impossible. Permissions are the foundation of Android security, which can not be ignored.

Also worth paying attention to is the operating system version. Although the basic import functionality is present in all versions of Android, the menu interface may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI. Users of older versions of the firmware may need to go to advanced settings to find the desired option.

⚠️ Note: If the SIM card is very old (Mini-SIM format) and used with scissors, the chip may be damaged.

Make sure that there is free space on the smartphone's internal drive. Although the contacts take up a minimum of space, the system requires a buffer zone for temporary files when performing a copy operation.

Import contacts through the standard application

The main and most reliable way to transfer recordings is to use the built-in functionality of the Contacts app, which does not require an Internet connection and works even in flight mode, since all data is transferred locally between the SIM card chip and the phone’s memory. The algorithm is the same for most models Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO.

To start, open the Contacts app. In the upper right corner of the screen, you'll see a menu button represented by three vertical dots or horizontal bars. Clicking on this element will open a drop-down list where you want to find the Import Contacts item. In some firmware versions, this item may be hidden in the Settings sub-menus.

After selecting the import command, the system will suggest selecting the data source «SIM-map «SIM 1» / «SIM 2," depending on which slot the card with the numbers is installed in.The system will scan the chip and display the number of records found.

• 📲 Select the source «SIM-map from the proposed list of devices.
• 📂 Specify the location of the save: it is recommended to choose a Google account for sync.
• ✅ Confirm the action with the button “OK” or “Import».
• ⏳ Wait for the process to be completed without turning off the smartphone screen.

The critical thing is to choose where to save, and if you choose Phone or Device, contacts will only be linked to that particular gadget, and if you lose or break your smartphone, it will be difficult to restore them, and when you choose a Google account, you will ensure that your phone book is saved in the cloud.

Working with Google Contacts and Synchronization

Google's ecosystem is the de facto standard for storing personal data on Android. When you transfer contacts to a Google account, you don't just copy them from a SIM card, you create a digital copy of them in the cloud, and you can instantly restore a phone book on any new device, just enter your username and password.

The sync process is automatic if the account settings are enabled. After importing from the SIM card, open the Settings of the smartphone, go to Accounts and Sync, select your Google account and make sure that the switch opposite the Contacts item is active, which will ensure that any changes are constantly backed up.

Google Contacts cloud storage offers a number of advantages over local storage: you can edit numbers from your computer, recover deleted records from the past 30 days, and combine duplicates. Intelligent sorting itself will offer to combine the same contacts if they were created accidentally.

If you haven't previously used a Google account to store numbers, the system may suggest backing up existing local records.Agree to this offer to protect yourself from accidental data loss in the future.Cloud storage is the most reliable way to protect against technical failures.

⚠️ Note: When importing contacts with SIM-Google may create duplicates if some numbers have already been manually saved to the cloud.

Resolving problems with coding and duplicates

A common problem when transferring data from older SIM cards is the incorrect display of names. Instead of letters, question marks or incomprehensible characters may appear, this is due to differences in the encoding of text used by the old phone and modern Xiaomi. Unfortunately, it is impossible to fix this at the time of import, the names will have to be edited manually.

Another common situation is the appearance of duplicates, which happens if you have previously partially transferred contacts or synchronized your device with other services. The Contacts app on MIUI has a built-in tool to solve this problem. Go to the application settings and find the item "Combine duplicates".

The automatic association will analyze the lists and suggest that you merge the cards with the same numbers or names, which is a secure operation that doesn't delete the data, but only structures it, and once the procedure is complete, your phone book will be clean and accurate.

• 🔍 Open the Contacts app and go to Settings.
• 🧹 Select “Cleaning” or “Contact Management».
• 🔄 Click on “Combine duplicates” and confirm the action.
• 📝 Manually edit names with broken encoding.

Alternative ways of data transfer

If the standard method doesn't work for some reason (e.g., the Contacts app crashes or the SIM card doesn't read), you can use third-party solutions. One of the most effective ways is to use converter apps, which you can find on the Google Play store, and they can upload contacts to a.vcf file.

The.vcf file (vCard) is a universal format supported by almost any operating system. You can save contacts from the SIM card to this file, transfer it to your computer or to cloud storage, and then import it to the new Xiaomi. This is a great way to create additional backup.

Another option is to use carrier services, and many mobile operators offer cloud contact or similar services to save a phone book, so by registering with the operator's personal account, you can upload all the numbers to the cloud and then download them to a.vcf smartphone via your browser.

For advanced users, a method of transmitting via Bluetooth from an old device is available. If you have an old phone, turn on both Bluetooth devices, find contacts on the old gadget, select Send All and pass to Xiaomi. The phone will automatically prompt you to save the received business cards.

Table of comparison of storage methods

To better navigate storage methods, let’s look at their key features in a comparative table, which will help you choose the best option for your needs and understand why SIM storage is considered archaic.

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Keeping your contacts in a Google account is the only way to ensure they are safe when your device is replaced or broken, and also provides cross-platform access.

As you can see from the table, the SIM card is the most unreliable and limited media in the world today, and moving data to the cloud or to a device is not just a recommendation, but a necessity for a comfortable smartphone experience. Xiaomi is helping to do this by integrating Google services deep into the system.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Export contacts to a.vcf file regularly and save them to Google Drive or send them to your own mail, which is a lifeline if cloud syncs suddenly fail.

To conclude, the process of moving contacts to Xiaomi is as simple as possible by developers. Following the steps described, you will be able to quickly and safely move your entire phone book, retaining important connections and gaining access to advanced contact management features.