Transfer contacts to Xiaomi Redmi 9: The full guide

Changing your smartphone, especially when you switch to a popular model like the Xiaomi Redmi 9, is always accompanied by a desire to start using the device as quickly as possible without spending hours manually entering phone numbers. Fortunately, the Android ecosystem offers many built-in and third-party tools that allow you to migrate data in just a few touches. Modern methods provide not just copying, but full synchronization, saving even complex fields like work phones, email addresses and photos of subscribers.

The transfer process can vary dramatically depending on how damaged your old phone is or which version of the operating system is installed on it. Redmi 9 owners are more fortunate, as the MIUI shell (or HyperOS in new updates) contains a powerful built-in Mi Mover tool that is often ignored by users in favor of complex cloud services. However, for those who are used to standard Google solutions, time-tested methods through an account are also available.

In this article, we will take a look at all the possible ways to transfer a phone book, assess their pros and cons, and address common problems such as duplicates or loss of name formatting, learn how to prepare both devices for data transfer and what security settings you need to check before starting the procedure to ensure that your personal data is safe.

Device preparation and account verification

Before you start the active phase of data transfer, you need to make sure that both smartphones are in good condition and ready to interact. A stable connection to the Wi-Fi network is critical, especially if you plan to use Google Account or Mi Cloud cloud services. Transferring large amounts of data over the mobile Internet can take a considerable time and exhaust your tariff limit, so connecting to the router is a priority.

The second step is to check the battery charge. The process of synchronizing or direct transfer of files over a wireless channel can significantly consume energy, so it is recommended to charge both devices to a minimum of 60-70%.If the old phone has a removable battery and it is worn out, it is better to connect it to the charger directly during the procedure to avoid a sudden shutdown in the middle of the process.

Also make sure that both devices have Bluetooth and geolocation enabled, as some methods of finding devices to transfer use these modules to detect a neighbor on the network. On the new Xiaomi Redmi 9, the system itself will prompt you to log in to your Google account when you first turn on - this is the perfect moment to activate sync if you choose the cloud method.

Method 1: Sync through Google Account

The most versatile and reliable way that works on any Android device is sync through a Google account. This method is good because it does not require both phones to be on hand at the same time and allows you to restore contacts even in the event of complete loss of the old device. All you need to do on an old smartphone is make sure your numbers are saved in your Google account, not in your phone’s memory or on your phone. SIM-map.

To check, open your old phone settings, find the Accounts or Users and Accounts section, select your Google profile and make sure the switch opposite the Contacts item is active and the sync process is running. If your numbers were previously only stored in the device's memory, the system will prompt them to copy to the cloud - agree to this action. Once completed on the new Redmi 9, it is enough to simply enter the same login and password when you initially set up.

The advantage of this method is automatic resolution of duplicates and card consolidation if you use the same account on multiple devices. Google Contacts is a powerful tool that also allows you to edit and manage numbers through a web interface on your computer, which is extremely convenient for mass editing names or deleting unnecessary entries.

⚠️ Note: If there are multiple Google accounts on your old phone, make sure that the contacts sync is turned on for the one you plan to use on your new device, otherwise the phonebook may be empty.

Method 2: Use the Mi Mover application

Xiaomi and Redmi have an exclusive and extremely fast tool called Mi Mover, which is designed specifically for data migration between Xiaomi phones, but also works with other Android devices if they have the appropriate version of the app installed. The main advantage of the method is high speed, since direct Wi-Fi connection between devices is created without using Internet traffic.

To get started, find the Mi Mover app in the Tools folder on the new Redmi 9 or download it from the app store. When you launch, you will be asked to choose the device role: “I am the recipient” (for the new phone) or “I am the sender” (for the old one). After selecting roles, the receiving device will create an access point to which the old phone needs to connect via Wi-Fi settings or scan. QR-code.

In the data selection menu, be sure to tick the Contacts item and, if necessary, other types of data such as messages, images or installed applications. The copying process takes place in the background, and you can see the progress as a percentage. Once completed, all contacts will be automatically distributed to the corresponding fields in the MIUI phone book.

Method 3: Transfer via Bluetooth and vCard

If for some reason cloud services are not available and you don’t want to install additional applications, you can use the classic method of transferring over Bluetooth, which is ideal for transferring a small number of contacts or in situations where you need to transfer a phone book to a device without access to the Internet, but you should consider that the transfer speed over Bluetooth is much lower than over Wi-Fi Direct.

To implement this method, open the Contacts app on your old phone, select all the necessary entries (usually through the Select All menu), and select the Share or Export option. Select vCard as the format (a file with the.vcf extension), and specify Bluetooth as the transfer channel. On the receiving Redmi 9, you must confirm the request for pairing and receiving the file.

Once the file is received, the system automatically prompts you to import contacts from the resulting vCard file. You can choose where to save the numbers: in memory of the phone, on the phone. SIM-Google card or account: It is recommended to select a Google account to ensure further data security.

Method 4: Import with SIM-map

Many users still keep their contacts on the SIM-The card, considering it a more reliable way, although the capacity of such memory is limited and often cuts off long names or extra characters in rooms. If your numbers are there, the process of transferring to the Xiaomi Redmi 9 will take literally one minute. SIM-card to a new smartphone (or use an adapter if the dimensions do not match).

Open the standard Contacts app on Redmi, click on the three dots in the corner of the screen or the menu button and select Import/Export Contacts. In the menu that appears, specify the source Import with SIM-maps" and select a destination, such as "Phone" or your Google account.

It is important to understand that after importing the contacts will still remain on the market. SIM-If you do not manually remove the numbers from the new device, it is recommended to clean the new device after successfully importing and checking the numbers on the new device. SIM-This method will not carry additional fields such as addresses, comments or multiple numbers for a single subscriber unless they are supported by the standard. SIM.

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Before extraction SIM-cards from an old phone be sure to export contacts to the.vcf file via the phonebook menu to create a backup in case the card is damaged when rearranged.

Solving problems: Duplicates and lost numbers

A common problem after transferring contacts from different Android devices is the appearance of duplicates — when the same person is displayed twice or three times with different numbers. The MIUI shell has a built-in tool to solve this problem. Go to the Contacts app, open the settings and find the item “Combine duplicate contacts.” The system will automatically analyze the database and suggest draining the repeated records.

If some numbers don't show up or only numbers are shown instead of names, check what format they were saved in. Sometimes when you import from older versions of Android or from push-button phones, the encoding of the text can get lost, in which case manual export to the vCard file on your computer, check the contents of the file in the text editor and re-import.

Another common situation is that contacts are in your account but not visible in the list. On Redmi 9, the contact app has a display filter. Click on three dots, select Settings -> Display Contacts, and make sure that the "All Contacts" checkbox is ticked or the appropriate accounts are selected to display.

⚠️ Note: When combining duplicates, the system can choose the main card arbitrarily. After the procedure, it is recommended to selectively check important contacts to make sure that the correct numbers and photos are preserved.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

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The fastest and most reliable way for Xiaomi Redmi 9 owners is to use the built-in Mi Mover app, which does not require internet and retains the entire contact structure.