How to copy numbers on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Buying a new smartphone is always accompanied by the question of data migration, and the most important asset for the user is contacts. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices often face the need to quickly move the phone book from an old device or to move the phone book from the old one. SIM-Modern shells. MIUI HyperOS offers many tools for this, but sometimes standard methods can be hidden in the depths of the menu.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to copy numbers to shaomi without losing data and duplication of records, and learn how to properly use cloud services, local files and direct connections between devices for instant results.

The process of data transfer has become much easier with the development of the Android ecosystem, but the nuances of the interface of Chinese manufacturers require special attention.

Import contacts from SIM-cards in the memory of the phone

The most common scenario when changing the device is the transfer of records directly from the SIM-This is a basic method that works even without an Internet connection and requires minimal technical knowledge. SIM-card in the slot of your smartphone Xiaomi.

Once you install the map, open the standard Contacts app, which is part of the shell. In the upper right corner of the screen, find a three-dot menu or settings icon where list management functions hide. Select Import/Export to open the additional action menu.

In the option list that opens, the system will prompt you to select a data source. Click on Import with SIM-The phone will automatically scan the map and show the number of records found. If you want to move all the numbers at once, you can skip selecting individual contacts and press the "All" button".

• 📱 Make sure that SIM-The card is correctly defined by the system in the settings.
• 📂 Select your target folder: it is recommended to save to your Google account, not to your phone memory.
• ✅ Confirm the action with the “OK” or “Import” button to start the process.

⚠️ Attention: SIM-cards have limited memory and often crop long names or do not save additional numbers (fax, working) for a single contact.

It is important to understand that the storage of contacts SIM-The card is considered obsolete because of the risk of data loss if the chip is damaged.

Use Google Contacts for Synchronization

The most reliable and modern way to save a phone book is by linking it to a Google account, a method that allows you not only to copy the numbers on shaomi, but also to create an immortal copy of them in the cloud, accessible from any device, and when you first set up a new smartphone, you just need to enter a username and password, so that the entire phone book is restored automatically.

If you're already using Android, your contacts are probably already saved. Check this by going to Settings → Accounts and Sync. Make sure your Google account is ticked next to Contacts. If sync is disabled, turn it on and your phone will download all the data from the cloud.

You can use a separate Google Contacts app for manual recording management, which is often pre-installed on Xiaomi or available in the Play Market, and has more powerful tools for cleaning duplicates and editing fields than a standard MIUI call.

The advantage of cloud storage is the ability to recover deleted numbers. The web version of Google Contacts has a shopping cart where records are stored for up to 30 days, which saves in situations where the user accidentally deleted an important list or reset the phone settings to factory.

Transfer via vCard file (format.vcf)

The universal format for transferring contacts between different operating systems is the vCard file with the extension.vcf. This method is ideal if you want to throw contacts from an old button phone, iPhone or other Android smartphone without access to the Internet.

To create such a file on an old device, go to contacts, select the export function and specify the format vCard or.vcf. The system will create a file that can be transferred via Bluetooth, messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp) or saved to a memory card. On the new Xiaomi, you just open this file, and the system will suggest importing the found records.

The import process on the receiving device is done through the standard contact menu. Select Import from the file.vcf, find the downloaded document in memory and confirm the action. The system automatically distributes the data in the fields: name, number, email, address.

• 💾 A.vcf file can contain thousands of contacts in a single document.
• 🔄 The format supports the transfer of photos of contacts and ringtones of the call.
• 📤 You can send the file in any convenient way: mail, USB, cloud.

Special attention should be paid to file encoding if the characters appear incomprehensible when importing the files. In most cases, modern Xiaomi smartphones automatically detect UTF-8, but in rare cases, you may need to convert the files on your computer.

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When transferring a vCard file via messengers, save it to the Downloads folder before importing so that the file does not get lost in the application cache.

Data migration with Mi Mover

Xiaomi has developed its own Mi Mover app, which allows you to quickly transfer not only contacts, but also photos, apps and settings from your old phone to a new one, the most complete way to migrate, which creates an exact copy of the user environment.

The app is pre-installed on all MIUI smartphones. If the old phone does not have Mi Mover, you can download it from GetApps or Google Play. To start, run the program on both devices. On the new phone, select the role of Recipient and on the old one, select Sender.

The devices will connect through the Wi-Fi network they're creating, and the old phone will show up on the screen. QR-code to be scanned by the new device. After connecting, select Contacts (and other data as desired) and press the Start Transfer button.

The main advantage of the method is the speed and no need for a computer, but when porting from iOS, there may be restrictions on the transfer of some system settings due to the closed Apple ecosystem.

⚠️ Warning: While running Mi Mover, do not switch to other apps or block the screen, as this may break the connection and interrupt the copying process.

Recovery from MIUI backup

The MIUI shell and the new HyperOS have a powerful local backup tool built in, which allows you to create a full snapshot of the system, including contacts, of internal memory, which is convenient because it does not require Internet or third-party accounts, except for access to the file system.

To back up your old phone, go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Restore. Select to create a new copy, enter a password (if necessary), and mark Contacts. Once the process is complete, the backup file will be stored in the device’s memory.

To transfer data to a new phone, the backup file needs to be physically moved, and this can be done through a computer, connecting both phones over USB, or through cloud storage, and the path to files is usually MIUI/backup/AllBackup.

After transferring the file to the new device, go to the same settings menu on the new phone, select Recovery and specify the path to the file. The system will request the password that was set when you created the copy and restore all data to its original form.

Solving problems with duplicates and coding

A common problem with mass copying of numbers in shaomi is the appearance of duplicates, which occurs when the same contact is stored in the memory of the phone, in the Google account, and in the Internet. SIM-map. MIUI It has a built-in tool to combine such records.

Open the Contacts app, go to the settings, and find Combine Duplicates (or “Duplicate Cleanup”). The system will analyze the database, find matches by phone number or name, and suggest combining them into one card, which allows you to clear the list and make the search more efficient.

Another problem is incorrect display of names, especially if the contacts came from different manufacturers or operating systems. If instead of letters you see "crackers", try changing the encoding when importing or use the intermediate saving in Google Contacts via a web interface that better handles encoding.

• 🔍 Check your contact list regularly for empty or erroneous records.
• 🧹 Use the unification function so that one contact does not occupy three lines in the list.
• 📇 Delete contacts with “Unknown” status or invalid numbers.

Timely cleaning of the phone book not only improves visual perception, but also speeds up the search algorithm when dialing, the contact database is indexed by the system, and its optimization has a positive effect on the speed of the call interface.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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The most reliable way to keep contacts is to sync regularly with your Google account, which protects your data from loss even when you completely replace your smartphone.