Xiaomi smartphone owners often have to move their phone book when changing devices or before selling a gadget, even though modern cloud services offer more convenient backup methods, SIM-The card remains a universal carrier that is compatible with any phone. MIUI The process of managing records has its own characteristics, which are important to take into account for the correct transfer of data.
Understanding where your numbers are stored is critical to security. Xiaomi offers to save data to your Mi or Google account by default, which is more convenient, but requires an Internet connection to access from other devices. However, if you need a physical medium or switch to a button phone, knowing how to export to a SIM becomes a must-have skill.
In this article, we will take a look at the algorithms for different versions of the shell, look at the typical errors and how to fix them, and learn not only to copy individual numbers, but also to carry out a mass transfer of the entire phone book without losing important details, such as additional numbers or email addresses.
Features of data storage in MIUI
The MIUI shell has its own contact database structure, which is different from standard Android. When you create a new record, the system immediately asks you to choose a location to save. If you skip this step or choose the wrong one, it will be harder to find the number to transfer later. It is important to distinguish between the local storage of the phone and the memory of the card.
The main limitation is the amount of information that can be accommodated by one sector. SIM-Older chips only support a name and a number, while modern chips allow you to store additional data, but still inferior to cloud synchronization.
⚠️ Note: When copying the SIM-Long names may be cut off, and second phone numbers are often not saved at all.
Xiaomi uses the standard Contacts app, which is deeply integrated into the system, to manage these processes, allowing for flexible display and sorting, but the export functions are hidden in the control menu, not on the home screen, and this is done to protect against random user actions.
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Always check the available space for SIM-map before mass copying, as the limit is usually about 250 records.
Preparation for the relocation of contacts
Before you start taking action, you need to make sure that the card is correctly installed and defined by the system. In two-symbol Xiaomi devices, it is important to choose the SIM for which you plan to write. An error in choosing a slot will lead to the fact that you will copy the data in the wrong place.
It is recommended to check the integrity of the phone book in advance, remove duplicates and combine repetitive entries so that precious space on the chip is not taken up with unnecessary information, which is especially true for old-style cards with small memory.
You also need to make sure that the Contacts app has all the permissions you need, and without the right to read and write your phone book, you can't export it, and you can check this in the Application Settings section by looking up the Contacts list and making sure that the device's memory is open.
☑️ Pre-export verification
Step-by-step: export contacts to SIM
The process of transferring numbers from the phone to the card is done through the built-in control menu. The interface may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI, but the logic of actions remains the same. First, you need to open the Contacts application and go to control mode.
Click the menu button (three dots or three bars in the corner of the screen) and select Settings or Contact Management. In the list that opens, look for Import and Export Contacts, and that's where the key database tools are.
Select the option "Export to the SIM-The system will suggest you to select the contacts to transfer: you can mark individual records or select all at once, and after confirmation, the copying process will begin, which may take some time depending on the number of records.
- 📱 Open the Contacts app on the home screen.
- ⚙️ Click on the settings menu and select “Import and Export».
- 💾 Select the item "Export to" SIM-map».
- ✅ Confirm your contact selection and wait until the process is complete.
Once the operation is complete, the system will issue a success notification or report errors if the map space is over, in which case you will have to delete some of the old records directly from the map. SIM-maps through the same control menu.
Import contacts from SIM-cards in the memory of the phone
The reverse procedure is also in demand, especially when setting up a new Xiaomi smartphone, if you just pasted a card with saved numbers, they need to be rewritten into internal memory to fully use all the functions of the smartphone, which will allow you to display photo callers and use quick search.
To start importing again, go to the Import and Export Contacts menu. This time, select the Import with option. SIM-The system will suggest you choose your target account or local phone storage, and you should choose a Google or Mi Cloud account for automatic sync in the future.
During the import process, a name conflict may occur if the phone already has contacts with the same names in its memory. MIUI will offer options for skipping, replacing or combining.
| Action. | Place on the menu | The result |
|---|---|---|
| Exports | Import and export → Nana SIM | Copy in card memory |
| Imports | Import and export → S SIM | A copy in the phone's memory |
| Removal | Contact management → Delete | Clearing the place |
Once the import is complete, it is recommended to check several random contacts to make sure that the numbers are written correctly and the formatting is not affected, especially international codes and additional numbers.
Synchronization with Mi Cloud and Google
Storing contacts on physical media is a thing of the past, giving way to cloud technology. Xiaomi smartphones by default activated synchronization with Mi Cloud, which allows you to save numbers, messages and settings. SIM-map.
To activate the feature, go to your phone's settings, select your Mi Account, and make sure the slider opposite Contacts is enabled. All changes to the phone book will instantly be reflected in the cloud. Similarly, sync with Google services if it is configured in Accounts and Sync.
⚠️ Note: When resetting to factory settings without prior synchronization, all local contacts will be irretrievably lost.
The other advantage of using the cloud is that you can edit contacts from your computer via a web interface, so you can quickly add a number from your desktop and it will immediately appear on your phone, which is much more convenient than manually typing data through a virtual keyboard.
What to do if the synchronization is not working?
Solving Typical Problems and Errors
Users often experience a situation where the export button is inactive or the process is interrupted with an error, most often due to overflowing memory. SIM-In this case, you must first delete unnecessary or old records directly from the card.
Another common problem is name encoding, where when you transfer contacts from other phones (such as iPhones or older Androids), names can appear as a set of characters or question marks, whether by updating the firmware or using an intermediate format called.vcf.
If contacts are gone after a system update, don't panic. Often they're just hidden because of a lost display setting. Go to the contact settings and make sure you check the "Show all contacts" box and select the right account to display.
- 🔍 Check the display settings in the app.
- 🗑️ Clear the memory. SIM-junk-card.
- 🔄 Perform Forced Account Synchronization.
- 📂 Use a.vcf backup file to restore.
In rare cases, the problem may lie in the physical damage to the chip. SIM-If the card is not read or constantly gives out errors in the record, it is better to replace it with the operator, while maintaining the number.
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The most reliable way to store contacts in the cloud (Google or Mi Cloud) is by using the cloud. SIM-the card only as a temporary buffer for transfer.