Changing a mobile device or having to transfer data to an old phone often puts the owner of a Xiaomi smartphone in the question of how to properly save phone numbers. - Owners of the Redmi 8 Pro, which runs on the basis of the shell MIUI, Modern smartphones by default offer to save data to a Google account or cloud storage Mi Cloud, but the physical SIM-The card remains a universal carrier.
Transferring information to a carrier chip ensures compatibility with any push-button phones and other brands’ devices without the need for login to accounts. This process takes only a few minutes, but requires care to avoid losing important entries during the copying process. Below we will detail an algorithm that will allow you to safely move the entire phone book.
Preparation for data portability and format verification
Before you start the copying process, you need to make sure that your SIM-The card is in good working order and properly installed in the device slot. The Redmi 8 Pro model uses a combined tray, so it is important to check that the carrier chip is inserted into the correct connector and is determined by the system. If the phone has two SIM cards, the system will prompt you to select a target card for recording numbers.
Note that the memory capacity of a SIM card is limited by GSM standards and is usually around 250 entries. Each record may contain a limited number of characters in the contact name, often without supporting Cyrillic or special characters in old formats. Before mass transfer, it is recommended to conduct a revision of the phone book and remove duplicates.
☑️ Pre-copying check
It is important to understand the difference between saving the device to memory and to external media: the data on the SIM card is not synchronized with the Internet, it is physically on the chip, which means that if you lose the card, you will lose numbers, so after the procedure is completed, it is recommended to back up the contact file on the computer or in the cloud.
Step-by-step instructions for copying through the standard menu
The basic method of data transfer is built into the standard “Contacts” or “Phone” application, which is preinstalled on the Xiaomi Redmi 8 Pro. The interface of the MIUI shell may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the logic of actions remains the same for all devices of the brand.
In the menu that opens, you'll find the settings button, which is usually represented by three dots in the top right corner or the gear icon. When you click on this item, you'll see a drop-down menu where you'll select "Import and Export Contacts," and that's where all the tools for managing the phone book are hidden.
What if there is no “Import/Export” item?
Once you have selected the desired action, the system will request confirmation of the source of the data, and you will have to choose from where to copy the numbers: from your phone memory, from your Google account or other source. SIM-The copying process will start automatically, and the progress bar will appear on the screen.
- 📱 Open the Contacts app on the home screen or in the Tools folder».
- ⚙️ Click on the settings menu (three dots or gear) and select “Import and export».
- 💾 Select the option "Export to the SIM-map or copy contacts».
- ✅ Confirm the action and wait for the synchronization process to end.
Use of Mi Cloud and Google Cloud Services
An alternative and more modern way to back up is to use cloud storage. The owner of Redmi 8 Pro has access to Mi Cloud, which is deeply integrated into the system, which allows you not only to save numbers, but also instantly restore them on any Xiaomi device after entering your login and password.
To activate sync, go to Settings → Mi Account and log in. Next, select Sync and make sure the switch opposite Contact is active. All changes to the phone book will be automatically saved online, eliminating the risk of data loss if the physical media breaks.
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Use a hybrid method of saving: keep the main copy in Google Contacts for sync, and on the SIM-Copy only the most important numbers in case of complete discharge of the smartphone or lack of Internet.
Google services also provide reliable storage. If you use pure Android or prefer the search giant ecosystem, your contacts can already be stored there. You can check this by going to contacts.google.com from your computer. Import from Google to your SIM card is done through the same Import and Export menu, only the source is selected by your Gmail account.
Restore contacts from SIM card to phone
The situation may be the opposite: you need to transfer the numbers that are already recorded on the SIM-This is often required when buying a new phone or after resetting to factory settings. The procedure is almost identical to export, but the actions are performed in reverse order.
Go to the Contact Management menu and select the option “Import with” SIM-The system will scan the chip and show you a list of all the records found, so you can select individual numbers to carry or check the "Select All" option to copy the entire phone book at once.
| Parameter | SIM-map | Phone Memory / Google | The Mi Cloud Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | Limited (250 contacts) | Almost unlimited. | Depends on the tariff (usually 5 GB) |
| Length of name | Limited by symbols | No restrictions. | No restrictions. |
| Photo of contact | Not supported | Supported | Supported |
| Supplementary fields | Only a number. | Email, address, social media. | Email, address, social media. |
Once you have selected the target storage (usually your phone or your Google account), the import process will begin, and it is important not to interrupt it or remove the SIM card until the notification of successful completion appears, otherwise the data may be damaged or partially recorded.
Solving Typical Problems in Copying
In the process of work, users may encounter errors, for example, a message that the memory SIM-This is a standard situation, given the limited size of the chip, in which case the system will suggest choosing which contacts to copy, or recommend removing some of the records from the SIM card itself before starting the procedure.
⚠️ Note: When copying names in Russian from SIM card to phone, there may be problems with encoding. If instead of letters, question marks or characters are displayed, try changing the language of the phone interface before importing or using intermediate saving in a text file.
Another common problem is the appearance of duplicates. After importing from a SIM card, the phone can have two copies of the same number: one from the cloud, the other from the chip. The Contacts app on Xiaomi has a built-in unification function. Click on the settings menu and select "Combine Repetitive Contacts" so that the system automatically finds and merges duplicates into one record.
If the phone doesn't see the SIM card, check the cleanliness of the contacts on the chip's metal pad. Fat spots or oxidation can prevent reading data. Wipe the chip with soft dry cloth and restart the device. Also make sure that the settings are in place. → Annexes → Contacts are not worth a ban on access to device memory.
Data security and backup
Maintaining contacts SIM-A chip is easy to lose, damage physically or magnetically. Digital hygiene experts recommend using a SIM card only as a temporary buffer when changing phones, not as a primary storage facility.
Regularly backing up.vcf will allow you to save the entire contact structure, including photos and additional fields, which can be sent to yourself by email or saved in the file manager. To create a copy, select the item “Export to Memory of the device” in the Import and Export menu.
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The golden rule of security is never to store important contacts in just one place. Use a bundle: the main Google account + periodic export of the.vcf file to your computer.
Redmi 8 Pro owners should be aware of the Anti-Theft feature, which links the device to an account. Recovery settings may require you to enter a password from the account from which contacts were synced. Make sure you remember the login details so you don't lose access to the restored numbers.