Switching to a new Xiaomi Redmi or Poco smartphone is always accompanied by a desire to quickly set up the device and transfer personal data. One of the most common tasks is to transfer the phone book, especially if you previously used a button phone or other system where numbers were stored directly in the memory of the SIM card. Modern operating systems such as MIUI and HyperOS are built around a Google account, which makes storing data on a physical SIM card not the most reliable and convenient method.
However, this feature cannot be ignored, as many users may have important entries in their SIM card memory that were obtained when changing operators or buying a new SIM. The process of copying this data to the internal memory of a smartphone takes only a couple of minutes, but saves from potential loss of information in the future. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to safely transfer contacts to your Redmi.
It is worth noting that shell interfaces may vary slightly depending on the software version. However, the logic of the system application "Contacts" remains the same for all devices of the brand. Below is the current sequence of actions that will help you to combine disparate records into a single database of your account.
Why you need to transfer contacts to your Xiaomi phone
Storing numbers directly on a SIM card is a relic of the past that carries certain risks. (capacity) SIM card is extremely limited, and often when you transfer these devices, the names of the records are cropped and special characters disappear. By transferring data to the phone, you get access to the full name of the contact, the ability to add a photo, email and attach messenger numbers.
In addition, the SIM card is a physical object that is easy to lose, damage or forget in an old device.If your Xiaomi smartphone suddenly fails, contacts stored in the phone's memory or on the SIM card can be lost forever.Sync with Google or Mi Cloud ensures that your phone book will recover automatically immediately after entering the username and password on any new device.
⚠️ Note: SIM card memory does not support saving additional fields, such as address, company, or second phone number. When you copy from your phone to your SIM card, this information will be permanently lost.
Another important aspect is speed: Finding a contact in a phone’s memory is instant, whereas reading data from a SIM card can take longer and put a strain on the device’s power controller. Redmi’s modern smartphones are optimized to work with large databases stored in internal memory or the cloud.
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Transferring contacts from the SIM card to the phone is the first step to securely storing data and protecting against loss of data when a device breaks down.
Preparation of the device before importing data
Before you start the transfer process, make sure the SIM card is properly installed and defined by the system.Put the card into the appropriate slot of your Redmi and wait for the network signal to appear.If the SIM card is new or you just received it, make sure that it does have saved numbers.
It is also recommended to check the memory status of the phone. Although contacts take up a negligible amount of data, free space is necessary for the correct operation of system processes and creating backups. Go to Settings → About Phone → Storage and make sure that you have at least a few megabytes of free space.
An important step is to check your Google account, make sure you’re logged in to your profile so that immediately after importing the data will start syncing with the cloud, which will create an additional restore point in case of any malfunctions in the smartphone itself.
☑️ Readiness to move contacts
It is not superfluous to back up your current contacts if they are already on your phone, although when importing from a SIM card, it is usually added, not replaced.
Step-by-step: import contacts through the "Contacts" application
The main method of data transfer is implemented through the standard system application, which is preinstalled on all Xiaomi smartphones. Open the app menu and find an icon that says "Contacts" (often has a blue background and a human silhouette).
When you start the app, look at the interface. At the top of the screen or in the side menu (depending on the MIUI version), you need to find the item "Import / Export contacts." In some versions of the shell, this item is hidden under the three-dot button or the menu icon in the corner of the screen. Click on it to reveal the list of available operations.
In the menu that opens, select the option "Import with" SIM-The system can choose where to save data: to Google account, to phone memory or to Mi Account. For maximum reliability, choose a Google account. Once you select the source and destination, the scanning and copying process will begin.
Menu Path: Contacts → Menu (three dots/strips) → Import/Export → Import from SIM-cardThe process usually takes a few seconds, and when you're done, you'll see a notification that you've successfully completed the operation, and now all the numbers that were on the SIM card are available in your smartphone's general phone book.
Alternative method through system settings
If for some reason a standard application does not start or does not work correctly, the import function can be called through the general settings of the smartphone, which is especially useful if the interface of the application "Contacts" has been changed by third-party themes of registration.
Go to the main settings menu of Xiaomi and scroll through the list to the "Applications" section. Here, find "Application Management" or immediately go to the settings search by entering the word "import." However, a more direct path lies through the SIM card menu.
Find the Settings section → SIM-Select the active SIM card to read the data from. The SIM management menu that opens often has a button called "Copy Contacts" or "Import Contacts." When you click on it, you start the same system copying process as you do through the app.
This way ensures that you are working with the SIM card that is selected for data transfer, which eliminates confusion in two-symbol Redmi smartphones. After choosing the target storage (Google or Phone), the data will be transferred.
Solution: Duplicates and coding problems
When you move contacts, you often have the problem of duplicate records, which happens if you have the same number stored in your phone's memory, or if you have imported it, and Android has a built-in merge mechanism, but it doesn't always work automatically.
To eliminate duplicates, open the Contacts app, click on the menu and select "Contacts Combine" or "Contact Management → Combine." The system will prompt you to automatically find similar entries and merge them into one card, which will clear the phone book and make the search more convenient.
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts are not copied | Insufficient rights or memory | Check the application permissions and free space |
| Names are displayed by the Cracosabras | The coding problem | Transcode manually or through Google Contacts |
| Only the number survived. | SIM memory limits | Manually complete the data after import |
| Duplicate records | Re-importation | Use the "Contacts Unite" function |
Another common problem is the cropping of names. As mentioned earlier, SIM cards have a limited storage format, so if after importing, you see that the contact name is cropped, it can be easily edited by opening the contact card and clicking the "Change" button.
⚠️ Note: When importing contacts from the SIM card to the phone, profile photos are not transferred, since the SIM card does not support storing graphic files.
Synchronization and backup to the cloud
After successfully migrating contacts to a Xiaomi Redmi phone, it is critical to set up sync to turn your local number list into a cloud database accessible from any device. → Accounts and synchronization.
Find your Google account in the list and make sure the switch opposite the Contacts button is activated. If sync is enabled, any changes you make to your phone book will automatically be reflected in the cloud and on other devices associated with that account.
What to do if the synchronization is suspended?
Users of the Xiaomi ecosystem can also use Mi Cloud for backup. Go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud and enable contact synchronization. This will create an additional copy of the data on the manufacturer’s servers, which is convenient if you plan to stay in the brand ecosystem.
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Use the web version of Google Contacts (contacts.google.com) to edit, delete duplicates, and sort records from your computer – it’s much more convenient than doing it with your finger on your smartphone screen.