Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often have to move or back up their phone book, which is critical when buying a new gadget or performing a complete system reset, and losing friends, colleagues and delivery numbers can be a major problem if not taken care of in advance.
Google’s current ecosystem offers a reliable way to store data that is independent of the device’s internal memory, and moving records to the Google Contacts cloud ensures they are safe even if the device fails physically. In this article, we’ll take a look at all the current import and export methods.
The synchronization process takes only a few minutes, but eliminates hours of manual reprinting. We'll look at both the standard MIUI or HyperOS shell tools and third-party tools. Follow the instructions to keep your data always on hand.
Preparation of device and account
Before any data operations are started, you need to make sure that your Internet connection is stable. Without an active connection to the global network, synchronization with Google servers is impossible. It is recommended to use a reliable Wi-Fi connection to avoid interruption when transferring large amounts of data.
Make sure your Google account is added and active on your device. If you just bought a phone and missed the login phase on your first start, you need to do it manually.
⚠️ Warning: Make sure your Google account has two-factor authentication enabled, which will protect your contacts from unauthorized access in the event of password loss.
Check for free space in Google Drive's cloud storage. The phone book takes up the minimum space, but if your limit is exhausted by photos or documents, sync may stop.
☑️ Checking before synchronization
Method 1: Import through the standard Contact Application
The easiest and most reliable way to transfer data is to use the built-in functionality of the system. MIUI and HyperOS shells have an integrated mechanism for working with Google Contacts. You do not need to download third-party software or connect the cable to the computer.
Open the Contacts or Phone app on the home screen. Find the menu button, which is usually indicated by three dots or stripes in the corner of the screen. From the drop-down list, select Settings or Import/Export Contacts.
In the menu that opens, select the option “Import from storage” and the system will prompt you to select a data source – in our case, it will be “Device” or «SIM-map" if the numbers are saved there. Next, you need to specify the target folder to save.
Critical point: make sure to choose your Google account as your save location, not your Phone or Mi Account. It is the choice of Google account that initiates the upload of the numbers to the cloud, and the copying process will begin after confirmation, which will take from a few seconds to a couple of minutes.
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If you have hundreds of contacts, the process may take longer.Do not close the Contacts app until you have a successful completion message.
Method 2: Synchronization through system settings
An alternative way to manage data is through deep-seated Android operating system settings, which is convenient because it allows you to set up automatic synchronization for all future changes, and any new number addition will be instantly duplicated in the cloud.
Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync (the path may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI). Find your Google email address and click on it. The sync services management menu will open.
In the list, look for Contacts and make sure the switch next to it is activated. If the sync has been turned off, turn it on. The system will immediately start checking the local database with the cloud version.
To force the data update, you can click on the Sync button (often looks like two arrows in a circle), which will cause the phone to immediately contact the server and update the information, even if the automatic update is on pause to save traffic.
| Parameter | Description | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Where do we get the data from? | Telephone/SIM |
| Purpose | Where to save it | Google Account |
| Network | Type of connection | Wi-Fi is preferably |
| Frequency | How often to update | Automatically. |
Working with contacts on SIM-map
Many users still keep numbers on the SIM-It's an outdated method with a number of limitations: the inability to keep multiple numbers for a single subscriber, the absence of email addresses and avatars. SIM-Google Maps Needed to Upgrade Phone Book.
The procedure is similar to importing from your phone's memory. From the contact management menu, select "Import with" SIM-The system counts all the records available on the chip, and after scanning, you'll be asked to select your destination.
Select your Google account from the list. Once you have completed the copy, it is strongly recommended that you delete your contacts from the list. SIM-Duplicates can create confusion when calling and sending messages.
⚠️ Attention: SIM-The card has a limited amount of memory and often crops long names. SIM-The card is not recommended for modern smartphones.
Once you migrate, you can use the “Joint Duplicates” feature offered by Google Contacts itself. Artificial intelligence will analyze the list, find recurring entries (for example, one number in memory, another in the cloud) and combine them into a single card.
Use of the web version of Google Contacts
For advanced users or when working with large amounts of data, it is more convenient to use a computer. Google Contacts provides a more powerful toolkit for editing, sorting and mass importing files.
Go to contacts.google.com from your computer and log in with the same account you have on your phone. From the menu on the left, select “Import” and you can download a file in CSV or vCard format that was previously exported from another phone or program.
This method is especially useful if your old phone crashes or gets lost, but you still have a backup file. Once you upload it to the site, you will automatically see those contacts on your new Xiaomi after syncing is enabled.
What to do if no contacts appear?
Addressing common problems
Sometimes the sync process can be interrupted or misfired, often due to a lack of space in Google storage or network connection issues, check the status of the service in your account settings.
If you see duplicates, don't rush to remove them manually. Use the built-in cleanup function. You may also experience problems using older versions of apps. Update Google Play Services and Contacts through the Play Market Store.
In rare cases, cleaning the app cache helps. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps → Contacts. Select “Clear Data” and “Clear Cache” and then you need to re-enable the sync.
⚠️ Note: Clearing the Contacts app data will not delete your numbers if they are already saved to your Google account.However, if sync is not done, local data may be lost.
The advantages of cloud storage over local storage
Storing data in a Google Account has a number of undeniable advantages over phone memory, most notably device independence: you can lose your phone, crash it, or accidentally drop it in water, but the numbers will remain intact.
When you buy a new smartphone, whether it’s Xiaomi, Samsung or iPhone, just enter your username and password. The entire phone book will load automatically in minutes. You don’t have to look for a cable or special programs to transfer.
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Cloud storage is the only guaranteed way to avoid losing contacts when a smartphone is broken or stolen.
And cloud contacts are also easier to edit, so you can change numbers, add addresses and birthdays directly from your computer, and the changes will instantly affect your phone, and that turns a phone book into a full-fledged database, not just a list of numbers.
Data security is also higher. Google uses encryption in transmission and storage. Even if someone gains access to your unlocked phone, they won't be able to massively copy or delete contacts without accessing an account if appropriate protection is enabled.