Changing a mobile device or switching to a new Xiaomi smartphone often challenges users to quickly transfer all the accumulated information. The most valuable asset for most owners is the phone numbers that have been collected in the phone book for years. Unlike older button phones, modern Android smartphones and MIUI or HyperOS shells offer flexible tools for managing contacts, but the process is not always intuitive at first glance.
Saving numbers directly from a physical SIM card to a device’s memory is a critical step to ensure data security. While contacts are on the card’s plastic, they are limited in memory and often cut to 10-12 characters, losing important details. Moving to a cloud service or internal memory of Xiaomi allows you to save full names, additional numbers, email addresses and photos of subscribers.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all available import methods, consider the features of working with two SIM cards and answer frequent questions that arise when configuring new models of Redmi and POCO. You will learn how to avoid duplicates and why storing numbers in the Google or Mi Cloud cloud is more reliable than on a physical medium.
Preparation for the transfer of contacts and verification of the SIM card
Before embarking on any active import action, you need to make sure that the source data is read correctly by the device. Often users try to copy the numbers without checking whether they are actually written on the operator's chip, not in the memory of the old phone. Plug the SIM card into your Xiaomi slot and wait for the network to appear.
Open a standard Contacts or Phone app, which usually has a handset or human silhouette icon. In modern MIUI shells, navigation can vary depending on the operating system version. You need to find the contact management menu, which is often hidden behind three dots or the "More" button in the corner of the screen.
⚠️ Note: If you have a dual-sim model installed, the system may request a selection of a specific SIM card to import.
Make sure that the phone has enough space, although the contacts take up a minimum of space. It is also recommended to check the battery power so that the process does not interrupt in the middle, although the risk of data loss when importing from a SIM card is minimal. It is important for owners of old cards to know that the memory capacity on them is limited, usually no more than 250 records.
💡
Before starting mass import, back up your current phone book if it already has important data in it to avoid accidental mixing or loss of information.
Step-by-step: import through the standard application
The main and most reliable way to migrate data is to use the built-in functionality of the system. The algorithm of actions is the same for most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, regardless of the year of release. Open the Contacts app and find the menu button, which is usually located in the upper right or lower corner of the interface.
In the drop-down list, select "Import contacts." The system will prompt you to select a data source. In this case, we are interested in the "C" option. If the device has two active cards, a window will appear telling you to choose SIM 1 or SIM 2.
☑️ Algorithm for Importing Contacts
Once you have selected the source, the phone will suggest you to specify your destination, and it is critical to choose the right option to save, and options are available: Phone, Google Account or Mi Account. It is recommended to choose a Google account, as this provides automatic synchronization and protection from loss when changing devices.
Click OK or Import, and it takes seconds to a minute to copy, depending on the number of records, and when you complete, you'll see a notification that you've successfully completed the operation, and all the numbers will appear in the general phone book list.
Working with two SIM cards and choosing storage
Xiaomi smartphone owners often use two SIM cards at once, which creates nuances when transferring data. The standard import mechanism processes the cards in turn. If you choose to import from all the cards, the system first counts the data from the first one, and then suggests counting from the second one.
Special attention should be paid to the choice of storage. Stored in memory of the "Phone" (local storage) makes contacts available only on this particular device. If a gadget breaks or loses, it will be impossible to restore them without first exporting. Using cloud services eliminates this risk.
| Type of storage | Advantages | Deficiencies | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SIM card | Portability, independence from software | Small volume, cropping names, no photo | Not recommended for permanent storage |
| Phone memory | Quick access, full information | Risk of loss when the device breaks | Only as a temporary solution. |
| Google Contacts | Auto Synchronization, Recovery on Any Android | Internet is required for initial setup | Recommended option |
| Mi Cloud | Integration with Xiaomi ecosystem | Limited free volume (5 GB) | Good for Xiaomi equipment owners |
When selecting a Google account, make sure that sync is enabled in your system settings, which will allow you to recover the entire phone book on any new device in one click in the future, just by logging into your profile.
💡
Choosing cloud storage (Google or Mi Cloud) instead of phone memory ensures that your contacts are safe even in the event of a total loss or theft of your smartphone.
Using Mi Mover to migrate from another smartphone
If you’re switching to Xiaomi from another Android device or even an iPhone, the built-in Mi Mover app (or “Mi Move”) will be an indispensable assistant, a tool that allows you to transfer not only contacts, but also photos, apps and system settings without using a computer.
The app is pre-installed on all Xiaomi smartphones. Launch it, accept the terms of the agreement, and select the device role: “I am the sender” (on the old phone) or “I am the recipient” (on the new Xiaomi).
In the data list, make sure to select Contacts, and you can detail the selection by specifying the import from the SIM card of the old device, if the contacts are stored there. The transfer speed depends on the amount of data, but the text information is copied almost instantly.
What if Mi Mover can’t see the contact?
Solving problems: duplicates and import errors
Users often face technical difficulties in the process of transferring numbers, and one of the most common problems is the appearance of duplicates when the same contact is displayed twice or three times, which occurs when the numbers have been copied before but not deleted from the SIM card, or when multiple accounts are synchronized.
To eliminate duplicates in Xiaomi smartphones, there is a built-in feature: Go to Contacts, click on the menu and select Contacts Organization (or Contact Management). There will be a item called "Combine Repeats." The system will automatically find matches by phone number or name and offer to combine them into one card.
Another common problem is import error or “empty” result after the procedure, which can be due to damage to files on the SIM card or incompatibility of the encoding format, in which case it helps to extract the card, clean the contacts on it (pre-save them elsewhere), and re-write.
⚠️ Note: After successfully importing and checking the numbers in the new phone book, we strongly advise you to delete all contacts from the SIM card itself through the control menu.
Synchronization and cloud backup
Once the numbers are successfully moved to the device's memory, the process doesn't end. To keep the data from being lost, you need to set up cloud sync. In the Xiaomi ecosystem, this is done through the Mi Cloud, but a more versatile and reliable way is sync with Google.
Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync. Select your Google account and make sure the switch opposite Contacts is active (blue or green). If sync has been turned off, turn it on and click Sync.
You can check the results by going to contacts.google.com from your computer, and if all the numbers are displayed there, then the process was successful and your data is secure in the cloud. Now, when you buy a new phone, just type in your Google login and password, and the phone book will be restored automatically.
💡
Use the Restore Contacts feature on Google Contacts if you accidentally delete important numbers.The service stores the change history for up to 30 days, allowing you to roll back the phone book to a previous state.