Owners of smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO They often have to move the phone book when they change devices or when they reset. Although modern cloud services offer convenient synchronization, physical storage of data on the phone is not possible. SIM-This is a very important feature for many users, and it allows you to quickly transfer numbers to any other phone without having to log into Google or Mi accounts.
MIUI has its own peculiarities in organizing a contact menu that can confuse a beginner. Standard ways to access import and export functions are sometimes hidden in non-obvious sections or change with the update of the firmware version. Understanding the logic of the Contacts application will help avoid losing important numbers and duplication of records.
In this article, we will take a closer look at all the ways you can save numbers to your SIM chip, learn how to back up correctly, what formats are supported, and avoid common mistakes when transferring data between devices from different manufacturers.
Features of data storage in MIUI
The contact management system in Xiaomi smartphones is based on the standard Android application, but has a significantly expanded functionality. By default, all new records are stored in the device’s memory or synchronized with the Google account, if the appropriate option is enabled. Direct conservation on SIM-The card is often disabled by default to prevent data loss if the chip is damaged.
It is important to understand the difference between local storage and external storage. SIM-The card has limited memory and supports only basic fields (name and number), ignoring photos, email addresses and additional numbers.
⚠️ Note: Before any contact operations are initiated, it is strongly recommended to create a full backup in the cloud or on an internal drive to eliminate the risk of irretrievable data loss in the event of a software failure.
The interface of the application can vary depending on the version of MIUI and regional firmware (Global, China, EEA).In some cases, export functions can be hidden or renamed, which requires careful study of the settings menu.
Preparation for the relocation of contacts
Before you start saving, you need to make sure that the original data is in good condition. Check the contact list for duplicates or records with incorrect characters that can cause an error when writing to the SIM card. Cleaning the list in advance will save time and nerves.
Make sure that the SIM card is correctly defined by the system. → The phone. → All parameters. → SIM-If the card is not displayed or marked as "Unknown", first solve the problem with the definition of the chip, otherwise the data will not be recorded.
It's also worth checking the space on the SIM card itself. Older chips can have a limit of 250 entries. If your list exceeds this volume, some of the numbers will have to be left in the phone's memory or select only the most important contacts to transfer.
- 📱 Make sure that the SIM card is inserted into the correct slot if there are two of them.
- 🔋 Charge the device to at least 30% to avoid shutting down during the process.
- 📂 Check if contacts in the Contacts app are hidden by the display filter.
☑️ Pre-export verification
Step-by-step instructions: export of contacts
The process of saving numbers to the SIM card in Xiaomi is done through the built-in Contacts app. Open it and find the menu button, which is usually located in the upper right corner of the screen (three dots or three bars).
Then the system will suggest you select the direction of the operation. SIM-map" or "Export to SIM-map 1/2". Once selected, the system will show you a list of contacts available for transfer, you can mark individual numbers or select all at once by clicking the appropriate tick.
Confirm the action, and the copying process begins. The speed depends on the number of records and the state of the chip. Do not interrupt the process and turn off the screen until the notification of successful completion of the operation appears.
Path to menu: Contacts → Menu (three dots) → Import/Export → Export to SIM- Card💡
If you have two SIM cards, carefully select your target card for export, so as not to confuse the data between operators.
Import contacts from SIM card to phone
The reverse procedure, which is to restore numbers from the SIM card to the memory of your smartphone, is done in a similar way. Go to the Contacts app, open the menu, and select Import/Export. This time, click Import with SIM-map".
The system will ask where to save your data, select Google Account for automatic sync or Phone if you don't use cloud services, and when you select a Google account, your contacts will be available on any device after you log in.
Once you have selected the target storage, confirm the import. The phone reads the data from the chip and creates new entries in the selected storage. If the SIM card had numbers with the same names, they will be stored as separate contacts, possibly with digits added to the name.
| Parameter | SIM-map | Google account | Phone memory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limit of symbols in a name | Up to 20-30 characters | No restrictions. | No restrictions. |
| Photo of contact | Not supported | Supported | Supported |
| Additional numbers | Only one. | Plenty | Plenty |
| Risk of loss | High (physical wear and tear) | Low (cloud) | Medium (phone reset) |
Work with vCard (.vcf) format
An alternative and more reliable way to transfer is to use the vCard file, which allows you to save not only the number and name, but also a photo, address, email and other details, the file can be saved to internal memory or sent by e-mail.
To create a file, select the contact menu "Import/Export" → "Export to Storage." The system will create a file with the.vcf extension that will contain the entire phone book. This file can be copied to a computer or a new phone and imported from there.
Using vCard is especially important when switching from iPhone to Android or vice versa, as it is a universal standard that ensures that no byte of useful information is curtailed by the limitations of the SIM card.
Where can I find the saved vCard file?
Solving and eliminating errors
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the export button is inactive or the process ends in an error, most often due to overflowing of the SIM card memory or damage to the contact file system, in which case cleaning the application cache helps.
To clear the cache, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Contacts → Memory and click Clear Cache. Don’t confuse it with the Clear Data button, as this will delete all contacts from the phone if they are not synchronized.
If the problem persists, try extracting the SIM card, erase the contacts with a pin and paste back in. Physical contact plays an important role in the stability of writing data to the chip.
⚠️ Note: When exporting contacts, names may be cut to 10-15 Symbols due to the limitations of the standard GSM. Long names or compound names may be partially lost.
In rare cases, switching the network mode helps. Try temporarily switching the phone to "Only" mode. 2G" or "Only." 3G" before export, as some old SIM cards are unstable in the networks 4G/LTE recording-operation.
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The most reliable way to save contacts is to sync with your Google account, as it protects data even if your phone is completely broken or lost.