How to Move Contacts to Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

Changing your phone or operating system is always stressful, with the risk of losing important data. Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco owners often wonder how to move your phone book quickly and easily. Modern versions of the MIUI and HyperOS shell offer a variety of built-in tools that make it as easy and secure as possible.

In this article, we will take a look at all the available methods, from syncing through the Google cloud to using the proprietary Mi Mover utility.You will learn not only to import data, but also to structure it correctly to avoid duplicates and loss of information in the future.

Whether you are switching from another Android smartphone or an iPhone, there is a solution for you, and the main thing is to follow the instructions carefully and choose the method that best suits your specific situation and technical capabilities.

⚠️ Note: Before any data manipulation is initiated, we strongly advise you to make sure that both devices have at least 50% battery charge.

Synchronization through Google account

The most reliable and versatile way to save numbers is to use Google cloud storage, which allows you to automatically sync data between any Android device, so you don't have to search for files or connect cables, everything happens in the background.

To start, make sure your old phone is synced. Go to settings, find the Accounts section, and select your Google profile, and check if the tick is ticked against Contacts. If the switch is active, the system will immediately start uploading numbers to the server.

Then pick up your new Xiaomi. When you first set up the system, you'll be prompted to log in to the same Google account. If the phone is already set up, just add the account to the settings menu. The system will suggest you recover data from the cloud.

• 📱 Open “Settings” on your old device.
• 🔍 Go to the section "Accounts and synchronization».
• ☁️ Select your Google account and enable contact sync.
• ✅ Wait for the report of successful data update.

It's important to understand that the speed of the process depends on the number of numbers saved and the speed of the Internet connection. With thousands of records, synchronization can take several minutes. Don't try to speed up the process by updating the page often, this can cause a server error.

⚠️ Note: If you have sync on both phones at the same time and the phone books have different numbers, they may mix.

⚠️ Please note: Make sure that your contacts are saved to your Google account, not to your phone or phone. SIM-If you reset the settings, the data stored locally will be permanently lost.

Using the Google ecosystem ensures that your data is safe even if your device physically breaks down, a basic security standard for any modern smartphone user.

Import and export via VCF file

If you don’t have access to the Internet or prefer to store data locally, the ideal solution is to back up your data in VCF (vCard) format, a universal format supported by almost all operating systems and email clients.

The file creation process is simple and doesn’t require third-party apps to be installed. You need to open the standard Contacts app on your Xiaomi or other Android smartphone. From the control menu (usually three dots or bars in the corner), select Import/Export Contacts.

The system will suggest you choose the source and the destination. To create a copy, select Export to Drive. The phone will create a file with the.vcf extension that will contain all the selected numbers. This file can be transferred via Bluetooth, messengers or simply copied to a computer.

Default path to file: /internal_storage/Contacts/contacts.vcf

Once the file is on the new device, the process is reversed: Open the file through the Contacts or Phone app, and the system automatically recognizes the format and suggests importing the records you find, and you can choose which account or on which account you choose. SIM-keep the map.

• 📂 Create an export file on an old device.
• 📤 Transfer the file in any convenient way (Telegram, Email, USB).
• 📥 Open the file on the new Xiaomi.
• 💾 Confirm the import and select a place of preservation.

This is particularly useful because a VCF file can be stored for years as an archive, and even if you change your phone again in 5 years, it will still work, and it's a great insurance policy against cloud service failures.

Use of the Mi Mover app

The Mi Mover utility is Xiaomi’s heavy artillery, designed for full data cloning, but it also does a great job of selectively transferring contacts, with the main advantage of high data transfer speeds over direct Wi-Fi connections.

The app is pre-installed on all Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones running MIUI. If you switch from another Android, the app needs to be downloaded from Google Play. There is also an App Store version for iPhone owners, although functionality may be limited.

Run the app on both devices. Select Receiver on the new phone, and Send Sender on the old one. The new smartphone's camera will scan. QR-code that will appear on the old screen, and that will create a secure connection between the devices.

In the data list, you can only select Contacts, you can deselect everything else if you only need numbers, you can start copying, you can get up to tens of megabytes per second, and you can move thousands of contacts in seconds.

• 📲 Run Mi Mover on both smartphones.
• 🔗 Scan it. QR-pairing.
• 📋 Select the category “Contacts” for transfer.
• 🚀 Click "Send" and wait until it is completed.

It is important that both phones are close to each other and the screens do not go out during the process.Mi Mover creates a direct connection without using the traffic of your home Wi-Fi router, so the speed remains stable even with poor internet.

Transfer of contacts from SIM-card

The most “old” and time-tested method is the use of SIM-The card is a physical carrier, although the capacity SIM-The card is limited (usually 250 contacts) and the quality of the name preservation can suffer (cutting long names, loss of special characters), this method always works.

First, you need to copy the numbers from the memory of the old phone to the SIM card. In the Contacts app, find the settings and select "Copy Contacts." As the source, specify "Phone" and the recipient — «SIM-Confirm the action.

Then rearrange. SIM-card to the new Xiaomi. After you turn on your phone and register online, go to the Contacts app. Go to the import/export settings again. Now select copy "C" SIM-Maps in “Phone Memory” or “Google Account».

This method is good as a temporary solution or for transferring the most important numbers if other methods do not work. SIM-The map as the main storage in 2026 is no longer worth it due to the technical limitations of the format.

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Before copying on SIM-The 250-room limit ends very quickly, and the process can be interrupted halfway if there is not enough space.

Solving duplicate problems

A common problem after data transfer is the appearance of duplicates. The same person can be recorded twice: once from Google, another time from Google. SIM-cards, or from different accounts. MIUI There is a built-in cleaning tool.

Open the Contacts app and click on the three dots in the top corner (or menu button). Select Contact Management and then Combine Duplicates. The system will analyze and suggest a list of pairs that look the same.

You can combine them automatically or manually, and when you combine them, the system stores all the available fields: if one contact had only a number and the other had only an email and a photo, you get one full card after the merger, which makes the phone book neat and convenient.

It’s also worth checking to see if contacts from old accounts (like Skype or Viber) that you no longer need are “tightened up” and you can choose which groups and accounts should be visible in the general menu.

• 🧹 Go to the contact management menu.
• 🔀 Select the function "Combine duplicates».
• 👀 Check the pairs offered by the system.
• ✅ Confirm the records merger.

Removing duplicates is critical for smart dialing and search, as the system can get confused about which contact to prioritize.

Frequent Questions (FAQ)

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The most reliable way to keep contacts is to sync regularly with your Google Account, eliminating the need to manually back up and ensuring that your data is safe in case of any device breakdown.