Changing your device or reinstalling your operating system can be stressful for the smartphone owner, especially if the phone book is compromised. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices face the need to transfer data when switching to a new model or after resetting the settings to the factory. SIM-The card is an outdated and unsafe method that can result in the loss of important information if the chip is damaged or the phone is lost.
The modern Android ecosystem offers much more robust solutions for syncing data through cloud services. Integration with Google Contacts not only secures the caller list, but also instantly restores it to any device after authorization. In this article, we will detail the process of data migration, eliminating the risk of loss of information and ensuring automatic backup in the future.
⚠️ Note: Before starting any database operations, make sure that SIM-The card is tightly inserted into the slot, and the smartphone has a stable connection to the Internet via Wi-Fi or mobile network.
Why it’s important to keep your contacts in the Google cloud
Use of the SIM-The card as the primary storage of the phone book has critical limitations that users often forget. The memory capacity of the chip is limited, which does not allow you to save long names, additional numbers or email addresses for a single subscriber. In contrast, a Google account provides virtually limitless space and supports extended fields to detail contact information.
The main advantage of cloud storage is that it's independent of physical storage, so if you lose your phone or it goes down, the numbers will remain accessible via the web interface or any other smartphone after you log in, and this is especially true for MIUI users, where synchronization is in the background and does not require constant human intervention.
- 📱 Cross-platform: Access to numbers from any device, including computers and tablets.
- 🔄 Automatic sync: Any changes to the list are instantly updated on all related gadgets.
- 🛡️ Loss protection: Data is saved even when the SIM card or smartphone is physically damaged.
Google’s algorithms can also automatically combine duplicates if the same person is registered under different names or numbers, helping to keep the phonebook in order without manual intervention, and moving to cloud storage is the first step to making smart use of Xiaomi’s smartphone.
Preparing a smartphone for data import
Before you start the transfer process, you need to perform a number of preparatory steps, which ensures that the procedure will pass without errors and interruptions. First of all, check that the device has added and active Google account. Without authorization in the system GMS (Google Mobile Services), data export is impossible.
☑️ Pre-transfer check
Make sure that the phone book is on SIM-Sometimes users try to import data from an empty chip without knowing that the numbers are already stored in the phone memory or other profile. Open the Contacts app and check the list displayed by selecting a filter «SIM-map».
It is also recommended to free up some RAM by closing the background applications. Although the import process does not require significant resources, the stability of the MIUI system directly affects the speed of the operation. If there are many heavy programs on the phone, it is better to restart the device before starting work.
Import through the standard Contacts app
The easiest and fastest way to move numbers is to use the built-in functionality of Google’s Contacts app, which is the standard for the MIUI shell. The interface is intuitive, and the necessary functions are hidden in the control menu. To begin, open the app and find the menu icon, usually located in the top corner or indicated by three dots.
In the list that opens, select Settings or Contact Management. We are interested in Import/Export Contacts. Here, the system will ask you to select a data source. SIM-Once the source is selected, the system will request confirmation and will offer to specify the destination.
⚠️ Note: When choosing a save location, be sure to include your Google account (e.g. user)@gmail.com), It's not a phone or a device, and saving to a phone doesn't guarantee cloud sync.
Once confirmed, the copying process will begin. The run time depends on the number of records on the chip. It usually takes between a few seconds and a couple of minutes. Once completed, you will receive a notification of successful import. Now your numbers are in the cloud and protected from loss.
What to do if the import is interrupted?
Using the Mi Mover app for migration
For users who are switching to a new Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone, the company has developed a dedicated Mi Mover utility that allows you to transfer not only contacts, but also applications, photos and system settings. However, if your goal is to sync with Google, built-in tools are preferable, since Mi Mover often copies data locally.
However, if you want to collect all the data in one place first and then sync it, Mi Mover is a great assistant. The app creates a local copy of the phone book that can then be exported. This is useful if the old phone has contacts scattered across different sources.
- 🚀 High speed: Wi-Fi Direct data transfers faster than the Internet.
- 📂 Integrated approach: The ability to transfer all data at once, not just numbers.
- 🔒 Security: Data is transmitted over a secure local channel without access to an external network.
Once you have finished working, remember to check where the contacts were saved. If they are in the device memory, export through the settings described in the previous section by selecting a Google account as your target storage.
Solving common synchronization problems
Users may encounter technical difficulties in transferring data, and one of the common problems is synchronization error, where contacts are copied but not displayed in the cloud, which may be due to incorrect display settings in the application itself or a lack of permission to access the network.
Check your sync settings in Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google. Make sure the switch opposite Contacts is active. If the slider is turned off, the data will not be updated on the company’s servers, even if it is physically stored in the profile.
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If contacts don’t show up after importing, open the web version of Google Contacts (contacts.google.com) from your computer, and you can see the full picture of what actually loaded into the cloud, regardless of the display settings on your phone.
Another problem is the encoding of names. SIM-Maps may not display correctly (crackers), in which case manual editing through the Google web interface or re-importing with the choice of the correct encoding, if such an option is available in your version will help. MIUI.
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts are not synchronized | Synchronization in the settings is disabled | Enable the slider in the section Google Accounts |
| Duplicate numbers | Imports are made several times | Use the “Combine Duplicates” function in the application |
| The "Not enough memory" error | Cache overflowed | Clear the application cache Contacts in the system settings |
| There is no Google account. | Authorization not performed | Add an account in your phone settings |
Automatic synchronization in the future
To never face the issue of saving numbers again, you need to set up an automatic record of new contacts. By default, Android can offer a choice of save location with each addition of a number, which is inconvenient and leads to human error.
Go to the Contacts settings and find Account for New Contacts or Default Save Area. Select your primary Google email address, and from there on, all new records will automatically fly to the cloud.
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The correct default setting of the save location eliminates the need to transfer data in the future and guarantees 100% safety of the phone book.
It is also useful to check the sync status periodically. Go to Settings → Accounts → Google and click on your profile. Make sure the last sync is successful and the date is current. Regular monitoring will help avoid situations where changes have not been downloaded due to temporary network failures.