How to export contacts with Xiaomi Redmi Note 9: all ways with pictures

Losing contacts is one of the most frustrating situations for a smartphone owner, especially if you're talking about the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9, where a phone book can store years of important connections, from work partners to personal contacts. Fortunately, exporting contacts on this device takes only a few minutes if you know the right settings. But there are pitfalls here: different versions of MIUI (12 to 14) slightly change the menu layout, and some methods work unstable when synchronized with Google Account.

In this article, we’ll break down all the current export methods, from the standard Redmi Note 9 features to workarounds for cases where the phone can’t see. SIM-map or not synced to the cloud, and we'll focus on exporting in the format VCF (vCard – a universal solution for transferring contacts to any other smartphone, including iPhone or Android devices of other brands.

If you're planning to reset your phone to factory settings, sell it, or just back it up, this is a way to avoid data loss. And for those who are already experiencing missing contacts, there's a section at the end of this article on recovering from backups.

1. Export of contacts to SIM-map: pros and cons

Maintaining contacts SIM-The card is the oldest, but still relevant, and it's suitable if you need to quickly transfer numbers to another phone (even a button phone) or make a minimal backup:

• 📱 Number limit: per one SIM Usually no more than 250 contacts are placed (depending on the operator).
• 🔤 Numbers and names only: photos, email, addresses and notes will not be saved.
• 🔄 Problems with Cyrillic: some SIM-The cards are incorrectly displayed by Russian letters.

To export contacts to SIM:

1. Open the Contacts app (phone handset icon).
2. Slip on three points in the upper right corner → Contact management.
3. Choose Import/Export Contacts → Exports to SIM-map.
4. Tick the necessary contacts (or click Allocate) and confirm the export.

⚠️ Attention: If yours SIM-Nano-SIM card and micro-SIM adapter is lost, use adapter or other phone with the right slot.On the Redmi Note 9, only nano-SIM is supported.

After export, check the contacts in the menu SIM-Maps: Contact us → SIM. If the names are displayed by the crack-toots, try using another. SIM or export VCF-file (about this below).

2. Save contacts in a VCF file (vCard)

VCF (or vCard) is the universal standard for storing contacts, which can be opened on any smartphone, imported into Google Contacts, Outlook or even printed out, the main advantage of which is that VCF stores all data — photos, addresses, birthdays and even linked accounts in instant messengers.

Instructions for Redmi Note 9:

1. Open Contacts. → three-point → Contact management.
2. Select Import/Export Contacts → Export to File.
3. Specify the folder to save (for example, Downloads or Documents).
4. Name the file (for example, contacts_backup_2026.vcf) and press Save.

File ready is available:

• 📤 Send yourself to email or messenger (Telegram, WhatsApp).
• 🖥️ Copy to a computer through USB-cable.
• ☁️ Download to the cloud (Google Drive, Mi Cloud, Yandex Drive).

Open a file on another device|Check the number of contacts in the file|Make sure all fields are saved (photo, email, etc.)|Make a copy of the file on another medium-->

⚠️ Note: If, when exporting to VCF You've lost your contact photos, check your sync settings with Google Photos. MIUI Keeps avatars separate from the main data.

3. Sync with Google Account: Automatic Backup

The most reliable way to back up is to sync with your Google Account, which not only saves contacts, but also automatically updates them when you add new numbers, the main condition is that the Redmi Note 9 must have Internet (Wi-Fi or mobile data) connection.

How to turn on synchronization:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Synchronization.
2. Select your Google Account (or add it if not connected).
3. Activate the slider next to Contacts.
4. Click Sync Now (in some versions of MIUI, this button is hidden under three dots).

To check if your contacts are saved in the cloud:

• 🌐 Go to contacts.google.com from a computer or other phone.
• 🔍 Make sure all numbers are displayed correctly.
• 📱 If there are no contacts, repeat the synchronization or check your Internet connection.

If some contacts are lost after synchronization, check if the option to Show Contacts Only from your phone is disabled in the Contacts settings of the Contacts app. Sometimes MIUI hides cloud numbers by default.

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To speed up synchronization, clear the Contacts app cache in settings (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Contacts → Clear cache) before running it.

4.Contact Transfer via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

Mi Cloud is Xiaomi’s proprietary cloud storage that automatically backs up contacts, SMS, photos and notes, a method that’s convenient if you’re planning to upgrade to another Xiaomi smartphone, POCO or Redmi, but there are limitations to the service:

• ☁️ Only 5GB is available for free (that’s enough for a few years). ~10,000 contacts).
• 🔒 Data is stored on Xiaomi servers (possible privacy issues).
• 📱 You need a Mi Account to recover.

How to enable backup in Mi Cloud:

1. Open Settings → Mi Account (at the top of the screen).
2. Select Mi Cloud → Backup of the device.
3. Activate the slider next to Contacts.
4. Click Start backup.

To restore contacts on the new phone:

1. Sign in to the same Mi Account.
2. Go to Mi Cloud. → Restore.
3. Select a backup with the date when the contacts were up to date.
4. Confirm the recovery (the process can take 5-15 minutes).

⚠️ Note: If you are selling Redmi Note 9, be sure to log out of Mi Account and remove the device from the list of trusted in Mi Cloud → Device management, otherwise the new owner will be able to recover your data!

5. Export of contacts through third-party applications

If standard methods do not work (for example, due to a failure in the MIUI absenteeism SIM-We tested 3 reliable applications for Redmi Note 9:

Example of export through My Files:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and go to the Contacts section.
3. Select Export → Specify the format (VCF or Excel).
4. Save the file to a convenient folder (such as Download).

If the app doesn’t see contacts, check the permissions:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find an export application and open Permits.
3. Enable access to Contacts and Warehouse.

6. Transfer contacts to another phone (Android/iPhone)

If the export goal is to transfer contacts to a new device, choose the method depending on the type of phone:

• 🤖 Android → Android: Use Google Account (Sync) or send VCF-file-through Bluetooth/Email. On a new phone, import the file through Contacts → Imports/Exports.
• 🍎 Android → iPhone: Export your contacts to the VCF And send it to iCloud Mail. On your iPhone, open the file, you can add contacts automatically. Or sync it to your Google Account, then add it to your iPhone in Settings. → Passwords and accounts.
• 📱 Android → Phone: Keep your contacts on the phone SIM-card (see section 1) or use Bluetooth (if supported).

There's a nuance to porting to your iPhone: if VCF contacts aren't imported, check the file encoding. Sometimes iOS doesn't recognize Cyrillic in vCard.

1. Open the VCF file in a text editor (e.g. Notepad++).
2. Make sure the encoding is UTF-8.
3. Save the file and repeat the import.

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When you transfer to your iPhone via Google Account, some fields (such as "Additional email") may not show up.

7. Restoration of contacts after discharge or loss

If contacts are lost (for example, after resetting to factory settings), they can be recovered from backups.

• ☁️ Google Account: Sign in to the same account on your phone. Enable sync in Settings → Accounts. → Google → Contacts. Wait for completion (may take up to an hour).
• 📁 Local backup (VCF): Check Download, Documents or the root directory for.vcf files. Import through Contacts → Imports/Exports → File-based import. 🔄 Mi Cloud: Get in to Mi Cloud → Backups. Select a copy with the desired date and restore contacts.
• 🛠️ Third-party utilities: If you don't have backups, try programs like Dr.Fone or EaseUS MobiSaver, which scan your phone's memory for deleted data.