How to transfer contacts from memory card to Xiaomi Redmi: 5 proven ways

Transferring contacts from a memory card to a Xiaomi Redmi smartphone is a challenge that users face when buying a new device, resetting settings or switching from another phone. Despite its apparent simplicity, the process can cause difficulties: The system does not see the file, the contacts are duplicated or not imported in full. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods of importing - from standard tools to the most important ones. MIUI Up to workarounds for old models.

The feature of Redmi is a customized shell. MIUI, For example, some versions do not have an explicit import/export button in the contact menu, and.vcf files do not appear in Explorer without additional settings. 10 redmi 12, including devices MIUI 12-14.

Important: If you are moving your contacts with SIM-You can find export instructions for different brands (Samsung, iPhone, Nokia) at the end of this article.

1. Standard import through the “Contacts” app

The most reliable way is to use the built-in Contacts app (or Google Contacts, if installed), which works for all Redmis. MIUI 11 and newer, but may differ depending on the shell version.

Algorithm of action:

• 📱 Open the Contacts app (an icon with a human silhouette).
• 🔍 Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Contact Management → Import/Export of contacts.
• 📁 Select Import from a memory card (or Import from a file.vcf).
• 📄 Specify a contact file (usually called contacts.vcf or 00001.vcf).
• 🔄 Confirm the import and wait until it is completed (may take until the end of the day). 1-2 minute 1000+ contact).

If the Import/Export option is not on the menu, then your device is using Google Contacts as the default app.

1. Open Google Contacts (white circle with colored silhouettes).
2. Tap on the profile avatar. → Imports.
3. Select the.vcf or.csv file from the memory card.

Insert a memory card into a Redmi slot (or use an adapter)

Check that the contact file is in the card root folder (not archived)

Make sure the file has an extension of.vcf or.csv

Disable battery optimization for the Contacts app (in settings) MIUI)

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"File not found" error? MIUI does not display files on the memory card due to access restrictions:

⚠️ Note: Before importing, move the.vcf file to the phone's internal memory (Download folder). After importing it can be deleted.+, where applications are prohibited from direct access to removable media.

2. Import via "Files" (Conductor) MIUI)

If the standard method doesn’t work, try importing contacts through a conductor. MIUI. This method is suitable for.vcf and.csv files, but requires manual selection.

Step-by-step:

• 📂 Open the Files app (yellow folder).
• 🔍 Go to the Memory Map section (or SD-map).
• 📄 Find a contact file (such as contacts.vcf) and tap it.
• 📥 The system will prompt you to select an application to open – select Contacts or Google Contacts».
• 🔄 Confirm imports and wait for success notifications.

If the file is not opened, check its integrity:

• 🔍 Make sure that the file extension is.vcf (sometimes.vcf.txt is added after copying).
• 📏 Check the file size – if it is less than 1 KB, it is possible that the file is empty or corrupted.
• 🔄 Try opening a file on your PC via Outlook or Thunderbird – if contacts are displayed, the phone is a problem.

Through the Contacts app

Through the Files Explorer

Through Google Account

Another way.-->

Critical Feature for Redmi on Android 12+: files on the memory card may be hidden because of the "Secure Access" function. To see them, go to Settings → Annexes → Special access → Access all files and enable permission for the Files app».

3. Import via Google Account (for backups)

If contacts have previously been synced with a Google Account, they can be restored without a.vcf file. This method is suitable for users who have previously used Android smartphones.

Instructions:

1. 📱 Go to Settings. → Accounts and synchronization.
2. 🔄 Add your Google Account (if not added) and enable contact sync.
3. 🔍 Open Google Contacts (web version: contacts.google.com) and check if contacts are displayed.
4. 📥 On the phone, open "Contacts» → Contact management → Imports from Google Account.

If your contacts are not displayed in your Google Account:

• 🔍 Check if synchronization is included in Settings → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization of the account.
• 🔄 Try manually exporting contacts from your old phone to.vcf and uploading them to Google Contacts via the web version.
• ⚠️ Make sure there is no contact.db file on the memory card – it can block imports.

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If contacts are duplicated after import, use the "Combine and Correct" function in Google Contacts. To do this, open the web version, select Additional → Find and combine duplicates

4.Import through third-party applications

If embedded tools MIUI We recommend proven utilities that work on Xiaomi Redmi without root rights:

Instructions for Contacts Backup & Restore:

1. 📱 Install the app from Google Play.
2. 🔍 Open it and select Restore (Restore).
3. 📁 Specify the path to the file on the memory card (for example, /storage/1234-5678/contacts.vcf).
4. 🔄 Select a save account (phone or Google) and confirm.

⚠️ Note: Some applications (e.g. Super Backup) require permission to access the Overlay over other applications. Without this, the import may end with an error. → Annexes → Special access → Overlaying on top of other applications.

5. Addressing import problems

If contacts are not imported or are not imported correctly, check the following points:

Frequent errors and ways to eliminate them:

• 🚫 "File not supported" → Check the extension (should be.vcf, not.vcf.txt). Rename the file via PC.
• 🔄 "Contacts are not imported" → Try to split a large.vcf file into parts (500 contacts each) using the VCF Splitter.
• 📵 "No access to the memory card" → Move the file to internal memory or use it. OTG-flash-drive adapter.
• 🔍 "Duplicate contacts" → Before importing, clear existing contacts through Settings → Annexes → Contacts → Warehouse → Clear the data.

If none of these methods worked, try an alternative method:

1. 📱 Connect Redmi to the PC via USB (file transfer).
2. 🖥️ Copy the.vcf file to your computer.
3. 🌐 Import contacts to Google Contacts via the web version.
4. 🔄 Sync your Google account on your phone.

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If a.vcf file weighs more than 10MB, break it down into pieces. MIUI may not be able to handle large files due to memory limitations.

6 Export of contacts from other phones to memory card

If you need to transfer contacts to a memory card from another device first, use these instructions:

For Android (Samsung, Huawei, etc.):

• 📱 Open the "Contact» → Settings → Imports/Exports.
• 📤 Select Export to memory card (or Export to file.vcf).
• 📁 Save the file to the root directory SD-map.

For the iPhone:

1. 📱 Go to Settings. → Contacts → Accounts.
2. 🔄 Export contacts to iCloud (if not synced).
3. 🌐 Open iCloud.com, select Contacts → ⚙️ → Exports vCard.
4. 📥 Copy the resulting.vcf file to a memory card via PC.

For button phones (Nokia, Alcatel):

• 📞 Go to Contacts. → Settings → Copy contacts.
• 📤 Select to Memory Card (or Export to File).
• 🔍 The file is usually saved as contacts.vcf or phonebook.vcf.

7. Optimization of contacts after importation

After successful import, it is recommended to perform several actions for ease of use:

• 🔍 Combining Duplicates: Open Google Contacts → Fix and manage → Combining and correcting.
• 📇 Grouping: Create groups (e.g., “Work”, “Family”) in Settings → Contact management → Groups.
• 🔄 Sync: Enable automatic sync with Google in Settings → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization of contacts.
• 📱 Backup: Export contacts to.vcf regularly through Contacts Backup & Restore.

If contacts are displayed incorrectly (for example, Cyrillic is replaced with question marks), the problem is encoding the file.

1. Open the.vcf file in Notepad++.
2. Select UTF-8 encoding without BOM.
3. Save the file and repeat the import.

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To quickly find duplicates in MIUI, Open "Contacts", click on the magnifying glass (🔍), Enter the symbol "*" (asterisk) - the system will show all contacts, including repeated ones.

FAQ: Frequent questions about importing contacts on Xiaomi Redmi