How to import contacts with SIM-Xiaomi Redmi 10 cards: all ways + mistake-making

Transfer of contacts with SIM-Xiaomi Redmi 10 cards are a challenge that every new smartphone owner faces. Even in 2026, when cloud services almost replaced physical media, many users store important numbers on their phones. SIM — This is especially true for those who are switching from button phones or older Android devices, but the process of importing Redmi 10 has nuances, from restrictions on the number of contacts to problems with encoding Cyrillic characters.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current portability methods, from standard import via settings to workarounds using Google Contacts and third-party apps, focusing on common errors (such as when contacts are not displayed after import) and give recommendations for optimizing the phone book after portability, and if you want to save not only numbers, but also photos or notes associated with them, we have a solution for this.

Let’s start with: Xiaomi Redmi 10 (model 2021/2022, MIUI 12.5/13/14) Supports the import of contacts with SIM, But with limitations, for example, you can only transfer your name and number from a card, and you have to fill in the additional fields (email, address, birthday) by hand. SIM-old-style cards (for example, from MTS or Beeline operators) 2010-x) may store contacts in an outdated format, which leads to readout failures.

Before proceeding with the transfer, check:

• 🔋 Battery level (recommended) ≥30% to avoid interruption of the process).
• 📶 Stable network connection (for sync with Google or Mi Account).
• 📱 Availability of backup copies of contacts SIM (If the card is damaged, the data may be lost).

1. Standard import contacts through the settings Xiaomi Redmi 10

The easiest way is to use the built-in import function in the MIUI. It's suitable for most users and doesn't require any additional applications to be installed, but there are limitations to the method: for example, you can't select individual contacts to transfer, all records from the data are imported. SIM-map.

To get started, follow the following steps:

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette on the home screen).
2. Tap it on three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Contact Management.
3. Go to the section Import / Export contacts → Import from SIM-card.
4. Choose. SIM-Card (if there are two) and confirm the import.

It takes 10 seconds to a minute depending on the number of records. Once complete, contacts will appear in the Device section (not to be confused with Google or Mi Account!).

⚠️ Note: If after importation, Krakozabras are displayed instead of Cyrillic names (for example,?????????), the problem is encoding. SIM-Decision - see section 4.

2.Import via Google Contacts: a reliable way to sync

If you use a Google account, this method will not only allow you to transfer your contacts to the SIM, but also automatically sync them to the cloud, and the advantage is that the data will be available on any device after you log in to the same account, but it will require an Internet connection.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Synchronization.
2. Select your Google account and enable Contact Sync.
3. Return to the Contacts app, click ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports.
4. Select Import from SIM-card and specify the target account – Google.

Once imported, the contacts will appear in the Google Contacts section to make sure the data is saved in the cloud:

• 🌐 Open contacts.google.com in your browser.
• 🔍 Check if the numbers are moved.

Tip: If contacts are duplicated (for example, after importing from multiple SIMs), use the Google Contacts merge function.

3. Transfer of contacts using third-party applications

If standard methods don’t work (for example, due to outdated SIM or errors in MIUI), third-party utilities will come to the rescue. We tested several applications and selected the most reliable for Xiaomi Redmi 10.

Top.-3 importation:

• 📱 Copy My Data (from Media Mushroom) -- supports not only the transfer of contacts, but also calendar, photos, and works over Wi-Fi or cable.
• 🔄 SIM Card Contacts Backup – specializes in backup and restore contacts with the SIM. There is an export function in.vcf.
• ☁️ Super Backup & Restore – allows you to backup your contacts on your website SD-Map or cloud and then restore them to Redmi 10.

Example of transfers via Copy My Data:

1. Install the app on both old and new devices.
2. Select Copy Contacts to... → To Another Device.
3. On Redmi 10, open the app and select Receive data.
4. Connect your devices to a single Wi-Fi network and follow the instructions.

⚠️ Attention: Some applications (e.g, SIM Card Contacts Backup requires permission to access SMS Refuse such permissions unless they are critical to importing contacts.

On Xiaomi Redmi 10 with firmware MIUI 14 Copy My Data application can’t see SIM-In this case, use a workaround: export contacts from the system. SIM To the.vcf file on your old phone, then import it to Redmi 10 via Files → Import of contacts.

4. Problem Solving: Contacts are not imported or displayed by Krakozabras

Most users of Xiaomi Redmi 10 face two problems:

1. Contacts are not imported – the process begins but ends with an error.
2. Cracosyabra instead of Cyrillic - names are displayed as??????????????

Reason 1: Incompatibility SIM-map

Old ones. SIM-Cards (especially those issued before 2015) may use an outdated contact storage standard (ETSI GSM 11.11), which is not supported by modern smartphones:

• 🔄 Replace. SIM-card for a new one in the operator’s cabin (free of charge or for a nominal fee).
• 📱 Transfer contacts to another device (like an old Android smartphone) and then export them to a.vcf file.

Reason 2: Coding error

If the contact names are displayed as???, the problem is incorrect encoding (UTF-8 vs ISO-8859-1).

1. Use the SIM Card Contacts Backup app, which allows you to select the encoding when you import.
2. Export your SIM contacts to.vcf, open the file in a text editor (like Notepad++) and save with UTF-8 encoding without a BOM, then import back.

Reason 3: MIUI restrictions

On some versions of MIUI (especially 12.5 for Redmi 10), the import function with SIM may be disabled due to security policy.

💡

If the contacts were partially imported, check if the SIM record limit is exceeded. Older cards only support 200-250 contacts. The rest can be transferred manually or through a.vcf file.

5. Optimize contacts after importing on Xiaomi Redmi 10

After successful transfer, we recommend following several steps for ease of use:

• 🧹 Remove Duplicates: In the Contacts app, select Contact Management → Combine duplicates.
• ☁️ Set up sync: Enable autosynchronization with Google or Mi Account in Settings → Accounts.
• 📇 Add photos and notes: edit contacts by adding avatars and additional information (email, address).

To speed up your search for contacts on Redmi 10:

1. Open Contacts. → ⋮ → Settings.
2. Enable the option to Show contacts with and select all accounts (device, Google, Mi).
3. Activate Quick Search – this will speed up the results when you enter a name.

Tip for business users: If you have a lot of contacts with additional fields (e.g., position, company), use Google Contacts on PC for mass editing.Export data to.csv, edit to Excel, and then import back.

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After importing contacts with SIM, be sure to back up! in MIUI, this can be done through Settings → System and Device → Backup.

6. Alternative methods: transfer without SIM-card

If you don't have access to SIM-card (for example, it is damaged or lost), but the contacts are saved on another device, use these methods:

Method 1: Transfer via.vcf file

1. On your old phone, export contacts to the contacts.vcf file (usually via Contacts → Settings → Export).
2. Move the file to Redmi 10 via Bluetooth, email, or cloud storage.
3. Open the file and the system will prompt you to import contacts.

Method 2: Synchronize with Mi Account

If you have previously used a Xiaomi smartphone:

Method 3: Using messengers

If your contacts are saved to WhatsApp or Telegram:

• 💬 WhatsApp: Open a chat with a contact → ⋮ → Viewing the contact → Save.
• 📤 In Telegram: Export Contacts through Settings → Confidentiality → Data data → Export data (get a.json file that can be converted to.vcf).

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

Even if the instructions are followed correctly, Xiaomi Redmi 10 users sometimes face unexpected problems.

Mistake 1: “No contact is available for SIM-map"

Symptom: When you try to import, the system reports that there are no records on the SIM, although you are sure to the contrary.

Decision:

• Check the SIM on another phone – it’s possible that the contacts are tied to the slot (e.g., on dual-SIM devices).
• Use the SIM Card app (from Simple Mobile Tools) – it shows hidden contacts.

Mistake 2: Imports are interrupted by half

Symptom: The import process stops and some contacts are not tolerated.

Decision:

• Break up imports: transfer 50 to 100 contacts at a time.
• Before importing, restart the phone - this will reset the system cache.

Error 3: Contacts are duplicated after importation

Symptom: The same number is displayed 2-3 times.

Decision:

• In Google Contacts, use the Find and Combine Duplicates tool.
• In MIUI, open Contacts → Management → Combine and Fix.

💡

If your contacts disappear after import, check to see if Google Photos sync is disabled, and sometimes avatars are tied to a cloud account, not local data.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions