How to import contacts to Xiaomi phone: all working ways of 2026

Shifting contacts from one smartphone to Xiaomi is a challenge that every user faces when buying a new device or resetting settings. Even if you have never synchronized data before, the process can be done in 5-10 minutes by choosing the right method. The main thing is to know in advance where your contacts are stored: in the memory of the phone, on the phone. SIM-Map, Google account or Mi Account.

In this article, we will discuss 5 Proven ways to import contacts on Xiaomi, including nuances for different models (from Redmi Note) 12 Xiaomi 14 Ultra) and operating systems (MIUI 14/15). We will pay special attention to the problems that often arise when transferring from iPhone or old Android devices. 2026 year and take into account the latest updates MIUI.

If you are afraid of losing important numbers, we recommend you make a backup before starting the procedure.

1. Import contacts through a Google account (the most reliable way)

Sync with Google account is a universal method that works on all Android devices, including Xiaomi. Its main advantage: contacts are automatically updated on all associated gadgets, and data is stored in the cloud, which protects against losses when resetting the phone.

To move your contacts through Google, follow the following steps:

• 📱 On your old phone, open the Contacts app, tip three dots (menu) and select Contact Management. → Imports/exports → Export to file: Save the contacts.vcf file in your device memory or on Google Drive.
• ☁️ On the new Xiaomi, add the same Google account in the settings (Settings) → Accounts and synchronization → Add an account, make sure that your contacts are synchronized.
• 🔄 If contacts do not appear automatically, import them manually: open Contacts → Management → Imports/exports → Import from the device and select the.vcf file.

⚠️ Note: If the old phone only has the contacts saved SIM-You need to transfer them to your device memory or Google account first. SIM contact menu.

2. Transfer contacts from iPhone to Xiaomi (via iCloud or mail)

iPhone users often have difficulty switching to Xiaomi because of ecosystem differences, and the easiest way to do this is to use iCloud or send contacts by email. Let's look at both.

Method 1: Through iCloud

1. On iPhone, go to Settings → [Your name] → iCloud and enable Contact Sync.
2. On your computer, open iCloud.com, log in and export contacts to the.vcf file (cog icon → Export vCard).
3. Transfer the file to Xiaomi (e.g., via Google Drive or Mi Drop) and import it in the Contacts app.

Method 2: Through email

• 📧 On iPhone, open Contacts, select the numbers you want, click Share and send them to your email.
• 📩 On Xiaomi, open the email, download the attached.vcf file and import it through Contacts. → Management → Imports.

⚠️ Note: When importing from an iPhone, some special characters (such as emojis in names) may not show correctly. Check contacts after transfer and manually edit them if necessary.

3. Copying of contacts with SIM-maps on Xiaomi

If your contacts are saved to SIM-It's easy to transfer them to Xiaomi without using the Internet, and it's a method that works for older phones or devices with limited features. SIM-The card usually stores only names and numbers (without photo, email, or other details).

Instructions:

1. Put it in. SIM-Xiaomi card (or use a nano-SIM adapter if required).
2. Open the Contacts app, tip to three dots (menu) and select Contact Management. → Imports/exports → Import with SIM-map.
3. Choose where to save contacts: in the Device or Google account (we recommend the second option for backup).
4. Confirm the import and wait for the process to be completed.

🔹 Limitations of method:

• ❌ One on one. SIM-The card usually contains no more than 250 contacts.
• ❌ No photos, email addresses and additional fields are transferred.
• ❌ Some symbols (for example, Cyrillic in old ones) SIM) They can be displayed as???.

4. Transfer of contacts via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct

If you don't have access to the Internet or a Google account, contacts can be transferred directly from phone to phone via Bluetooth or Mi Drop (the built-in file sharing app of Xiaomi), which works even between devices of different brands.

Method 1: Through Bluetooth

• 📲 On your old phone, open Contacts, select the numbers you want (or all through Allocate All) and click Share → Bluetooth.
• 🔵 On Xiaomi, turn on Bluetooth (Settings) → Connections → Bluetooth) and confirm the reception of the contact.vcf file.
• 📥 After transfer, open the file – the system will prompt you to import contacts into the device memory or Google account.

Method 2: Mi Drop (Wi-Fi Direct)

1. On both phones, install the Mi Drop app (if it is not available by default).
2. On the old phone, select contacts to transfer, click Share → Mi Drop.
3. On Xiaomi, accept the file and import it through Contacts → Management → Import.

⚠️ Note: When transmitted via Bluetooth, large contact lists (more than 500 entries) can be broken into multiple files. Make sure you have accepted all parts, otherwise some numbers are not imported.

1.Reboot both phones.

2. Remove previously paired devices in Bluetooth settings.

3. Enable visibility mode on both gadgets.-->

5. Use of Mi Mover for data transfer (including contacts)

For Xiaomi owners, the most convenient tool is Mi Mover, a proprietary application for migrating data from one smartphone to another, which supports transferring not only contacts, but also messages, photos, apps and even settings, works both between Xiaomi devices and other brands (Samsung, Huawei, etc.).

Step-by-step:

1. Download Mi Mover on both phones from Google Play or the App Store (for iPhone).
2. On Xiaomi (new phone), choose I am a new user, on the old one I am an old user.
3. Scan it. QR-code from the screen of a new phone or connect via Wi-Fi Direct.
4. Select data to transfer (be sure to check Contacts) and start the process.

📊 Comparison of Contact Transfer Methods on Xiaomi:

Mi Mover is the only way to transfer not only contacts, but also call history, SMS and even data from some apps (such as WhatsApp) to Xiaomi. However, for iPhone, functionality is limited – not all types of data are supported.

6. Backup and Recovery of Contacts on Xiaomi

To avoid losing contacts in the future, we recommend setting up automatic backups. MIUI has built-in tools for this, as well as the ability to use a Google account or Mi Account.

How to make backup contacts:

• 🔄 Through Google: Settings → Accounts and synchronization → Google → Sync contacts (enable the option).
• 📱 Through Mi Account: Settings → Mi Account → Cloud. → Backup → Contacts.
• 💾 Manual: Export contacts to a.vcf file (as described in the first section) and save it to Google Drive or USB drive.

How to Restore Contacts from Backup:

1. If you’ve used a Google account, just add it to the new Xiaomi – your contacts will be automatically matched.
2. To recover from Mi Account, go to Settings → Mi Account → Cloud → Data Recovery.
3. If you have a.vcf file, import it through Contacts → Management → Import.

⚠️ Note: When you restore from Mi Account, the device must have the same version MIUI, It's the same as when you build a backup, otherwise there's a possibility of compatibility errors.

💡

Set up automatic sync with your contacts with Google or Mi Account – this will save you the need to manually carry when changing your phone.

Frequent problems and their solutions

When migrating contacts to Xiaomi, users often encounter common mistakes, and let’s look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

Problem 1: Contacts are not imported from a.vcf file

• 🔍 Check if the file is corrupted (try opening it on your computer).
• 📱 Make sure there is enough memory on your phone to import.
• 🔄 Try importing a file through Google Contacts in your browser (contacts.google.com).

Problem 2: Duplicate contacts after importation

• 🧹 Use the merger function in the Contacts: Management → Combine duplicates.
• 🔄 Before importing, export existing contacts to a separate file to avoid overlapping.

Problem 3: Contact photos are not displayed

• 🖼️ Contact photos are stored separately from the main data. When importing via.vcf, they may not be transferred. Use Mi Mover or Google Contacts for full portability.
• 📷 If photos are missing after synchronization, try uploading them manually through Edit Contact. → Add a photo.

Issue 4: Contacts are displayed with characters or question marks

• 🌐 This is due to encoding incompatibility. Try importing contacts through Google Contacts or change the encoding of the.vcf file to UTF-8 (You can do it through a text editor on PC).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions