How to transfer contacts to Xiaomi smartphone: all ways with detailed instructions

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, especially when it comes to the safety of important data. Contacts accumulated over the years can be a headache if you do not know how to transfer them correctly. Unlike photos or music, losing a phone book often means losing contact with loved ones, colleagues or business partners. Fortunately, the manufacturer has provided several reliable ways to migrate, and we will analyze each of them in detail, from classic to little-known.

In this article, you will find not only step-by-step instructions for all current Xiaomi models (including the Redmi Note 13 Pro+, POCO X6 and Mi 14 Ultra), but also practical tips to avoid typical errors. For example, why photos of contacts can disappear when transferring via Bluetooth, or how to recover data if synchronization with Google Account suddenly breaks.

Before you start, check out two key points: the version. MIUI (current instructions are working on MIUI 14/15) And you have a backup on your old device, and even if you're confident in the method you've chosen, without a backup, you're at risk of losing data up to the point where you're at risk of losing it. 15% — especially when transported through physical media (SIM-maps).

1. Transfer contacts through Google Account (the most reliable way)

Google sync remains the gold standard for transferring contacts between Android devices, which works independently of Xiaomi’s model and MIUI version, and allows data to be recovered even after the phone is reset to factory settings, with the main benefit of automatic updates: added or edited contacts on one device will instantly appear on another.

To move contacts using Google Account, follow the following steps:

• 📱 On your old phone: Open the settings → Accounts and synchronization → Make sure the switch opposite Contact is active. If not, turn on sync and wait until the process is complete (it can take up to 10 minutes with a lot of data).
• 🔄 On the new Xiaomi: When you first turn on, the system will prompt you to log in to Google Account. Use the same data as on the old device. If the phone is already configured, go to Settings → Accounts. → Add an account → Google.
• 🔍 Check: Open the Contacts app on the new Xiaomi. From the top menu, select Contact Management. → Imports/Exports → Import from Google. Wait for the process to be completed.

⚠️ Note: If your old phone has contacts stored in the device memory instead of Google Account, you must export them first. → Imports/Exports → Export to.vcf, then import the file to Google Contacts via the web version of contacts.google.com.

Are all contacts saved in Google Account (check at contacts.google.com)|

Is there a stable internet connection (Wi-Fi is recommended)|

New Xiaomi has enabled contact synchronization |

Backup of contacts created (in case of failure)

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Features of the method:

• ✅ Works between any Android device (including Samsung, Huawei, etc.).
• ✅ Supports the transfer of contact photos, notes and additional fields (e.g., dates of birth).
• ❌ Not suitable for porting from an iPhone without pre-setting (you need to export contacts to.vcf via iCloud).

2. Transfer of contacts by means of SIM-cards (for older models)

method SIM-The card is inferior in convenience to cloud services, but remains relevant for owners of old phones or devices without access to the Internet, this method is suitable for basic transfer of phone numbers and names.

Instructions for transfer:

1. On your old phone, open the Contacts app.
2. Go to Settings → Import / Export → Export to SIM-card.
3. Select the contacts to transfer (you can note everything) and confirm the export.
4. Extract. SIM-Map and paste it into the new Xiaomi.
5. On the new device, open Contacts. → Settings → Imports/Exports → Import with SIM-map.
6. Select a save location (Google Account or Phone Memory is recommended) and confirm the import.

⚠️ Note: When transferring through SIM-Contact names can be cut to 15-20 characters (depending on the operator). For example, Ivan Ivanovich Petrov is converted to Ivan I. Petrov. To avoid this, reduce names manually or use alternative methods before exporting.

Through Google Account|

Through SIM-map|

Through Bluetooth/Wi-Fi|

Through the computer (Mi PC Suite) |

Another way.

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3. Transfer contacts from iPhone to Xiaomi (step-by-step instructions)

iPhone owners often face difficulties in switching to Android due to Apple’s closed ecosystem. However, transferring contacts from the iPhone to Xiaomi is possible in several ways. We’ll look at the two most reliable ones: through iCloud and using the Move to iOS app (yes, it works the other way around!).

Method 1: Through iCloud (recommended)

• 📱 On iPhone: Go to Settings → [Your name] → iCloud and make sure the Contacts switch is on.
• 🌐 On your computer: Open iCloud.com, log in to your account and select Contacts. Click on the gear in the lower left corner and select Export vCard..vcf file will be saved to your PC.
• 📲 On Xiaomi: Send your.vcf file to your email or upload it to the cloud (like Google Drive). Open the file on your phone and confirm importing contacts to Google Account or device memory.

Method 2: Move to iOS (alternative)

While Move to iOS is designed to transfer data from Android to iPhone, it can be used in reverse via a workaround:

⚠️ Note: When transferring from the iPhone, contact groups will not be saved - they will have to be created again on Xiaomi. Also check the format of phone numbers: if they are saved in an international format on the iPhone (for example, they are saved in an international format, +7 9XX XXX-XX-XX), Android can be displayed without a plus. Correct it manually in Google Contacts.

4.Contact transfer via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct

Wireless data transfer between devices is convenient if you do not have cable or Internet at hand. However, this method has limitations: not all Xiaomi models support contact transfer over Bluetooth (for example, on POCO F5 this feature is disabled by default).

Instructions for transfer via Bluetooth:

1. On both phones, turn on Bluetooth and make them visible to other devices (Settings → Bluetooth → Visibility).
2. On your old phone, open the Contacts app, select the contacts you want (or tap Allow).
3. Click on the Share icon (usually three dots or an arrow) and select Bluetooth.
4. Select a new Xiaomi from the list and confirm the transfer on both devices.
5. On Xiaomi, accept the incoming.vcf file and save the contacts to the right place (Google Account is recommended).

To speed up the process, you can use Wi-Fi Direct:

• 📶 Activate Wi-Fi Direct on both devices (Settings) → Wi-Fi → Wi-Fi Direct).
• 🔗 Connect devices to each other (Xiaomi may need input) PIN-code).
• 📎 Send a.vcf file with contacts through any file manager (such as Files or Mi Explorer).

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5. Transfer of contacts via computer (Mi PC Suite)

Xiaomi’s official software, the Mi PC Suite, allows you to manage your phone data via your computer, including transferring contacts, which is useful if you don’t have access to the Internet or need to transfer data from your device on an outdated version of Android (below 5.0), and Mi PC Suite supports full backups, which is convenient when you switch to a new model.

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install Mi PC Suite from the official website.
2. Connect your old phone to your computer through USB-cable (it is recommended to use the original Xiaomi cable for connection stability).
3. In the program, select Contacts (or Backup if you need to create a backup).
4. Export contacts to a.vcf or.csv file to your computer.
5. Turn off your old phone and connect a new Xiaomi.
6. Import the saved file to your device memory or Google Account.

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ Supports mass editing of contacts before transfer (convenient for cleaning duplicates).
• ✅ You can transfer not only contacts, but also SMS, call logs, photos.
• ✅ It works even on phones with damaged screens (if you have a bad screen). USB-debugging was included in advance).

⚠️ Note: When connecting Xiaomi to your computer for the first time, select File Transfer Mode (MTP), If the phone is not identified, install Qualcomm or MediaTek drivers (depending on your model’s processor) from Xiaomi’s website.

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6.Contact Transfer via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

Mi Cloud is Xiaomi’s proprietary cloud storage that automatically syncs contacts, photos, notes and other data, a method that’s handy if you’ve already used Xiaomi devices and have a Mi Account. Unlike Google, Mi Cloud offers additional features like finding duplicate contacts and recovering deleted records within 30 days.

How to transfer contacts through Mi Cloud:

• 📱 On the old Xiaomi: Go to Settings → Mi Account. → Mi Cloud and enable Contact Sync. Wait until the process is complete.
• 🔄 On the new Xiaomi: Log in to the same Mi Account when you first turn on or through Settings → Accounts. → Add an account → Mi Account.
• ☁️ Open the Settings. → Mi Account. → Mi Cloud and enable Contact Sync. Data will start to load automatically.

Features of Mi Cloud:

• 🔒 Security: Data is encrypted during transmission and stored on Xiaomi servers in Singapore (for European users).
• 📊 Manage: You can view and edit contacts via i.mi.com web version.
• ⚠️ Limit: Free rate only provides 5GB of storage (that's about 25,000 contacts with photos).

7. Solving problems in the transfer of contacts

Even when following instructions, users often encounter errors, and consider the most common problems and ways to solve them:

If none of the methods worked, try manual export/import via.vcf:

1. On your old phone, export your contacts to.vcf (via Contacts → Settings → Export).
2. Move the file to the new Xiaomi (via email, cloud, or USB).
3. Open the file on your phone and select Import all contacts.

FAQ: Frequent questions about moving contacts to Xiaomi