How to save contacts with Xiaomi in a file: 5 working ways

Why it is important to keep contacts in a file and when it is necessary

Losing contacts is one of the most frustrating situations for a smartphone owner. Even if you've never dropped your phone in water or experienced a breakdown, there's always a risk of being left without your friends' and colleagues' numbers. Updating your MIUI firmware can go wrong, locking your Google account, and stealing or losing your phone, and backing up your contacts as a file becomes a lifeline.

Keeping contacts in a file is not only important for emergencies, you can transfer all numbers to a new smartphone (even not from Xiaomi), import them into the new phone. CRM-It's a system to work with, or just archive in case you reset. In this article, we'll look at all the current ways to export contacts from Redmi phones, POCO and Mi - from standard functions MIUI The hidden features of Google Contacts.

Xiaomi has a lot of built-in backup tools, but not all of them are equally convenient. For example, exporting through Settings → Google → Backup will save contacts to the cloud, but will not give you a physical file on your hands. But manual exporting to.vcf (virtual business card) or.csv (table) will allow you to fully control the data — edit it, send it by mail or store it on a flash drive.

Method 1: Export contacts through the standard Contacts app

The simplest method that works on all Xiaomi smartphones regardless of the MIUI version (even on the old Redmi 4X or Mi A1) is that you don’t need an internet connection or additional programs – just the Contacts app itself (an icon with a human silhouette).

Instructions:

• 📱 Open the Contacts app (if it isn’t on the home screen, search through the swipe search down).
• ⚙️ Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Contact Management.
• 📤 In the menu tap Import / Export contacts → Export to file.
• 📄 Choose where to save the file: internal memory or SD-map (if installed).
• ✅ Confirm export – in a few seconds, a notification will appear about the creation of the contact.vcf file.

Where to look for an exported file? It will be saved in the MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder or right in the root of internal memory (depending on the version of MIUI), the file will be in.vcf format, it can be opened on any device, sent by mail or uploaded to the cloud.

Contacts are synchronized with your account (if you need to save cloud data)

Enough free space on the phone (file weighs 10-100 KB, but it is better to have a stock)

Restrictions for the “Contacts” application in the permission settings are disabled-->

⚠️ Note: If you have Xiaomi with global firmware MIUI For Europe, there may be no save option on the export menu SD-This is a restriction of Google's policy: use internal memory or the cloud.

Method 2: Save through Google Account (for backup and sync)

If your contacts are already linked to a Google account (which MIUI suggests when you turn on your phone for the first time), you can export them to the file via the web version of Google Contacts, which is convenient because it allows you to selectively save contact groups (for example, only “Workers” or “Family”).

Step-by-step:

1. Open contacts.google.com on your computer or phone and log in with the same account as you do on Xiaomi.
2. On the left of the menu, click Export.
3. Choose which contacts to export: 🔄 All contacts if you need to keep everything; 👥 Selected groups – for example, only “My contacts” or “Friends»; 📅 Contacts for the last month – if you need to export only fresh numbers.
4. Specify the format: Google CSV - for import into Gmail or Excel; Outlook CSV - for Microsoft Outlook; vCard - universal format for any phone.

Exports

The advantage of this method is that you get structured data with editability in Excel or Google Sheets, for example, you can delete duplicates, sort alphabetically, or add missing fields (for example, birthdays).

I'm saving it to a file on my phone.

Synchronize with Google Account

I use third-party apps (such as My Contacts Backup)

I never make backup copies.

Another way.-->

Method 3: Backup via MIUI Backup (full copy of the system)

If you need to save not only contacts, but also other data (SMS, call logs, application settings), use the built-in MIUI Backup function. It creates an archive file.xml that can be restored on any Xiaomi phone (but not on devices of other brands!).

How to make a backup:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup (on new versions of MIUI, the path can be Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset).
2. Press Local Backup.
3. Select Contacts (you can also add Messages, Notes, etc.).
4. Start the process – the backup will be saved in the folder MIUI/backup/AllBackup.

An important nuance: this file cannot be opened on a PC or imported into Google Contacts.It is only for recovery on Xiaomi phones through the same Backup section, but it stores all contact fields, including notes, groups, and even change history (if it was done).

⚠️ Attention: Function MIUI Backup on some models (for example, POCO F1 or Redmi Note 8 Pro with custom firmware) may be missing or unstable, in which case use methods 1, 2 or 4.

Method 4: Export contacts to your computer via My Contacts Backup (for advanced users)

If you need to automate backups or save contacts to the cloud without being tied to Google, use the third-party My Contacts Backup app (available on Google Play).

• 📤 Export contacts to.vcf or.csv;
• ☁️ Automatically upload backups to Google Drive, Dropbox or send them to email;
• 🔄 Compare current contacts with previous backups and find changes;
• 📱 Work without root rights (unlike some analogues).

Instructions:

1. Install My Contacts Backup from Google Play.
2. Launch the app and press Backup.
3. Select the format (vCard or CSV) and the place of preservation (internal memory, SD-map).
4. For automatic backup, go to Settings → Auto Backup and set up a schedule (e.g. once a week).

The app is paid (about 200 rubles), but there is a free version with a limit of 1 backup per day, the main advantage over standard MIUI tools is the flexibility of settings and support for cloud services beyond Google.

💡

If you change phones frequently or work with a lot of contacts, set up automatic backup email in My Contacts Backup, so you will be sure that even when you lose your phone, the latest version of contacts is always at hand.

Method 5: Manual export via ADB (for technical users)

This method is suitable for those familiar with ADB (Android Debug Bridge) and ready to work with the command line, it allows you to extract contacts directly from the Android database, even if the phone is not turned on (but there is access to Recovery).

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with drivers installed ADB and Fastboot;
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on Xiaomi (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap to unlock Developer Settings, then turn on Debugging by USB);
• 🔌 USB Type C C Cable (preferably original).

Export teams:

adb pull /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db


sqlite3 contacts2.db ".headers on" ".mode csv" "select * from raw_contacts;" > contacts.csv

This sequence copies the contact database from phone to PC and converts it into a CSV-Note that this method requires root rights if you want to extract the full data. Without it, you only get a fraction of the information.

⚠️ Attention: Working with ADB It can cause data loss or phone malfunction if you type the wrong commands. Don't use this method unless you're sure you're doing it.

How to Restore Contacts from File Back to Xiaomi

Save contacts to a file is half the battle, and it's equally important to be able to import them back, especially if you're buying a new phone or resetting your old phone to the factory settings.

For.vcf files:

1. Copy the file to your phone (for example, via Bluetooth, email, or cable).
2. Open the Contacts application → Contact management → Import / Export → Import from the file.
3. Select the.vcf file and confirm the import.

For.csv files:

• Use Google Contacts: upload the file to contacts.google.com, then sync your account to your phone.
• Or convert CSV to VCF through online services (e.g. ConvertCSV).

If you are recovering backup through MIUI Backup:

1. Place the.xml file in the MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder.
2. Go to Settings → Backup and select the file to recover.
3. Confirm the restoration of contacts (you can select individual items, for example, only contacts without SMS).

💡

Before importing contacts, always check the file for duplicates. Google Contacts has a built-in tool to find and combine them (Actions → Find and combine duplicates).

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even when following instructions, users often face problems exporting contacts, and here are the most common ones and ways to solve them:

Another common mistake is to export contacts with SIM-Many users forget that the numbers saved on the maps are SIM, They don't get into the general export, so they can be saved:

1. Open Contacts. → SIM-map.
2. Click Import/Export → Export with SIM.
3. Choose where to save (inner memory or Google account).

And the last tip: keep your backups up to date, just do it every 1-2 months or after you add important contacts, so you don't lose any relevant data.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions