How to Recover and Restore Contacts with SIM-Xiaomi maps: all working methods

Lost important numbers after changing your phone or resetting your settings? SIM-The cards often go unnoticed until they are needed urgently. - Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi and the Redmi) POCO) Access to this data is not clearly organized, especially after updates MIUI 13/14, This article will look at all the current ways to view, copy and restore contacts with the SIM-maps, including hidden features and workarounds for old and new models.

It’s important to understand that SIM contacts are stored in a pared-down format (name + number only, no photo, email or additional fields).However, they can be transferred to the phone’s memory, exported to a.vcf file or synchronized with a Google Account. We’ll look at the methods for all scenarios, from standard settings to using engineering menus and third-party applications.

1. Standard method: through the "Contacts" application

The easiest method is to use the built-in Contacts app, but in recent versions of MIUI, the import option with SIM is hidden deep in the menu.

1. Open the Contacts app** (if it is not on the home screen, search through the swipe down).
2. Tap it on three points (⋮) top-right → Choose "Settings»**.
3. Scroll down to the Contact Management section → click on Import/Export Contacts.

⚠️ Note: In some firmware (for example, MIUI 14 Global) item “Imports with SIM» This is due to Google's policy of restricting access to the Internet. SIM-API. In this case, use the method through an engineering menu or third-party applications.

Make sure that SIM-The card is inserted into slot 1 (main card)

Check that the contacts are actually saved to SIM (not in the phone’s memory)

Close all background applications to avoid crashes

Connect to Wi-Fi if you plan to sync with Google-->

2. Viewing contacts directly with SIM (without import)

If you just need to look at the numbers on SIM without transferring them to your phone’s memory, do the following:

1. Open the phone application** (green handset).
2. Go to the Contacts tab (usually at the bottom of the screen).
3. Tap it on three points (⋮) → «Settings» → «Display contact».

🔹 Limitations of method:

• 📵 Numbers will only appear in the Phone app, but not in Contacts».
• 🔍 Searching for such contacts is curved – it is better to import them into memory first.
• 📱 In some models (POCO F5, Redmi Note 12 Pro+) This method may not work due to customized firmware.

💡

If the contacts on SIM are displayed in characters, it means they were saved in an encoding not supported by your phone.Solution: import them into the device's memory - MIUI automatically converts the encoding.

3. Exporting SIM contacts to.vcf file

To back up or transfer contacts to another phone, export them to a.vcf file, which works even if the import option in Contacts is blocked:

1. Install the SIM Card* app from Google Play.

📌 Advantages of the method:

• 📄 The.vcf file is compatible with any device (iPhone, other Android smartphones).
• ☁️ It can be downloaded to Google Contacts for automatic synchronization.
• 🔄 When importing to a new phone, all fields will be saved (unlike direct copying from the phone). SIM).

Nana SIM-map

In the memory of the phone

On Google Account

In another cloud service (iCloud, Yandex, etc.)-->

4. Access via the Engineering Menu (for advanced users)

If standard methods don’t work (e.g., Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Redmi K60 Pro with MIUI 14), you can use a hidden engineering menu, which requires caution, but gives access to low-level SIM features:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the code: ##4636###

⚠️ Warning: Do not change other options in the engineering menu – this can lead to network failures or lockdown SIM. If the option "Export Contacts"** is not available, your firmware does not support it (often found on the Internet). POCO globalized MIUI).

5. Recovery of remote contacts with SIM

If contact with SIM They were accidentally erased, and you can try to repair them: SIM-The card doesn't have a basket -- the deleted data isn't stored temporarily, like on a phone:

🔴 Important: The longer you use it SIM When you delete it, the lower the chances of recovery. New data overwrites old memory cells. If contacts are critical, immediately retrieve them. SIM And go to the service center.

6.Moving SIM contacts to the new Xiaomi

When switching to a new smartphone (for example, from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 14), contacts with the SIM can be transferred in several ways:

• 📲 Direct import: Insert SIM To your new phone and follow the instructions in the first section.
• ☁️ Google Account: Import contacts with SIM Export them to.vcf and upload them to Google Contacts. Sign in to the same account on the new phone, and the contacts sync automatically.

Mi Mover

:

Xiaomi

⚠️ Note: If you are using Mi Mover, make sure that both phones have developer mode enabled (in Settings). → The phone. → Version. MIUI Tap it 7 times. This will speed up the process and reduce the risk of a connection break.

💡

The most reliable way to transfer contacts is to export to a.vcf file and then upload it to Google Contacts, which ensures that the data is safe even if the phone is lost or stolen.

7. Problem Solving: Why SIM contacts are not displayed

If you follow the instructions but you can’t see any contacts with the SIM, check the following points:

🛠️ Technical tip: On some models (Xiaomi) 12T, POCO X5 Pro) access SIM-Contacts blocked due to conflict with Google Contacts:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Contacts.
2. Click on Storage → Clear Data (this won’t delete contacts, just reset cache).

FAQ: Frequent questions about SIM contacts in Xiaomi