How to transfer contacts from Xiaomi phone: all working methods of 2026

Why Transferring Contacts to Xiaomi Needs a Special Approach

Xiaomi smartphones are based on customized shell MIUI, which imposes its restrictions on export contacts. Unlike “pure” Android, it often blocks standard synchronization functions, and some methods (for example, through vCard) require additional settings. In addition, the manufacturer actively promotes its own cloud Mi Cloud, which creates confusion for users accustomed to Google Contacts.

Another feature is the duplication of contacts. MIUI has an unpleasant habit of creating copies of records when synchronized with multiple accounts (for example, simultaneously with Mi Account and Google), which leads to the fact that after transferring to a new phone you get 2-3 identical records per number, we will tell you how to avoid this problem at each stage.

This article is the only relevant guide to transfer contacts with Xiaomi, taking into account all the nuances. MIUI 14/15 Google’s new restrictions on access to Android contacts 13/14. Methods tested on models from Redmi Note 12 Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

Method 1: Synchronize with Mi Cloud (the most reliable way)

Mi Cloud is a standard solution from Xiaomi, which works even without a connection to Google. The main advantage is that contacts are saved in their original form without loss (including photos, additional fields and notes), minus - you need a Mi Account account and a stable Internet.

How to transfer contacts through Mi Cloud:

1. Open the Settings. → Mi Account and log in.
2. Go to Settings → Memory → Backup.
3. Activate Contacts slider and click Backup now.
4. On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and recover data from the cloud.

⚠️ Note: If you are using Redmi or POCO With global firmware, the menu may not have "Backup" option, in which case, upgrade Mi Cloud via Play Market to the latest version.

Is there enough space in the cloud (free – 5 GB)

Is your phone connected to Wi-Fi (mobile internet may not be suitable)

Synchronization is enabled in account settings

The new phone uses the same Mi Account region.-->

Method 2: Export via Google Contacts (universally for all Android)

If you prefer the Google ecosystem, it works better, even when you change your phone brand (e.g. Xiaomi to Samsung), and it’s important to check before you start that Google, not Mi Account, is the primary contact account in your phone settings.

Instructions:

1. Open the Contacts app (not "Phone!").
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → Contact management → Import/Export.
3. Select Export in file → specify Google account → confirm export.
4. The.vcf file will be stored in internal memory, transfer it to a new phone and import it.

🔍 The problem is MIUI: Some firmware may not have an "Export" item, in which case use a workaround:

1. Install the official Google Contacts app.
2. Open it → Fix and manage → Export to file.

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If you see an error when exporting “No access rights”, go to Settings → Apps → Permissions → Contacts and manually grant all rights to the Google Contacts app.

Method 3: Transfer through SIM-map (without internet)

Relevant for older Xiaomi models (before Redmi 9) or when you need to transfer contacts to a button phone: SIM-The card only stores the basic data (name) + number), without photos, email addresses and additional fields.

How to move:

1. Insert the SIM into the Xiaomi slot (if 2 SIM is used, select slot 1).
2. Open Contacts → Contact Management → Import / Export → Export to SIM.
3. Select contacts (or click "Select all") → confirm.
4. Transfer the SIM to your new phone and import contacts.

⚠️ Note: On new Xiaomi models (starting with Redmi Note 11) the function of exporting to the newer Xiaomi models SIM It could be hidden, to get it back:

1. Install the Contact Copy app from Sony.
2. Start it and select export to SIM.

Method 4: Bluetooth Transmission (for single contacts)

The slowest but only way to get no cable or internet is to transfer 1-2 contacts to another phone (including an iPhone).

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on both phones and pair them.
2. Open Contacts on Xiaomi, find the right contact.
3. Put it on him. → Share. → Choose Bluetooth.
4. Select the target device and confirm the transmission.

🔴 Limitations:

• 📵 No photos or additional fields (name only) + number).
• 🐢 Speed — ~1 contact 10-15 seconds.
• 🔄 On iPhone, the contact is saved in.vcf format – it must be opened manually.

Method 5: Use of third-party applications (for advanced users)

If standard methods don’t work (for example, due to a failure in MIUI), specialized utilities will help. We tested 3 applications that are guaranteed to work with Xiaomi in 2026:

• 📱 My Contacts Backup - export contacts to.vcf and send them to email.
• 🔄 Copy My Data — transmits Wi-Fi contacts directly between phones.
• 🖥️ Droid Transfer – for transferring contacts to PC (required) USB-Official website.

⚠️ Note: When using My Contacts Backup, turn off battery optimization for the app in the settings MIUI (Settings → Annexes → Permits → Auto-launch, otherwise the export will be interrupted.

Method 6: Manual transfer via computer (for large bases)

If you have thousands of contacts (like a business base), you’d better use a PC, which is also a good method if your Xiaomi phone doesn’t turn on, but the files on it are accessible via Fastboot.

Instructions for Windows:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your PC via USB (File Transfer Mode).
2. Copy the contacts.vcf file from the Internal Storage → MIUI → Backup → AllBackup folder (if you backed up through Mi Cloud).
3. Or export contacts to.vcf via Google Contacts (see Method 2) and copy the file to your PC.
4. Connect a new phone and import the file through Contacts → Import.

💡 Mac Tip: Use Android File Transfer, but Enable Debugging on Xiaomi before connecting USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap the version → Come back to the extra. → For developers).

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When manually transferring via PC, always check the encoding of the.vcf file. If the contacts appear "crazy cherry buckets", open the file in Notepad and save it to UTF-8 encoding.

Method 7: Transfer through a Microsoft account (for Windows Phone or Outlook owners)

If you’re using Outlook or Windows Phone, this method will allow you to sync your contacts with Xiaomi without Google.

How to set up:

1. Add a Microsoft account to your phone settings: Settings → Accounts → Add an account → Exchange.
2. Enter data from Outlook.com or corporate email.
3. Enable contact synchronization in your account settings.
4. On PC, open Outlook → People → Management → Export contacts.

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi with MIUI 14+ You may not be able to add an Exchange account:

1. Install the Outlook app.
2. Add an account through it and allow access to contacts.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even with the right instructions, Xiaomi users face typical problems, and the most common solutions are:

• 🔄 Duplicate contacts: Occurs when synchronized with Mi Cloud and Google simultaneously. Solution: disable synchronization in one of the services (Settings) → Accounts. → [Choose an account] → Synchronization of contacts).
• ❌ Contacts not exported: Check if background activity restrictions are set for the Contacts app (Settings) → Annexes → Contacts → Battery → No restrictions).
• 📎 No photos of contacts are saved: MIUI Photos are linked to a local database. To move them, use Google Contacts or My Contacts Backup.
• 🔒 Requests for access to contacts are blocked: MIUI 15+ You need to manually allow access to the settings → Confidentiality → Permits → Contacts.

🛠️ Extreme case: If none of the methods work (like after resetting your phone), restore contacts from backup MIUI:

1. Go to Settings → Memory → Backup → Local Backup.
2. Select the last copy and restore only Contacts.

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Before any contacts are transferred, back up manually: export them to a.vcf file and send them to your email. This will take 2 minutes, but save the data if it crashes.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions