How to Transfer Contacts from One Xiaomi Phone to Another: 2026

Why Transferring Contacts to Xiaomi Needs a Special Approach

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but moving contacts can be a real headache if you don’t know the nuances of the MIUI ecosystem. Unlike other brands, Redmi, POCO or Mi phones offer unique synchronization tools that both simplify and complicate the process. For example, the built-in Mi Cloud automatically reserves contacts, but only if you activated it in the settings of the old device beforehand.

Difficulties often arise from fragmentation of versions. MIUI: on older models (for example, Redmi Note 5 with a MIUI 10) the synchronization menu looks different than on new flagships like Xiaomi 14 Ultra with MIUI 15.In addition, many users forget that contacts can be stored in three places at the same time: in the SIM-If you don't sync them in advance, when you reset or change your phone, some of the numbers will disappear.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to transfer contacts between Xiaomi phones, from classic export via vCard to advanced methods using ADB (for power users), especially the hidden MIUI settings that allow you to transfer not only numbers, but also the history of calls, notes and even data from the Mi Contacts application.

Method 1: Synchronize with Mi Account (the fastest method)

If both Xiaomi phones are tied to the same Mi Account, it takes no more than 5 minutes to transfer contacts, which works even if you have different models, such as the POCO X5 Pro and Xiaomi 13T. The main condition is that the old phone must be enabled to sync contacts with the cloud.

To check this, go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Sync and make sure the switch opposite Contact is active. If not, turn it on and wait for the process to complete (can take up to 10 minutes depending on the number of contacts).

• 📱 On your old phone: Open the settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud and make sure contacts are synchronized.
• 🔄 On New Phone: Sign in to the same Mi Account when you first set up or through Settings → Xiaomi account.
• 📥 Download data: Go to Mi Cloud → Sync and enable the download of contacts.
• ✅ Check: Open the Contacts app – all numbers should be displayed in the Mi Account section.

⚠️ Note: If the new phone already has contacts linked to another Mi Account, they may be duplicated. Before syncing, it is recommended to export them to vCard (see Method 3) or delete unnecessary ones.

Method 2: Transfer through a Google account (Universal for Android)

If you use Google services (Gmail, YouTube, Play Market), your contacts are probably already synced with your account, a method that works not only for Xiaomi, but also for any Android device, including Samsung or Realme. The advantage of this method is reliability: data is stored on Google servers and does not depend on the Mi Cloud.

To move your contacts through Google:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Google Accounts → Account Sync and turn on the Contacts switch.
2. Wait until the sync is complete (check the time of the last update in the same menu).
3. On your new phone, add the same Google account to Settings → Accounts.
4. Turn on contact synchronization and wait for data to load.

If the contacts didn’t appear on the new phone, check:

• 🔌 Internet connection (synchronization only works via Wi-Fi or mobile data).
• 📧 The correctness of the entered Google account (sometimes users confuse work and personal emails).
• 🔄 Manually update synchronization in Settings → Google accounts → Contacts → Synchronize.

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If you use multiple Google accounts, turn off sync for unnecessary email inboxes before transferring contacts to avoid duplicates.

Method 3: Export and import via vCard (.vcf)

The.vcf (or vCard) format is the standard way to export contacts that all Xiaomi smartphones support.This method is useful if you want to back up or transfer contacts to another brand’s device. The.vcf file can be sent by email, Telegram or saved to Google Drive.

Export instructions:

1. Open the Contacts app on your old phone.
2. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Contact Management → Imports/Exports → Export to file.
3. Choose where to export your contacts (Phone, SIM-card).
4. Specify a save path (e.g., Internal Memory → Download) and confirm the export.

For import on the new phone:

1. Copy the.vcf file to your new device (via Xiaomi File Manager, Telegram or Google Drive).
2. Open the Contacts application → Contact management → Import / Export → Import from the file.
3. Select the.vcf file and confirm the import.

⚠️ Note: When importing a large number of contacts (more than 500), the Contacts app can freeze. In this case, break the.vcf file into parts using services like VCF Splitter.

Check the free space on your phone | Turn off battery optimization for the Contacts app | Make sure the.vcf file is not empty (open it in the text editor) | Make a backup on the cloud

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Method 4: Transfer through SIM-map (for basic models)

If you have an older Xiaomi model (like Redmi) 4A or Mi A1) Or you transfer contacts to a device without access to the Internet, SIM-The map is going to be the simplest solution, but there are serious limitations to this:

• 📵 One on one. SIM-The card usually contains no more than 250 contacts.
• 📇 Only name and number are saved – photos, email and addresses are lost.
• 🔢 Numbers longer than 20 characters can be cut.

How to transfer contacts via SIM:

1. On your old phone, open Contacts → Contact Management → Import / Export → Export on SIM.
2. Select contacts for export (or click Select All).
3. Confirm the export and wait for notification.
4. Move it. SIM-card.
5. On the new device, repeat the path: Contacts → Management → Import / Export → Import with SIM.

If the contacts are not imported:

• 🔧 Try restarting your phone.
• 📱 Check if the new one supports SIM-Contact storage card (some operators block this feature).
• 🔄 Use a Nano-SIM Adapter if the new phone only supports this format.

Method 5: Advanced ADB Transfer (for power users)

If standard methods don’t work (for example, when the screen is broken or the phone is not turned on), you can extract contacts directly from the system using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires command line skills and is suitable for Xiaomi models with unlocked bootloader or enabled debugging over USB.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
• 📱 Old Xiaomi phone with debugging enabled USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to unlock the developer menu, then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).

Instructions:

1. Connect the phone to your computer and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type:

adb devices

(The serial number of your device should be displayed).

1. Copy the contact database:

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

1. Turn off the old phone and connect the new one.
2. Move the file. contacts2.db backwards:

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


adb shell chmod 660 /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db




adb shell chown system:system /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db

1. Reboot the new phone.

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB This method is recommended only if other methods have not worked and you have experience with the command line.

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ADB-This approach allows you to transfer not only contacts, but also the history of calls, SMS And even data from some of Xiaomi’s system applications.

Method 6: Wireless transfer via Xiaomi Migration (for new models)

Starting with MIUI 12, Xiaomi has added a built-in Migration tool that allows data to be transferred between phones over Wi-Fi Direct, a method that is handy if both devices support the feature (usually models no older than 2020).

How to use Migration:

1. On the new phone, when you first set up, select Data Transfer → Xiaomi Migration.
2. On your old phone, open Settings → Memory → Data Transfer.
3. Scan the scanner on your new phone QR-code that will appear on the old.
4. Select Contacts in the data list for transfer and confirm.
5. Wait until the process is complete (it can take up to 15 minutes depending on the amount of data).

Advantages of the method:

• 🔗 Not only are contacts transferred, but also SMS, photos, applications.
• 📶 No Internet connection – direct Wi-Fi connection is used.
• 🔒 Data is encrypted during transmission.

If Migration is not working:

• 🔄 Reboot both phones.
• 📶 Make sure that both devices have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled.
• 📱 Check if your model supports the feature (on the Redmi Note 8 and later it is definitely there).

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even when following instructions, Xiaomi users often have difficulty moving contacts, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to correct them:

If none of these methods worked, try:

• 📞 Contact Xiaomi Service Center – They Can Retrieve Contacts Using Professional Software.
• 💻 Use third-party programs like Dr.Fone or MobileTrans (requires PC connection).
• ☁️ Restore contacts from a backup of Mi Cloud or Google Drive if it was created before.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions