Why is it that Xiaomi Poco can be a problem?
The transition to a new smartphone Xiaomi Poco is always a joyful event, but many users face an unexpected difficulty: how to transfer contacts from an old Android device without loss? Even in 2026, when synchronization through the cloud should work perfectly, users face MIUI bugs, manufacturers’ limitations or banal ignorance of all available methods.
The problem is compounded by Xiaomi’s push for its own services (like Mi Account) that aren’t always compatible with Google’s universal solutions. Plus, if your old phone is from Samsung, Huawei, or a little-known brand, standard portability tools may simply not work. In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to move contacts to Xiaomi Poco in 2026, including workarounds for complex cases.
Method 1: Sync through Google Account (the most reliable method)
If your old Android phone is linked to a Google Account, it will take no more than 5 minutes to do this, and the main condition is that both devices must be actively synchronizing contacts.
- On an old phone: 📱 Open the Settings. → Accounts and archiving → Google 🔄 Make sure the contact sync switch is on (if not, turn on and wait until it is completed) 📋 Check that contacts are saved in Google Contacts, not in your phone’s memory (open the Contacts app and look in the settings)
On Xiaomi Poco:
- 📱 When you first turn on, log in to the same Google Account as your old phone.
- 🔄 Go to Settings. → Accounts. → Google → Sync your account and enable Contacts
- ⏳ Wait 2-5 minutes – Contacts will appear automatically in the Contacts app (sometimes you need to reboot)
⚠️ Note: Mi Mover may not work on phones with heavily customized firmware (e.g. ColorOS from the U.S.) Oppo/Realme or EMUI In such cases, use alternative methods.
| Advantages of Mi Mover | The disadvantages of the Mi Mover |
|---|---|
| 🔹 It works without the Internet (via Wi-Fi Direct) | 🔸 Does not support certain brands (Samsung, Huawei) |
| 🔹 Not only does it carry contacts, but it also SMS, photo, annexes | 🔸 It can hang on to big data. |
| 🔹 Maintains the structure of contacts (groups, notes) | 🔸 Requires installation on both devices |
Synchronization through Google|Mi Mover by Xiaomi|Exports/imports through VCF-file|Bluetooth or SIM-map|Another way.-->
Method 3: Export and import of contacts through VCF-file
If syncing through Google or Mi Mover is not suitable, the one-size-fits-all method is to export contacts to a.vcf (vCard) file and then import them to Xiaomi Poco. This method works on any Android device, regardless of brand.
- Exports on an old phone: 📱 Open the Contacts app ⚙️ Press three dots (menu) → Contact management → Imports/Exports 📤 Select Export to File → Specify the location of the storage (e.g., internal memory or SD-map) 📄 The file will be saved as contacts.vcf or 00001.vcf
Transfer the file to Xiaomi Poco:
- 📎 Flip the file via Bluetooth, email, Google Drive or connect the phone to a PC
- 📥 Open the.vcf file on Poco – the system will prompt you to import contacts
💡 If you have more than 500 contacts, break them into several VCF-To do this, select the option to Export selected contacts from the export menu and divide them into groups (for example, alphabetically).
What to do if VCF-The file does not open on Xiaomi Poco?
Method 4: Transfer through SIM-Card (for a small number of contacts)
If you have few contacts (up to 200-250), you can use the SIM-This is a way of doing things when you don't have a computer or an Internet connection, but it's limited:
- 📶 SIM-The card stores only the name and number (without email, addresses, photos)
- 🔢 Limit the number of contacts (depending on the model) SIM)
- ⚠️ Risk of data loss in case of incorrect map extraction
Instructions:
- 📱 On your old phone, open your contacts. → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Exports to SIM-map
- 🔄 Select contacts for export (or click Allocate)
- 📲 Move it. SIM-map
- 📥 On Poco, go to Contacts → Imports/Exports → Import with SIM-map
⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi Poco models (e.g. Poco) F5 POCO X6 Pro) do not support imports from SIM-maps in recent versions MIUI. In this case, use Method 3 (VCF-file).
Method 5: Transfer contacts via Bluetooth (alternative to older devices)
If your old phone doesn't support modern sync methods (like Android 5-7), you can use Bluetooth.
- 📱 Turn on Bluetooth on both phones
- 🔗 Make pairing devices (Poco may require input) PIN-code)
- 📋 On your old phone, open Contacts, highlight the right ones (or tap Allow All)
- 📤 Press Share. → Bluetooth and select Xiaomi Poco from the list
- 📥 On Poco, confirm the file reception and wait for the transfer to be completed.
🔹 Important: When transmitted via Bluetooth, contacts come in the form of VCF-A file that needs to be manually imported (see Method 3).Some phones automatically suggest saving contacts after transfer.
1.Reboot both phones.
2. Remove all saved Bluetooth devices in the settings and hide again.
3. Enable Visibility for All on Old Phone (in Bluetooth Settings).-->
Frequent problems and their solutions
Even when following instructions, users encounter errors, and here are the most common problems and ways to solve them:
| Problem. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts are not synced via Google | Sync is disabled or contacts are saved in the phone memory | Enable sync in Google settings and transfer contacts to Google Account manually |
| Mi Mover can't see old device | Firmware incompatibility or Wi-Fi Direct disabled | Use a different method (VCF or Bluetooth) or upgrade to the latest version of the Mi Mover. |
| VCF-The file is not imported to Poco | A file or incorrect format is damaged | Export your contacts again by selecting vCard 3.0 or open the file on your PC via Google Contacts |
| Contacts are duplicated after importation | Poco already had contacts that matched imported ones. | Before importing, delete all contacts on Poco or use the option to Combine duplicates in contact settings. |
⚠️ Note: If profile photos are missing after transferring contacts to Xiaomi Poco, it is normal – they are stored separately. To restore them, download the Google Contacts app and turn on the option Show profile photos in the settings.
1. MIUI version on Xiaomi Poco (update to the latest stable firmware).
2. free space on the device (sometimes the import is interrupted due to lack of memory).
3. Access rights for the Contacts app (Storage permissions and contacts must be included).-->