How to transfer contacts from one Xiaomi phone to another: all the ways of 2026

Shifting contacts from one Xiaomi smartphone to another can seem like a trivial task — until you encounter unexpected sync errors, lost numbers or duplicate records. In 2026, owners of Redmi, POCO and Mi devices have at least 5 reliable ways to migrate contacts, each of which is suitable for different scenarios, from full sync through the cloud to emergency transfer without the Internet.

The main problem is not the lack of tools, but the right choice of tools. For example, sync through the Mi Account works instantly, but requires authorization on both devices, whereas transferring through the Mi Account is an instantaneous process. SIM-The card is limited to its memory (maximum) 250 In this article, we will discuss all current methods, from automatic to manual, taking into account the nuances of firmware. MIUI 14/15 New models like Xiaomi 14 Ultra or Redmi Note 13 Pro+.

1. Transfer contacts through the Mi Account (the fastest way)

If both of your Xiaomi phones are tied to the same Mi Account (or you are ready to sign in to a new device), this method will take no more than 2-3 minutes, the main advantage is that synchronization occurs in the background, and contacts are automatically updated when new entries are added.

How it works:

• 🔄 On your old phone: go to Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Sync and turn on the slider opposite Contact. Wait until the process is complete (the cloud icon turns green).
• 📱 On your new phone: log in to the same Mi Account and enable contact sync in Mi Cloud.
• ⚡ Important: if contacts do not appear, check if the traffic saving mode is turned off in Settings → Battery – It can block background synchronization.

Connect both phones to Wi-Fi|Check the space available in Mi Cloud (minimum 1 MB)|Turn it off. VPN (It can block access to Xiaomi servers)|Update. MIUI last-minute-->

💡

If you are using POCO F5 or Redmi K60, reboot your phone after logging in to Mi Cloud, which will speed up the appearance of contacts.

This is ideal for users who are constantly working in the Xiaomi ecosystem, but it has a limitation: if you delete a contact on one device, it will disappear on the second. To avoid losses, make a backup before syncing (more about this in the next section).

2. Export and import contacts through Google Account

If you prefer Google Contacts or plan to switch from Xiaomi to a different brand (such as Samsung), this method will be a universal solution. Unlike the Mi Cloud, Google allows you to flexibly manage contact groups and recover deleted posts within 30 days.

Step-by-step:

1. On an old phone: 📲 Open the Contacts app → press three points (⋮) → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Export to file. 📄 Select the.vcf format (business card) and save the file to internal memory or Google Drive.
2. On a new phone: 📥 Download the.vcf file (if saved to the cloud) or upload it through Explorer. 📞 Open Contacts. → Management → Imports/Exports → Import from the file and select the downloaded file.

Warning: If you have previously synced contacts with Mi Cloud, there may be conflicts when importing via Google, to avoid chaos, before starting:

⚠️ Warning: Turn off Mi Cloud contacts sync on both phones (Settings) → Xiaomi account → After importing via Google, you can turn Mi Cloud back on, but only if you are sure that there are no duplicates.

3. Transfer of contacts through SIM-map (without internet)

This is a good idea if you don't have Wi-Fi or mobile internet, or if you're switching from Xiaomi to a button phone, but it has some critical limitations:

• 📛 SIM-The card stores only the name and number (without photos, email, addresses).
• 🔢 Maximum number of contacts – 250-500 (depending on the operator and type of card).
• 📵 The process takes up to 10-15 minutes with a large amount of data.

Instructions:

1. On an old phone: Contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Exports to SIM-Select contacts (or click "Select all") and confirm export.
2. 🔄 Move it. SIM-card.
3. On the new phone: Contacts → ⋮ → Management → Imports/Exports → Import with SIM-map

If you have a dual-SIM model (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T Pro, make sure you export contacts to that SIM-You can insert a card into your new phone. Check the slot in Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks.

4. Transfer of contacts via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct

If you don’t have a cable or internet connection, SIM-The card is not suitable (for example, due to the limit of 250 contacts), you can use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct. This method works between any Android devices, but Xiaomi has nuances with firmware. MIUI.

Algorithm of action:

• 🔗 On both phones, turn on Bluetooth (Settings) → Connections and sharing → Bluetooth).
• 📲 On the old phone, open Contacts, press ⋮ → Management → Send.
• 📡 Select contacts (or “Select all”) and click “Send" → Choose Bluetooth.
• 📱 On the new phone, confirm the file acceptance (usually a.vcf file).
• 📥 After transfer, open the received file - the system will prompt to import contacts.

💡

On models with MIUI 14+ (for example, Xiaomi 13/14 series), when transmitting via Bluetooth, contacts may not be sent in a packet, in which case divide the list into parts of 50-100 entries.

Wi-Fi Direct (faster than Bluetooth):

1. Activate Wi-Fi Direct in Settings → Wi-Fi → Wi-Fi Direct on both phones.
2. Connect devices to each other (code confirmation is required).
3. In Contacts, select “Send” → Wi-Fi Direct and follow the instructions.

⚠️ Note: On some models POCO (for example, POCO X5 Pro) Wi-Fi Direct can be hidden. To find it, search for "Wi-Fi Direct".

5.Local backup and recovery via MIUI Backup

If you plan to migrate data (not just contacts, but also messages, apps, settings), use the built-in utility MIUI Backup. This method is suitable for moving to the new Xiaomi with full user experience.

How to make a backup:

1. On your old phone, go to: Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup
2. 📦 Select "Contacts" (you can also add it). SMS, call records, notes).
3. 💾 Click "Backup" and wait until it is completed (the file will be saved in the folder). MIUI/backup/AllBackup).

How to restore on a new phone:

• 📁 Copy the AllBackup folder to your new phone (via cable, OTG cloud).
• 🔄 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Backup and reset → Local backups → Restore.
• 🔍 Select the right backup and confirm the recovery.

6. Problem Solving: Contacts are not transferred or disappear

Even if you follow the instructions, you may have a problem, and let's look at the typical mistakes and their solutions.

Problem 1: Contacts are not synced via Mi Cloud

• 🔌 Check your internet connection (Wi-Fi or mobile data).
• 🔄 Update. MIUI Up to the latest version (Settings) → The phone. → Updating the system).
• 📱 Restart both phones – sometimes background processes block synchronization.
• 🔧 Reset your Mi Cloud settings: Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → ⋮ → Reset synchronization

Problem 2: When importing via Google, duplicates appear

This happens if the contacts have already been synced with Mi Cloud or another service.

• 🧹 Before importing, export your current contacts to a.vcf file (backup copy!).
• 🗑️ Delete all contacts on your new phone (Contacts) → Management → Delete everything).
• 📥 Import your contacts from Google after cleaning.

Problem 3: Bluetooth can't see the second phone

Xiaomi with MIUI 14/15 can work with the limitation of energy saving:

• 🔋 Turn off battery saving mode for Bluetooth: Settings → Battery → Choice of applications → Bluetooth → No restrictions.
• 🔄 Restart Bluetooth (turn off and turn on again).
• 📱 If the phone is not detected, try connecting in reverse order (from new to old).

💡

If you are migrating contacts to Xiaomi from an iPhone, use the Move to iOS app (available from the App Store) which automatically converts contacts to a compatible format.

FAQ: Frequent questions about moving contacts to Xiaomi