How to transfer contacts from Xiaomi phone to computer: all working methods

Transferring contacts from Xiaomi smartphone to your computer is a task that every user faces when buying a new device, resetting settings or backup data. Unlike photos or documents, a phone book is stored in a closed system file, and copying it requires special tools. 5 actual ways of exporting contacts, taking into account the features of firmware MIUI (version 12–14) and model range Redmi/POCO.

It’s important to understand that methods vary in speed, security, and formats, such as syncing through a Google Account is suitable for regular backups, and exporting to a.vcf file is suitable for one-time transfer to another device. We’ll also look at hidden MIUI features that circumvent the limitations of standard Android tools, and warn of common errors that can cause contacts to be duplicated or lost.

Export of contacts via MIUI (built-in tools)

MIUI firmware offers built-in functionality for backing up contacts without third-party apps, a method suitable for owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO on any version of Android (9 to 14), the main advantage is the preservation of all contact fields, including notes and additional numbers.

To export contacts:

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette).
2. Slip on three dots in the top right corner → select Contact Management.
3. Go to Import/Export Contacts → Export to File.
4. Select a storage location (internal memory or storage). SD-map) and confirm export.

The file will be saved in.vcf (vCard) format along the way. /storage/emulated/0/Download/contacts.vcf. It can be copied to the PC via USB-Pay attention if you have duplicate contacts, MIUI Offer to combine them before export - don't miss this step!

Make sure that contacts are stored in your phone’s memory (not just on SIM)

Check the space in the internal memory (need ~1-5 MB)

Turn off battery optimization for the Contacts app (Settings → Applications → Contacts → Battery)

Sync contacts with Mi Account (optional, for additional backup)-->

⚠️ Attention: If you are using MIUI 14 based on Android 13+, The exported file may contain encrypted data (e.g., notes linked to an Mi Account) and may require importing it into supported software such as Microsoft Outlook or Thunderbird to read it on a PC.

2. sync with Google Account (automatic backup)

The most reliable way to back up is to link contacts to a Google Account, which works on all Xiaomi devices, regardless of the MIUI version, and allows you to restore numbers even after you reset your phone to factory settings.

Algorithm of action:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Accounts and synchronization → Google.
• 🔄 Make sure the Contact Switch is on (if not, tap it).
• 🖥️ On your computer, go to Google Contacts and log in under the same account.
• 📤 On the left menu, select Export. → Specify the format (Google) CSV or vCard) and press Export.

The file will be uploaded to the.zip archive, which can be unpacked and opened in Excel for editing or imported into another phone book, and the advantage of this method is automatic synchronization: all changes on the phone will be reflected in Google Contacts in real time.

Once a month

Just before you drop your phone.

Never did.

I use the cloud (Google/Mi Account)

Another option-->

3.Move over Mi Account (for Xiaomi users)

If you use Xiaomi's branded services, you can use the Mi Account for backup contacts, which is convenient because the data is stored in encrypted form and only available to you, but there is a caveat: you can't export contacts to the file directly through the web interface - you need an intermediate step.

Instructions:

1. On the phone, open Settings → Mi Account → Xiaomi Cloud.
2. Make sure that the contacts sync is enabled (the slider must be active).
3. Go to i.mi.com and log in.
4. In the Devices section, select your phone → Backup → Contacts.
5. Click Restore on the device, but instead of recover, select Export (the option will appear after getting stuck the cursor).

The file will be downloaded in.vcf format, but with one limitation: if the contacts were imported from other sources (for example, from the Internet). SIM-maps, they may not be displayed in the export, in which case we recommend combining the method with Google Synchronization.

4. Bluetooth transmission or USB-cable

For those who prefer wired or wireless methods without cloud services, Bluetooth or USB are suitable for transferring contacts. These methods are universal, but have limitations: Bluetooth transfers data slowly (especially with a large number of contacts), and USB requires additional drivers for Xiaomi on Windows.

Bluetooth:

• 📱 On the phone: Open Contacts → Choose a contact → Share. → Bluetooth.
• 🖥️ On PC: Turn on Bluetooth, make the device detectable and accept the.vcf file.
• 📂 Repeat for each contact (or use the option to Send multiple contacts to the contact). MIUI).

On USB:

1. Connect your phone to your PC via cable (original from Xiaomi is recommended).
2. On your phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. Open the Internal Storage → Download folder and copy the previously exported contacts.vcf file.

⚠️ Note: When transmitting via Bluetooth, contacts with Cyrillic characters (for example, surnames in Russian) can be displayed by Krakozabra. To avoid this, change the phone's encoding to UTF-8 in the developer settings (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap the version).

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

If standard methods are not suitable (for example, you need to export contacts with the SIM-We tested 3 reliable applications that are compatible with the Internet. MIUI:

• 📲 Super Backup & Restore – Exporting Contacts, SMS and call log in.xml or.vcf. Supports automatic backup on schedule.
• 📲 Contacts Backup - saves contacts to.vcf and sends the file to email.
• 📲 MIUI Hidden Settings – Discloses additional export options not available in the standard interface (e.g. selecting individual fields to save).

Examples of Super Backup & Restore:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Run it and select Contacts → Backup.
3. Specify the place of conservation (for example, SD-map) and wait until it is completed.
4. Connect your phone to your PC and copy the file backup_contacts.vcf.

Warning: Some applications (e.g. MIUI Hidden Settings) require root rights to fully access contacts, and without them, some data (e.g., call histories) may not be exported.

💡

If you often migrate contacts between devices, create a Contacts folder in Google Drive and set up automatic download of.vcf files via the Automate or Tasker app.

Problem Solving: Why are contacts not exported?

Even when following the instructions, Xiaomi users encounter common mistakes when transferring contacts, and we have collected the most common problems and ways to fix them:

If none of the methods worked, check:

• 🔍 Version MIUI: into MIUI 12.5+ The way to the contact files has changed.
• 🔍 Application rights: Go to Settings → Annexes → Contacts → Permits and enable access to storage.
• 🔍 Antivirus: Some programs (e.g. Avast) block the export of contacts as “suspicious activity".

💡

Before resetting your phone to factory settings, always check that contacts are synced with at least one cloud service (Google or Mi Account).

FAQ: Frequent questions about moving contacts with Xiaomi