How to quickly and safely transfer contacts to your Xiaomi phone: all the ways

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, especially when it comes to keeping important data safe. Contacts are the kind of information you can never lose under any circumstances: your colleagues, loved ones, customers, addresses and tied accounts. Fortunately, the Xiaomi ecosystem offers several reliable ways to transfer, and the Android-based system allows you to use universal solutions. But what method to choose? It all depends on your old phone model, the availability of the Internet and even how much time you are willing to spend.

Many users mistakenly believe that syncing with Google is the only option, but MIUI It has its own cloud service. MI Cloud, which is often faster. Others prefer "grandfather" methods through SIM-In this article, we'll look at all the current ways, from automatic to manual, and also how to avoid typical portability errors. If you go from iPhone to Xiaomi or vice versa, from Samsung to Redmi, here's a solution for your situation.

Regardless of the method you choose, the rule of thumb is to check the contacts backup before you start migrating. Even if you're using the cloud, exporting to.vcf is a good idea. Now let's get to the details.

1.Move contacts over MI Cloud (the fastest way for Xiaomi)

MI Cloud is Xiaomi’s proprietary cloud storage that automatically syncs contacts, notes, photos, and even SMS. If both phones are from Xiaomi, this method will be the easiest and fastest, the main condition is that the old device must have a Mi Account account, and the new one – the same account.

To move contacts through MI Cloud, follow the following steps:

• 📱 On an old Xiaomi phone, open Settings → Mi Account → MI Cloud.
• ☁️ Make sure the switch opposite Contact is on (green). If not, activate sync.
• 🔄 Wait for the synchronization to be completed (notification will appear in the upper panel).
• 🆕 On the new Xiaomi phone, log in to the same Mi Account and enable contact synchronization in the new phone. MI Cloud.
• 🔍 Open the Contacts app – the data will appear automatically within 1-2 minutes.

The advantage of this method is that it automatically updates contacts when you add new contacts on any device, but there is a caveat: if the contacts on the old phone were saved not in the Mi Account, but locally or in Google, they will have to be exported to the MI Cloud first.

⚠️ Note: If the new phone already has contacts, they may be duplicated when synchronized. Before transferring, it is recommended to back up the current data through Settings. → System and device → Backup.

2. Synchronization through Google Account (universal method)

If you use Google services (such as Gmail or YouTube), your contacts are likely already synced with your account automatically, which is suitable for transferring from any Android phone (including Samsung, Huawei, Realme) to Xiaomi, as well as from your iPhone when set up correctly.

Instructions for transferring through Google Contacts:

• 🔧 On your old phone, open Settings. → Accounts and synchronization → Google.
• 🔄 Make sure the Contacts option is on, and if not, activate it and wait for sync.
• 📲 On the new Xiaomi, add the same Google Account to Settings → Accounts and synchronization.
• 🔍 Turn on contact sync and wait 5-10 minutes. Data will appear in the Contact app".

To check if your contacts are saved to Google, open your browser and go to contacts.google.com. If the list is empty, then the sync is not working and you need to manually export the data.

If you are switching from an iPhone, first export your contacts to a.vcf file via Settings → Contacts → Export, and then import it to Google Contacts on your computer.

3. Transfer of contacts through SIM-Card (for old phones)

method SIM-The map seems outdated, but it is still relevant if you have a:

• 📵 Old push-button phone (like Nokia 3310 or Samsung) E1200);
• 🚫 No Internet access;
• 🔒 Contacts are only retained on SIM, Not the phone memory.

Limitations of the method:

• 📞 Nana SIM a limited number of contacts (usually up to 250).
• 📇 Only numbers and names are saved (without photos, addresses, mail).
• 🔠 Cyrillic names can be displayed by Krakozabras on some devices.

How to transfer contacts via SIM:

1. On your old phone, open Contacts → Settings → Import / Export → Export to SIM.
2. Select the contacts to transfer (or click "Select all").
3. Insert the SIM into the new Xiaomi.
4. On your new phone, go to Contacts → Settings → Import / Export → Import with SIM.
5. Choose where to save contacts (in Google Account, on your phone or in Mi Account).

⚠️ Attention: If SIM You already have contacts, they can be overwritten when you export them, and before you do that, copy them to your phone's memory or to the cloud.

4. Contacts over Bluetooth (without the Internet)

Bluetooth is another way of transferring without a network connection, but it's only good for a small number of contacts, and the main drawback is that the data is transmitted one at a time, and the process can take a long time if you have a large phone book.

How to transfer contacts via Bluetooth:

1. On both phones, turn on Bluetooth in the notification panel.
2. On an old phone, open Contacts, select the contact you want (or multiple) and click Share.
3. In the list of options, select "Bluetooth".
4. Confirm the pairing of devices (on the new Xiaomi will be a request to receive the file).
5. On the new phone, save the resulting.vcf file and import it through Contacts.

If you want to transfer all contacts at once, export them to the.vcf file first (via Settings → Import / Export), and then send this file over Bluetooth.

💡

To speed up the process, delete unwanted contacts or archive them before transfer, and make sure that both phones have Visible for All mode enabled in Bluetooth settings.

5. Transfer via OTG cable or computer (for large volumes)

If you have thousands of contacts or want to make a full backup, the best option is to use the app. USB-This method is reliable because you control each step, and it is suitable for transferring from an iPhone, Android or even a feature phone (through special programs).

Instructions for porting via PC:

1. Connect your old phone to your computer via USB and copy the contacts file (usually contacts.vcf in the internal memory folder).
2. If you don't have a file, export your contacts manually: On Android: Contacts → Settings → Export. On iPhone: use iTunes or iCloud to export to.vcf.

Xiaomi

"Files"

.vcf

For iPhone, you can also use the iMazing or AnyTrans program, which allows you to directly transfer contacts to Android via USB.

If you don’t have a computer, you do. OTG-adapter, you can connect the flash drive to the old phone, save it to.vcf-file, and then transfer it to the new Xiaomi.

6.Moving from iPhone to Xiaomi (features and nuances)

The transition from iOS to Android is always difficult due to the closed Apple ecosystem, but there are several ways to migrate contacts from the iPhone to Xiaomi:

• ☁️ Using iCloud: On iPhone, enable synchronization of contacts with iCloud (Settings) → [Your name] → iCloud → On your computer, open iCloud.com, log in to your account and export your contacts to.vcf. Import the file to Xiaomi via Google Contacts or directly.

Application "Move to iOS" (reverse port):

While this app is designed to be ported from Android to iPhone, it can be used backwards with some tricks: Install Move to iOS on Xiaomi, but in the data selection phase, select Contacts and follow the connection code.

Through iTunes:

1. Connect your iPhone to your PC, open iTunes, and sync your contacts.
2. Export them to.vcf via File → Export → Contact vCard.
3. Transfer the file to Xiaomi.

If neither method worked, use third-party apps like My Contacts Backup (for iPhone) or Super Backup & Restore (for Android) that let you back up your contacts in the cloud or send them via email.

FAQ: Frequent questions about moving contacts to Xiaomi