How to Transfer Contacts from One Xiaomi to Another: All the Working Methods

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but moving contacts can be a real headache if you don’t know the nuances. Even between devices of the same brand, the synchronization process has its pitfalls: from differences in MIUI versions to restrictions on the number of contacts when transferring over Bluetooth. In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to transfer contacts, including little-known chips for new models (for example, Xiaomi 14 or Redmi Note 13 Pro+), and also explain how to avoid typical errors that cause lost numbers or duplicate records.

We'll focus on automated methods (via Mi Account and Google) that take less than a minute, and manual methods for cases where the Internet is missing or sync is off, and you'll learn which method is the fastest, which keeps your call history, and which is suitable for transferring your contacts with Xiaomi to POCO or Black Shark without loss. Let's start with preparation - this stage is often neglected, but in vain!

Preparation for transfer: what to do before the start

Before you start syncing, check three critical parameters on both devices, and ignoring at least one of them can cause the contacts to be lost or not transferred.

• 📱 Version. MIUI: On older versions (below). MIUI 12) there may be no export function via Mi Account. Update the software in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🔄 Account Sync: Make sure your old phone has Google or Mi Account contacts synced on (path: Settings) → Accounts. → [Choose an account] → Synchronization of contacts).
• 📶 Internet connection: Cloud methods will require stable Wi-Fi or mobile internet (better) 4G/5G, so 3G may interrupt the loading).

If you transfer contacts from Xiaomi to Xiaomi via Bluetooth or SIM-map, prepare:

• 📇 SIM-card with sufficient memory (one record takes up a card) ~250 bytes, so the 128KB card can hold up to 250 contacts).
• 🔋 Battery charge of at least 50% on both devices – interruption of the process can lead to data loss.

⚠️ Note: If the old phone only stores the contacts on the phone SIM-It's not in the memory of the device, it's going to have to be imported into the phone book first. → Settings → Imports/exports → Import with SIM.

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

This method only works between Xiaomi devices (including POCO and Black Shark) and takes less than a minute.The main condition is that both phones must have the same Mi Account.

Step-by-step:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Accounts → Mi Account and make sure that the Contact Sync slider is active.
2. Wait 10-15 seconds for the data to be uploaded to the cloud (Synced on the screen).
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and enable contact sync in the same settings.
4. Open the Contacts app and wait for the list to be updated automatically (it can take up to 2 minutes).

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Instant transfer – no need to wait for file transfer.
• 🔄 Automatic Update: New contacts will sync between devices in the future.
• 📱 Stores call history (if synchronization is enabled in Settings) → Annexes → Phone. → Call history).

⚠️ Note: If the new phone already has contacts, they will be merged with the transferred ones. If the names and numbers match, duplicates may occur. To avoid this, export the existing contacts to a.vcf file before synchronization (see Method 3).

Method 2: Transfer through a Google account (Universal)

This is a good way to switch not only between Xiaomi devices, but also to other brands (such as Samsung or iPhone), the main advantage of which is that contacts are saved in the Google cloud and are accessible from any device via the web version.

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Accounts → Google and select your account.
2. Activate Contact Slider and wait for the synchronization to be completed (Icon) ⚙️ must disappear).
3. On the new phone, add the same Google account and enable contact sync.
4. Open the Contacts app and update the list (pull the screen down).

Features of the method:

• 🌍 Cross-platform: Works on all Android devices and iOS (via iCloud) + Google Contacts).
• 🔍 Google automatically finds and offers to combine duplicate contacts.
• 📊 Backup: Contacts are saved in the cloud even if the phone breaks.

If the contacts are not synchronized, check:

• 🔗 Internet connection (turn off) VPN, if used).
• 🔄 Automatic synchronization in Google account settings.
• 📅 Date and time on the phone (must be current, otherwise synchronization is blocked).

💡

If contacts are duplicated after synchronization, use the built-in merger function in Google Contacts: open the web version, click More → Find and combine duplicates.

Method 3: Export and import via.vcf (for power users)

This is a good approach if you want to back up your contacts or migrate them selectively..vcf (vCard) is a universal format that all modern smartphones support. It can be sent by email, saved to the cloud or tossed over. USB-cable.

How to export contacts on an old phone:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Contact Management → Imports/exports → Export to file.
3. Choose which contacts to export (all or selectively) and confirm that contacts.vcf is saved in your phone’s memory.

How to import on a new phone:

1. Transfer the contacts.vcf file to your new device (via Bluetooth, Telegram, USB or Mi Share).
2. Open the file (it will open in the Contacts app) and click Import.
3. Select an account to save (such as Google or Mi Account).

Advantages of the method:

• 📄 Backup: The file can be stored on your computer or in the cloud.
• ✂️ Selective transfer: only the necessary contacts can be exported.
• 🔧 Editing:.vcf file can be opened in text editor and manually correct numbers.

⚠️ Note: If the contacts.vcf file weighs more than 10MB, break it down using applications like VCF Splitter (available on Google Play) Large files may not be imported or cause crashes.

Method 4: Transfer contacts over Bluetooth (without the Internet)

If you don't have access to the Internet or prefer direct transfer between devices, Bluetooth is an easy but not the most reliable way, the main drawback is the limit on the number of contacts (usually up to 500-1000 per transfer) and possible errors with large amounts of data.

Instructions:

1. On both phones, turn on Bluetooth in the notification panel or in Settings → Connections → Bluetooth.
2. On your old phone, open Contacts → Settings → Import / Export → Send Contacts → Bluetooth.
3. Select the contacts for the transfer (you can mark everything) and confirm the sending.
4. On the new phone, accept the incoming file and save the contacts to the phone book.

Challenges and solutions:

• 🚫 Not all contacts were passed: break the list into parts of 200-300 records and send in portions.
• ❌ Transfer error: Reboot both phones and try again.
• 📞 Numbers are not displayed correctly: check the encoding in Bluetooth settings (should be UTF-8).

On Xiaomi models with MIUI 14 and later, the Bluetooth contact function may be hidden. To find it, search for the "export contacts" settings.

💡

Bluetooth is suitable for transferring a small number of contacts (up to 500). For large bases, use cloud services or a.vcf file.

Method 5: Transfer of Contacts through SIM-map (obsolete but working method)

This method is relevant for older Xiaomi models (for example, Redmi). 4A or Mi A1) Or if other methods are not available, the main drawback is limited memory. SIM-cards (usually up to 250 contacts) and no support for additional fields (e.g. email or address).

How to transfer contacts:

1. On your old phone, open Contacts → Settings → Import / Export → Export to SIM-card.
2. Select your export contacts (consider the memory limitation!) and confirm.
3. Extract. SIM-A card and insert it into a new phone.
4. On the new device, go to Contacts → Settings → Imports/exports → Import with SIM-map.

Limitations of the method:

• 🚫 No call history - only numbers and names are transferred.
• 📇 No photos of contacts and additional fields.
• 🔢 Symbols: Long names or numbers may be cut off.

If SIM-The card is not readable on the new phone:

• 🔄 Reset the device.
• 📶 Check if the new device supports the card format (e.g., nano-SIM instead of micro-SIM).
• 🛠️ Clear the contacts. SIM-Maps from old records (through Settings) → SIM-map → Contact management).

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even when following instructions, users have trouble moving contacts. TOP-5 mistakes and their solutions:

1. Contacts are not synced via Mi Account/Google Reason: Automatic sync or incorrect date/time settings are disabled. Solution: check your account settings and enable Auto Sync in Settings → Accounts → [select account] → Sync.
2. Duplicate contacts after transfer Reason: the new phone already had contacts that match the ones transferred. Solution: Before synchronizing, export existing contacts to a.vcf file, then delete them. After transferring, import the old contacts back and merge them manually.
3. Not all contacts were transferred over Bluetooth, because there's a limit on the size of the file you're transferring, so you can split the contacts into groups of 200 to 300 and send them in portions.
4. The.vcf file does not open on the new phone The reason: file corruption or vCard version incompatibility Solution: Try opening a file on your computer via Google Contacts or convert it with VCF Converter.
5. Contacts are displayed in hieroglyphics Reason: Incorrect encoding when exporting/importing Solution: When exporting, select UTF-8 encoding (usually the default option in MIUI).

If none of these methods worked, try alternative methods:

• 📱 Mi Mover app: built-in MIUI application for data transfer (including contacts) over Wi-Fi Direct. → Additionally. → Mi Mover.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions