How to transfer contacts from Xiaomi phone to SIM-Map: 5 proven methods

Why SIM is important for Xiaomi

Modern Xiaomi smartphones store contacts in the Mi Account cloud or sync them with a Google account, but sometimes there are situations when you need to return the good old one. SIM-card as a backup, for example, when buying a new phone of another brand (not a new one). MIUI), if you are temporarily using a spare device or are afraid of losing data when resetting your settings. SIM-The card remains a universal carrier that can be read even on button phones.

Unlike cloud services, SIM-The card stores the contacts in a format compatible with the 99% Mobile devices of the world – from flagships to rare Nokia 3310. However, this method has limitations: no more is placed on the map. 250-500 Contacts (depending on the operator) and fields for additional information (email, address, birthday) are usually cut. In this article, we will discuss all working methods of transfer, including hidden functions. MIUI and workarounds for models without built-in export options.

Method 1: Standard export via MIUI settings

Most of Xiaomi smartphones are based on MIUI 12-14 support the built-in function of exporting contacts to the SIM. The interface may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the general logic is maintained. SIM-card inserted SIM 1 - Some Redmi models and POCO Allows you to export only to the main card.

Algorithm of action:

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a human silhouette).
2. Slip on three dots in the top right corner → select Contact Management.
3. Go to the section Import / Export of contacts → Export to SIM-card.
4. Tick the necessary contacts (or click Allocate) → confirm the export.

It takes 10 seconds to a minute, depending on the number of records, and when you complete it, you will see a notification with the number of successfully transferred contacts, and if you don't have the Export to SIM option on the menu, then your model uses a simplified version of the Contacts app (relevant to POCO M3, Redmi 9A and budget devices), in which case you go to Method 2.

Check the vacant space on SIM-card (at least 10% of the volume of contacts)

Make sure the SIM is inserted into the SIM 1 slot

Synchronize contacts with Mi Account in case of a crash

Close all background applications to speed up the process-->

⚠️ Note: When exporting to SIM Xiaomi automatically trims the Notes, Additional Phones, and Email Address fields, and if that data is critical, save it to the cloud or your computer.

Method 2: Use the Google Contacts app

If the built-in MIUI feature is not available, the alternative is Google’s Contacts app (installed from the Play Market), which supports SIM exports even on devices where it is blocked by the manufacturer, and works on all Xiaomi models, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and Mi 11.

Step-by-step:

1. Install the Contacts app from Google (unless it is set by default).
2. Open it and wait for sync with your Google account.
3. Slip on the profile icon in the upper right corner → Contact management → Exports to SIM-map.
4. Select an account (if there are several) and confirm the export.

The advantage of this method is to save extended fields (for example, Work Email), which are standard applications. MIUI But not all operators support the extended format: MTS and Beeline usually don't have any problems, but here's the thing. SIM-Tele2 cards can only retain the name and main number.

MTS

Beeline

Megaphone

Tele2.

Other-->

Method 3: Third-party applications for transfer

If the first two methods fail, the Play Market's specialized utilities will come to the rescue.

• 📱 Sim Contacts Backup – Exports contacts to.vcf format and then transfers them to the.vcf format SIM.
• 🔄 Copy to SIM Card – supports package exports and maintains a history of changes.
• 📇 Contacts Optimizer – clears duplicates before transfer and optimizes fields for the user SIM-format.

Example of Sim Contacts Backup:

1. Install the app and give access to contacts.
2. Select Export to SIM → mark the required entries.
3. Confirm the export and wait until the completion (can take up to 5 minutes for 500+ contacts).

Warning: Third-party apps require permission to read contacts, which is potentially dangerous. Check reviews and ratings in the Play Market before installing, and remove the utility after transfer to minimize the risk of data leakage. For additional security, use incognito mode in Android permissions settings.

⚠️ Note: Some applications (such as Super Backup) save contacts to the cloud by default. Disable this option in settings if you want to avoid syncing with third-party services.

Method 4: Manual transfer via VCF file

If SIM-The card is not recognized by the phone or export is blocked by the system, you can go a detour: first save the contacts to the.vcf file (business card), and then import them to another. SIM This method is universal and works even on Xiaomi with custom firmware.

Instructions:

1. Export contacts to.vcf: Open Contacts → Management → Import/Export → Export to file. Select a folder to save (e.g. Downloads).

Samsung

Nokia

.vcf

This requires an additional gadget, but it guarantees 100% data security. If there is no second phone, you can use an Android emulator on a PC (for example, BlueStacks) with Google's Contacts app installed. SIM-map.

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If the.vcf file doesn’t open on the second device, rename it to.csv and import it via Excel or Google Sheets. Then convert it back to.vcf using online services like ConvertCSV.

Method 5: Transfer over a computer (for advanced users)

For those who prefer to work with Xiaomi via PC, the method using the ADB-commands or programs PC This option is more complex, but gives you complete control over the process and allows you to transfer contacts even on locked or damaged devices.

Option with Mi PC Suite:

1. Download and install Mi PC Suite from the official website.
2. Connect Xiaomi to your computer via USB (enable USB debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version → 7 times tap on version).
3. In the program, select Contacts → Export → specify the SIM format.

For ADB (developer rights required):

adb shell content query --uri content://com.android.contacts/contacts --where "has_phone_number=1" > contacts.txt


adb shell content query --uri content://com.android.contacts/phone_lookup --where "kind=1" >> contacts.txt

These commands will save the contacts to a text file, which can then be converted to.vcf and transferred to SIM via another device.The method is suitable for Xiaomi with root rights or unlocked bootloader.

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB on devices with a locked bootloader (Redmi Note 10 and later) can cause a reset DRM-keys that will disable Widevine L1 (Streaming quality down on Netflix, Disney+).

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

Even when following the instructions, Xiaomi users face problems when migrating contacts, and consider typical scenarios and ways to fix them:

• 🚫 Mistake «SIM-The card does not support the operation: Check that SIM inserted SIM 1 (main slot). Try another one. SIM-card - some operators (for example, virtual ones like Tinkoff Mobile) block the recording. MIUI last-minute.
• 🔄 Contacts not fully transferred: Remove duplicate contacts before export (use Contact Management) → Export in batches of 100 contacts.
• 📵 The phone doesn't see any contacts on SIM after transfer: Reset the device. Check SIM In another phone, the data may have been recorded, but MIUI It doesn't show them. In the Contact settings, turn on the display. SIM-Contacts: Settings → Display contact → SIM.

If none of the methods worked, the reason could be hardware lock (relevant for Xiaomi on MediaTek processors, where access to SIM is limited at the chipset level), in which case only manual contact entry or the use of cloud services remains.

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Before transferring contacts to a new one SIM Always check that it is compatible with your operator, SIM-MegaFon’s nano-SIM cards may not support recording contacts, while MTS’s micro-SIM supports recording contacts.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions