How to transfer contacts from Xiaomi phone to SIM-map: all working methods

Transfer of contacts with Xiaomi to SIM-The card may be needed in a variety of situations: when buying a new phone, resetting settings or simply replacing the device. Despite the fact that modern smartphones synchronize contacts with cloud services (Google, Mi Account), many users still prefer to store important numbers on a physical medium — SIM-This guarantees access to contacts even without the Internet or when your phone breaks.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to export contacts to the SIM-Map of phones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO base MIUI 12, 13 and 14: You will learn how to avoid common mistakes (such as limiting the number of characters in a contact name), what formats are supported, and what to do if the phone can’t see. SIM-And also, how to prepare the contacts for the transfer so that you don't lose important information.

Why SIM-card contact transfer is relevant in 2026

In the era of cloud technology, it may seem that SIM-But it's a method that has some undeniable advantages:

• 🔄 Universal Compatibility: Contacts for SIM-You can read the card on almost any phone, even on a button.
• 🌐 Internet Independence: You don’t need to connect to Wi-Fi or mobile to access numbers.
• 🔒 Privacy: Data is stored locally, without the risk of leakage through the cloud.
• 📱 Quick migration: when changing the phone, you do not need to configure synchronization - just insert SIM-map.

Of course, there are some disadvantages to the method, SIM-The cards only support basic information: name and number (maximum 2 numbers per contact), without the ability to save photos, email or addresses, and the memory is limited, usually no more than 250 contacts, but for backup or temporary storage, this remains a reliable solution.

Preparation for transfer: what to do before export

Before you start the transfer, follow a few simple steps to avoid data loss or errors:

1. Check the vacant space on SIM-Go to the settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → [Yours. SIM] → Memory. SIM-If you are free less than 10%, remove unnecessary contacts.
2. Clear the contacts of the doubles. MIUI There is a built-in function for this: open the Contacts app, click ⋮ → Contact management → Combining and correcting.
3. Make sure that your contact names are shorter than 20 characters. SIM-Cards don't support long names - they'll be cropped.
4. Save backup. Export contacts to.vcf via Settings → About Phone → Backup.

Pay special attention to the format of the numbers. If the contacts have numbers with prefixes (+7, 8), make sure that the new phone supports their correct display.

⚠️ Note: If you are using duality SIM-map in Xiaomi, by default, contacts are exported to the SIM, slot-set SIM 1. To change the slot, go to Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Name. SIM-map and mark the required as "main".

Method 1: Standard export through the Contacts app

The easiest method is to use the built-in Contacts app (or People in some firmware), which works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO phones with MIUI 12 and later.

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Contact Management.
3. Go to the Import/Export Contacts section.
4. Select Export on Export SIM-map.
5. Mark the contacts you want to move (or click Select All) and confirm the export.

The process can take anywhere from a few seconds to a minute, depending on the number of contacts you have, and you will see a notification of successful export when you complete the process.

Method 2: Transfer through phone settings (alternative method)

If the standard export through the Contacts app doesn’t work (for example, due to customized firmware), try an alternative route through Settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Contacts → Memory.
2. Click Export/Import Contacts.
3. Select Export on Export SIM-map.
4. Specify which contacts to export (from your device, Google or Mi Account).
5. Confirm the action.

This method is especially useful if you have firmware installed from third-party developers (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), where the standard Contacts app may not be available.

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If you plan to migrate contacts to a new phone, disable sync with Google or Mi Account in Settings → Accounts before exporting.This will prevent conflicts when importing to the new device.

Method 3: Using a VCF file for intermediate export

If direct exports are SIM-card is not possible (for example, due to operator restrictions), you can use an intermediate file VCF. This method is universal and works even on blocked or damaged SIM-card.

1. Export contacts to.vcf file: Open Contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Export to file: Save the file to internal memory or microSD.

.vcf

SIM Card Manager

Windows

The advantage of this method is the ability to edit contacts before transfer (for example, delete unnecessary numbers or fix the format). SIM-The card will still require specialized software or other phone with support for this feature.

⚠️ Note:.vcf files may contain personal information, do not transfer them through unreliable channels (for example, public cloud storage) and delete them after use.

Mistakes in the transfer of contacts and their solutions

Even if you follow the instructions correctly, Xiaomi users sometimes face problems.

• 🚫 "Failed to export contacts": most often this is due to filled memory SIM-Remove old contacts or use another one SIM. Also check if the card is blocked by a PIN code.
• 🔄 Contacts were partially exported: Most likely, some names exceed the character limit. Check contacts with long names (for example, "Ivan Ivanovich Petrov-Sidorov") and shorten them.
• 📵 The phone can't see. SIM-post-export card: This could be a hardware problem. SIM to another phone -- if the error repeats, the card is damaged. SIM-Maps via engineering menu (#4636##).

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If after the transfer of contacts on the new SIM-maps are displayed in characters, the problem is encoding. Solution: before exporting, change the system language to English (Settings) → Additionally. → Language and input).

How to check if your contacts have been successfully transferred

After export, it is important to make sure that the data is written correctly.

1. Put it in. SIM-card to another phone (preferably a different brand, for example, Samsung or Nokia).
2. Open the Contacts app and select the contact display with SIM-map.
3. Check: All contacts are in place, names are displayed correctly (no cropped characters), all numbers (some of them are still there) SIM-The cards only support one number per contact).

If you find errors, repeat the export, pre-cleaning SIM-Map from old data. For this, go to Xiaomi Contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Remove from SIM-map.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the transfer of contacts to SIM-map