How to transfer all contacts to SIM- card in Xiaomi phone: 3 working method

Moving contacts to the SIM- card in Xiaomi smartphones may be necessary when changing devices, resetting settings or backing up important numbers. Despite the fact that modern phones sync with a Google account or Mi Cloud, many users still prefer to store contacts on a physical medium, especially for owners of low-end models Redmi or POCO, where internal memory is limited.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to export contacts to the SIM- card in the firmware MIUI 12/13/14, including bypassing common errors (for example, when the option "Export to SIM" is inactive), and learn how to prepare the card for portability, what restrictions exist for different formats SIM (nano/micro), and how to avoid data loss during bulk copying.

⚠️ Important: Before starting the procedure, make sure that your SIM- card supports contact storage. Some operators (e.g., Tele2 or virtual MINs) may have this feature disabled at the card firmware level. Check this in the Contacts menu → Settings → Import / Export – if there is no SIM- card, an alternative method will be required.

Another caveat is that SIM- nano cards (4FF) often have a limit on the number of entries (usually 250-500 contacts), and if your phone book is larger, you'll have to break up exports or use cloud storage.

1 Preparation of SIM- cards for the transfer of contacts

Before you move numbers, you need to make sure that the SIM- card is ready to record data.

🔹 Check the vacant space. Open Settings → SIM- maps and mobile networks → [Your SIM] and look at the Contact Storage section. If it says "0 free," delete old records or use another card.

🔹 Activate the card in the slot. Xiaomi with dual SIM (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro+) can only turn on one card by default. Go to Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Select SIM for calls and select the one you will transfer contacts to.

🔹 Update the firmware MIUI. In older versions (below MIUI 12.5), the export function on SIM may not work properly. You can check the relevance of the software in Settings → About Phone → System Update.

⚠️ Warning: If you use eSIM (virtual SIM), you can’t transfer contacts to it – this feature is only supported for physical mini-SIM, micro-SIM or nano-SIM cards with a memory chip.

It is also worth considering that some operators (for example, MTS or Beeline) block the recording of contacts on SIM by default, in which case a call in support asking you to activate a function or use alternative methods from the following sections will help.

Method 1: Standard export through the Contact Menu

This is the easiest method that works on most Xiaomi devices with MIUI 12 and later. Instructions are suitable for the Redmi 10/11/12 series, POCO X3/X4/X5, Mi 11/12/13 and others.

📌 Step-by-step instruction:

1. Open the Contacts app (a icon with a person's silhouette).
2. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Settings.
3. Go to the Import/Export Contacts section.
4. Select Export on Export SIM-map.
5. Tick the contacts you want to transfer (or click "Secret all").
6. Click Export and wait for the process to be completed.

⏳ Export time depends on the number of contacts. 200-300 numbers usually take 1-2 minutes. If the process is stuck in Preparation, try restarting the phone and trying again.

⚠️ Warning: When exporting to SIM, only the name and phone number are stored. Additional fields (email, address, notes) will be lost. If they are important, use the method with a backup in the VCF- file (Section 4).

🔧 What to do if the option "Export to SIM" is inactive?

• 📱 Check the SIM slot: Make sure the card is inserted into the SIM1 slot (on some models, the export only works from the main slot).
• 🔄 Reboot phone: Sometimes a simple reboot or retrieval/resetting SIM helps.
• 📋 Update Contacts: Go to Google Play → My Apps → Contacts and update the app to the latest version.

Method 2: Transfer through the Google Contacts app

If the standard method didn’t work, you can use the Google Contacts app, which is suitable for devices with sync with a Google account and allows you to bypass the operator’s restrictions.

📌 Instructions:

1. Install Google Contacts from Play Market (unless it is installed by default).
2. Open the app and log in to your Google account.
3. Click on the profile icon in the top right corner and select Contact Management.
4. Go to Import/Export → Export to SIM-card.
5. Select an account (if there are several) and contacts for export.
6. Confirm the action and wait for the completion.

✅ The advantage of this method is that it allows selective export (e.g., only work contacts or groups from Google Contacts), and additional fields will be saved if they have been synced with the account.

❌ Disadvantage: If contacts were originally stored only in the phone’s memory (not in Google), you will have to import them into your account first. Select Import → From the device’s memory from the same menu.

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If you export through Google Contacts, you get an error "SIM- card is not supported", try temporarily disabling the second SIM (if any) in your phone settings. Sometimes the slot conflict blocks the recording.

4 Method 3: Backup to VCF followed by import to SIM

If the direct methods didn't work, you can go a detour: first save the contacts to a.vcf file, and then import them to SIM through a special application, which is universal and works even on older versions of MIUI.

📌 Step 1: Export contacts to VCF

1. Open Contacts → Settings → Import / Export.
2. Select Export to File (or Export to Storage).
3. Specify the location of the save (for example, internal memory → Download) and confirm.

📌 Step 2: Install the import application on SIM

Download one of the apps from Play Market:

• 📲 SIM Card Contacts Backup supports package imports from VCF.
• 📲 Copy to SIM Card is a simple interface that works without registration.
• 📲 Contacts Optimizer – allows you to edit contacts before transferring.

📌 Step 3: Import via the App

1. Open the installed application and give access to contacts.
2. Select the Import from VCF option and specify the previously saved file.
3. Mark the contacts to transfer and press Copy to SIM.

⚠️ Warning: There is a risk of data leakage when using third-party applications. Before installing, check the reviews and ratings in the Play Market, as well as the permissions the program requests (there should be no access to SMS or geolocation).

5. Solving common errors in transfer

Even when following the instructions, Xiaomi users face typical problems, including the most common and ways to fix them.

🔴 Error: "SIM- card does not support contact storage"

• 📞 Call the operator: Some SIM (especially newer ones) have the function disabled, for example, MegaFon can activate it on request.
• 🔄 Change the slot: On some models (e.g. POCO F3), the export only works from the SIM1 slot.
• 📱 Use another SIM: Take a card from another carrier (e.g. Yota or Tinkoff Mobile) - they rarely block this feature.

🔴 Error: "Inadequate memory on SIM"

• 🧹 Clear old contacts: Delete unnecessary entries through Contacts → Settings → Manage contacts on SIM.
• 📊 Break up exports into parts: Move over 100-150 contacts at a time.
• 💾 Use the cloud: If SIM does not accommodate all numbers, save the remainder to Mi Cloud or Google Drive.

🔴 Error: "Export process stopped"

• 🔋 Charging phone: Make sure the charge level is above 20% – at low charge MIUI can interrupt background processes.
• 📶 Turn off mobile Internet: Sometimes a conflict with the network interferes with recording. Go to airplane mode before export.
• 🔄 Reset Contacts: Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Contacts → Storage → Clear Data (Warning: This Will Remove Unsaved Changes!).

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If none of these methods worked, check to see if the phone has custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience) that often disables the SIM export function at the kernel level.

6. Alternative methods of backup contacts

If SIM porting is not possible or convenient, consider alternative options for saving numbers:

🔹 Sync with Mi Cloud

• 📱 Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Contacts and enable sync.
• 🔄 The data will be available on any Xiaomi device after you log in to your account.
• ⚠️ Minus: Requires a stable Internet and Mi Account.

🔹 Export to Google Account

• 📱 Open Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync and enable Contacts.
• 🌐 Rooms will be available at contacts.google.com.
• ✅ Plus: Automatic backup and change history.

🔹 Manual input via the Phone app

• 📞 Open the standard Phone app.
• 📝 Dial the number, press Save and select On SIM- card.
• ⏳ Suitable for a small number of contacts (up to 50).

🔹 Use of PC- applications (for advanced users)

• 🖥️ Connect your phone to your computer and use the Mi PC Suite or Android Studio to export your contact base.
• 📄 Save the data to CSV or VCF and then import to the new SIM through specialized utilities (e.g. SIM Card Manager for Windows).

7. Frequent questions and answers

8 Conclusion: Which method to choose?

The choice of how to transfer contacts to SIM in Xiaomi depends on your phone model, the version of MIUI and the type of SIM- card:

✅ For most users, standard export via the Contacts menu (Section 2) is fast, secure and requires no additional applications.

✅ If the option is inactive, use Google Contacts (Section 3) or export to VCF (Section 4).

✅ For backups of large phone books (1000+ contacts), it is better to combine Mi Cloud and Google sync, and to SIM transfer only the most important numbers.

🔧 Advice for owners of POCO and Redmi: If you change SIM- cards frequently, consider buying a dual nano-SIM with a memory chip (e.g. from LycaMobile or Truphone).

📌 Remember, a SIM- card is not the most reliable storage. Use cloud services for long-term backups or regularly export contacts to VCF- files to your computer.