How to transfer contacts from memory card to Xiaomi Redmi 10: all ways with step-by-step photos

Transferring contacts from a memory card to a Xiaomi Redmi 10 smartphone may seem like a trivial task, but in practice users face a lot of nuances, from format incompatibility to sudden errors when importing. This model, released in 2021, supports a hybrid slot for two. SIM-card SIM + microSD, which complicates standard data transfer scenarios. Unlike flagship devices, where contacts are automatically synchronized with Mi Account, budget Redmis often require manual intervention.

In this article, we will not only discuss basic methods (through the standard Contacts app and File Manager), but also alternative solutions for cases where the phone does not see.vcf files or gives an error "Incorrect format". Particular attention will be paid to the hidden function MIUI 13/14, which allows you to import contacts directly from the.zip archives - this is important if your backups are saved in a compressed form, you will also learn how to avoid duplication of records and why some numbers can be displayed without names after transfer.

Preparation: checking memory card and file formats

Before you start the transfer, make sure your memory card meets two key requirements:

📁 File system format: Redmi 10 supports FAT32 and exFAT, but it does not work with NTFS. If the card is formatted in NTFS, You can check the format via PC: plug it in. SD-card to your computer, right-click on the disk in this computer and select Properties.
📄 Contact format: The phone only recognizes.vcf (vCard) files 2.1/3.0/4.0). If your contacts are saved to.csv,.xls or.txt, you'll have to convert them. VCF Converter.

Important: Xiaomi Redmi 10 does not support memory cards larger than 512 GB. If you use a 1 TB microSD, your phone will not recognize it, and check if the card has a password (sometimes when you back up on old phones), in which case, first unlock the card through an old device or special software like SD Card Unlocker.

📊 How do you usually keep your contacts?

Memory card.

Google Account

In Mi Account.

On the computer.

Another way.

If you're transferring contacts from another phone, make sure they're exported correctly, for example, on Samsung, when exporting to.vcf, sometimes you create one file for each contact, rather than a single archive.

Connect the card to the PC.
Allocate all.vcf files in one folder.
Right-hand press. → Send. → Compressed ZIP-folder.
Copy the archive back to the map.

Method 1: Import through the standard Contacts app

This is the easiest method, but it only works if the contacts are saved in a single.vcf file or.zip archive.

Insert the memory card in Redmi 10 (if it is already inserted, skip this step).
Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette on a green background).
Slip on three dots in the top right corner → Contact management → Import/Export contacts.
Select Import from the memory card.
Specify the file.vcf or.zip (if there are more files, choose the one with the most records).
Press Import and wait for the process to be completed.

If the file is not in the list, check:

🔍 The folder in which the file is saved (by default it is Download or the file is stored). MIUI).
📌 File extension - sometimes hidden. Enable extensions in File Manager (settings) → show off hidden files).
🔄 Try renaming the file by removing spaces and special characters (e.g. contacts.vcf instead of My contacts (reserve).vcf).

☑️ Preparation for import through “Contacts"

Check the format of the card (FAT32/exFAT)Make sure the file has a.vcf or.zip extension.Copy the file into the card root folderDisable synchronization with Mi Account at the time of import

Done: 0 / 4

⚠️ Note: If the error "File is corrupted" appears when importing, it is most likely saved in encoding. UTF-16. Convert it into UTF-8 Notepad++ (open the file → Coding → convert into UTF-8 without BOM → keep).

Method 2: Transfer through the MIUI File Manager

This method is suitable if standard import does not work or you want to select specific contacts from multiple files.

Open the file manager (yellow folder icon).
Go to the Device section → SD-map.
Find the.vcf file and tap it, and the system will prompt you to open it through Contacts.
Select Contacts → confirm the import.

If the file does not open, try an alternative path:

In File Manager, hold your finger on the.vcf file → Share.
In the list of applications, select Contacts.
Confirm the import.

The advantage of this is that you can preview contacts, for example, if you have multiple contacts1.vcf, contacts2.vcf files, you can open each file and see what entries it contains before you import.

💡

If the contact names are displayed in hieroglyphics after import, the file is not encrypted correctly, and use the VCF Cleaner program (available in the Play Market) to correct the encoding before transfer.

Method 3: Use Google Contacts (for backups)

If your contacts were previously synced with a Google Account on an old phone, they can be moved without a memory card.This method is also useful if you want to have a backup in the cloud.

On Redmi 10, go to Settings → Accounts and Sync.
Add your Google Account (if not already added).
Turn on Contact Sync.
Open the Contacts app → three-point → Contact management → Imports/Exports.
Select Import from Google and wait until it is completed.

If the contacts on the memory card were exported from Google Contacts, you can download them back:

🌐 Open to PC the website contacts.google.com.
📤 Press Import. → Select the.vcf file from the memory card.
🔄 Wait for synchronization (can take up to 10 minutes).
📱 On your phone, update your contact list (pull down in the Contacts app).

⚠️ Note: When synced with Google Contacts, all duplicate entries are automatically combined. If you need to save all versions of contacts (for example, with different numbers), pre-export them to a separate.vcf file.

Method 4: Transfer over a computer (for large contact bases)

If you have thousands of contacts or files weighing more than 100MB, it can take hours or fail to transfer directly over your phone.

Connect the memory card to the computer through the card reader.
Copy.vcf or.zip files to your desktop.
Connect Redmi 10 to your PC via USB-cable (select File Transfer Mode on your phone).
Move the files to the Download folder on your phone.
Turn off the phone and import through the File Manager (see Method 2).

To speed up the process, you can use the MyPhoneExplorer program:

🖥️ Install MyPhoneExplorer on PC (official website).
📱 Install MyPhoneExplorer Client on Redmi 10 (available in Play Market).
🔗 Connect the phone through USB or wifi.
📥 In the program, select the file. → Imports → vCard and specify the path to the file on the map.

MyPhoneExplorer allows you to not only import contacts, but also edit them before transfer (e.g., delete duplicates or correct numbers), which is especially useful if you are migrating data from an old Nokia or Siemens, where the record format may differ.

Solving common errors in transfer

Even if the instructions are followed correctly, Redmi 10 users face typical problems, and the table below shows the reasons and ways to fix them:

Mistake.	Possible cause	Decision
The file is not displayed in the list for import	The file is hidden or has an incorrect extension	Enable the display of hidden files in the File Manager and rename the file to contacts.vcf
The "File format incorrect" error	File saved in CSV or corrupted	Convert to VCF via an online converter or edit in Notepad++
Imports are interrupted by 50-70%	Memory Lack or Mi Account Conflict	Clear the Contact cache in the app settings and disable synchronization with Mi Account
Contacts were imported without names.	Damaged VCF structure or encoding	Open the file in the text editor and check for FN lines: (name) before each entry
The phone doesn't see the memory card	Incompatible format (NTFS) or corrupted file system	Format the card in FAT32 via PC (pre-copying the data)

If none of these methods worked, try alternative software:

📱 Contacts Backup & Restore (available in Play Market) – Allows you to import contacts from the Play Market XML and CSV.
💻 Outlook – import.vcf to Outlook on PC, then sync with Google Account.
🔧 ADB-commands (for advanced users): connect your phone to your PC and do: adb push contacts.vcf /sdcard/ adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d file:///sdcard/contacts.vcf -t text/x-vcard

What happens if the contacts are duplicated after import?

Once imported, open Contacts → Three Points → Contact Management → Combine Duties. If the option is inactive, use the Duplicate Contacts app from Play Market. It automatically finds and deletes duplicate entries, saving the fullest version of the contact.

How to avoid data loss in the future

To avoid having to re-transfer contacts, set up automatic sync on Redmi 10:

🔄 With Google Account: Settings → Accounts and synchronization → Google → Synchronize contacts (turn on the switch).
📱 Local backup: In the Appendix Contacts → Contact management → Export to a memory card (do once a month).

Tip: If you change phones frequently, use Google Contacts as your primary storage facility, which will make it easy to transfer data to any new device, including iPhones or other brands. For added reliability, set up two-step authentication on Google Account to protect your contacts from unauthorized access.

Also, look at the MIUI Backup function:

Go to Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
Select Local Backup.
Check Contacts and click Reserve.
The backup file will be saved in the MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder on the internal memory or card.

💡

The most reliable way to save contacts is a combination of cloud synchronization (Google or Mi Account) + It's a local backup to your memory card, and it'll protect your data even if your phone is lost or broken.

FAQ: Frequent questions about moving contacts to Xiaomi Redmi 10

Can I transfer contacts from a memory card to Redmi 10 without a computer?

Yes, if the contacts are saved in.vcf or.zip. Use the standard Contacts app (see Method 1) or File Manager (see Method 2). The computer is only needed to convert formats or if the files weigh more than 100 MB.

Why do some numbers appear without names after import?

This is due to a damaged.vcf file structure or incompatible encoding. Open the file in a text editor (like Notepad++) and check if each number has an FN: (contact name) line before it. If not, add it manually or use VCF Cleaner.

How to transfer contacts from a memory card if Redmi 10 can not see it?

First, check the map format: it should be FAT32 or exFAT. If the card is in NTFS, format it via a PC (by copying the data beforehand). Also make sure the card is not damaged - try to read it on another device. If the Redmi 10 still doesn't see the card, upgrade the phone's firmware to the latest version (sometimes this solves compatibility problems).

Can I transfer contacts from the SIM card to the memory card and then to the phone?

Yes, but it's a two-step process: Export contacts with SIM-Cards to phone: Contacts → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Exports to SIM (If you have an option available, or use your old device for export. Copy the resulting.vcf file to a memory card. Import contacts from the card to Redmi 10 (see Method 1 or Method 2). SIM-The cards store a limited number of contacts (usually up to 250) and additional fields (email, addresses) may be lost when exported).

How to remove duplicate contacts after importation?

MIUI has a built-in take-together feature: Open Contacts. Tap three points → Contact Management → Unite Duties. Select contacts to join and confirm. If the built-in tool doesn't find duplicates, use Duplicate Contacts or Cleanup Duplicate Contacts from the Play Market.