How to transfer contacts from one SIM to another on Xiaomi Redmi: all ways

Shifting contacts between SIM cards on Xiaomi Redmi smartphones is often a headache for users, especially if you need to save all the numbers when you change operator or update your tariff. Unlike older button phones, where you copy it in a few clicks, modern Android devices offer several options at once, from manual export to sync through the cloud. But what method to choose to avoid losing important data?

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to transfer contacts from one SIM to another on Xiaomi Redmi (including Note 10/11/12, Redmi 9/10/13C and others). Each method is suitable for different situations: from the complete absence of the Internet to the need to save a call history, and you will learn how to avoid typical errors that cause contacts to be duplicated or lost.

Important: the instructions are valid for MIUI 12/13/14 (including global and Chinese firmware versions).If your Redmi runs on an older version, some menu items may differ, as we will mention.

Method 1: Import/Export function built-in in MIUI

The most obvious and quick method is to use the standard MIUI tool for working with contacts, which does not require installing additional applications and works even without an Internet connection, and is suitable for transferring contacts between SIM cards of the same format (for example, both nano-SIM).

To copy the contacts:

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette).
2. Slip on the three dots in the top right corner → select Contact Management.
3. Go to the Import/Export Contacts section.
4. Select Export with SIM-map → point out SIM (if there's two on the phone).
5. Confirm the copy. The contacts will be transferred to the phone's memory.
6. Now return to Import/Export and select Import to SIM-map, showing a new SIM.

⚠️ Note: This method has a limitation of one SIM-You can write a card with no more than 250 contacts (depending on the SIM model). If you have more numbers, use methods with intermediate saving in your phone or Google.

Free space on the new SIM-map|Correct display of names in Cyrillic|No duplicates in the phone book|Connection two SIM (If you use dual-sim)

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If after the transfer, the names of contacts are displayed by Krakozabras (for example,????? instead of "Ivan Ivanov"), the problem is the encoding. SIM-The decision:

• 📱 Before export, change the system language to English (Settings) → Additionally. → Language and input).
• 🔄 Repeat export – contacts will remain in Latin, but without distortion.
• 🖥️ Use third-party applications (see Method 4) that support Unicode.

Method 2: Sync through Google Account

If your Xiaomi Redmi is linked to a Google account, this method will be the most reliable: contacts will be saved in the cloud and will be available on any device, suitable for carrying a large number (thousands of records) or if you change SIM cards often.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Make sure the Contact switch is on (synchronization is active).
3. Return to Contacts → Contact Management → Import/Export.
4. Select Export with SIM-map → Keep your contacts in your Google Account.
5. Insert the new one. SIM-map and perform Import on SIM-map by selecting the source of Google.

🔹 Advantages of the method:

• 🔒 Contacts are reserved in the cloud and will not be lost when you reset your phone.
• 📱 Available on all devices where you are logged in to the same Google account.
• 🛡️ Supported extended fields (email, addresses, birthdays).

In the memory of the phone|Nana SIM-map|On Google account|In the cloud (iCloud, Mi Account)|Not keeping.

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⚠️ Note: If you previously synced contacts with Mi Account (Xiaomi account) and not with Google, before transferring, disable this sync to Settings → Accounts and synchronization → Mi Account, otherwise there may be double conflicts.

Method 3: Using Google’s Contacts app

Google Contacts (not to be confused with Google) MIUI-Version!) offers more flexible tools for managing the phone book, automatically detects duplicates, supports merging records, and allows you to export contacts to a.vcf file.

How to transfer contacts:

1. Install Google Contacts from the Play Market.
2. Open it and allow access to your contacts.
3. Slip on the avatar in the upper right corner → Contact management → Export.
4. Choose. SIM-card as a source and save the.vcf file to your phone’s memory.
5. Insert the new one. SIM-Go back to Google Contacts and import the file back.

💡 Useful tip: If you plan to change SIM cards frequently, set up automatic sync in Google Contacts. → Contact sync and enable Auto Update.

Method 4: Third-party applications for contact transfer

If the built-in MIUI or Google tools don't work (for example, Cyrillic names don't show correctly), specialized utilities will come to the rescue. We tested the top 3 apps for Xiaomi Redmi:

• 📲 Copy My Data — Copys contacts, calendars and photos over Wi-Fi between devices, and it's good if you want to transfer data to another phone.
• 📱 Super Backup & Restore – Creates.vcf backups and restores them to new contacts SIM. Supports Russian names without distortion.
• 🔄 SIM Card Manager – Advanced Manager for working with SIM-It allows you to edit the records directly on the SIM and export them to the cloud.

🔹 The first step is to Super Backup & Restore:

1. Download the app from the Play Market.
2. Run it and select Contacts → Backup.
3. Specify the source SIM-card and save the file in the memory of the phone.
4. Insert the new one. SIM-Map, return to the application and click Restore.

⚠️ Note: Some applications (such as Copy My Data) require permission to access the data. SMS If you don't plan to port this data, deny access, because you'll have enough basic permissions to contact.

Method 5: Manual transfer via.vcf file

This method is universal and works even on older Redmi models (like the Redmi 4X or Note 5), the point being to export contacts to a.vcf file and then import it to a new SIM via a computer or another phone.

Instructions:

1. Export contacts with SIM-Maps to file: Open Contacts → Management → Exports with SIM-Select internal memory or SD-map.

Redmi

File transfer

contacts.vcf

Download

MIUI

Contacts → Management → Import from the file

Critical detail: if you transfer contacts to SIM-map of another operator (for example, from MTS to Tele2), the.vcf file may not be imported directly. In this case, first upload the contacts to a Google account, and then export them to a new SIM.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even when following instructions, Xiaomi Redmi users often encounter problems when migrating contacts, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

• 🔢 Contacts are duplicated: This happens if you import data from multiple sources (e.g., from a different source). SIM Solution: delete all contacts from the new one before transferring SIM-maps or use the Google Contacts app to merge duplicates.
• 📵 Not all contacts were copied: Check the restriction SIM-If there are more contacts, break them into pieces or use the cloud.
• 🔤 Distorted names (krakozyabr): The problem is encoding. Solution: export contacts to.vcf, open a file on a PC in Excel or Notepad++, correct the encoding UTF-8 and save it back.
• 🔄 Contacts disappear after reboot: This means they are stored only in the phone’s memory, not on the phone. SIM. Contact us. → Settings → Default memory and select SIM-map.

💡 Useful tip: Before any manipulation of contacts, make a backup. To do this, select Google Contacts. → Export and save the file to your PC or cloud.

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FAQ: Frequent questions about moving contacts to Xiaomi Redmi