How to Move Contacts from Samsung to Xiaomi 9T: A Complete Guide to Comparing All Ways

Switching from Samsung to Xiaomi 9T is a crucial step, especially when it comes to keeping contacts safe. Many users lose important phone numbers due to improper data transfer or trivial inattention to the details of the process. This article will help avoid typical mistakes and choose the best method of migration depending on your conditions: whether you have access to the Internet, how many contacts you need to transfer, and what tools you have at hand.

We will look at all the relevant ways, from classic export through Google account to the proprietary application Mi Mover, which Xiaomi developed specifically for such cases. We will pay special attention to the nuances of working with Xiaomi 9T (the Redmi K20 model in the global version), since this device has specific limitations when synchronizing with some Samsung services. If you have already tried to move contacts and faced problems, at the end of this article you will find a section with solutions to the most common errors.

Preparation for transfer: what to do before the start

Before you start migrating, make sure both devices are ready for the procedure, which will save time and prevent data loss.

• 🔋 Battery charge: Both smartphones must have a charge level of at least 50%.Transfer via Mi Mover or Bluetooth can take up to 30 minutes, and discharging in the process is fraught with failures.
• 📶 Wi-Fi: If you plan to use cloud services (Google Contacts, Mi Cloud), connect both phones to the same network.
• 📱 Software Updates: Check the relevance of firmware on Xiaomi 9T through settings → The phone. → System updates. Outdated versions MIUI It may not support some transfer functions.
• 🔐 Backup: Create a backup of contacts on Samsung through Contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Export to.vcf. Save the file to a memory card or cloud.

⚠️ Note: If Samsung has enabled the "Duplicate Contacts" feature (located in Samsung account settings), turn it off in advance. 9T There may be repeated recordings.

It’s also worth checking if contacts are linked to a Samsung account (not Google) and to do so, open the Contacts app on Samsung, click on any contact, and see which account is listed in the Save to box. If it’s a Samsung account, you’ll have to export them manually first.

2. Method 1: Sync through Google account (most reliable)

This method works for almost everyone, as it requires no additional software and works even if you do not have a cable or Xiaomi 9T is not activated, the main condition is that you have a Google account on both devices.

On Samsung:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Archiving → Account Management.
2. Select your Google account and make sure the Contacts switch is turned on.
3. Launch the Contacts app, click ⋮ → Settings → Contact management → Synchronize.

On Xiaomi 9T:

1. When you first turn on, select the option “Restore from backup” and log in to the same Google account.
2. If the phone is already set up, go to Settings → Accounts → Google, select your account and enable contact sync.
3. Wait until the process is complete (it can take up to 10 minutes depending on the number of contacts).

⚠️ Note: If Samsung used a Samsung account to store contacts, they will not be synced directly with Google. First export them to a.vcf file (see Method 3).

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If some contacts are not displayed after synchronization, check the filters in the Contacts app on Xiaomi 9T. They may be hidden due to display settings (for example, only contacts with phones are shown).

3. Method 2: Using the proprietary Mi Mover application

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s official solution for transferring data from other Android devices, and it supports not only contacts, but also messages, photos, apps, but also nuances: the app may not work with some Samsung models due to manufacturer restrictions.

Instructions:

1. Download Mi Mover on both phones: Samsung: from Google Play. Xiaomi 9T: the application is preinstalled (see in the Tools folder).

Xiaomi 9T

"I'm new."

Samsung

"I'm old."

USB-C → USB-C

Samsung

"ADB"

"Contacts"

Turn off the screen lock on both phones|Use the original cable USB|Close all background applications|Connect your phones directly (without hubs)|Make sure that Xiaomi has enough memory.-->

Features of working with Xiaomi 9T:

• 🔌 The application may not recognize Samsung if it is enabled the developer mode with debugging. USB. Turn it off before connecting.
• 📱 Xiaomi. 9T s MIUI 12+ may need to be unlocked OEM-Unlocking in the developer settings (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to tap).
• ⏳ Transfer 500+ It takes 10 to 15 minutes for the contacts to come in, and don't interrupt the process even if the screen goes out.

⚠️ Warning: If the Mi Mover is stuck in the connection phase, try restarting both phones and using another one USB-Often the problem is a faulty connector or a cable with damaged contacts.

Method 3: Export and import via VCF file (for advanced users)

The.vcf (vCard) format is a universal standard for storing contacts, and it's a method that works if you want to have a backup or transfer data to a device without access to the Internet, and the main advantage is that you have complete control over the process, and the disadvantage is manual work.

Exports to Samsung:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Press. ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Exports.
3. Select a storage location (internal memory or storage). SD-The file will be called contacts.vcf or similar.

Imports to Xiaomi 9T:

1. Transfer the.vcf file to your new phone (via cable, Bluetooth, or cloud).
2. Open the Contacts app, click ⋮ → Settings → Imports/Exports → File-based import.
3. Select a file and specify which account to save contacts (recommended by Google or Local on the device).

On Xiaomi 9T with MIUI 13+ firmware, you may experience a File is corrupted error when importing VCF if it contains non-standard characters (e.g., emojis in contact names), in which case edit the file on your PC by removing the problem characters, or use alternative import applications such as Contacts+.

5. Method 4: Transfer through SIM-Card (limited functionality)

This method is inferior to others in convenience, but can help if there is nothing at hand other than the use of the drug. SIM-Note that SIM-The card stores a limited number of contacts (usually up to 250) and does not support additional fields (email, addresses, notes).

Instructions:

1. On Samsung, open your contacts. → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Exports to SIM-map.
2. Select contacts for export (or click "Select All").
3. Extract. SIM-Map and paste it into Xiaomi 9T.
4. Xiaomi. 9T Go to Contacts. → ⋮ → Settings → Imports/Exports → Import with SIM-map.

• ⚠️ Limitations: 📇 Only names and basic phone numbers are saved. 📱 On some Samsung exports SIM can be blocked by the operator (for example, on devices with firmware from T-Mobile or AT&T). 🔢 Maximum length of contact name – 14 characters (the rest are cut off).

If you only need to move the most important numbers (like close relatives or colleagues), this will work.

Method 5: Bluetooth Transmission (slowly but without internet)

Bluetooth is a universal protocol, but it's the worst for moving contacts: slow speed, limiting the number of records you can transfer at a time, possible encoding errors.

On Samsung:

1. Turn on Bluetooth in the notification panel.
2. Open Contacts, select the entries you want (or click "Select All").
3. Click on "Share" (arrow icon) and select "Bluetooth".
4. Select Xiaomi 9T from the list of available devices.

On Xiaomi 9T:

1. Accept the incoming file (notification will appear).
2. Contacts will be automatically saved to local memory. To transfer them to your Google account, open Contacts. → ⋮ → Settings → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Copy contacts.

⚠️ Note: When you transmit Cyrillic contact names via Bluetooth, you may display Cracosbybra contacts. UTF-8 Bluetooth settings on Samsung (if available).

7. Comparison of all methods: which one to choose?

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For most users, synchronization through a Google account or Mi Mover is the best solution, the first method is simpler and more reliable, the second is more versatile (it doesn’t just transfer contacts).

8 Problem Solving: What to Do If Contacts Are Not Moved

Even if you follow the instructions, you can get into a problem, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to fix them:

• 🔄 Contacts duplicated: Reason: On Xiaomi 9T Sync with multiple accounts (e.g. Google and Mi Cloud) Solution: Open Contacts → ⋮ → Settings → Contact management → Combine the takes.
• 📵 Mi Mover does not see Samsung: Reason: Samsung has power saving or lock mode USB-Solution: Turn off the energy saving, turn on "Debugging by" USB" In the developer settings and use the original cable.
• ❌ File. VCF Refusal: Reason: File corrupted or formatted incorrect Solution: Check the file on your PC (should open in Notepad as text) or use an online validator, such as, VCF Validator.
• 🔍 Not all contacts were transferred: Reason: On Samsung, contacts are saved in a Samsung account, not Google.Solution: Export them to.vcf (see Method 3) or transfer them to a Google account manually.

If none of the methods worked, try alternative transfer applications, such as:

• Copy My Data (available on Google Play)
• Samsung Smart Switch (can work with Xiaomi via an adapter)
• CLONEit (supports the transfer of contacts, messages and multimedia).

FAQ: Frequent questions about contact transfer