How to transfer contacts from SIM-card to Xiaomi phone: 5 working ways

Why SIM Connections to Xiaomi Could Be a Problem

You just got a new Xiaomi smartphone (be it Redmi Note 13 Pro)+, POCO F6 Xiaomi 14 Ultra and faced with a classic dilemma: all your contacts are stored on the old one SIM-Unlike other brands’ Android phones, where importing contacts is often automatic, Xiaomi owners often face the lack of an obvious “import” button or errors in the process.

The problem is complicated by the fact that MIUI (Xiaomi's shell has its own contact features, such as some firmware versions that have the import option hidden in the depths of the menu, and others require you to pre-set up your Mi Account. SIM-The card is limited to 200 records and does not support fields such as email or address, making them transferable to a modern smartphone incomplete solution.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to transfer contacts with the SIM on Xiaomi, including manual import through settings, sync with Google and Mi Account, and workarounds for older models.You will also learn how to avoid typical errors (such as duplicate contacts) and what to do if the phone can't see SIM-map.

The most obvious method is to use the built-in import function in the Contacts app. It is suitable for most modern Xiaomi models based on MIUI 14 or 15 (including Redmi 12, POCO X5 Pro, Xiaomi 13T).

Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette on the home screen or in the app menu).
Tap the three-point menu (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Contact Management.
Scroll down and click Import/Export Contacts → Import with SIM-map.
Choose. SIM-card (if there are two) and tick the contacts for transfer.
Specify the location of the save: Device (locally) or Google/Mi Account (for sync).

If the item Imports with SIM-Maps are not on the menu, update the Contacts app via Google Play or check for system updates in Settings → The phone. → Update MIUI.

Make sure that SIM-The card is inserted into slot 1 (main card)

Disable Do Not Disturb (may block access to contacts)

Check that there is free space on the SIM (minimum 10 KB)

Close all background applications that work with contacts (WhatsApp, Telegram)

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⚠️ Note: If an error occurs when importing, "I could not read" SIM-Map, try restarting your phone or temporarily disabling it PIN-code SIM In Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Setting up SIM-In 30% of cases, the problem is solved by replacing the slot for the card. SIM (Move the card from slot 2 to slot 1).

Method 2: Sync with Google Account (for backup)

This method not only transfers SIM contacts to Xiaomi, but also backs them up in the cloud, and is suitable for users who want to avoid losing data when changing their phone.

Import SIM contacts to your phone via Method 1 (save them locally).
Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
Select your Google account (or add a new one) and activate the switch next to Contacts.
Tap the three-point menu (⋮) → Synchronize now.

Once synced, contacts will be available on all devices where you log in to this Google account. To check the result, go to contacts.google.com from your computer.

Advantages	Deficiencies
Automatic backup	It requires a stable internet.
Access from any device	Contacts take up space in the cloud (15GB free)
Ability to edit via web interface	Synchronization can take up to 10 minutes

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If you have two Google accounts, check which one is the default in Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Management before syncing. Otherwise, contacts may be saved in the wrong profile.

Method 3: Using Mi Account (for Xiaomi owners)

Google’s alternative is sync through a branded Mi Account, which is convenient if you use other Xiaomi ecosystem devices (such as Mi Band or Xiaomi Smart Home).

Transfer your SIM contacts to your phone (see Method 1).
Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Mi Account.
Sign in to your account (or register if you don’t).
Activate the option of synchronizing contacts.
Wait for the process to be completed (the synchronization icon will disappear).

To restore contacts on the new Xiaomi phone, just log in to the same Mi Account and enable sync. Note: Free cloud storage Mi Account is limited to 5GB, so for a large number of contacts, it is better to use Google.

Google account|Mi Account|Local storage on your phone |Other service (iCloud, Yandex, etc.)|I don't sync-->

⚠️ Note: If you sell or transfer your Xiaomi to another person, be sure to turn off sync with Mi Account in Settings → Mi Account → Delete your account, otherwise the new owner will have access to your contacts, notes and other data.

Method 4: Manual copying via VCF file (for power users)

If standard methods don’t work (e.g., older models like the Redmi 4X or Mi A1), you can export your SIM contacts to a.vcf file and then import it to Xiaomi, which requires additional actions, but is guaranteed to work even on non-standard firmware.

You'll need:

📱 A second phone (or old phone) from which to export contacts.
💻 Computer with card reader (optional if there is no second phone).
📁 Empty.vcf file (can be created through Google Contacts).

Step-by-step:

Put it in. SIM-card to a second phone (such as Samsung or iPhone).
Export your SIM contacts to.vcf: On Android: Contacts → Settings → Export. On iPhone: use iTunes or iCloud.
Move the.vcf file to Xiaomi via: 📎 Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct. 💾 MicroSD memory card. ☁️ Cloud storage (Google Drive, Mi Cloud).

On Xiaomi, open the.vcf file (the system will prompt you to import contacts automatically).

What if the.vcf file doesn’t open on Xiaomi?

If nothing happens when you click on a file, check: 1. The file extension should be.vcf, not.txt or.csv. 2. Use a file manager (such as Mi File Manager) and manually select Open with the help of the file extension" → 3. If a file is corrupted, try opening it on your computer via Outlook or Thunderbird, then re-export it.

Method 5: Contact transfer applications (alternative solutions)

If none of the above methods worked, third-party apps will come to the rescue, and we tested 5 popular utilities and selected the two most reliable ones:

Copy My Data by Media Mushroom): 🔹 Free, no advertising. 🔹 Transferring contacts, calendars and photos. 🔹 How to use: install the app on both phones (old and Xiaomi), select Transfer Contacts and follow the instructions.
SIM Card Contacts Backup (from Simple Mobile Tools): 🔹 Exporting contacts with SIM in.vcf or.csv. 🔹 Supports package import/export. 🔹 No limit on the number of contacts.

How to use: Export your SIM contacts to a file, then import it to Xiaomi.

Warning: Avoid apps with suspicious permissions (such as SMS or geolocation access) and check Google Play rankings and user reviews before installing.

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The side of the app is handy if you have an old phone without an export feature or if the SIM contacts are damaged, however, they take longer and may contain ads.

Typical errors and their solutions

Even when following instructions, Xiaomi users often encounter problems when migrating contacts, and we have collected the most common errors and ways to fix them:

Mistake.	Reason.	Decision
Phone can't see contacts on SIM	SIM-Card inserted into an inactive slot or damaged	Change the slot to 1st, check the SIM on another phone
Imports are interrupted by half	Lack of memory on your phone or SIM reading error	Clear the cache in Settings → Applications → Contacts → Storage
Contacts are duplicated	Sync with multiple accounts (Google + Mi)	Turn off sync in Settings → Accounts, delete duplicates manually
You cannot edit imported contacts	Contacts are saved as “read only” (often when imported from iPhone)	Export contacts to.vcf, then import again

If none of the solutions worked, try resetting the Contacts app settings:

Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Contacts.
Press Warehouse. → Clear the data.
Restart the phone and repeat the import.

⚠️ Note: Clearing the Contacts app data will delete all locally saved contacts (but won't affect those synced to Google or Mi Account!

FAQ: Frequent questions about moving contacts to Xiaomi

Can I transfer SIM contacts to Xiaomi without a computer?

Yes, all the methods in this article (except export via.vcf on PC) run directly on the phone. The easiest option is to import standardly through the Contacts menu (see Method 1).

Why did some of the contacts disappear after the import?

This can happen for two reasons: SIM-The map exceeded the limit of 200 contacts (old records could be erased by new ones), and the contacts contained special symbols (e.g. emoji or Cyrillic in Latin fields) that were not supported by the original code. SIM. Solution: Check the contacts on your old phone before transferring and save them to.vcf if necessary.

How to transfer contacts to Xiaomi via iPhone SIM-map?

iPhone doesn't support exporting contacts directly to SIM, but you can do it bypass: Export your iPhone contacts to.vcf via iCloud (on icloud.com). Send the file to mail or upload to Google Drive. Open a file on Xiaomi and import contacts. Alternative: use the Move to iOS app (but it only works when you first set up Xiaomi).

Can I transfer my SIM contacts to Xiaomi if my phone is locked?

If Xiaomi is blocked (forgot a password or pattern lock), transfer contacts from the user to the user. SIM It's impossible without unlocking: 🔓 Reset the lock via Mi Account (if the account is linked). 📱 Connect your phone to your PC and use it ADB Unlocking (skills required). 🔧 Make a factory reset (but it will delete all data, including contacts on your phone).

How to avoid duplicate contacts when syncing with Google and Mi Account?

Doubles occur if contacts are saved to Google, Mi Account, and locally on your phone. To avoid this: Before syncing, turn off automatic sync to Settings → Accounts. Import SIM contacts to only one source (e.g., only Google). Use Contacts Optimizer to find and delete duplicates.