How to transfer contacts from SIM-card to Xiaomi smartphone: all working methods

Transfer of contacts with SIM-Xiaomi smartphone cards including Redmi models, POCO, Mi is a challenge that every user faces when buying a new device or changing operator, and despite its apparent simplicity, the process has nuances, from the number of numbers saved to the problems of encoding Cyrillic names. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods of transferring contacts, including hidden functions. MIUI, Avoiding common errors and alternative solutions for older models.

Xiaomi’s own MIUI shell is a feature that sometimes hides standard Android options. For example, some versions do not have a direct “Import with SIM” button in the contact menu, and export to.vcf may not work correctly. We tested all methods on devices with MIUI 12-14 (including Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12, POCO F5) and highlighted those that are guaranteed to work.

Why you can’t just copy your SIM contacts to Xiaomi

Many users try to move contacts head-on through the Import/Export menu in the Contacts app, but they are having problems.

• 📱 Limitation SIM-cards: most operators (MTS, Beeline, Tele2) allow you to store on SIM Only 250 to 500 contacts with names up to 14 characters, Cyrillic names are often cropped or displayed by Cracosabras.
• 🔄 Conflict MIUI Android: In some versions of the shell, the import feature is hidden or works through a third-party Google Contacts app, rather than the standard one.
• 📇 Storage format: Contacts to SIM They are stored in an outdated format that does not support fields such as email, addresses or additional numbers.
• 🔒 Operator lock: rare but rare SIM-Hardware Copy Protection Cards (e.g., corporate tariffs).

Another trap: when importing, Xiaomi can create duplicate contacts if the numbers already exist in the Google or Mi Account account. To avoid this, we recommend clearing the contacts memory on the device before transferring (for this, see the section on preparation).

Preparation for transfer: 3 mandatory steps

Before you start importing, follow these steps – they will save time and prevent data loss:

1. Check the number of contacts on SIM. To do this, insert the card into the phone, open the Contacts app. → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Import with SIM-The system will show how many records are available. If there are more than 500, you have to move parts.
2. Clear the contact memory on Xiaomi. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Contacts → Memory and remove cache. This will eliminate possible import conflicts.
3. Turn off sync with Mi Account/Google (temporary measure). Go to Settings → Accounts and deactivate automatic contact sync to avoid duplicates.

If you are migrating contacts from the old Xiaomi to the new one, pre-export them to the.vcf file (see the backup section).

⚠️ Attention: If yours SIM-Nano-SIM card and previously used in other brands (such as Samsung or iPhone), some of the contacts may have been saved in an incompatible format. №4).

Method 1: Standard import through the Contacts app

The most obvious method that works on most Xiaomi devices with MIUI 12-14 is suitable for transferring up to 500 contacts at a time.

1. Open the Contacts app (a icon with a person's silhouette).
2. Slip on three dots in the top right corner → select Contact Management.
3. Click Import/Export Contacts → Import from SIM-card.
4. Choose where to keep your contacts: 📱 Memory of the phone – will save locally (without binding to the account). ☁️ Google Account – syncs with the cloud (recommended). 🔗 Xiaomi account – will link to Mi Account.

Confirm the import. It takes 10 to 60 seconds depending on the number of contacts.

If the item "Imports with SIM-No map, so your version is MIUI It uses an alternative path:

1. Open Settings → System and device → Additional → Import / Export contacts.
2. Or use a search by settings (magnifying glass icon) and enter the request "import contacts".

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If after importing the names of contacts are displayed by Krakozabra, try changing the encoding. SIM-To do this, insert it into an old phone (for example, Nokia or Samsung on Android 7 and below), export the contacts to the file, and then import this file to Xiaomi.

Method 2: Export to VCF and import to Xiaomi

This method is universal and works even if standard import is not available, suitable for transferring contacts between different brands (for example, from iPhone or Samsung to Xiaomi).

Step 1: Exporting SIM contacts to another phone

If you have a second phone (even an older one), do:

1. Put it in. SIM-map.
2. Open Contacts → Settings → Export / Import.
3. Select Export to memory card or Export to VCF file.
4. Save the file (usually called contacts.vcf) to a memory card or internal memory.

Step 2: Transfer the file to Xiaomi

Move the.vcf file to the new Xiaomi in one of the following ways:

• 📁 Through Explorer (if the file is on the memory card).
• 🌐 Send yourself to the post office and download to the phone.
• 📶 Use Mi Drop or Nearby Share for wireless transmission.

Step 3: Import VCF to Xiaomi

1. Open the contacts.vcf file through Explorer.
2. Choose where to import (phone memory or Google account).
3. Confirm the import. All contacts will appear on the list.

The advantage of this method is to keep complete contact information (including additional numbers and email) that cannot be achieved with direct import with SIM.

Method 3: Sync through a Google account

If your contacts are already linked to a Google account (like an old phone), it will take less than a minute to migrate to Xiaomi, a method that is also suitable for backup.

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Accounts → Google.
2. Make sure that the contacts sync is on, and if not, activate it and wait until it's done.
3. On the new Xiaomi, add the same Google account: Go to Settings → Accounts → Add an account → Google. Enter login details. Enable contact sync in your account settings.

Contacts

If no contact is made:

• 🔄 Check your internet connection (sync only works via Wi-Fi or mobile network).
• 📱 Reboot the phone.
• ☁️ Go to contacts.google.com from your phone and make sure the contacts are displayed there.

⚠️ Note: If the old phone only had the contacts stored on it SIM-Maps must be imported into your Google account (via Contacts) → Imports/Exports → Import with SIM → Save it to Google).

Method 4: Transfer contacts via computer (for complex cases)

If the standard methods do not work (for example, SIM-The card is blocked or the contacts are damaged, you can use a computer, which takes longer, but it guarantees the safety of the data.

Option A: MyPhoneExplorer (for Windows)

1. Download and install MyPhoneExplorer on PC.
2. Connect your old phone to your computer via USB (enable USB debugging in the developer settings if required).
3. In the program, select File → Connect and follow the instructions.
4. Go to Contacts → highlight all records → click Export → VCard file.
5. Save the file to your computer, then transfer it to Xiaomi (e.g. via USB or cloud) and import it as in Method 2.

Option B: Through Excel (for mass editing)

If you need to edit contacts before transferring (for example, fix formatting or delete duplicates):

1. Export your SIM contacts to a.vcf file (as in Method 2).
2. Open the file via Excel or Google Tables (it will open as a table with separators).
3. Edit the data (e.g., divide the name into separate columns).
4. Save the file in.csv format, then convert it back to.vcf via online services like ConvertCSV.
5. Import the resulting.vcf to Xiaomi.

This method is useful if the contacts on the SIM were stored in an uncomfortable format (for example, "Ivanov Ivan + 79991234567" instead of "Ivan Ivanov, +7 (999) 123-45-67").

Method 5: Using Third-Party Applications

If the built-in MIUI tools don't work, third-party utilities will come to the rescue, and we tested 5 popular apps and selected those that work consistently on Xiaomi:

• 📲 Copy My Data (from Avast) – transfers Wi-Fi contacts between devices. Suitable for switching from iPhone to Xiaomi.
• 🔄 SIM Card Manager – allows you to edit contacts directly to the SIM and export them to different formats.
• ☁️ Contacts Backup – Backs up contacts in the cloud and restores them to a new phone.
• 📇 Super Backup & Restore – Keeps Contacts, SMS and call logs in one file.

Instructions for Copy My Data:

1. Install the app on both phones (old and new).
2. On your old phone, select Send Data → Contacts.
3. On the new Xiaomi, select Receive Data and scan QR-code.
4. Confirm transmission. Contacts will be automatically reassigned.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party apps, turn off battery optimization for them in Xiaomi settings (Settings) → Annexes → Permits → Auto-start, otherwise the transmission may be interrupted.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even if you follow instructions correctly, users often face problems.

• 🔠 Cracosabre instead of name: it's caused by encoding incompatibility. Solution: export contacts to.vcf via another phone or use it. SIM Card Manager for conversion.
• 📵 Not all contacts were imported: check the restriction SIM-cards (usually 250-500 contacts) Transfer parts or use.vcf.
• 👥 Duplicate contacts: before importing, clear the contact memory on Xiaomi or use the merge function in Contacts → Contact management → Combine the takes.
• 🔒 SIM-card is blocked: if the operator has restricted access, contact the communication salon for unlocking or use the method with the computer.
• ⚡ Imports are interrupted: charge your phone at least 30% and turn off the power saving mode.

If after the transfer, some numbers appear as “unknown”, check the storage format: some operators save the numbers in the international format (+79991234567), and Xiaomi defaults them as local (89991234567).

Settings → Applications → Contacts → Number format → International

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Before mass perenosom contacts, always back up! use at least two methods (e.g. export to VCF + sync with Google) to avoid data loss.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions