How to Transfer Contacts from Xiaomi to Huawei: A Complete Guide to Pictures and Nuances

Why the transfer of contacts between Xiaomi and Huawei requires a special approach

The transition from Xiaomi to Huawei is not just a brand change, but a transition between two ecosystems with fundamentally different approaches to data synchronization. If in the case of Apple → Android or Samsung → Google Pixel, the process often boils down to a single click, then users are waiting for nuances: from the closedness of Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) services to the peculiarities of the Mi Account against the background of sanctions for Chinese manufacturers.

The main problem is the lack of direct compatibility between Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud) and Huawei Cloud. Even standard export via.vcf file can fail due to encoding Chinese characters in names or duplication of fields. In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods of transfer – from the most reliable (via Google) to emergency (via Google) SIM-Discover hidden Huawei settings that speed up imports by 40%.

Important: If you’re using models older than 2020 (like the Huawei P30 or Redmi Note 8), some features may be missing – check the firmware’s relevance in Settings → About Phone → EMUI/MIUI version.

Method 1: Transfer through a Google account (the most universal way)

This method works on 100% of devices regardless of the year of release, as it uses the standard CardDAV protocol. The main condition is that both phones must be logged in to the same Google account (even if you have not used it before).

Instructions for Xiaomi:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → Contact management → Import/Export.
3. Select Export to File → Check Google (not Mi Account!) → Export.
4. Wait for the notification of successful synchronization (can take up to 10 minutes with 1000+ contacts).

Instructions for Huawei:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Accounts. → Google.
• 🔄 Turn on sync for Contact (slider should turn blue).
• ⏳ Wait 5-15 minutes – contacts will appear automatically in the Contacts app.

Xiaomi has disabled synchronization with Mi Account

Huawei has mobile internet or Wi-Fi enabled

Google Account is the same on both devices

There are no storage restrictions in Google settings-->

⚠️ Note: If no contact appears, check:

1.On Huawei in Settings → Apps → Contacts → Permissions should be enabled Warehouse and Contacts. 2. On your Google account at contacts.google.com, contacts should be displayed (if not, repeat export with Xiaomi).

Method 2: Export/import via.vcf (for advanced users)

This is a good way to do it if you don’t want to connect with cloud services or if you have a corporate phone with restrictions on Google accounts..vcf (vCard) is a universal format for storing contacts, but there are pitfalls here:

Step 1 Exports with Xiaomi

• 📤 Open Contacts. → Contact management → Imports/Exports.
• 📄 Select Export to File → Specify the saving path (for example, downloads).
• 🔍 The file name should end in.vcf (for example, the file name should be, contacts_2026.vcf).

Step 2: Transfer the file to Huawei

Transmission options:

Step 3: Import to Huawei

1. Download the.vcf file to your phone (for example, through Files → Downloads).
2. Open the file – the system will prompt you to import contacts to Local Contacts or SIM-card.
3. Select Local Contacts → wait until it's finished.

💡

If an error occurs when importing "Impermissible format", open the.vcf file in the text editor (for example, Notepad).++) Make sure that the first line starts with BEGIN:VCARD, And the last one is END:VCARD. Remove the extra characters and save in encoding UTF-8

Method 3: Use SIM-maps (emergency version)

This method is inferior in convenience to the first two, but helps when:

• 🚨 No access to the Internet or cloud services.
• 📵 Phones do not support Bluetooth or USB-debugging.
• 🔒 Contacts are only kept on SIM-card (relevant to button phones).

Limitations:

⚠️ Attention: SIM-The card only keeps the name. + number (no email, no addresses, no photos) maximum 250 contacts. SIM They will only be displayed after rebooting!

Instructions:

1. On Xiaomi: Contacts → Select the necessary contacts → Export to SIM.
2. Wait for notification of successful export.
3. Move it. SIM-Huawei card.
4. On Huawei: Contacts → Import/Export → Import with SIM.

Method 4: Applications for portability (Clone Phone, SHAREit)

Specialized utilities automate the process, but they need to be careful: some of them (for example, SHAREit) collect user data.

Option 1: Huawei Phone Clone

• 📥 Install the app on both phones from AppGallery (for Huawei) and Google Play (for Xiaomi).
• 🔗 On Huawei, select This is a new phone, on Xiaomi, This is an old phone.

Option 2: Xiaomi Mi Mover (newer models only)

The Mi Mover app officially supports a port to Huawei, but only if:

• 🆕 Xiaomi is working on it. MIUI 12+.
• 📦 Huawei has installed Huawei Mobile Services 5.0+.
• 🔌 Used by the original USB-cable (not all cables support data transmission).

Through a Google account

Through the.vcf file

Through SIM-map

Special applications (Phone Clone, Shareit)

In other ways.-->

Method 5: Through computer (for mass editing)

This method is suitable if you need:

• 📊 Filtering duplicate contacts.
• 🖼️ Add photos to your contacts.
• 🔍 Correct errors in numbers (e.g., delete unnecessary characters).

Instructions:

1. Export your contacts to.vcf (see Method 2).
2. Connect Xiaomi to your PC via USB → copy the file to a folder on your computer.
3. Open the file in Microsoft Outlook or VCF Editor for editing.
4. Save Changes → Transfer the file to Huawei (via USB or email).
5. Import the edited.vcf to Huawei.

💡

Contact editing on PCs allows you to correct formatting errors that often occur when you transfer directly between Chinese phones (for example, incorrect encoding of Chinese characters or dual numbers).

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

Even when following the instructions, users face problems, and we have collected the TOP-5 errors and ways to fix them:

1. Contacts are duplicated

🔹 Reason: Huawei is enabled synchronization with both Google and Huawei Cloud at the same time.

🔹 Solution: Go to Settings → Accounts and disable sync for one of the services. then manually combine duplicates in the Contacts app (click on contact). → Unite).

2 Cyrillic symbols in names disappear

🔹 Reason:.vcf file saved in encoding ANSI instead UTF-8.

🔹 Solution: Open the file in Notepad++ → Coding → convert into UTF-8 without BOM → keep.

3 Huawei does not see contacts after import

🔹 Reason: Contacts imported into SIM-card, not phone memory.

🔹 Solution: Go to Contacts → Settings → Display contacts and enable contact display with SIM.

4. "Insufficient memory" error when importing

🔹 Reason:.vcf file is too large (over 50 MB).

🔹 Solution: Break the file into parts with the help of VCF Splitter.

5 Contact photos are not synchronized

🔹 Photos are stored in Mi Account, not Google.

🔹 Solution: Manually export photos through the Gallery → Albums. → Contacts.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions