How to transfer contacts from Xiaomi to Xiaomi Redmi: all the ways of 2026

Introduction: Why you need to synchronize contacts between Xiaomi devices

The transition to a new smartphone is always exciting, especially when it comes to two devices in the same ecosystem, such as the Xiaomi Mi 11 and Redmi Note 12 Pro+. The main task in this process is to keep all contacts without loss and duplicate. Unlike the transition between different brands (say, Samsung to Xiaomi), where additional adapters or software are often required, within the MIUI line, the process can be simplified with built-in synchronization tools.

Even here, however, users are faced with nuances: some contacts can be lost when transferred through a Mi Account if they were saved locally rather than in the cloud. Others risk duplicates when using a Google account if the sync was previously configured incorrectly. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to transfer contacts between Xiaomi/Redmi devices, including hidden features MIUI, which are rarely mentioned in official guides.

Particular attention will be paid to cases where:

• 📱 New smartphone not activated yet (transfer from scratch)
• 🔄 Devices are already in parallel use (e.g., work and personal phone)
• ☁️ Contacts are stored in different cloud services (Mi Cloud, Google, iCloud)
• 📁 Some contacts are saved only on the SIM- card

Method 1: Sync through Mi Account (the fastest method)

If both devices are running MIUI 12/13/14 and you have an active Xiaomi account, this will take no more than 5 minutes. The main advantage is that contacts are transferred along with call history, notes, and even some system settings. However, there is an important caveat: local contacts (those that are not tied to the account) will not be synced automatically.

Step-by-step:

1. On the old device, open Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Make sure the switch opposite Contact is active (green). If not, turn on sync and wait until the process is complete (the cloud icon will stop spinning).
3. On the new Redmi smartphone, when you first turn on, select Restore from a backup and log in to the same Mi Account. If the device is already configured, go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Contacts and enable synchronization.
4. Wait until the download is complete (it can take up to 10 minutes depending on the number of contacts).

Make sure both devices have the same MIUI version (or no more than 1 version difference)

Check the free space in Mi Cloud (free available 5GB)

Disable VPN (can block access to Xiaomi servers)

Charge both phones at least 50 times%-->

⚠️ Note: If you have previously used the dual account function MIUI (e.g., to separate work and personal data), contacts from the "second space" are not synchronized. They need to be transferred separately through export to the file. VCF.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔹 Contact group structure (e.g., “Family”, “Work”)
• 🔹 Affixed photos and notes to contacts are transferred
• 🔹 No connection to a computer is required

Method 2: Transfer through a Google account (universal version)

This is a good approach if you're using Gmail or other Google services, and it's universal -- contacts will be available not only on Redmi, but on any other Android device, but there's a pitfall here: if your old phone has your contacts saved to a Local Phone Book, you'll have to export them to your Google account first.

How to move:

1. On the old Xiaomi, open the Contacts → Contact Management → Import/Export app.
2. Select Export to file (VCF format) and save backup to internal memory or SD- card.
3. Open the VCF file through any file manager (such as Google Files) and select Import to Google Contacts.
4. On the new Redmi, log in to the same Google account and enable contact sync in Settings → Accounts → Google → Sync.

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If duplicates appear when importing Google Contacts, use the built-in merging tool: open contacts.google.com, select Duplicates from the menu on the left and click Combine all

When this method is irreplaceable:

• 🌍 You often change smartphones from different brands (not just Xiaomi)
• 📧 It is important for you to have access to your computer contacts via the web version.
• 🔄 You use multiple devices at the same time (e.g. tablet and phone)

⚠️ Warning: If you logged in to your Google account before transferring contacts from your old phone, a sync conflict may occur, in which case delete your account from Settings → Accounts, reboot your device and add it again.

Mi Cloud|Google Account|SIM- Map|Application Party (e.g. SHAREit)|I don't sync-->

Method 3: Copy contacts on SIM- card (for older models)

This method is relevant for owners of Xiaomi Redmi 4X, Redmi Note 5 and other budget models without active Internet connection.

• 📵 SIM- The card only stores names and numbers (no photos, email, or other fields)
• 🔢 Limitation on the number of contacts (typically up to 250)
• 📇 Names longer than 14 characters are cropped

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, open Contacts → Contact Management → Import / Export → Export to SIM-card.
2. Select the contacts to transfer (you can note everything) and confirm the export.
3. Extract. SIM-Map and paste it into the new Redmi.
4. On the new device, go to Contacts → Contact Management → Import with SIM- Cards.

When to use this method:

• 🏝️ You do not have access to the Internet (e.g., on a trip)
• 📱 Old phone is discharged and cannot be switched on for synchronization
• 🔄 Only the most important numbers need to be moved (without additional details)

Method 4: Using the Mi Mover app (official solution from Xiaomi)

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary application for transferring data between devices to MIUI, allowing you to transfer not only contacts, but also messages, photos, apps and even system settings, but it only works between Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO phones and requires installation on both devices.

How to use:

1. Download Mi Mover from Google Play on both phones.
2. On the old device, select I give, on the new one, I receive.
3. Connect your phones to a single Wi-Fi network (or create an access point on your old phone).
4. Scan it. QR-code from a new phone on an old one.
5. Select Contacts in the data list for transfer and confirm the transfer.

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Mi Mover is the only official way that transfers not only contacts, but also call history, SMS and even data from some applications (for example, Notes or Calendar).

Limitations of the method:

• 🔌 Both phones must be charged at least 20%
• 📶 Transfer speed depends on the quality of the Wi-Fi connection
• 📱 On some models (e.g. Redmi 9A), Mi Mover may not support application portability.

⚠️ Warning: If you experience an “Unconnected” error during data transfer via Mi Mover, try: 🔄 Restart the application on both devices 📶 Connect to another Wi-Fi network (e.g., mobile hotspot) 🔧 Disable VPN and firewall (if you use)

Method 5: Transfer through third-party applications (SHAREit, Xender)

If the built-in methods don’t work for some reason, you can use popular file transfer applications such as SHAREit, Xender or Send Anywhere, which do not require an Internet connection (work over direct Wi-Fi) and support VCF contact transfer.

Instructions on the example of SHAREit:

1. Install Sharet on both phones.
2. On your old phone, open Contacts → Contact Management → Export to File (VCF).
3. In SHAREit, select Send → Files and find the saved VCF- file.
4. On the new phone, select Receive and connect to the sender device.
5. After transfer, open the VCF file on the new phone and import contacts.

Pros of the method:

• 🚀 High transmission speed (up to 20 MB/s)
• 🌐 Works without the Internet (via a local area network)
• 📁 Additional data (photos, videos) can be transmitted

Cons:

• 🛡️ Data breach risk (third party applications may collect statistics)
• 📱 Additional software installation required
• 🔄 Errors sometimes occur when importing VCF- large files.

💡

Before using third-party apps, check their permissions in Settings → Apps → Permissions. Disable access to contacts, SMS and geolocation if they are not needed for work.

Method 6: Manual transfer via VCF file (for power users)

This method is suitable for those who prefer complete control of the process: you export contacts to the file, edit it when necessary (for example, delete duplicates or unnecessary entries), and import to a new device.

Step-by-step:

1. On your old phone, export contacts to VCF: Settings → System and device → Additional → Import / Export contacts → Export to the device
2. Connect your phone to your computer via USB and copy the file (usually saved in the Download or MIUI folder).
3. If necessary, edit the file in a text editor (e.g. Notepad++). the VCF format is based on the vCard standard, where each contact begins with BEGIN:VCARD and ends with END:VCARD.
4. Transfer the file to the new Redmi (via USB, Bluetooth, or cloud) and import it through Contacts → Contact Management → Import from the device.

When this method is irreplaceable:

• 🔧 Contacts must be filtered before the penosom
• 📱 Transfer data between different operating systems (Android ↔ iOS)
• 📂 Want to back up your contacts on your computer

⚠️ Warning: When editing a VCF- file manually, do not delete lines from VERSION, FN (full name) and TEL (phone number), otherwise the contact is not imported. Use specialized programs like VCF Editor for mass editing.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

Even with official methods of contact transfer, users face problems, and let's look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

Additional advice:

• 🔄 If contacts are not transferred through a Google account, check if two-step authentication is enabled. Sometimes it blocks sync.
• 📱 On some Redmi models (e.g. Redmi K50), the built-in Contacts app may conflict with Google Contacts, in which case install an alternative application, such as Simple Contacts.
• ☁️ If you use iCloud alongside Mi Cloud, disable iCloud sync during the transfer to avoid conflicts.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions