How to Transfer Contacts from Xiaomi Phone to Another Phone: 2026

Shifting contacts from Xiaomi phone to new device is a challenge that every user faces when changing gadgets. Even if you carefully saved all the numbers in the phone book, the risk of losing important data when switching to another smartphone always remains. Fortunately, the manufacturer has provided several reliable ways to migrate contacts, and also supports standard synchronization protocols from Google and Apple.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven methods, including cloud services, physical transfer through the Internet. SIM-card or Bluetooth, as well as universal solutions for data transfer between Android and iPhone. We will focus on the nuances that arise when working with Xiaomi devices, for example, how to avoid duplicate contacts when synchronizing with Mi Account or why some numbers may not appear after import. If you plan to change your phone soon, save this instruction – it will save you hours on manual data entry.

1. Transfer of contacts through MI Cloud (Official Xiaomi Cloud)

Service MI Cloud is Xiaomi’s proprietary cloud storage that automatically backs up contacts, messages, photos and other data. The main advantage of the method is that synchronization works even without connecting to a Google account, which is important for users who do not use the services of the American company. The volume of free storage is only 5 GB, and for full operation requires a stable Internet connection.

To move contacts through MI Cloud, follow the following steps:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Mi Account on an old Xiaomi phone and log in (or create an account if it’s not there).
• ☁️ Move to the MI Cloud → Synchronize and activate the slider opposite the item "Contact".
• 🔄 Wait for the synchronization to be completed (notification will appear in the upper panel).
• 📲 On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and enable contact synchronization in the new phone. MI Cloud.

If the new phone is not Xiaomi (like Samsung or iPhone), export your contacts from the phone. MI Cloud in.vcf file:

1. Visit i.mi.com from your computer.
2. Sign in and select the "Contacts" section.
3. Click Export and save the file to your hard drive.
4. Transfer the file to a new phone and import it through the Contacts app.

⚠️ Attention: If you are using MIUI Version below 12.5, check that the account settings have enabled the "Autosync" option before syncing, otherwise contacts may not update on the new device.

2. Synchronization through Google Account (universal method)

For most Android users, Google sync remains the most reliable way to transfer contacts, and works on any device, including Xiaomi, Samsung, Realme, and even iPhone (with some limitations), the main plus is that data is automatically backed up and updated, and accessed from any gadget.

Instructions for transfer:

• 🔧 On an old Xiaomi phone, open Settings → Google accounts.
• 🔄 Make sure that the contact sync is enabled (the slider must be active).
• 📱 On your new phone, add the same Google account to Settings → Accounts.
• 📥 Turn on contact sync – in a few minutes all numbers will appear in the phone book.

If contacts are not displayed, check:

1. Internet connection (synchronization requires networking).
2. Contact visibility settings in the Contacts app (sometimes hidden in the All Contacts section).
3. No duplicates – Google can create copies when synchronized multiple times.

For porting to iPhone:

1. Export your contacts from Google Contacts to.vcf (on contacts.google.com).
2. Send the file to your iPhone by mail or via iCloud Drive.
3. Open the file on the iPhone – the system will suggest adding contacts to the phone book.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI (for example, MIUI 13 Global) Contacts are saved by default to Mi Account, not Google. Before syncing, check where your numbers are recorded: open any contact and see the Account field".

3. Transfer of contacts through SIM-map (for older models)

Method by using SIM-The card is suitable for owners of older Xiaomi phones (e.g. Redmi). 4A or Mi A1), where there are no cloud services, or if you want to move only a fraction of the contacts, the main drawback is the limit on the number of saved numbers (usually up to 250 per one). SIM) and no support for additional fields (email, addresses, photos).

Step-by-step:

• 📇 Open the Contacts app on your old phone.
• ⚙️ Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select "Import/Export" → Exports to SIM-map".
• ✅ Tag the contacts you need (or click “Secret All”) and confirm the export.
• 🔄 Replace it. SIM-card.
• 📱 In the "Contact" app of the new device, select "Import with" SIM-map".

If the new phone does not support importing SIM (This is true for some iPhone models, and use an adapter for microSIM/nanoSIM and transfer contacts through an intermediate device (such as an old Android smartphone).

4. Transfer of contacts via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct

If you don't have access to the Internet or cloud services, Bluetooth is a simple solution, and works between any Android device, including Xiaomi, but has a limited amount of data (for example, photos of contacts will not always be transmitted), and for iPhone, this is not the right way to do it - Apple blocks the transfer of contacts over Bluetooth.

How to transfer contacts over Bluetooth:

• 🔵 Turn on Bluetooth on both phones and pair them.
• 📇 On an old phone, open Contacts, click on three dots and select Send → Bluetooth".
• ✅ Check the contacts you need (or all) and send them to your new phone.
• 📲 On the new device, confirm the file acceptance (usually a.vcf file).

To speed up the process, use Wi-Fi Direct:

1. In the Contacts app, select the Share option and send the file via Wi-Fi Direct.

If no contacts are transmitted, check:

• 🔋 Battery level (at low charge, Bluetooth can shut down).
• 📶 Distance between telephones (no more than 10 meters).
• 🛠️ Sight settings (on some firmware) MIUI You must allow the reception of files in Settings → Bluetooth → Visibility).

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If the contacts are sent one by one, rather than a packet, export them to the.vcf file via the Import/Export menu and send them in one file.

5. Use of third-party applications (SHAREit, Xender, CLONEit)

Third-party data applications like SHAREit, Xender or CLONEit offer a fast and versatile way to transfer contacts, photos, messages and even apps. Their main advantage is cross-platform (working between Android and iOS) and high transfer speed (up to 20 MB / s via Wi-Fi Direct). SMS geolocation).

Instructions for SHAREit:

• 📥 Install the app on both phones from Google Play or App Store.
• 📤 On the old phone, select "Send". → Contacts and mark the required numbers.
• 📶 Connect to the access point created by SHAREit (or via the QR-code).
• 📥 On the new phone confirm the reception of data.

For CLONEit (specialized migration application):

1. Install CLONEit on both devices.
2. On the old phone, select "This old phone" and on the new one, "This is the new phone."
3. Connect your phones via Wi-Fi Direct or Hotspot.
4. In the data list, mark "Contacts" and start transferring.

⚠️ Note: When using Xender on Xiaomi phones with MIUI 14 there may be a connection error due to system limitations, in which case, before transfer, disable the "Battery Optimization" function for the application in the settings.

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Third-party applications are convenient for one-time transfer of large amounts of data, but not suitable for regular synchronization, and cloud services are better for permanent backup.

6. Transfer of contacts with Xiaomi to iPhone (features and nuances)

The transition from Xiaomi to iPhone requires a separate approach, as Apple uses a closed ecosystem iCloud. MIUI They may not display correctly in iOS (for example, photos or additional fields are missing:

Method 1: Google Contacts (recommended)

• ☁️ Sync your contacts with your Google account on Xiaomi (as described in Section 2).
• 📱 On iPhone go to Settings → Contacts → Accounts. → Add a Google account.
• 🔄 Turn on contact sync – it will appear in the iPhone phone book.

Method 2: Through iCloud (for Mac users)

1. Export your contacts to Xiaomi in a.vcf file (via the MI Cloud or Google Contacts).
2. Open the file on the Mac – contacts will be automatically added to the Contacts app.
3. Enable sync with iCloud in your Mac settings.
4. On the iPhone, check what is in the Settings → [Your name] → iCloud included slider "Contacts".

Method 3: Through Move to iOS (Apple's Official App)

• 📱 Install the Move to iOS app on Xiaomi from Google Play.
• 🔧 On iPhone, when you first set up, select Data Transfer from Android".
• ⚡ Enter the one-time code generated on the iPhone in the app on Xiaomi.
• ✅ Select "Contacts" and wait for the transfer to be completed.

⚠️ Note: When you transfer to your iPhone via Move to iOS, contacts with Cyrillic names may not appear correctly. Before transferring, rename them to Latin or use Google Contacts.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

Even when following instructions, users often encounter problems with moving contacts, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to fix them:

Problem 1: Contacts are duplicated after synchronization.

• 🔍 Check which accounts sync contacts (e.g. both Mi Account and Google).
• 🧹 Manually delete duplicates in the Contacts app (use the option Find and combine duplicates").
• 🔧 Turn off auto sync for one of your accounts.

Problem 2: Some of the contacts have not been transferred.

• 📂 Make sure your contacts are saved in the correct account (not in your phone’s memory).
• 🔄 Repeat export/import by selecting.vcf (it supports more fields).
• 🛠️ Check the filters in the Contacts app (sometimes hidden groups like Friends or Work").

Problem 3: The new phone displays empty contacts (only names without numbers).

• 📎 Export contacts to a.vcf file and open it in a text editor – check if numbers are saved.
• 🔄 Try another method of transfer (e.g., Google instead of Google). MI Cloud).
• 📱 Update the Contacts app on your new phone.

Problem 4: Synchronization is not working MI Cloud.

• 🌐 Check your internet connection (synchronization requires networking).
• 🔒 Make sure the phone has enabled the option “Data Autosynchronization” in your account settings.
• 📧 Try to log out of Mi Account and log in again.

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If none of these methods worked, try manually exporting contacts to a.vcf file via a computer. USB, Copy the file with the contacts (usually it is in the folder) /storage/emulated/0/Download/) Import it to a new device.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions