How to Transfer Contacts from Phone to Phone via Bluetooth to Xiaomi: Full Guide

Why Bluetooth is not always the best choice for moving contacts to Xiaomi

Shifting contacts between smartphones over Bluetooth seems like a simple solution: there is no need for the Internet, cables or cloud services. However, this method has nuances that are rarely warned about. On Xiaomi devices (be it Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 or the flagship Xiaomi series 14), transferring contacts over Bluetooth works differently than on smartphones of other brands. In some cases, you may encounter restrictions on the number of transfers, problems with encoding Cyrillic or no option at all on the menu.

In this article, we’ll look at all the working ways to transfer contacts over Bluetooth to Xiaomi, including bypassing common bugs, which models support direct transmission, how to prepare phones for sync, and what to do if contacts don’t show up after transfer, and compare Bluetooth to alternative methods (like MI Cloud or Google Account) so you can choose the best option.

Spoiler: If you have Xiaomi on MIUI 14 or later, the chances of successfully porting over Bluetooth are higher than on older versions of the firmware. But even here there are pitfalls - for example, on some models, the contact function over Bluetooth is hidden in the depths of the "Additional" menu and requires pre-activation.

Preparing Xiaomi phones for Bluetooth contact transfer

Before you start porting, make sure both smartphones are ready for the procedure. On Xiaomi, this is especially important because of the features of MIUI firmware, which can block data transmission over Bluetooth without first setting up.

Here's what you have to do:

• 📱 Update the firmware on both phones to the latest version. MIUI 12-14 Bluetooth contact transfer is more stable than on earlier versions.
• 🔄 Sync your contacts with your Google or Mi Account (just in case). This is insurance if Bluetooth fails.
• 🔒 Unlock the screens of both devices. On Xiaomi, Bluetooth data transfer can be interrupted if the phone locks during the process.
• 📶 Turn off Bluetooth power saving mode in the battery settings, otherwise the connection may break.

Also check if your models support direct contact transfer, for example, on the Redmi 9A or POCO M3, this feature may not be available due to hardware platform limitations, in which case you will have to use workarounds (about them in the next section).

Step-by-step: how to transfer contacts via Bluetooth to Xiaomi

If both phones support Bluetooth contact transfer, follow this instruction. We will look at the process using the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 (sender) and the POCO X4 Pro (recipient), but the algorithm will work for most models on MIUI.

Step 1: Activate Bluetooth and make your phones visible

1. On the sending phone (Redmi Note 11): go to Settings → Connections and Sharing → Bluetooth.
2. Turn on Bluetooth and click Device Search.
3. On your receiving phone (POCO X4 Pro), turn on Bluetooth and tick Visible for all nearby devices.
4. Wait for the phones to detect each other and confirm pairing (both devices should have the same code).

Step 2: Start the contact transfer

• On the sending phone, open the Contacts app.
• Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Import/Export → Send contacts.
• Select Bluetooth from the list of available methods.
• Tick the contacts you want to transfer (or click Select All) and confirm the shipment.

Step 3: Accept contacts on the second phone

• The receiving phone will display a notification of the incoming file (usually in.vcf format).
• Click on the notification and confirm acceptance.
• After downloading, open the file – the system will suggest importing contacts into the phone book.

Bluetooth is enabled on both phones

The devices are paired (the tick "Connected" appeared)

There is enough memory on the receiving phone for new contacts.

Screens unlocked (no lock timeout)

Power saving mode is turned off for Bluetooth-->

If at some stage the process has stalled or contacts have not been transferred, go to the section "Typical errors and their solution".

What to do if Xiaomi does not have the option of transferring contacts via Bluetooth

On some Xiaomi models (especially budget or older ones), the Bluetooth contact feature may not be on the menu, but it doesn’t mean that the transfer is impossible, but you just have to use workarounds.

Method 1. Export contacts to.vcf file and transfer via Bluetooth

1. On the sending phone, export contacts to the file: Settings → Applications → Contacts → Import / Export → Export to the file File will be saved in the Download or MIUI folder.
2. Open Explorer, find the contacts.vcf file and send it via Bluetooth (click on file → Share → Bluetooth).
3. On the receiving phone, accept the file and import contacts through Settings → Contacts → Import / Export → Import from the file.

Method 2. Use of a third-party application

If the built-in tools don’t work, install the SuperBeam or Send Anywhere app from Google Play.These programs allow you to transfer contacts (and other data) over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct, or via Google Play. QR-The algorithm is simple:

• 📲 Install the app on both phones.
• 🔗 Connect via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct.
• 📥 Select Contacts in the Data Transfer List and confirm the transfer.

Common Mistakes When Transferring Contacts via Bluetooth to Xiaomi

Even if you do everything according to the instructions, you can have problems. Here are the most common mistakes and solutions.

Special case: Cyrillic is displayed by Krakozabras

If the names of the contacts become unreadable after the transfer (for example, ÐаÑа instead of Ivan Ivanov, the problem is the coding:

1. Export contacts to the.vcf file on the sending phone.
2. Open the file in a text editor (like QuickEdit) and save it to UTF-8 encoding.
3. Transfer the corrected file via Bluetooth and import again.

💡

If contacts are duplicated after import, use the built-in MIUI merge function: Open Contacts → Settings → Combine duplicates. The system will automatically find and combine repeating entries.

Bluetooth vs. Alternative ways to transfer contacts to Xiaomi

Bluetooth isn’t the only way to move contacts: Xiaomi has at least 5 alternatives, each of which can be more convenient depending on the situation.

Comparative table of transfer methods:

When should I choose Bluetooth?

• 🔄 You do not have access to the Internet (for example, you are roaming or without a network).
• 📱 You need to transfer contacts to a device not Xiaomi (where) MI The cloud is not working).
• 🔒 You don’t trust cloud services and want to avoid syncing with your accounts.

In all other cases, MI Cloud or Google Contacts will be faster and more reliable, for example, sync through MI Cloud takes seconds and automatically updates contacts on all your Xiaomi devices.

💡

If you need to move contacts once (for example, when buying a new phone), the best choice is Google Account. If you often sync data between Xiaomi devices, set up MI Cloud – this will save time in the future.

Security: Risks of Transferring Contacts via Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a convenient but not the most secure data channel, and Xiaomi (as with other Android devices) has several risks when transferring contacts over Bluetooth:

⚠️ Note: If you are transmitting contacts in a public place (cafe, airport, transport), attackers can intercept Bluetooth traffic using special devices (for example, Bluetooth sniffer), in which case they will see not only names and numbers, but also notes or addresses attached to the contacts.

How to minimize the risks:

• 🔐 Use Bluetooth only in a trusted environment (at home, in the office).
• 📵 Disable Bluetooth after transfer – this will reduce the chances of unauthorized connection.
• 🔄 Check the transmitted contacts on the receiving phone – sometimes with them can “skip” extra data (for example, call history from the backup copy).
• 🛡️ Set up two-step authentication for Mi Account and Google Account if you use them for sync.

If the contacts contain sensitive information (for example, bank card numbers in notes), it is better to use MI Cloud with encryption enabled or transfer data through an encrypted archive (for example, 7-Zip with a password).

FAQ: Frequent questions about moving contacts to Xiaomi