How to transfer contacts from Xiaomi phone to SIM-map: 3 proven methods

Why SIM-card contact transfer is relevant in 2026

Even in the era of cloud services and sync through Google Account, SIM-based contact transfer remains a sought-after feature. Xiaomi smartphone owners (including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and Mi 13 lines) often face the need to save numbers to a physical medium - whether to back up, move to a new phone without the Internet or use a second device.

SIM as a contact repository has its advantages: data remains available even when the phone is reset to factory settings, does not depend on network connection and does not require authorization in the account. However, there are limitations to the method: a standard SIM can fit no more than 250-500 contacts (depending on the operator), and fields for additional information (email, address) are often ignored. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to export contacts to the SIM in the shell of MIUI 14/15, including hidden chips and avoiding typical errors.

Preparation: What to do before transfer

Before you start exporting, make sure your SIM-Modern nano-SIMs (especially from MTS, Beeline or Tele2) are usually compatible, but older Mini-SIM cards may not be recognized by the system:

• 📱 Phone model: on devices with MIUI Global and MIUI China may have different paths to settings. The instructions below are generic options.
• 📇 Contact format: SIM-The card only stores names and numbers, and the data in the "Company," "Notes," or "Birthday" fields will be lost.
• 🔋 Battery charge: with a large number of contacts, the process can take 5-10 minutes. Make sure that the charge is at least 20% to avoid failures.

If you use dual SIM (two cards at the same time), the system will prompt you to select the target SIM for export. By default, priority is given to the SIM 1 slot, but this can be changed in the settings.

Method 1: Transfer through the standard Contacts app

The easiest method is to use the built-in Contacts app (an icon with a human silhouette on a green background), which works on all versions of MIUI, including MIUI 14 for the Redmi Note 11 and MIUI 15 for the flagship Xiaomi 14.

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Tap it on three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Contact Management.
3. Go to the section Import / Export of contacts → Export to SIM-card.
4. Select the contacts to transfer (or click Select All) and confirm the action.

The system will show the progress bar with the number of copied contacts. When you complete the notification will appear. Importantly, if the contacts are more than 200, the export can take up to 5 minutes - do not close the application!

Method 2: Export through phone settings

An alternative way is through Xiaomi system settings, which is useful if the Contacts app is unstable or not in your firmware (relevant to some custom builds).

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the contact list and tap on it.
3. Select Warehouse. → Exports of contacts.
4. Indicate. SIM-map as a target and confirm the choice of contacts.

This is more commonly used on older models (Redmi 9A, POCO M3), where the Contacts interface is simplified. If the Export settings do not have the option, upgrade to the latest version of MIUI or use the third method.

Method 3: Using a VCF file (for advanced users)

If you need to transfer contacts to SIM with pre-processing (for example, filter out duplicates or add prefixes), you can use intermediate export to.vcf. This method is suitable for Xiaomi owners with root rights or those who plan to edit contacts before transferring.

Algorithm of action:

1. Export contacts to.vcf via Contacts → Management → Export to file.
2. Open the file on your PC using Excel or Google Contacts for editing.
3. Save the edited file and transfer it back to your phone.
4. Import contacts from the file by selecting as the target SIM-map.

The advantage of this method is flexibility: you can delete unnecessary numbers, fix errors in names or add international codes. CSV/VCF-file.

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If you import from VCF contacts duplicate, before transferring to SIM, merge duplicates in Google Contacts: go to contacts.google.com, select Duplicates → Combine all.

Table: Comparison of methods of transferring contacts to SIM

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When migrating contacts to SIM, Xiaomi users often face problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to solve them:

• 🚫 Mistake «SIM-The card does not support the storage of contacts: usually occurs with virtual SIM (eSIM) or carrier cards that block this feature (e.g. some Iota tariffs).Solution: contact the operator or use another SIM.
• ⚠️ Not all contacts are transferred: check if their number exceeds your limit SIM (usually 250-500. - Break up exports into parts.
• 🔄 Contacts are duplicated after transfer: before export, merge duplicates in Google Contacts or manually delete duplicate entries.

If after the transfer, the names of contacts are displayed with characters or question marks, the problem is encoding. SIM-Try the cards:

1. Save contacts in format UTF-8 (through VCF-file).
2. Use another one. SIM-map (for example, from MegaFon instead of Tele2).

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Before mass transfer of contacts to SIM, test the process on 2-3 records, which will help to avoid data loss in case of failure.

⚠️ Note: If you use two of these SIM-cards in Xiaomi, the system can automatically save contacts to the card that is active for calls. To change the purpose of export, go to Settings → SIM-Maps and mobile networks and prioritize the desired slot.

FAQ: Frequent questions about moving contacts to SIM in Xiaomi