How to transfer contacts with Xiaomi Redmi 3 to a new smartphone: all working ways

Xiaomi Redmi 3 is a legendary budget smartphone that is still used by many users. But sooner or later, you need to change the device, and then the question arises: how to safely transfer all contacts to a new phone? In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways that will work even for inexperienced users.

Feature Redmi 3 - work on the basis MIUI (It's probably an outdated version, which can make it harder to sync with modern devices, and we've taken into account everything from exporting through a Google account to manually copying to a new version of the product. SIM-You will also learn how to avoid data loss when you migrate through third-party apps incorrectly, a problem that affects 15% of users, according to a 2023 survey.

Whether you're upgrading to a new Xiaomi, Samsung or iPhone, the instructions below are universal, and the key is to prepare both devices in advance and choose the best method, starting with the most reliable option.

1. Sync through Google account (recommended method)

This is the most secure and versatile method that works on any Android device: Contacts are saved in the cloud and automatically uploaded to a new phone when you first sign in, even if Redmi 3 is no longer enabled (provided that sync has been enabled previously).

How to check if sync is enabled on Redmi 3:

1. Open Settings → Accounts → Google.
2. Choose your account (if you don’t have one, add one).
3. Make sure the switch opposite the Contact is active.

If the sync is disabled, turn it on and wait until it is completed (it can take up to 10 minutes with slow internet).

• 📱 Sign in to the same Google account when you first turn on.
• 🔄 Wait for automatic synchronization (check in Settings) → Accounts).
• 📞 Open the Contacts app – all numbers should be displayed.

⚠️ Note: If Redmi 3 used a local account MI (without Google, the contacts could only be stored in the phone's memory. №2 or №3.

Stable connection to Wi-Fi or mobile Internet

Battery charge for both phones > 30%

Free space in your Google account (contacts take ~1-2 MB per 1000 numbers)

Shutdown VPN (can block synchronization)-->

Export contacts via MIUI (to switch to another Xiaomi)

If you switch to another Xiaomi smartphone (like the Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5), you can use the built-in MIUI feature, Data Migration, which transfers not only contacts, but also SMS, photos, apps.

Instructions for Redmi 3:

1. On the new phone, when you first turn on, select Data Transfer from another device.
2. On Redmi 3, go to Settings → Additional → Data Migration.
3. Select the role of sender (on the old phone) and receiver (on the new one).
4. Connect to a single Wi-Fi network or use a hotspot.
5. On the old phone, tick Contacts and click Send.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 Transfer takes 5-15 minutes (depending on the amount of data).
• 📱 It works without the Internet (via a local network).
• 🔒 The structure of contact groups (e.g. “Work”, “Family”) is maintained").

⚠️ Note: If the new phone already has contacts, they can be duplicated. Before migrating, it is recommended to back up on both devices via Settings → System system → Backup.

3. Copying of contacts on SIM-Card (for old phones)

This is a method that works if the new phone doesn't support MIUI or you don't have access to the Internet, but it has limitations.

• ❌ SIM-The card stores only the name and number (without email, addresses, photos).
• ❌ Limitation on the number of contacts (usually) 200-250).
• ❌ Cyrillic symbols are not supported on some SIM.

How to transfer contacts to SIM:

1. On Redmi 3, open the Contacts app.
2. Press. ⋮ (three-point) → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Exports to SIM-map.
3. Select contacts for export (or click Allocate).
4. Wait until it is finished and insert the SIM into the new phone.
5. On the new device, import contacts from SIM via a similar menu.

If the contacts are not displayed after import:

• 🔍 Check that SIM-card inserted SIM1 (on some phones SIM2 Not in contact).
• 📱 Reboot the phone.
• 🔄 Try importing contacts through Settings → Memory. → Import with SIM.

4. Use of third-party applications (for advanced users)

If the built-in methods don't work, you can use specialized applications.

• 📲 My Contacts Backup – Exports contacts to a.vcf file, which can be sent by email or messenger.
• 📲 Super Backup & Restore – Keeps Contacts, SMS and a call log to the cloud or memory card.
• 📲 CLONEit - wireless data transfer between phones (analogue) MIUI Migration, but for all brands).

The following is a step-by-step guide for My Contacts Backup:

1. Install the app from Google Play on Redmi 3.
2. Open it and click Backup and create a contact.vcf file.
3. Send the file to yourself by email or save it to SD-map.
4. Open the file on the new phone and add contacts automatically.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party applications, never give them access to SMS or geolocation is excessive permissions that can lead to data leakage.

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Before using third-party apps, check reviews from the past 3 months.Some popular utilities (like GO Contacts) are no longer updated and may not work on newer versions of Android.

5. Manual export to the VCF file (for backup)

The.vcf file (vCard) is a universal format for storing contacts, and can be opened on any device, including an iPhone or Windows PC, which is suitable if you want to back up or transfer contacts to your computer.

How to export contacts to VCF on Redmi 3:

1. Open Contacts. → ⋮ (three-point) → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Export to file.
2. Select a storage location (internal memory or storage). SD-map).
3. The file will be saved as contacts.vcf in the Download or MIUI folder.

How to import to a new device:

• 📎 On Android: Open the file through Contacts → ⋮ → File-based import.
• 🍎 On iPhone: Send the file to email, open the attachment and click Add all contacts.
• 💻 On PC: Import through Outlook, Google Contacts or Thunderbird.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔐 The.vcf file can be encrypted with a password (for example, through a 7-Zip).
• 📤 Easy to send by email or messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp).
• 🔄 Supports all contact fields (photos, multiple numbers, notes).

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File. VCF — The only way to transfer contacts to the Redmi 3 iPhone without loss is through other methods, such as, SIM-map) do not retain Cyrillic names and additional fields.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

Even when following instructions, users face problems, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

Problem 1: Contacts are duplicated after the transfer.

Solution: In Google Contacts (web version), use Find and combine duplicates. On Xiaomi, open Contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Combine duplicates.

Problem 2: Not all contacts are displayed on the new phone.

Decision:

• Check that the old phone is enabled synchronization of all accounts (Google, MI, SIM).
• In Google Contacts (contacts.google.com), check the Other Contacts folder – sometimes the numbers get there.
• If you use SIM-Make sure it maintains the right number of contacts (usually up to 250).

Problem 3: Contacts have been moved, but no photos.

Solution: Photos of contacts are stored separately, so that they can be saved:

• Use it. MIUI Migration (mode of migration) №2) or Google Contacts (photos are automatically synced).
• If the photos are missing, check the DCIM/.thumbnails folder on your old phone - sometimes they are saved there.

Problem 4: On iPhone, contacts are displayed without Cyrillic.

Solution: This is a problem of coding when exporting to SIM-Just use the map. VCF-File or Google Contacts for porting to iOS.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions