How to transfer contacts to the smartphone Xiaomi Redmi: all the ways 2026

Shifting contacts to the new Xiaomi Redmi smartphone is a challenge that every user faces when buying a device or resetting settings. Even if you carefully saved all the numbers in the phone book of an old phone, the risk of losing important data when switching to a Redmi Note 12, Redmi 13C or another model remains high, especially for those who switch from iPhone to Android or vice versa, where ecosystem differences create additional barriers.

In this article, we’ll break down 5 working ways to transfer contacts to Xiaomi Redmi, including synchronization via Mi Account, export/import.vcf files, use Google Contacts, and even manually enter with your phone. SIM-Each method is suitable for different scenarios, from quick copying of multiple numbers to full migration of the phone book with backup, you will also learn how to avoid data loss when resetting and why some contacts may not appear after transferring.

1. Transfer contacts via Mi Account (the most reliable way)

Sync with Xiaomi account is the manufacturer's recommended method that ensures that data is kept safe even when you replace your smartphone. All contacts are stored in the cloud and automatically uploaded to any Redmi, POCO or Mi device linked to a single account.

To transfer contacts through Mi Account:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Accounts and synchronization → Mi Account on an old smartphone.
• ☁️ Make sure the contact sync switch is active (green).
• 🔄 Wait until synchronization is complete (it can take up to 5 minutes with a large number of contacts).
• 📲 On the new Redmi, log in to the same Mi Account and enable contact synchronization.

Sign in to Mi Account on both devices | Enable contact sync | Connect to Wi-Fi for acceleration | Check for contacts in the cloud (mi.com)

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⚠️ Note: If you are using Redmi with global firmware (Global) ROM), A smartphone with Chinese (China) ROM), Synchronization may not work due to regional restrictions, in which case use Google Contacts (section 3).

2. Export and import of contacts via VCF file

The.vcf (vCard) format is the universal standard for storing contacts that all modern smartphones support, a method that is suitable if you transfer data from an iPhone, Samsung or other Android device to Redmi, the main plus: the file can be saved to a computer or flash drive as a backup.

Instructions for export of contacts:

1. On your old smartphone, open the Contacts app.
2. Press three points (⋮) → Contact management → Exports/imports → Export to file.
3. Choose where to save the file (such as Downloads or Google Drive).
4. Flip your contacts.vcf file to the new Redmi via Bluetooth, cable, or cloud.
5. On the new device, import the file: Contacts → ⋮ → File-based import.

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If the.vcf file doesn’t open on Redmi, try renaming it contacts.vcf (without spaces and Cyrillic) or using the Contacts+ app from Google Play.

⚠️ Note: When importing large files (over 1,000 contacts), Redmi can freeze. VCF Splitter.

3. Sync through Google Contacts (for Android users)

If you use Google services, the transfer of contacts to Redmi will take no more than 5 minutes, this method is universal for all Android devices and avoids problems with regional firmware Xiaomi.

How to transfer contacts via Google:

• 🔍 Check on your old phone: Settings → Accounts. → Google → Contact synchronization (should be included).
• 📱 On the new Redmi, add the same Google Account to Settings → Accounts.
• 🔄 Turn on contact sync and wait until it is completed (may take up to 10 minutes).
• 📞 Open the Contacts app and select list display from Google Account.

Mi Account|Google Contacts|File. VCF|SIM-map|Other-->

Important: If your old phone has contacts stored in the device's memory instead of Google, you must first export them to your account.

1. Open Contacts. → ⋮ → Settings → Imports/Exports.
2. Choose Copy from your device in Google.

4. Transfer of contacts with SIM-Cards (for old phones)

If your old phone doesn’t support modern sync techniques (like the push-button Nokia or Samsung of the early 2000s), the only option is to transfer contacts over the phone. SIM-There are limitations to this way: SIM-The card stores only numbers and names (without photos, emails, or other fields), and is limited in scope (usually up to 250 contacts).

Step-by-step:

• 📱 Put it in. SIM-card.
• 📞 Open Contacts. → Settings → Imports/Exports → Exports to SIM.
• 🔄 Move it. SIM-map.
• 📲 On a new device: Contacts → ⋮ → Import with SIM.

⚠️ Note: Some Redmis (e.g. Redmis) A2 or Redmi 9A) Do not support importing contacts with SIM-Micro-SIM cards without an adapter. Use an adapter or transfer data through another device.

5.Moving contacts from iPhone to Xiaomi Redmi

The transition from iPhone to Android is always difficult because of the closed Apple ecosystem, but you can move contacts to Redmi in two ways: via iCloud or via the Move to iOS app.

Method 1: Through iCloud

1. On iPhone, open Settings → [Your name] → iCloud and enable Contacts.
2. On your computer, go to iCloud.com, select Contacts and export them to the.vcf file (image icon) ⚙️ bottom-left).
3. Copy the file to Redmi and import it (see Section 2).

Method 2: Through Google Account

1. On your iPhone, set up Google Contacts from the App Store.
2. Log in to your Google Account and enable contact backup.
3. On Redmi, add the same account and sync the data.

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When transferring from your iPhone, check the format of phone numbers: Xiaomi may not display numbers with prefixes (+7, 8, 380) correctly.

Manual input and backup

If you don't have many contacts (up to 50), it's easier to manually type them, which is also useful if you want to filter out outdated numbers. Use voice input to speed up the process: open Contacts → + → Dictate name and number (works when connecting to the Internet).

For manual backup:

• 📝 Take a picture of the contact list screen on your old phone (if you can’t export it).
• 📎 Use Google Sheets to structure data before transferring.
• 🔄 Export contacts to.vcf regularly and save the file to Google Drive or to a flash drive.

⚠️ Note: When you manually enter, it is easy to make errors in numbers (for example, skip a number or add an extra character). Always check the contacts you enter with a test call or SMS.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even with the right contacts transfer, Xiaomi Redmi users are faced with common mistakes, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:

Advice for Redmi owners with custom firmware: If they are displayed in characters after transferring contacts, the problem is encoding. Install Contacts Optimizer from Google Play and perform database optimization.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions