How to quickly and safely transfer contacts from one Xiaomi to another: all the ways of 2026

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone always involves the need to transfer data — photos, messages and, of course, contacts. The latter are especially important: losing a friend or colleague’s number can lead to serious inconvenience. Fortunately, the MIUI ecosystem offers several built-in tools for migration, and alternative methods (for example, through Google Account or vCard files) make the process even more flexible.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to transfer contacts between Xiaomi phones, from the simplest (automatic synchronization via MI Cloud) to universal (export/import via.vcf). Special attention will be paid to the security nuances: why not trust Bluetooth transfer to unfamiliar devices and how to avoid duplication of records when syncing with Google. If you just unpacked the new Redmi Note 13 Pro+ or POCO X6 Pro, this guide will save you hours of manual input!

1. Automatic transfer via MIUI (MI Cloud or Mi Mover)

The fastest way is to use the built-in MIUI tools. The manufacturer has two migration mechanisms: cloud sync via MI Cloud and local port through the Mi Mover app. The first is suitable if both phones are tied to the same Xiaomi account, the second is if the accounts are different or you prefer not to upload data to the cloud.

How MI Cloud works:

1. On your old phone: Settings → Xiaomi Account → MI Cloud → Contact Synchronization (turn on the switch).
2. On a new phone: Sign in to the same Xiaomi account and wait for automatic sync (can take up to 5 minutes).

Mi Mover

USB-OTG

⚠️ Note: When using Mi Mover, make sure that the new phone has enough free space. If the data is transferred more than 10 GB, the process may be interrupted. Mi Mover also does not support data transfer from phones to Android 14 to devices with Android 12 and below – check the software versions in advance.

2. Synchronization through Google Account (universal method)

If you use Google, this is the best way to do this, because you sync your contacts to the cloud and automatically pull them up to any phone with the same account, and the advantage of this is that it's cross-platform, and you can move your contacts from your iPhone to Xiaomi.

Step-by-step:

1. On your old phone: Settings → Accounts → Google → Contact Sync (enable).
2. Wait for the sync to complete (check Contacts → Settings → Contact Management – Google Group should appear there).
3. On a new phone: Add the same Google account and enable contact sync.

Important nuance: if the old phone contacts are saved only on the phone SIM-In a card or in a device memory, you first need to export them to your Google Account:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Press. ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Export to the device (save as.vcf).
3. Import the file back by selecting Google’s target.

3. Transfer through SIM-Card (for small number of contacts)

This method is suitable if you have fewer than 250 contacts (limitation). SIM-maps) and no Internet access, but it has significant disadvantages: SIM-The card only stores names and numbers (no photos, email, or addresses), and the process takes a long time with a large amount of data.

How to move:

1. On an old phone: Contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Exports to SIM-map.
2. Select contacts for export (or click Select All).
3. Move it. SIM-card.
4. On the new phone: Contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Import with SIM-map.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi 12 or Xiaomi) POCO M6 Pro does not support the export of contacts to SIM-Nano-SIM card in this case, use a micro-SIM adapter or choose another way to transfer it.

4.Export/import via vCard file (.vcf)

The.vcf (or vCard) format is a universal standard for storing contacts, and its advantage is that the file can be transferred in any convenient way: through messenger, email, cloud storage or even through a cloud-based storage. QR-This method is suitable if you want to back up your contacts or transfer them to a device of another brand.

Instructions:

1. Export: Open Contacts on your old phone → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Export to the device. Select a save location (e.g., Internal Memory) → Download) and confirm.
2. File Transfer: Send the contacts.vcf file to a new phone via Bluetooth, Telegram, Google Drive, or connect the phone to a PC and copy manually.
3. Import: On your new phone, open the contacts.vcf file (it will open in the Contacts app) and click Import.

Tip: If a.vcf file weighs more than 10MB (for example, when exporting 5,000+ contacts), break it down. Use apps like Contacts Optimizer (available on Google Play).

5. Alternative methods: Bluetooth, third-party applications and QR-code

If the standard methods don't work for some reason, you can use alternatives. Let's look at three options:

• 📲 Bluetooth: Suitable for transferring a.vcf file or individual contacts, minus the low speed and risk of data loss when the connection is broken. To transfer contacts: Turn on Bluetooth on both phones. On an old phone: Contacts → Choose a contact → Share. → Bluetooth. Take the file on the new phone and save it.

Party of annex:

SHAREit

CLONEit

Xender

QR-code:

QR Code Contact

contact

⚠️ Note: When using third-party data transfer applications, disable the option of Automatic upload contacts to the app cloud (if any). Some services (such as CLONEit) default to retain a copy of your contacts on their servers, which creates a risk of data leakage.

💡

If you change phones frequently, set up automatic sync with your contacts with Google or MI Cloud on a regular basis, and for this purpose, enable Auto Sync in your account settings and add the Contacts app to your battery optimization exception list.

6. Problems in the transfer of contacts and their solutions

Even if you follow the instructions, you can have difficulties, and let's look at the typical mistakes and how to fix them:

• 🔄 Contacts are duplicated: This happens if the new phone already had contacts and you imported them again.Solution: before import, merge duplicates into Contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Connecting contacts.
• ❌ Not all contacts are transferred: Check if they are saved SIM-card or device memory (not account) Google/Xiaomi). Export them manually via.vcf.
• 🚫 Mi Mover doesn’t see old phone: Make sure both devices have Developer Mode and debugging enabled USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Press 7 times, then return to the Additional Settings → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔒 Google Sync Error: Check if two-factor authentication is enabled on your account. If so, generate the app password in Google's security settings.