How to transfer contacts from SIM-card to Xiaomi smartphone: all ways of 2026

The transition to a new smartphone Xiaomi is often accompanied by the need to transfer contacts with the old one. SIM-Although it seems simple, it can be difficult to do this, from the lack of visibility of contacts in the phone book to import errors. In this article, we will look at all the current modes of transfer, from standard functions. MIUI Up to workarounds for old models.

Features of Xiaomi phones (including the Redmi line and POCO) It is the fact that the system MIUI It is not always automatic to read the contact with SIM-This is due to the optimization of the work with the cloud services Mi Account and Google, but even if your device does not display contacts with the Internet. SIM, They can be moved manually, and we’ll show you how to do it without loss.

Important: Before starting the procedure, make sure that SIM-The card is correctly placed in the tray (contacts down) and recognized by the phone. SIM In general, first solve this problem – you may need to clean the contacts of the card or replace it.

Standard import through “Contacts” (MIUI 12–14)

The easiest way is to use the built-in import feature in the Contacts app.It works on all modern Xiaomi smartphones (starting with the Redmi Note 8 and later) and does not require additional programs.

Instructions:

• 📱 Open the Contacts app (a icon with a person's silhouette).
• 🔍 Click on three dots in the upper right corner → Select Contact Management.
• 📤 Tap Import/Export Contacts → Import with SIM-map.
• ✅ Choose where to save contacts: Google account, Mi Account or phone memory.
• 🔄 Wait until the process is completed (it can take up to 1-2 minutes with a large number of records).

If the item Import with SIM-The card is inactive or not, which means that:

• 🚫 SIM-The card is not recognized by the phone (check the installation or try another card).
• 📵 Contacts to SIM missing (outdated cards may not support record storage).
• 🔄 Requires an update to the Contacts app via Google Play.

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If you have duplicate contacts after import, use the Connect Contacts function in the same Contact Management menu, and the system will automatically find duplicate entries by number or name.

2. Transfer through the “Settings” of the phone (alternative method)

If the Contacts app doesn’t offer import options, try using system settings, which works even on older versions of MIUI (e.g. MIUI 10–11 on Redmi 5/6).

Step-by-step:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Contacts.
2. Tap Import/Export contacts (in some versions the item is called Contact Management).
3. Choose to import with SIM-map.
4. Specify the target storage: Phone (for local storage) or Google (for sync with your account).
5. Confirm the action and wait for notification of successful import.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO X3) If you can't find the Import/Export, search the "Contact" settings».

Check that SIM-The card is recognized in the Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks

Make sure there is free space on the SIM (contacts take up to 256KB)

Disable VPN (can block access to system functions)

Close all background apps (especially messengers)

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3. Export of SIM contacts to your computer (for backup)

If you want to keep in touch with the SIM-You can download the cards to your computer and then upload them to Xiaomi, and this is a useful method if you're afraid of losing data when you import them directly.

You'll need:

• 💻 Computer with Windows/macOS.
• 📱 Supported phone OTG card-reader SIM.
• 🛠️ Programme SIM Card Reader (such as PhoneBook or SIM Card Data Recovery).

Instructions:

1. Connect. SIM-card to the computer through the card reader.
2. Install and run a SIM reading program.
3. Export contacts to.vcf (vCard) or.csv.
4. Transfer the file to a Xiaomi phone (e.g., via Explorer or Mi Drop).
5. Import the file to Contacts via Contact Management → Import from the file.

4. Transfer of contacts with Google Account

If your Xiaomi is linked to a Google Account, you can import SIM contacts into the cloud and then sync them to your phone.This method ensures that your contacts are available across all devices.

How to do this:

1. On an old phone (or via a computer), export your SIM contacts to a.vcf file.
2. Go to the Google Contacts website and log in.
3. Click Import → select the.vcf file → confirm the import.
4. On Xiaomi, open Settings → Accounts → Google and enable Contact Sync.

⚠️ Note: If you are importing contacts to Mi Account instead of Google, please note that:

• 🌍 Synchronization works only between Xiaomi devices.
• 🔒 When resetting your phone, your contacts will be lost if you don’t back up.
• 📱 In some regions (e.g. the EU), Mi Account may block access to contacts due to the use of a mobile phone. GDPR.

Google Account|Mi Account|Local Storage |Other service |Not sync-->

5. Use of third-party applications (for complex cases)

If standard methods don't work (for example, on custom firmware or after resetting), one of the specialized applications will help, and we tested several and selected the most reliable ones.

Top.-3 contact-transfer applications:

• 📲 Copy My Data – Transfers Contacts, SMS And photos over Wi-Fi. MIUI 12+.
• 🔄 SIM Contacts Backup – Keeps Contacts with SIM file and restore it to a new device.
• 🌐 My Contacts Backup – Exports contacts to.vcf and sends them to email.

Instructions for Copy My Data:

1. Install the app on both phones (old and Xiaomi).
2. On your old phone, select Send Data → Contacts → SIM Card.
3. On Xiaomi, select Receive Data and connect to the Wi-Fi network created by the first phone.
4. Confirm the transmission and wait for completion.

Important: Apps like Copy My Data can request access to SMS and call logs — deny these permissions if you only need contacts.

6. Manual copying of contacts (if nothing works)

If automatic methods are not available (e.g., on Xiaomi with corrupted firmware), manual input remains. This is long, but guaranteed to work.

How to speed up the process:

• 📸 Take a picture of an old phone screen with an open phone book (page by page).
• 🖥️ Use Google Sheets to structure data: Create the "Name", "Number", "Note" columns».
• 📱 On Xiaomi, open contacts → Add contact and enter data in turn.
• 🔍 For convenience, enable Voice Entering (in the Gboard keyboard) to dictate names and numbers.

⚠️ Note: It is easy to make errors in numbers when you manually enter. Check each contact after adding, especially if it contains:

• 📞 Additional symbols (e.g, +7 (999) 123-45-67 instead +79991234567).
• 🏷️ Labels (e.g., “worker”, “home”) – you will have to add them separately.
• 🌍 International numbers – make sure the correct prefix is indicated (+7 for Russia, +380 for Ukraine, etc.).

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Manual copying is the only way to transfer contacts from damaged ones SIM-Maps or phones with a broken screen. Use voice input and pre-structured data in tables to speed up.

7 Problems and Solutions: What to Do If Contacts Are Not Portable

Even when you follow instructions, you can get errors, and we've collected some of the most common problems and ways to solve them.

If none of the methods worked, check:

• 🔧 Version MIUI: on MIUI 9 and below may not have import functionality. Update firmware through Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 📶 Flight mode: Sometimes it blocks access to the flight SIM. Turn it off before importing it.
• 🔒 Permissions: Make sure that the Contacts app is allowed access to the storage and SIM-map (Settings) → Annexes → Permits).

FAQ: Frequent questions about moving contacts to Xiaomi