How to change the location of the contacts on Xiaomi: a complete guide with pictures

Why it is important to keep your contacts in Xiaomi

Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones offer three main options for storing contacts: SIM-It's not just the convenience of syncing, it's the security of your data that depends on your choice. For example, when you reset your phone to factory settings, contacts saved only on the device will be lost, while those synced to Google will automatically recover.

Many users face the problem of duplicate contacts or their loss after replacement. SIM-This is due to incorrect data transfer between storages. In this article, we will discuss all the ways to change storage, including hidden settings. MIUI, which are not obvious at first glance.

Where are the default contacts on Xiaomi stored

On new Xiaomi smartphones, the location of the contacts’ storage depends on how you set up the device when you first turn on:

• 📱 Phone Memory – Selected if you skip the Google account login step. Contacts are stored locally in a file contacts2.db (path: /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/)
• ☁️ Google Account – automatically activated when you log in to Google Services. → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization of contacts
• 📶 SIM-The map is rarely used because modern SIM support 250-500 limited field contacts (name only) + number)

Check your current storage location in the Contacts app: open any contact → click Edit → look at the Warehouse field at the top of the screen. If it says Phone, your contacts are not synced to the cloud.

How to transfer contacts with SIM-phone cards or Google

Moving your SIM contacts to another storage is the most common operation. In MIUI, this is done through the standard Contacts app, but there are nuances for different firmware versions.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette)
2. Press three points (⋮) top-right → Select Contact Management
3. Go to Import/Export Contacts → Import from SIM-card
4. Select the target storage: 📱 Phone Memory – for Local Storage ☁️ Google for cloud synchronization

Confirm the import and wait until the completion (it takes ~2-3 minutes for 1000 contacts)

Important: When importing from SIM to Google, contacts are automatically synced to the cloud only if the "Contact Sync" option is enabled in your account settings. Check this in Settings → Accounts → Google → Sync.

⚠️ Note: On some Redmi Note models 10/11 importation SIM Google may have a "Not enough space" error. MIUI 13, which is solved by cleaning the cache of the application Contacts in the settings.

Exporting contacts from phone to phone SIM-map

Reverse operation – transfer contacts from the memory of the phone or Google to the SIM — limiting. SIM-The cards support only the main fields (name) + number), so additional information (email, addresses, birthdays) will be lost.

How to export:

1. Open Contacts. → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports
2. Select Export on Export SIM-map
3. Mark your contacts for export (or click Select All)
4. Click Export and select Export. SIM-card (if two of them)

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi 12/13 series MIUI 14 export SIM There may be an error "SIM-The card does not support the operation. In this case, try using a third-party application. SIM Contact Manager from Google Play.

Synchronization of contacts with Google account

Keeping contacts in a Google account is the most reliable option, as it provides:

• ☁️ Automatic backup
• 🔄 Synchronization between devices
• 🛡️ Recovery after resetting the phone
• 🌐 Access via contacts.google.com from any browser

How to turn on synchronization:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google
2. Select your account (if there are several)
3. Activate the Contact Switch
4. Click More → Sync Now for Forced Update

1. Internet connection (synchronization only works via Wi-Fi or mobile data)

2.Sufficient space in a Google account (15 GB free)

3. Is background data disabled for the "Contacts" application-->

To check your sync status, go to contacts.google.com in your browser, which should show all your contacts from your phone. If you don't have any contacts, try manually exporting them to a.vcf file and importing them to Google.

Transferring Contacts Between Mi and Google Accounts

Many Xiaomi users face the problem of duplicate contacts when they are stored simultaneously in Mi Cloud and Google, which is due to automatic synchronization with both services.

How to connect contacts:

1. Export contacts from Mi Cloud: Open Settings → Accounts. → Mi Cloud Select Contacts → Export (file saved) mi_contacts.vcf)
2. Import to Google: Go to contacts.google.com in the browser Click Import → Select a file and download it. mi_contacts.vcf

Settings → Accounts → Mi Cloud → Contacts (disable)

Backup and restoration of contacts

Even if you keep contacts on Google, it is recommended to create local backups periodically, and in MIUI, this can be done in two ways:

Method 1: Through the Contact Application

1. Open Contacts. → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports
2. Select Export to file (.vcf format)
3. Specify the location of the save (Inner memory is recommended → Download)
4. You can copy the file to a PC or cloud for security.

Method 2: Through the Mi Cloud

1. Go to Settings → Accounts → Mi Cloud
2. Enable contact backup
3. Click Backup now
4. For recovery: Mi Cloud → Backups → Select date → Restore

💡

Backups in.vcf format are versatile – they can be imported not only to Xiaomi, but also to iPhone, Samsung or even Outlook on PC.

Solving Contact Problems on Xiaomi

If contacts do not appear after the transfer or other problems arise, use these tips:

For complex cases (for example, if contacts are damaged after reset), you can use the Contact Editor app from Google Play, which allows you to edit the contact database directly, restore deleted records and correct synchronization errors.

Frequently asked questions