How to Move Contacts with Xiaomi Mi 8: All Ways to Export (2026)

The Xiaomi Mi 8, released in 2018, is still a popular device thanks to its powerful hardware and stable MIUI firmware. However, even such reliable hardware requires regular backups of data — especially contacts. Losing a phone book due to resets, breakage or theft of the device can be serious problems if not prepared in advance.

In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to export contacts with Xiaomi Mi. 8: from classical preservation to SIM-map before synchronizing with Google Account and creating a backup in.vcf format. Particular attention will be paid to typical errors due to which users lose data, and we will give a checklist for safe transfer. If you need to transfer contacts to a new phone, restore them after a reset or just make a backup – here you will find step-by-step instructions taking into account the features of the device. MIUI 10/11/12.

Preparation for export: what to check before the start

Before you start saving contacts, make sure your device is ready for the procedure.Missing these steps may result in losing some of the data or inability to recover it later.

First, check the MIUI version on your Xiaomi Mi 8. Go to Settings → About → About → MIUI version. This will determine the location of some menu items. For example, in MIUI 12, the Contacts section is moved to the Phone application, and in MIUI 10 it can be located separately.

Second, make sure your device has enough free space if you plan to create a local backup. A.vcf file with 1,000 contacts will require about 1-2 MB, but if you save a backup through Mi Cloud, check for an Internet connection and free space in the cloud.

• 🔋 Battery charge: at least 30% (when exported to the SIM-The phone card should not be turned off).
• 📶 Network: to sync with Google or Mi Cloud you need Wi-Fi or mobile Internet.
• 📱 Access Rights: Allow the Contacts app to access the storage (in Settings) → Annexes → Permits).
• 🔑 Accounts: If you use Google, make sure it is added to Settings → Accounts.

⚠️ Note: If you are planning to export your contacts to SIM-Note that it supports a limited number of records (usually up to 250). SIM no photos of contacts, postal addresses and additional fields are saved.

2. Method 1: Export contacts to SIM-card

Maintaining contacts SIM-The card is the simplest, but also the most limited, method, and it's good if you need to quickly transfer the main numbers to another phone without access to the Internet:

• 🚫 No photos, emails and notes are saved.
• 📏 Limitation on number (maximum 250-300 contacts).
• 🔤 Names and numbers are trimmed to 14 and 20 characters respectively.

To export contacts to SIM:

1. Open the Contacts app (or Phone if you have MIUI 12+).
2. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Contact Management.
3. Go to Import/Export Contacts → Exports to SIM-map.
4. Select contacts for export (you can mark everything) and click Export.
5. Wait until the process is completed (it can take up to 1-2 minutes).

⚠️ Attention: If yours SIM-Nano-SIM card (like Mi 8), but you plan to insert it into an old micro-SIM phone, use an adapter!

3. Method 2: Sync with Google Account

This method is the most reliable, since contacts are automatically backed up in the cloud and available on any device with the same Google Account, the main advantage is the complete preservation of data: photos, email, addresses and even call history (if synchronization is enabled).

Instructions for Xiaomi Mi 8:

1. Open Settings → Accounts → Google.
2. Select your account (if not, add it through Add Account).
3. Activate the switch opposite Contact.
4. Press three points (⋮) In the upper right corner and select Sync Now.

To check that the contacts are maintained:

1. Go to your computer and open contacts.google.com.
2. Sign in under the same account.
3. Make sure all contacts are displayed.

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If contacts are duplicated after synchronization, use the Google Contacts merge function: highlight duplicates → Other actions → Combine.

Method 3: Export to VCF (vCard)

The.vcf (or vCard) format is the universal standard for storing contacts, which can be opened on any smartphone, computer or even printed. On the Xiaomi Mi 8, exporting to VCF takes less than a minute and stores all data, including photos and additional fields.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Press three points (⋮) → Contact management → Import/Export of contacts.
3. Select Export to File (or Export to Device in MIUI 12+).
4. Mark the contacts you need (or click Allocate).
5. Click Export and select a folder to save (such as Downloads or Documents).
6. The file will be saved as contacts.vcf (can be renamed).

To transfer this file to another phone:

• 📱 Send it via Bluetooth, Email or messenger.
• 💾 Save it to Google Drive or Mi Cloud.
• 🔌 Connect your phone to your computer and copy the file manually.

⚠️ Note: If you edit a.vcf file manually (for example, through Notepad), do not delete the strings. BEGIN:VCARD and END:VCARD — This will lead to an import error!

5. Method 4: Backup through Mi Cloud

Mi Cloud is Xiaomi’s cloud storage that automatically backs up contacts, messages, photos and even system settings. For the Xiaomi Mi 8, it’s a handy way to use other Xiaomi ecosystem devices (like Redmi or POCO).

How to enable backup:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts → Mi Cloud.
2. Sign in or create a Xiaomi account (if you don’t have one).
3. Activate the Contact Switch.
4. Press Sync and wait until it is completed.

To restore contacts on the new phone:

1. Sign in to the same Mi Cloud account.
2. Turn on contact sync.
3. Wait for the data to load (it can take up to 5-10 minutes).

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If you use both Google and Mi Cloud to sync contacts, disable one of the services to avoid duplicate entries.

Method 5: Manual export via computer (for avanzado)

This method is suitable for power users who want to have full control over backups, and allows you to save contacts in.csv or.vcf format directly to your PC, bypassing cloud services.

You will need to:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 📂 Programme Mi PC Suite (optional but recommended).

Instructions:

1. Connect the Xiaomi Mi 8 to your computer via USB.
2. On your phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. Open the Internal Storage → MIUI → backup → AllBackup folder (if you have backups) or copy the contacts.vcf file from the Downloads folder (if you exported it before).
4. For a full backup, install Mi PC Suite, plug in your phone, and select Backup → Contacts.

If you prefer to work through ADB (for advanced users), use the command:

adb backup -f contacts.ab -apk com.android.contacts

This command will create a contact.ab file in the ADB folder, which can then be restored via adb restore contacts.ab.

⚠️ Attention: When using Mi PC Suite make sure the program is updated to the latest version. Older versions may not work properly with the software. MIUI 12+ and skip some of the contacts.

7.Typical mistakes and how to avoid them

Even when following instructions, users often encounter problems exporting contacts, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to address them:

• 🔄 Contacts are not synced with Google: Check if sync is enabled in Settings → Accounts. → Google → If so, try to delete your account and add it again.
• 📱 I don't see an export option for SIM: Make sure that SIM-The card is inserted into slot 1 (on the Mi 8, slot 2 may not support recording contacts).
• 🗃️ File. VCF empty or damaged: Try exporting contacts in small batches (100-200 each) and check if there is enough space in your phone's memory.
• ☁️ Mi Cloud doesn't save contacts: Update the Mi Cloud app on Google Play and reboot your phone.

Critical error: If your contacts are gone after resetting your settings but you haven’t backed up, try restoring them through the Undeleter Recover Files & Data app (available on Google Play).

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If contacts are duplicated after recovery, use the Simpler Merge (Google Play) app to automatically merge duplicate entries.

8 How to transfer contacts to a new phone

When the backup is ready, you have to transfer it to the new device, depending on where you saved the contacts.

If you are transferring your contacts to your iPhone:

1. Export them to the.vcf file on the Xiaomi Mi 8.
2. Send the file to your iPhone via email or AirDrop.
3. Open the file on your iPhone – the contacts will be automatically added to your phone book.

⚠️ Note: When you migrate from Android to iPhone, some fields (such as additional phone numbers) may not display correctly!

FAQ: Frequent questions about exporting contacts to Xiaomi Mi 8