How to synchronize contacts with SIM-Xiaomi phone cards: all working methods

Why SIM contacts don’t show up on Xiaomi and how to fix it

You bought a new Xiaomi smartphone (or reset the old one to factory settings), inserted SIM-This is a typical situation: modern Android devices by default do not import contacts from the Internet. SIM The reasons can be different, from the synchronization turned off to the limitations of the very SIM-maps (e.g. on older format cards) SIM 2G No more than 250 contacts are kept).

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to transfer contacts from SIM to Xiaomi Redmi, POCO or Mi – from standard MIUI tools to workarounds for problem cases, and explain why some contacts may not be imported (for example, with Cyrillic characters) and how to fix this.

⚠️ Important: Before you start, check that SIM-The card is inserted correctly into the tray (contacts down) and recognized by the phone. If there is no network icon in the status bar, the problem is not the contacts, but the malfunction of the slot or the card itself.

Method 1: Standard import through MIUI Contacts

The easiest method is to use the built-in Contacts app (or Phone on global firmware) and it works on all Xiaomi models, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and Mi 11 if SIM-map intact.

Instructions:

1. Open the Contacts app (a icon with a person's silhouette).
2. Tap the three-point menu (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Contact Management.
3. Go to the section Import / Export contacts → Import from SIM-card.
4. Select the contacts you need (or click Select All) and confirm the import.

⚠️ Note: If you have duplicated contacts after import, check your sync settings with your Google account.

Check that SIM-card not blocked PIN-code

Make sure your SIM contacts are not empty (check on another phone)

Reboot your smartphone and try again.

Update the Contacts app on Google Play

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Method 2: Import via “Phone Settings”

An alternative way is through MIUI system settings. This method is useful if the Contacts application is not working correctly or is not available (for example, on custom firmware).

Steps:

1. Go to Settings → Memory → Import / Export contacts.
2. Select Import with SIM-map.
3. Specify where to save contacts: on the phone (Local) or in Google account.
4. Wait until the process is completed (it can take up to 1-2 minutes with a large number of records).

💡 Tip: If you choose to save to a Google account, your contacts will automatically sync to your other devices (like a tablet or laptop.

Nana SIM-map

On Google account

On the phone (locally)

In another cloud service (iCloud, Yandex, etc.)

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Method 3: Sync with Google Account (for backup)

If you plan to update your contacts regularly or use them on multiple devices, linking to a Google account is the best solution, a method that is suitable for Xiaomi on any version of MIUI (including MIUI 14).

How to set up:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Accounts and synchronization → Google.
• 🔄 Turn on the switch opposite Contact (if it is turned off).
• ⚙️ Back to Settings → Memory. → Import/Export and import contacts with SIM Google.
• ☁️ Wait for the synchronization to be completed (check in Contacts) → Settings → Accounts).

⚠️ Attention: If you have two SIM-maps, the system can ask which contacts to import from. SIM.

Method 4: Use of third-party applications (for complex cases)

If standard methods don’t work (for example, on Xiaomi with custom firmware or corrupted SIM), third-party software will help.

🔹 Instructions for Copy My Data:

1. Install the app on both devices (if you’re transferring from your old phone).
2. On your old phone, select Send Data → Contacts → SIM.
3. On the new Xiaomi, select Receive Data and connect to the Wi-Fi network created by the old phone.
4. Confirm transmission.

Important: If you use backup applications, save the.vcf file not only to your phone but also to the cloud (Google Drive, Yandex.Disk) or send it to your own mail, which will protect your data from loss when you reset your phone.

Method 5: Manual transfer via VCF file (for power users)

This method is suitable if you need to edit contacts before transferring or if you are not using the SIM-The map is damaged, but the phone still recognizes it, so we export the contacts to the file, edit them (if necessary), and import them back.

Step-by-step:

1. Export contacts with SIM: Settings → Memory → Import / Export → Export for phone memory (VCF) The file will be saved in the Download or MIUI folder.
2. Connect your phone to your PC and open the.vcf file in a text editor (like Notepad++) where you can manually fix errors (like incorrect characters in names).
3. Copy the edited file back to your phone.
4. Import contacts: Contacts → Management → Import / Export → Import from phone memory

⚠️ Warning: Do not edit the.vcf file in the standard Notepad - this may violate the encoding.++ or VS Code.

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If empty contacts appear from VCF when you import, check the file for lines without data (e.g. TEL: no number).

Solving common problems when importing contacts

Even after successful importation, errors can occur, and we will discuss the most common ways to eliminate them:

• 🔢 Contacts are imported without names: this happens if the SIM names are stored in an incorrect encoding (for example, UTF-8 instead UCS-2). The solution is to export to VCF, Open the file and manually add names.
• 📵 Not all contacts were imported: check the restriction SIM-maps (usually 250-500 records) and the rest of the contacts may not fit.
• 🔄 Contacts are duplicated: this happens if they are already in Google or local memory.Solution - delete duplicates in Contacts before importing → Management → Combine the takes.
• 🚫 SIM-The card is not defined: try inserting it into another slot (if the phone has a Dual) SIM) or clean the slot contacts with alcohol (carefully!).

💡 Advice for owners of Xiaomi with Dual SIM: if you have two SIM-maps, but contacts are imported from only one, check the default settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Contacts SIM and select the card you want.

FAQ: Frequent questions about moving contacts to Xiaomi

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The most reliable way to store contacts is synchronization with a Google account. SIM-The card is only suitable for temporary reservation or transfer to a new phone.