How to download contacts from phone to phone Xiaomi: all working ways

Why moving contacts to Xiaomi requires a special approach

Xiaomi smartphones work on a customized shell MIUI, This is a system that places restrictions on standard contact synchronization methods, such as when you try to export through Settings. → Google → Users often encounter the error "Can not update the data" - this is due to the peculiarities of interaction MIUI with Google services, and when used SIM-The problem with encoding Cyrillic symbols in the names of contacts.

Another catch: if you migrate your iPhone contacts to Xiaomi, standard export via iCloud creates a vCard 3.0.vcf file that MIUI doesn’t always import correctly (especially for multiple numbers or addresses). In this article, we’ll look at unique solutions for Xiaomi that circumvent these limitations, including hidden shell features and alternative synchronization services.

Method 1: Sync through Google Account (most reliable)

This method works for most Xiaomi models (including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13T), but requires pre-setting on the old phone.

On an old phone (Android or iPhone):

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Accounts (on iPhone: Settings) → Contacts → Accounts)
• 🔄 Select Google and enable contact sync
• ⏳ Wait for the process to be completed (check in Google Contacts via browser)

On the new Xiaomi:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Accounts and synchronization → Add an account → Google
• 🔑 Enter the same account used on the old phone
• 🔄 Enable contact synchronization manually (sometimes) MIUI It doesn't automatically do that)

Sign in to Google Contacts on PC|Compare the number of contacts on both devices|Try adding a test contact to Xiaomi and check it on your old phone|Make sure that photos of contacts are preserved-->

⚠️ Note: If you have not made a contact with Xiaomi 10-15 minutes, check it out:

• 📶 Internet connection (synchronization does not work through mobile data on some firmware) MIUI)
• 🔧 Power saving settings: disable optimization for the Contacts app in Settings → Battery → Optimizing the battery

Method 2: Export/import via VCF file (for advanced users)

This method is suitable if you want to selectively transfer contacts or you do not have access to a Google Account..vcf (vCard) file contains all contact information in text format, including numbers, email and addresses.

Instructions for Android phones:

1. Open the Contacts app
2. Press. ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/exports → Export to file
3. Select a location to save (recommended internal memory → Download)
4. The file will have a type name. contacts_20260515.vcf

For the iPhone:

1. Go to the iCloud Contacts website
2. Select the contacts you want (or click Cmd+A to select all)
3. Click on ⚙️ → Export vCard

Moving to Xiaomi:

• 📎 Flip the.vcf file to Xiaomi via Bluetooth, Email or USB-cable
• 📱 Open the file on Xiaomi → Select Contacts for Importation
• 🔍 Check the duplicates: MIUI Sometimes, they make copies of existing contacts.

Method 3: Transfer through SIM-map (for older models)

This method is relevant for Xiaomi Redmi 4A, Redmi 5 and other budget models without active internet connection: SIM-The card stores only names and numbers (without email, addresses, photos).

On an old phone:

• 📱 Open Contacts. → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/exports → Exports to SIM
• 🔢 Choose contacts for export (usually limiting 250 contacts to the exporter). SIM)
• ⏳ Wait until it’s finished (on older phones it can take up to 5 minutes)

On Xiaomi:

• 📱 Put it in. SIM-card
• 📞 Open Contacts. → ⋮ → Contact management → Import with SIM
• 🔄 Choose where to import (on your phone or Google account)

💡

If, after importation, SIM-cards in contacts appeared strange characters instead of Cyrillic, try to change the encoding in the phone settings: → Additionally. → Language and input → Coding → UTF-8. On some firmware MIUI That solves the problem.

⚠️ Attention: When in use SIM-Nano-SIM cards in the micro-SIM adapter may fail to read contacts:

• 🔌 Contacts to SIM-Card (not to be confused with phone contacts)
• 📶 Quality of connection SIM with tray (skewing leads to reading errors)

Method 4: Sync with Mi Account (Xiaomi only)

If both phones are from Xiaomi, you can use a branded Mi Account, which stores all contact information, including notes and birthdays, but requires authorization.

On the old Xiaomi:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Xiaomi account
• 🔄 Make sure that the synchronization of contacts is enabled
• ⏳ Wait until completion (progress can be seen in Settings) → The phone. → Status. MIUI → Synchronization)

On the new Xiaomi:

• 📱 Sign in to the same Mi Account when you first enable or through Settings → Accounts.
• 🔄 Enable contact sync manually (sometimes it is disabled by default)
• 🔍 Check the duplicates: MIUI Can create copies of your contacts from Google and Mi Account

Google Account|File. VCF|SIM-map|Mi Account|Bluetooth/Wi-Fi Direct|Other-->

⚠️ Note: When using Mi Account to synchronize contacts between phones with different regional firmware (e.g. Global and China), there may be problems with displaying Cyrillic characters:

1. Export contacts to.vcf on your old phone
2. Import them to your new phone through your Google Account

Method 5: Transmission via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct

This method is suitable for one-time transmissions of a small number of contacts (up to 50), the advantage is that it does not require Internet and accounts, and the disadvantage is that Xiaomi with MIUI 14+ firmware may not work due to restrictions on data exchange over Bluetooth.

Instructions:

1. On both phones, turn on Bluetooth and make them visible.
2. On an old phone, open contact → Share → Bluetooth
3. Select Xiaomi from the list of devices
4. On Xiaomi, confirm the file acceptance (.vcf format)

Wi-Fi Direct (faster than Bluetooth):

• 📶 Activate Wi-Fi Direct on both phones (Settings) → Wi-Fi → Wi-Fi Direct)
• 📱 On the old phone, make contacts. → Share. → Wi-Fi Direct
• 🔗 Connect to the access point created by Xiaomi

💡

To transfer contacts via Bluetooth to Xiaomi with MIUI 14+, you first need to allow the exchange of contacts in the settings: Settings → Connections → Bluetooth → Additional → Allow the exchange of contacts.

Problem Solving: What to do if contacts are not transferred

If after all the manipulations, the contacts did not appear on Xiaomi, check these points:

If the problem persists, try resetting the Contacts app cache:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management
2. Find Contacts and click Clear Cache
3. Reboot the phone.

FAQ: Frequent questions about moving contacts to Xiaomi