How to Save Contacts from Xiaomi Phone: A Complete Guide to Exporting in 2026

Transferring contacts from Xiaomi phone is a challenge that every user faces when buying a new device, resetting settings or switching to iOS. Unlike the iPhone, where syncing with iCloud works out of the box, Redmi smartphones, POCO And Mi offers a number of alternative ways to export, and the problem is that many users don't know that the default contacts can be stored in three different places -- in the device's memory, on the device. SIM-card or account Google/Mi Account: This results in data loss when the transfer is incorrect.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven methods of maintaining contacts with Xiaomi, including hidden MIUI features, working with ADB for advanced users and bypassing screen lock restrictions.

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1. Export contacts via the built-in MIUI menu

The easiest way is to use standard MIUI tools. It is suitable for all models, starting with the Redmi Note 4 (2017) and later, including the latest flagship Xiaomi 14 and POCO F6.

To save contacts to a.vcf (business card), follow the following steps:

• 📱 Open the "Contacts" app (an icon with a human silhouette).
• 🔍 Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Contact Management.
• 📤 Tap Import/Export Contacts → Export to file.
• 📁 Specify a folder to save (for example, Downloads) and confirm export.

A file with the.vcf extension can be sent over Telegram, uploaded to the cloud or copied to a computer via USB. Note: if you have multiple accounts (for example, Google and Mi Account), the system will prompt you to choose which contacts to export from. By default, MIUI 14+ has priority contacts from Xiaomi account, not Google – this is a common cause of data loss when changing phones.

Make sure all contacts are displayed in the app (no hidden entries)

Check the space available in your phone’s memory (a.vcf file can weigh up to 5MB)

Turn off cloud sync during export (Settings → Accounts)

Backup via Mi Cloud (in case of an error)-->

2. sync with Google account (automatic method)

If your Xiaomi is linked to a Google account, all contacts are automatically backed up in the cloud, ideal for those who are planning to switch to another Android smartphone or want to have a backup, but the caveat is that sync must be enabled in advance — if you have already deleted contacts from your phone, it will be impossible to restore them through Google.

How to check and enable synchronization:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Select your account and make sure that the slider opposite Contact is active.
3. Click More → Sync Now to force the data to be updated.

To download contacts from Google to your computer:

1. Open your browser on your PC and go to contacts.google.com.
2. In the left menu, select Export → specify the format of Google CSV or vCard.
3. Click Export and save the file.

⚠️ Note: If you used multiple Google accounts on the same phone, contacts could be shared between them.

Synchronization with Google

Export to.vcf file

Backup through Mi Cloud

Transfer to SIM-map

Another option-->

3. Transfer of contacts to SIM-map (for older models)

The method is relevant for owners of Xiaomi Redmi 3S, Mi A1 and other devices until 2018, where SIM-Modern nano-SIMs don't usually have this feature, but if your old-style card (mini-SIM or micro-SIM) is a good way to try this.

Instructions:

• 📞 Open the "Contact" appendix".
• 🔧 Press three points. → Contact management → Imports/Exports.
• 📱 Select Export on Export SIM-map.
• ✅ Specify which contacts to transfer (all or selectively).

Limitations of the method:

• 🚫 Nana SIM-The card only stores the name and number (without photos, email and additional fields).
• 📛 Maximum number of contacts – usually 250 records (depending on operator).
• 🔄 When transferring to a new phone, contacts will have to be imported manually.

4. backup via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

Mi Cloud is Xiaomi’s proprietary cloud storage that automatically backs up contacts if enabled, a method that is suitable for Mi Account holders and allows you to recover data even after resetting your phone to factory settings.

How to download contacts from Mi Cloud:

1. Open the Settings. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Make sure that the Contact Slider is active and the last synchronization is successful (the date must be current).
3. Go to i.mi.com from your computer and log in.
4. In the Data Management section, select Contacts → Export.

⚠️ Note: If you delete Mi Account from your phone, all contacts stored only in this cloud will be permanently lost.

Advanced method: export via ADB (for technical users)

If standard methods don’t work (e.g., with a locked screen or a broken display), you can extract contacts using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that requires command line skills and is suitable for Xiaomi models with unlocked USB debugging.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on your phone: go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and tap 7 times on this item.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate Debugging over USB.
3. Connect your phone to your computer and confirm your trust in the device.
4. Open the Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (macOS/Linux) and type:

adb pull /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db

This command will copy the contact database to your PC, and converting it to a readable format will require additional software, such as DB Browser for SQLite or online.db →.vcf converters.

💡

If the phone is locked, but the debugging is USB It was turned on earlier, you can connect to the device through ADB For this, use the command adb shell input text 1234 (where 1234 is yours). PIN-code) to unlock the phone programmatically.

Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

The choice of export method depends on your situation, and below is a comparative table that will help you determine:

For most users, the best solution is to combine sync with Google and export to.vcf. This guarantees dual data protection. If the phone does not turn on or lock, only the ADB method remains (provided that debugging was enabled in advance).

💡

The most reliable way to use two cloud services at once is to sync your contacts with both Google and Mi Cloud, which will protect you from data loss if one of your accounts crashes.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When moving contacts, Xiaomi users often face typical problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to solve them:

• 🔄 Duplicate contacts: occurs when synchronized with multiple accounts. Solution: before exporting, disable automatic synchronization to Settings → Accounts and manually select the data source.
• 📵 Contacts are not exported: check if there is enough space in the phone’s memory to create a.vcf file. If contacts are more than 10,000, break the export into parts.
• 🔒 Cannot be exported due to screen locking: if debugging is done USB It was activated before the lock, use it. ADB. Otherwise, only resetting the phone (but it will delete all the data) will help!).
• 🌐 Google contacts are not synced: make sure your account settings have the option to Sync all data, not just your email or calendar.

Another common problem is that contacts disappear after a MIUI update, which is because new firmware versions can reset sync settings, to avoid data loss before any update:

1. Make a backup through Settings → My Device → Backup.
2. Export your contacts to the.vcf file.
3. Check that in Settings → Applications → Contacts → Memory is the correct source (not just phone).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions