How to copy contacts with SIM- cards on Xiaomi Redmi 9C: all working ways

Transferring contacts from the SIM- card to the Xiaomi Redmi 9C smartphone is a challenge that every new owner of the device faces. Despite its apparent simplicity, the process can be difficult due to the features of the MIUI shell, the limitations of the contact storage format on the SIM or the non-obvious settings. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods of importing, from standard phone functions to workarounds for problem cases.

The Redmi 9C (M2006C3LG model) feature is the use of Android 10/11 firmware with a branded MIUI 12/13 shell, where the contact menu may differ from the "pure" Android. In addition, SIM- cards support storing contacts in an outdated format with a limited character (for example, only Latin in names), which requires additional processing after import. We took into account all these nuances and prepared your model.

Important: If you plan to delete the SIM- card after transfer or reset your phone to factory settings, be sure to check the integrity of the copied data. In 15% of cases, contacts are imported with errors (missed numbers, characters instead of Cyrillic).

1. Standard import through the “Contacts” app

The most obvious way is to use the built-in import feature in the Contacts app (a human silhouette icon on a green background), which works on all versions of MIUI for Redmi 9C, but may vary visually depending on the updates.

1. Open the Contacts app (if it is not on the home screen, search through the swipe search down).
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. Choose. SIM-card (if there are two) and tick the necessary contacts or click Select all.
5. Specify your target account to save: Device (locally) or Google (for sync).
6. Confirm the import with the OK button and wait until it is completed (it can take up to 1 minute with 200+ contacts).

⚠️ Warning: If after importing the contact names are displayed as???? or characters, the problem is encoding the SIM- card.

Make sure that SIM-The card is inserted into slot 1 (main card)

Close all background apps (especially messengers)

Connect your phone to charge (with a lot of contacts)

Check the space in the memory (needs at least 5 MB)

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After successful import, we recommend you to open any contact and check:

• 📞 Correctness of the number display (whether there are missing numbers or extra characters).
• 👤 Name correctness (Cyrillic must be read, without "krakozyabr").
• 📎 Presence of additional fields (if they were on SIM: second number, email).

2.Import via Phone Settings

An alternative way is to use the Xiaomi Redmi 9C settings menu. This method is useful if the Contacts app is unstable or missing from your MIUI version.

1. Open the settings (cog icon).
2. Go to the Appendix section → Application management.
3. Find the contact list and tap it.
4. Select Warehouse. → Imports/Exports.
5. Follow the steps similar to the first method (selecting SIM, contacts, account for saving).

The advantage of this method is access to additional options, for example:

• 🔄 The ability to export contacts back to SIM (useful for backup).
• 🗑️ Cleanup of duplicates after import (in the Contact Management menu).
• ☁️ Sync with Mi Account (if you use the Xiaomi ecosystem)

⚠️ Warning: When importing via Redmi settings 9C, photos of contacts attached to records on SIM are sometimes reset. If critical, save the photo to the gallery beforehand.

Nana SIM-map

Google account

In the memory of the phone

In the cloud (iCloud, Mi Cloud)

Another option-->

3.Use of Google Account for Import

If you plan to sync your contacts with other devices (like a tablet or laptop), importing through a Google Account is the best option.

1. Make sure that your phone has a Google account added and active (Settings → Accounts and Sync).
2. Open the Contacts app and go to Contact Management → Import/Export.
3. Select Import with SIM-Maps and specify your target Google account.
4. After importing, enable synchronization: Settings → Accounts → Google → Contact Synchronization.

Advantages of this method:

• ☁️ Automatic backup to the cloud.
• 🔄 Access contacts from any device after logging in to your account.
• 🛠️ Recovery of contacts when resetting the phone.

✅ Useful tip: After importing, check the contacts on the web version of Google Contacts (contacts.google.com).

1) Internet connection (Wi-Fi or mobile data).

2) Sync settings in Google account.

3) Is there enough space in cloud storage (15 GB free).-->

4. Solving encoding problems (hieroglyphs instead of letters)

A common problem when importing with SIM is that contact names are displayed as????, characters or characters �. This is because SIM- cards use outdated GSM 7-bit encoding that does not support Cyrillic.

Method 1: Manual fixing through Google Contacts

1. Import your contacts to your Google account (see Section 3).
2. Open contacts.google.com on your computer.
3. Find contacts with characters, click on them and manually correct the names.
4. Sync changes with your phone (Settings → Accounts → Google → Sync).

Method 2: Using Third-Party Applications

Apps like SIM Card Contacts Recovery or Copy to SIM Card (available on Google Play) can convert encoding when imported.

1. Install one of the applications and give access to the contacts.
2. Select the Import with SIM option with the UTF-8 encoding.
3. Save contacts in your phone memory or Google account.

⚠️ Warning: Some SIM- contact applications request superuser rights (root). On Redmi 9C this may violate warranty and security - only use proven utilities with a rating of 4.5+.

5. Backup of contacts before importation

Before transferring SIM contacts to Redmi 9C, we recommend you to create a backup copy, which will protect you from data loss in case of failures or import errors.

🔹 Key takeaway: The best option is to combine export to.vcf (for local backup) and sync with Google (for cloud backup) and cover 99% of the risk of data loss.

💡

Never delete contacts with SIM- cards immediately after importing! first check the integrity of the data on the phone and back up in another format (VCF or Google).

6. Alternative methods of transferring contacts

If standard methods don’t work (e.g., the phone doesn’t see SIM- contacts or gives you an error), try these options:

Method 1: Through Bluetooth

This is a good idea if you have a second phone (not even Xiaomi):

1. On an old phone, export your SIM contacts to memory.
2. Send the.vcf file via Bluetooth to Redmi 9C.
3. Open the file and the contacts will be added automatically.

Method 2: Using the computer

You will need a card reader or adapter for the SIM- card:

1. Connect the SIM to the computer via a card reader.
2. Use SIM Card Data Recovery to export contacts to.csv or.vcf.
3. Transfer the file to your phone and import through Contacts.

Method 3: Cloning applications

A utility like Clone Contacts or My Contacts Backup can:

• 📱 Copy contacts directly between phones over Wi-Fi.
• 🔄 Combine duplicates automatically.
• 📂 Keep the history of changes (useful for rollbacks of erroneous edits).

⚠️ Warning: When using third-party apps, disable autosynchronization from the Google/Mi Account during the transfer. This will prevent contact version conflicts.

7. Frequent errors and their solution

Even if the instructions are followed correctly, Redmi 9C users may encounter problems, and consider typical scenarios and ways to fix them:

🔹 Expert advice: If none of these methods worked, try upgrading Redmi 9C firmware to the latest version MIUI. Updates often fix bugs with SIM- contacts. Check the current version in Settings → About Phone → System Update.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions