Why You Should Move Your Contacts to Xiaomi and What Risks Are There
Transfer contacts from Xiaomi smartphone to computer via USB-cable is a challenge that users face when buying a new phone, resetting settings, or needing to back up. Unlike cloud services like Google Contacts or Mi Cloud, local copying is done through a network of devices. USB gives full control over data, but requires accuracy: wrong actions can lead to loss of information or duplication of records.
The main reasons for this transfer are:
- 🔄 Migration to a new phone without being linked to the cloud
- 💾 Creating a backup copy before resetting MIUI factory-wise
- 📊 Import of contacts CRM-System or Excel for analysis
- 🔒 Privacy – Data is only stored on your PC
There are pitfalls, however, such as exporting to.vcf (vCard) format, where some fields are lost, such as contact notes or custom tags (if created in Mi Contacts), and Xiaomi phones with MIUI 14 and later have their USB file system disabled by default in File Transfer mode, which must be enabled manually.
Preparing Xiaomi phone for contact transfer
Before connecting to a PC, you need to configure your smartphone to avoid problems with device recognition or blocking access to data.
- 🔓 Unlock the phone screen and connect it to the original computer USB-cable (cheap cables often do not support data transmission).
- 📱 A notification will appear on the phone screen "USB for file transfer" - tap it and select "File transfer mode" (MTP).
- 🔧 If you're optional MTP Inactive, go to Settings → Connection and sharing → USB and enable "File Transfer" manually.
- 🛡️ Some models (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi Note 12) require additional permission to access the "Storage" in the Files settings".
Developer mode is enabled (optional, but useful for debugging)|Used by the original USB-cable|The phone allowed access to storage for PC|Drivers are installed on the PC ADB (Windows)-->
On Windows 10/11 computers, drivers for Xiaomi are installed automatically, but if the device is not identified, download Mi PC Suite or ADB drivers manually. MacOS or Linux users may need an Android-file-transfer package.
⚠️ Note: If you connect Xiaomi to your computer for the first time, a request for debugging permission will appear on the phone screen USB (If the developer mode is on, don't confirm it unless you plan to use it. ADB — It's an unnecessary safety risk.
Method 1: Export contacts to a VCF file via the Contacts app
The easiest method is to export contacts to the universal.vcf (vCard) format directly from the standard Mi Contacts app, which works on all Xiaomi phones regardless of the MIUI version.
Instructions:
- Open the Contacts app on your phone.
- Tap it on. ⋮ (three dots) in the upper right corner and select "Contact management".
- Scroll down and click "Import/Export Contacts" → "Export to File".
- Select the accounts you want to export from (e.g., “Phone” or “Google”).
- Specify a folder to save (for example, “Downloads”) and confirm export.
A file with the.vcf extension will appear in the selected folder. Now connect the phone to your PC in MTP mode, find this file through Windows Explorer (or Finder on a Mac) and copy it to your computer.
💡
If there are many exported contacts (more than 500), break them into several. VCF-Some programs (such as Outlook) do not handle large vCard files well.
| File format | Advantages | Deficiencies |
|---|---|---|
| .vcf (vCard) | Universal format, supported by all devices | Notes and user fields may be lost |
| .csv (Excel) | Convenient for editing in tables | Requires conversion, not all fields are saved |
| .xml (Android Backup) | Stores all data, including call history | It is difficult to open without specialized programs. |
Method 2: Copying a contact database through a file manager
For power users, there is an alternative method to copy the contact database directly from the Android system folder, which allows you to save all fields, including notes and tags that are lost when exported to VCF. However, this method requires root rights or access to hidden folders through ADB.
If you don’t have root, follow the following steps:
- Connect your phone to your PC in MTP mode.
- Enable "Show Hidden Files" in Windows Explorer settings.
- Go along the way: Internal Memory → Android → Data → com.android.providers.contacts → databases
- Copy the contacts2.db file to your computer.
To open this file, use programs like DB Browser for SQLite or SQLiteStudio. Note: the database contains all contacts, including remote ones (they are marked as deleted=1).
⚠️ Note: Do not edit the file contacts2.db A mistake in the database structure can lead to the loss of all contacts on the phone.
How to get contacts out of contacts2.db without SQL-knowledge?
Method 3: Sync with Mi PC Suite (official software from Xiaomi)
If previous methods seem complicated, use the official Mi PC Suite utility. the program automatically recognizes the connected Xiaomi, offers backup of contacts and other data, as well as recovery from the backup.
Step-by-step:
- Download Mi PC Suite from the official website and install it on PC.
- Connect your phone via USB by selecting File Transfer mode.
- In the program, go to the "Backup" section.
- Check "Contacts" and click "Create backup".
- After the process is complete, the backup will be saved to the MiPhoneBackup folder on the C: disk.
The advantage of this method is automatic backup updates when you reconnect your phone, but there are also disadvantages: the program does not export contacts to a readable format (for example, VCF or CSV), but saves them in a proprietary format Xiaomi.
Exports to VCF via the “Contact” annex"|Copying the database contacts2.db|Use of Mi PC Suite|Cloud synchronization (Google/Mi Cloud)|Another option-->
Solving common problems when transferring contacts
Even when following instructions, users often encounter errors, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:
- 🚫 Computer can't see phone: Try another USB-cable or port. Update drivers through Device Manager (Windows).Reboot your phone and PC.
- 🔄 Contacts are not fully exported: Check if all accounts are selected from the export menu. Delete duplicate contacts via Settings → Contacts → Combining and correcting.
- 📂 Can't find the file. contacts2.db: Make sure that the hidden folder display is enabled. ADB To extract the file (command: adb pull) /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db).
If your phone is permanently disconnected when connecting via MTP, try:
- Disable battery optimization for Media application (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Media → Battery → No restrictions).
- Enable Developer Mode and disable Debugging MTP (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (Tap 7 times) → Additional → For Developers → Debugging MTP).
💡
If none of these methods work, check to see if you block access to files from the antivirus on your PC or the “Personal Data Protection” function in MIUI (located in Settings → Privacy).
How to import PC contacts back to Xiaomi
If you need to return contacts from your computer to your phone (for example, after resetting your settings), use the reverse process:
For.vcf files:
- Copy the file to your phone into any folder (such as Downloads).
- Open the "Contact" appendix" → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports → File-based import.
- Select the copied.vcf file and confirm the import.
For the base. contacts2.db:
- First, back up your current database (rename it) contacts2.db into contacts2_backup.db).
- Copy the saved file back to the databases folder.
- Reboot the phone.
⚠️ Note: When importing from VCF Before the procedure, delete all existing records or use the option "Combine with existing" (if available).