How to transfer contacts on Xiaomi phone: all ways with instructions

Shifting contacts from one Xiaomi device to another or backing up is often a headache for users. Even experienced owners of Redmi, Poco or Black Shark smartphones are sometimes lost in the variety of synchronization methods, from standard MIUI features to Google cloud services. The problem is complicated if you need to save not only numbers, but also attached photos, notes or call histories.

In this article, we will analyze 5 proven methods of copying contacts on Xiaomi phones, including little-known chips like exporting through the Internet. VCF-file or transfer over Bluetooth without the Internet. MIUI (12 to 14) and models with hybrid slots under SIM-If you're afraid of losing important numbers when you change your phone or reset your settings, you'll find reliable solutions here.

1. copying contacts through a Google account (recommended method)

Google account sync is the most versatile and secure method that works on all Xiaomi phones, regardless of model. The main advantage is that contacts are automatically updated on all devices where you are logged in to the same account. This method is suitable even if you lost your phone or it broke — data will remain in the cloud.

To enable synchronization:

• 📱 Open the Contacts app on your Xiaomi.
• 🔧 Click on three dots in the upper right corner → Contact management → Import/Export of contacts.
• ☁️ Select Sync with Google and log in to your account if required.
• 🔄 Wait until the process is complete (may take a few minutes with a lot of contacts).

Make sure that your Google account settings enable contact synchronization|Check that the web version of Google Contacts (contacts.google.com) displays all numbers.|Compare the number of contacts on your phone and in the cloud|Make a test call from another device to confirm the relevance of the data-->

⚠️ Note: If you have previously synced contacts with another account (e.g. Mi Account), they may be duplicated. Before transferring, it is recommended to clear the old data in Settings. → Accounts. → Google → Delete the data.

2. Export contacts to the VCF file (for backup)

The.vcf (vCard) format is a standard contact storage file that all modern smartphones support, and is convenient to use for a single transfer to another phone or backup. Unlike Google sync, this method doesn’t require internet and works even on phones without any internet connection. SIM-map.

Export instructions:

1. Launch the Contacts app.
2. Slip on three points → Contact Management → Import / Export.
3. Select Export to the file and specify the location of the save (for example, Internal Memory → Download).
4. Confirm export – the file will be created with the name contacts_[date.vcf.

To import contacts to a new phone:

• 📁 Copy the.vcf file to a new device (via Bluetooth, USB cloud).
• 📥 Open the file – the system will offer to import contacts.
• ✅ Confirm the action and wait for the completion.

⚠️ Note: When importing a large number of contacts (more than 1000) MIUI In this case, break the file into several parts using services like VCF Splitter.

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

way SIM-The card is suitable for owners of older Xiaomi models (for example, Redmi). 4A or Mi A1) It's not a very good idea, but it's a very limited method: SIM-The card stores only phone numbers and names (without photos, email, and other fields) and the memory capacity is limited. 250-500 contact, depending on the operator.

How to copy contacts to SIM:

1. Put it in. SIM-phone-card.
2. Open Contacts. → Contact management → Imports/Exports.
3. Select Export on Export SIM-map and mark the desired contacts (or click Select All).
4. Confirm the copy and wait for the notification of success.

To transfer SIM contacts to a new phone:

• 📶 Put it in. SIM-map.
• 📥 Contact us. → Import with SIM.
• 🔄 Choose where to save your contacts (on your phone or Google account).

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If SIM-The card is not readable, try clearing its contacts before copying. To do this, select Delete everything from the Import/Export menu. SIM, Then repeat the export.

4. Copy contacts via Bluetooth (without the Internet)

Bluetooth contact transfer is a rarely used but useful method if you don’t have cable or Wi-Fi on hand.It works between any phone (including iPhone), but has a limitation: you can only transfer 1 contact per send. For a large number of records, the process will become tedious.

How to send contacts via Bluetooth:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on both phones and pair them.
2. Open the Contacts app on Xiaomi.
3. Select the contact you want to copy and click Share (arrow icon).
4. In the list of options, select Bluetooth and confirm sending to the target device.

On the receiving phone:

• 📲 Accept the incoming file (usually.vcf).
• 📥 Open the file you receive – the contact will be automatically added to the phone book.

⚠️ Note: When you transfer contacts between Xiaomi and iPhone via Bluetooth, Cyrillic characters in names may be lost. Before mass transfer, check the correct display on the target device.

5. Transfer of contacts by computer (for advanced users)

If you need to not only copy contacts, but also edit them before transferring (for example, delete duplicates or correct the format of numbers), the most convenient way to use a computer is to use the official Mi PC Suite program or manual export through ADB.

Method 1: Through Mi PC Suite

• 🖥️ Set up Mi. PC Suite on the computer.
• 📱 Connect Xiaomi to the USB (Turn on the debugging. USB developer-setting).
• 📂 In the program, select the Contact section. → Exports (.csv or.vcf format).
• 🔄 After editing, import the file back.

Method 2: ADB (for technical users)

If you need to get a complete contact database along with metadata (such as call history), use the command:

adb backup -f contacts.ab -apk com.android.contacts

This command will back up the contacts.ab file, which can then be restored to another device.

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Using a computer to transfer contacts is the only way to keep a complete history of interactions (calls, messages) along with numbers.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even when following instructions, Xiaomi users encounter common mistakes when copying contacts, and consider the most common ones and how to fix them.

Problem 1: Contacts are not synced with Google

• 🔍 Check if synchronization is included in Settings → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization of contacts.
• 🔄 Restart your phone and try again.
• 📶 Make sure your phone is connected to the internet (Wi-Fi or mobile data).

Problem 2: The VCF file is not imported

• 📄 Check the integrity of the file (open it in the text editor – there should be readable text).
• 📱 Try importing a file through another contact manager (e.g. Samsung Contacts).
• 🔄 Break a large file into several parts (500 contacts).

Problem 3: Duplicate contacts after transfer

• 🧹 Use the built-in merge function in Contacts → Management → Combine the takes.
• 🔍 Check if your contacts are synced with Google and Mi Account.
• 📊 Export contacts to.csv, remove duplicates to Excel, then import back.

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If photos of contacts are missing after transfer, check if they are saved in the Google Photos cloud. Sometimes MIUI does not copy images when exported to VCF. In this case, download the photos separately and attach them manually.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions