How to transfer contacts to SIM-Map in Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro: all the ways and nuances

Why keep in touch with the people SIM-The map is relevant to the Redmi Note 8 Pro

In the era of cloud services and sync through Google Account, keep your contacts on the Internet SIM-The map may seem like an anachronism, but for owners of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro, this method remains in demand for several reasons, SIM-The card is a backup in case of a phone reset or loss of access to your account, and secondly, it allows you to quickly transfer numbers to another device without depending on the Internet. Finally, some users prefer to keep critical contacts (e.g., emergency services) on the Internet. SIM, So that they are available even when the smartphone breaks down.

But here’s the catch: modern versions of MIUI (especially since MIUI 12) have hidden the direct export option on SIM. This is due to Xiaomi’s policy of promoting cloud solutions. However, workarounds exist — and in this article we’ll take a look at all of them, from standard to alternative. It’s important to consider that the Redmi Note 8 Pro only supports saving contacts on SIM in GSM format, which limits the length of the name (maximum 14 characters) and does not store additional fields like email or address.

Preparation: What to Know Before Keeping Contacts

Before you start the transfer, check three key points:

• 📱 Version. MIUI: On the Redmi Note. 8 Pro out of the box is installed MIUI 10/11, But after the updates, it could have come. MIUI 12+, where the export menu is hidden. You can find the version in Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI.
• 📇 Type SIM-The phone supports nano-SIM, but only the usual one is suitable for maintaining contacts SIM (Not eSIM!! Make sure the card is inserted into the slot SIM 1 – Some users note export problems when using SIM 2.
• 🔄 Sync: If contacts are linked to a Google Account or Mi Cloud, make them “local” first. → Accounts. → Google/Mi Account. → Synchronization of contacts.

Also note that SIM-The card has strict restrictions:

⚠️ Note: If you are using duality SIM (two cards at the same time, extract the second card before exporting, otherwise the system may keep contacts on the wrong card. SIM or make a mistake, "I failed to export".

Method 1: Standard Exports through Contact Menu (MIUI 10–11)

On older firmware versions, the SIM save option is available directly, and here's how to use it:

1. Open the Contacts app (a icon with a person's silhouette).
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Contact Management.
3. Go to Import/Export Contacts → Exports to SIM-map.
4. Select contacts for export (you can mark everything) and click Ready.
5. Confirm saving to SIM 1 or SIM 2 (if available).

It takes 10 seconds to a minute depending on the number of contacts, and when you complete the process, you will see a notification "Export completed." → Settings → Show contacts with SIM-map.

Check out the MIUI version.

Turn off sync with the cloud

Make sure that the SIM is inserted into slot 1

Leave only one number for contact (remove duplicates)

Save a backup of contacts on your phone-->

⚠️ Note: If after exporting the contact SIM They show up as empty or cropped names, the problem is the encoding. The solution is to use the Latin alphabet instead of the Cyrillic alphabet or to shorten the names to 7 characters.

Method 2: A workaround for MIUI 12 and later

In newer versions of the firmware, the Export to SIM option has disappeared from the menu, but it can be returned using the hidden developer mode:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times)
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find the option to Show Exports on SIM (or similar) and enable it.
4. Reboot the phone. After that, the export point will appear in the contact menu.

If the option is not available even in developer mode, try an alternative method:

• 📲 Install a third-party contact management app, such as Contacts+ Sim Contact Manager from Google Play.
• 🔄 In these applications, the option of exporting SIM usually available without limitation.
• ⚙️ Configure contact and storage permissions for the selected application.

Standard MIUI menu

Third-party annexes

Manual SIM input

Cloud services (Google/Mi Cloud)-->

Method 3: Manual contacting of the SIM-map

If the automatic methods don't work, you have to manually type. It's time-consuming, but it's reliable.

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Press. + (Add a contact) and select Save to SIM-map.
3. Enter your name (up to 14 characters) and phone number (numbers only).
4. Keep in touch. He'll appear on the list marked SIM 1.

To speed up the process:

• 📋 Use clipboard: copy the number from the main contact and paste in the manual input field.
• 🔤 For Cyrillic names, use a transliterate (for example, "Ivanov" instead of "Ivanov").
• 📞 Check the numbers for correctness — SIM does not support formatting (for example, +79123456789 will remain as 79123456789).

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Before you manually type, sort your contacts alphabetically in the main list, so you don't miss important numbers and save time.

Problem Solving: Why Contacts Are Not Saved on SIM

If the export ends in a mistake, check these points:

If none of these methods worked, try resetting your network settings:

1. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks.
2. Select Network Settings Reset (does not delete contacts, only network settings).
3. Restart the phone and repeat the export.

Alternative methods of backup contacts

If SIM saving is impossible or uncomfortable, consider these options:

• ☁️ Google Account: Automatic sync with Google Contacts. Available via Settings → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization of contacts.
• 📱 Local Export: Save contacts to.vcf via Contacts → Management → Imports/Exports → Exports to the vault.
• 🔗 Mi Cloud: Xiaomi Cloud with Backup. Included in Settings → Mi Account. → Mi Cloud → Contacts.
• 💾 Third-party services: Apps like My Contacts Backup or Super Backup allow you to export contacts to the Internet XML, CSV or send it to you by email.

The advantage of these methods is that there are no restrictions on the number of contacts and that all fields (email, addresses, notes) are saved, but they require access to the Internet to recover.

💡

SIM-The card is suitable for storing critical contacts (for example, emergency services or loved ones), but does not replace a full backup. SIM + cloud-storage.

FAQ: Frequent questions about saving contacts on SIM in Redmi Note 8 Pro