How to save contacts in the memory of the Xiaomi phone: all ways with explanations

Why Xiaomi Contacts Can Be Lost and How to Avoid It

Have you ever come across a situation where after resetting or replacing settings SIM-All the contacts on Xiaomi suddenly disappear? This is a typical problem of users who do not control where exactly the phone numbers are stored. MIUI offer several options for storing contacts – and not always the most obvious of them is reliable.

The main reason for data loss is that many users do not realize the difference between saving contacts in the memory of the phone, and the other users do not know. SIM-For example, if you reset to factory settings, numbers that are only stored in the device's memory will be deleted permanently. SIM-The map is limited in size (maximum 250 entries) and does not support profile photos. In this article, we will discuss all the available ways to save contacts on Xiaomi, their pros and cons, and give clear instructions for each situation, from manual transfer to automatic synchronization.

We will focus on the nuances of MIUI 14 and later, where the contact management interface has changed. If you are using the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 or Xiaomi 13 model, the instructions below will be perfect. For owners of older devices (for example, Redmi 9A or Mi A3), we will also point out the key differences.

Method 1: Keeping contacts in the phone memory (locally)

Locally storing contacts directly in your smartphone memory is the easiest, but also the riskiest option, and should only be chosen if you are not planning to reset your settings or using multiple devices.

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette).
2. Click on + in the lower right corner to add a new contact.
3. At the top of the contact creation screen, click on the Save in field (by default, Google or Google may be there). SIM-map).
4. Select Device or Phone (name depends on MIUI version).
5. Fill in the data and click Save.

To check where existing contacts are saved, open the list of numbers, click on any contact, and look at the top of the screen – there will be a storage location (e.g. Device: 123 contacts).

⚠️ Note: Contacts stored in the phone memory are not automatically synced with other devices and will be lost when you reset or break your smartphone.

Check the free space in the phone memory (minimum 50 MB)

Create a backup of existing contacts

Make sure that contacts are not duplicated in your Google account

Write important numbers on paper or in the cloud in case of a crash-->

Method 2: Export contacts to VCF file (backup)

The.vcf file (vCard) is a universal format for storing contacts that can be transferred to any smartphone or computer, and this method is suitable if you want to back up before resetting or changing your phone. MIUI:

1. Open Contacts. → press three points (⋮) top-right.
2. Choose Contact Management → Import/Export Contacts.
3. Click Export in the file and select which contacts to export (e.g., only from the Device or all).
4. Specify the way to save (we recommend choosing Internal Memory → Download for convenience).
5. The file will be saved as contacts.vcf. Copy it to the cloud or to your computer.

To restore contacts from the.vcf file:

1. In the same menu, select Import from the file.
2. Please specify the path to the contacts.vcf file.
3. Confirm the import and wait until the completion (on a large number of contacts can take 1-2 minutes).

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If you change phones frequently, store your contacts.vcf file in a cloud service (like Google Drive or Mi Cloud) so you can quickly restore all numbers on your new device without being linked to your account.

Method 3: Keeping Contacts on SIM-map

SIM-A card is the oldest and least reliable way to store contacts, but it is still relevant for those who use multiple phones or often rearrange the card:

• 📱 Maximum of 250 contacts (depending on operator).
• 📞 Only name and number are saved (no photos, email, addresses).
• 🔄 When moving to a new one SIM-The data is not always copied correctly.

How to keep contacts on SIM-map:

1. Open Contacts. → select the right contact.
2. Click Edit → More. Three dots) → Copy on SIM-map.
3. For mass transfer: Contact management → Import / Export → Export to SIM-card.

To move the contacts with SIM-card back to phone:

1. In the Import/Export menu, select Import with SIM-map.
2. Specify where to save (e.g., to your device or Google).
3. Confirm the import.

⚠️ Note: When using nano-SIM or eSIM (as in Xiaomi 13 Pro), the function of saving contacts to the card can be disabled by the operator. SIM-map of this option in the Settings menu → SIM-maps and mobile networks.

In the memory of the phone

Nana SIM-map

On Google account

In Mi Cloud

Another option-->

Method 4: Sync with Google Account (recommended method)

The most reliable way is to link your contacts to a Google account, which ensures that all numbers are available on any device with the same account, and are also protected from loss when you reset your settings.

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Choose your account (or add a new one if you don’t have one).
3. Activate the Contact Switch.
4. Return to Contacts and when you add a new number, select Save to: Google.

To move existing contacts from your phone’s memory to Google:

1. Open Contacts → Contact Management → Contact Mergers.
2. Choose to combine with Google (if there are duplicates).
3. For mass transfer: Import/Export → Export to Google.

Advantages of this method:

• ☁️ Automatic backup to the cloud.
• 🔄 Sync between all devices (Android, iOS via Gmail).
• 📱 Recovery of contacts even after losing your phone.

Method 5: Using Mi Cloud to Backup

Mi Cloud is a cloud service from Xiaomi that allows you to back up contacts, messages and other data, a method that is convenient if you use multiple Xiaomi devices (such as a smartphone and tablet).

1. Open Settings → Mi Account (at the top of the screen).
2. Sign in to your account or register if you don’t have one.
3. Go to Mi Cloud. → Contacts.
4. Activate the Contact Synchronization switch.
5. To manually create a backup, click Backup.

Features of Mi Cloud:

• 📱 It only works on Xiaomi devices (on other Android smartphones, contacts are not synchronized).
• 🔒 Data is stored on Xiaomi servers, which can be critical for privacy.
• 📡 Requires a stable Internet connection for synchronization.

To restore contacts from Mi Cloud on your new phone:

1. Log in to the same Mi Account on the new device.
2. Go to Mi Cloud → Contacts → Restore.
3. Select the latest backup and confirm the recovery.

💡

If you use both a Google account and Mi Cloud, disable the synchronization of contacts in one of the services to avoid duplicate records.

How to Transfer Contacts from Old Xiaomi to New

When buying a new Xiaomi smartphone (for example, Redmi Note 13 Pro+), you can transfer contacts in several ways.

Method 1: Through a Google Account

If your contacts were synced to Google on your old phone, they will automatically appear on the new device after you log in to the same account.

1. On the new phone, when you first turn on, select Restore from backup.
2. Sign in to your Google account.
3. Wait until the synchronization is complete (it can take up to 10 minutes).

Method 2: Mi Mover (for Xiaomi devices)

Mi Mover is a proprietary application for transferring data between Xiaomi smartphones, and it copies not only contacts, but also messages, photos, apps.

1. Install Mi Mover on both phones (you can download from the App Store for iPhone or Google Play for Android).
2. On the old phone, select Send, on the new phone, Receive.
3. Scan it. QR-code from a new phone on an old one.
4. Select Contacts in the data list for transfer.
5. Confirm transmission and wait until completion (use Wi-Fi to speed up).

Method 3: Through the VCF file (universal)

If you don’t have access to your old phone or it’s on another platform (like iOS), export your contacts to a.vcf file (as described in Method 2) and import them to the new Xiaomi.

⚠️ Note: When transferring contacts via Mi Mover, make sure that both phones have enough battery power (at least 50.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even with the right contacts, Xiaomi users sometimes encounter errors.

Problem 1: Contacts are duplicated

This happens if you have sync enabled in both Google and Mi Cloud.

1. Open Contacts → Contact Management → Contact Mergers.
2. Click Combine Doubles and confirm the action.
3. Turn off sync in one of the services (for example, in Mi Cloud).

Problem 2: Contacts are not displayed after reset

If you reset your settings but your contacts are not restored:

• Check if sync is enabled in Settings → Accounts → Google → Contacts.
• Update the Contacts app on Google Play.
• Restart your phone and wait 5-10 minutes (sometimes the sync is delayed).

Problem 3: You can’t edit your contacts. SIM-map

Some operators block the editing of contacts on the SIM-The decision:

• Move the contacts with SIM in memory of the telephone (Import with SIM-map).
• Edit them and export them back to SIM (if necessary).

Problem 4: Contacts are missing after MIUI update

Sometimes, after updating the firmware, the contacts disappear from the interface, but they actually stay in the system.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management → Contacts.
2. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
3. Restart the Contacts app.

💡

If contacts are missing for no apparent reason, first check the Recycle Bin folder in the Contacts app – they may have been accidentally deleted and not yet permanently deleted (MIUI has a 30-day recovery period).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions