How to save a phone number on Xiaomi: all ways with explanations

Saving a phone number on Xiaomi smartphones only seems like a trivial task – in practice, users face unexpected difficulties. Depending on the version of MIUI, the device model (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11) and even the firmware region, the process can be different. For example, in Chinese versions of the software there is no synchronization with Google Contacts, and on global builds, imports from the SIM- card sometimes “failure”.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to save numbers on Xiaomi in 2026 year, including hidden features MIUI, bypassing the restrictions of Chinese firmware and solving common errors (such as “contact is not saved” or “numbers disappeared after updating”). Special attention will be paid to security – explain why it is risky to store contacts only on the SIM- card, and how to properly configure backup.

1. manually save the number through the “Contacts” app

The most obvious, but not always intuitive, way is to add a contact directly to the standard Contacts app (a human silhouette icon) on Xiaomi, which can be called variously Contacts, Phone or People (on POCO). Importantly, the interface looks different from the version of MIUI — on MIUI 14, the menu is simplified, and in MIUI 12.5, some items are hidden deeper.

To keep the number:

• 📱 Open the Contacts app and click on the +* icon in the lower right corner.
• 📝 Enter name and number. Notice the room type field — select Mobile, Work or Home for easy search.
• 💾 Click Save and select your account to sync: Google, Mi Account or Local (on the device).

⚠️ Warning: If you choose to save Local, contacts will disappear when you reset your phone to factory settings. Use Google Account or Mi Cloud for reliability.

On some models (e.g. Redmi 10C with firmware for India), the account selection field may not be available, in which case the contact is automatically saved to Local Contacts, to change this:

1. Open the saved contact.
2. Click Edit → More (three dots) → Move to...
3. Choose Google or Mi Account.

The correct number type (mobile/working) is selected

Name (otherwise the contact will be displayed as a number)

Selected account for synchronization (not "Local")

Verified the correctness of the number (without unnecessary symbols)-->

2. Import numbers with SIM- cards on Xiaomi

Many users store contacts on the SIM- card, especially when switching from an old phone. On Xiaomi, importing from the SIM does not always work smoothly - most often problems arise with Micro-SIM or Nano-SIM cards issued before the 2018 year. If contacts do not show, try the following steps:

Import instructions:

• 📌 Insert the SIM- card into the SIM 1 slot (on some models, the import works only with the first slot).
• 🔍 Open Contacts → Settings (cogs) → Import/Export contacts.
• 📥 Select Import from the SIM- card and specify an account to save (recommended by Google).
• ✅ Confirm the import and wait until the completion (may take up to 2 minutes).

If you fail to import, try an alternative method:

1. Install the SIM Card application from Google Play.
2. Open it and select Copy SIM to Phone.
3. Export contacts to a.vcf file and import it through Contacts → Settings → Import.

Copying with SIM-map

Synchronize through Google

I'm using a backup of MIUI.

Transfer via Bluetooth or VCF file

Another way.-->

3. Synchronize contacts with Google Account

The most reliable way to save numbers is by linking to a Google Account, which allows you to restore contacts on any Android device, even after you reset. On Xiaomi, sync is not always automatically enabled, especially if you missed the step of adding an account when you first set up.

How to set up synchronization:

• 🔄 Go to Settings. → Accounts and synchronization → Google.
• 📋 Select your account (if not, add through Add Account).
• 🔗 Turn on the Contacts switch (and People Details, if any).
• 🔄 Return to Contacts, click on three points → Settings → Contact Management and select Google as your default account.

⚠️ Warning: On the Chinese versions of MIUI (e.g., on the Xiaomi 13 Pro for the Chinese market), the sync option with Google may not be available, in which case use Mi Account or third-party apps like Contacts Sync Fix.

To check if your contacts are saved on Google:

1. Create a test contact (e.g., Test 123 with number 1234567890).
2. Go to contacts.google.com on your computer and log in.
3. If the contact is displayed, the sync works. If not, repeat the settings or restart the phone.

💡

If your contacts are not restored from Google after resetting your phone, check if your account settings are disabled, and MIUI sometimes resets these settings after the update.

4.Export and import of contacts via VCF file

The.vcf (vCard) format is a universal way to transfer contacts between devices. On Xiaomi, exports to VCF are stable, but imports sometimes fail due to encryption. For example, Cyrillic names can be displayed by Krakozabras if the file is created on an iPhone.

How to export contacts:

• 📤 Open Contacts → Settings → Import/Export Contacts → Export to File.
• 📁 Select an account (e.g. Google) and confirm export. The file will be saved in the Download folder as contacts.vcf.
• 📎 Send the file to your own mail or copy it to your computer for backup.

How to import:

• 📥 Place the.vcf file in the phone’s memory (e.g., in the Downloads folder).
• 🔍 Open Contacts → Settings → Import/Export → Import from the file.
• 📂 Select a file and specify an account to save.

If there are errors in importation:

• 🔠 Check the file encoding (should be UTF-8). If the file is created on an iPhone, open it in a text editor and save it again to UTF-8.
• 📊 Break up a large file (more than 500 contacts) into multiple parts — MIUI sometimes freezes when importing bulky VCF files.
• 🛠️ Use third-party applications, such as VCF Fix, to fix corrupted files.

5. Save numbers via Mi Cloud (for Chinese firmware)

On Chinese-based devices (Xiaomi for the Chinese market, Redmi with a global version of MIUI, but without Google services), the only reliable way to sync is Mi Cloud. However, this method has limitations: contact backups are only stored for 30 days and cannot be exported manually.

How to set up Mi Cloud:

• ☁️ Go to Settings → Mi Account and log in (if you don’t have an account, sign up).
• 🔄 Turn on the Contact Sync switch.
• 📱 Make sure in Contacts → Settings → Contact Management is selected by Mi Account as the default account.

Features of Mi Cloud:

• 🌐 Contacts are synced only between Xiaomi devices (other Android smartphones will not have them).
• 🔒 To restore contacts after reset, you need to log back into Mi Account and enable synchronization.
• 📡 If you log out, contacts will remain on your phone, but no new changes will be synced.

⚠️ Warning: In 2023, Xiaomi tightened its data retention policy in Mi Cloud.If you haven't logged in for more than 6 months, contact backups can be deleted without warning.

💡

Mi Cloud is only suitable for the Xiaomi ecosystem.If you plan to switch to another brand (Samsung, Google Pixel), use Google sync or regularly export contacts to VCF.

6. Automatic contact backup

To avoid losing numbers when your phone breaks down or resets, set up automatic backup. Xiaomi has two options: through MIUI Backup or third-party apps.

Method 1: MIUI Backup

• 🔄 Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Backup and reset → Local backups.
• 📋 Select Contacts and click Backup. The file will be saved in the MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder.
• 🔄 For recovery: Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Select a file.

Method 2: Third-party applications

For reliability, we recommend using:

• 📱 Super Backup & Restore – allows you to save contacts, SMS and a call log to the cloud or to a memory card.
• ☁️ Contacts Backup – automatically sends backups to email.
• 🔗 Swift Backup is the most flexible solution for advanced users.

Set up automatic backup in Super Backup:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and select Contacts.
3. Click Backup and specify the save location (e.g., SD- card or Google Drive).
4. Enable Authorization and select frequency (e.g. once a week).

7. Solving Typical Contact Problems on Xiaomi

Xiaomi users often encounter contact-related MIUI bugs, and here are the most common problems and solutions:

If the contacts are missing after discharge:

1. Check if synchronization is included in Settings → Accounts.
2. If you have used Mi Cloud, log in to your account and wait for automatic sync (it can take up to 10 minutes).
3. If the contacts were saved locally, restore them from a MIUI backup (see Section 6).

To diagnose contact problems:

• 🛠️ Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Contacts → Memory and click Clear Cache.
• 🔄 Reboot your phone — sometimes it solves display issues.
• 📋 Check if sync is disabled in the battery settings (Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization → Find Contacts and turn off optimization).

FAQ: Frequent questions about saving numbers on Xiaomi