How to keep contacts on Xiaomi phone: all the ways + instructions

Keeping contacts on Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi and POCO models) is a task that seems simple only at first glance. In practice, users face problems: contacts disappear after resetting, do not sync between devices or are duplicated in a phone book. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to save contacts, from basic addition to phone memory to automatic synchronization with cloud services.

Feature of firmware MIUI (even in the latest versions MIUI 14/15 Android-based 13/14) It's the flexibility of the contacts, but it's also confusing. SIM-Maps, internal phone memory and Google account, without showing up in the right section, and we'll show you how to avoid these situations and set up secure storage.

Important: If you plan to reset your phone to factory settings, change SIM-card or switch to a new smartphone, be sure to read the section on backup – this will save you from losing important numbers.

1. Basic ways to add contacts to Xiaomi

So, to start with, the simplest way to keep a new contact directly in your phone book is to have three basic options at MIUI:

• 📱 Phone memory – contacts are stored locally and are not synced to the cloud, suitable if you do not use a Google account or do not want numbers to be available on other devices.
• 📧 Google Accounts – automatically sync to your profile and are available on any device after you log in to the same account.
• 📶 Nana SIM-It's an outdated method, but it's still supported. It's convenient if you change your phones a lot, but you don't use the cloud.

To add contact:

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette).
2. Click on the + icon in the lower right corner.
3. Choose where to save the contact (by default, Google account is usually offered).
4. Fill in the fields: name, phone number, additional information (mail, address, etc.).
5. Press Save.

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If the contact is not added, the option of saving SIM-check if it's inserted into the slot and recognized by the phone. → SIM-maps and mobile networks

Note that if you choose to save your phone, the contacts will only be linked to that device, and if your phone is reset or broken, they can only be restored through a backup (discussed below).

2. synchronize contacts with Google account

The most reliable way to save contacts is to link them to a Google account, which ensures that even if you lose or change your phone, all numbers will remain available after you log in to the same profile, and in MIUI, sync is automatically activated when you first log in to your account, but sometimes you have to manually configure it.

To check or enable synchronization:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Choose your account (if there are several).
3. Make sure the switch opposite the Contact is active (lit in blue).
4. Click on “Sync Now” to start the process manually.

If the contacts are not synchronized:

• 🔄 Check your internet connection (synchronization only works if you have a network).
• 🔒 Make sure that the phone does not turn on traffic saving (Settings) → Connections → Saving traffic).
• 📱 Reboot your phone – sometimes it helps to resume syncing.

Important: If you delete a contact on your phone, it will also disappear from your Google account and from all synced devices. To avoid accidental deletion, enable archiving in Google Contacts (via the web version on your computer).

3. Maintaining contacts on SIM-map: pros and cons

Maintaining contacts SIM-The card is a method inherited from old button phones, which is supported at Xiaomi, but has some limitations:

To keep in touch with SIM-map:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Click on the contact you want to copy or create a new one.
3. In the editing menu, click on three dots («⋮») → «Exports/imports» → «Copy on SIM-map».
4. Select the desired contacts (or all) and confirm the copy.

⚠️ Note: when copying contacts with SIM-Cards to the phone (or vice versa) may have encoding errors that render Russian letters as question marks. GSM (mobile network settings).

4.Export and import of contacts via VCF file

VCF (Virtual Contact File) is a universal way to back up contacts. A.vcf file can be saved to a computer, flash drive or cloud, and then imported to any phone, including Xiaomi, which is especially useful when switching from iPhone to Android or vice versa.

To export contacts to the VCF file:

1. Open Contacts. → press three points («⋮») → «Exports/imports».
2. Select "Export to File".
3. Specify which contacts to export (e.g., only from a Google account or all of them).
4. Select a folder to save (recommended Internal Memory → Download for easy access).
5. Click Export. The file will be saved as contacts.vcf.

For import:

1. Copy the.vcf file to your phone (for example, via Mi Drop, Google Drive, or USB cable).
2. In the Contacts app, select “Export/Import” → “Import from File”.
3. Please enter the file and confirm the import.

All contacts with Google are synchronized?|Is there enough space on the phone for the file? VCF?|The file is stored in a safe place (not just on the phone)?|Checked for duplicate contacts?-->

⚠️ Note: when importing contacts from VCF-They are stored in the phone memory by default, not in the Google account. To avoid duplication, manually transfer them to the desired account after importing them (open contact). → «Edit» → Change your save account).

5. Backup of contacts via MIUI

MIUI has a built-in backup tool that saves not only contacts, but also messages, photos, system settings, but for reliability, we recommend creating a separate copy of contacts, which is faster and takes up less space.

To create a backup copy:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Select Contacts (you can also add messages, notes, etc.).
3. Click on “Create a backup” and wait until it is completed.
4. The copy file will be saved in the MIUI/Backup/AllBackup folder.

For recovery:

1. In the same menu (Local Backup) select the desired copy.
2. Click on “Restore” and confirm the action.

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Local backup in MIUI does not replace synchronization with Google; it is useful for quick recovery on the same phone, but it is not suitable for transferring data to another device.

If you want to automate the process, enable automatic backup:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Mi Account.
2. Enable the “Backup” option and select the frequency (daily, weekly).
3. Make sure that the copy settings are marked with “Contacts”.

6. Alternative cloud services for storing contacts

In addition to Google, Xiaomi can use other cloud services to sync contacts.

• 🌐 Mi Account (Xiaomi Cloud) is a built-in service from Xiaomi that automatically reserves contacts if synchronization is enabled.
• 🍎 iCloud is suitable if you use both iPhone and Xiaomi. Requires the installation of iCloud for Android.

To set up sync with Mi Account:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Mi Account.
2. Sign in to your Xiaomi account (or create a new one).
3. Activate the Contacts switch.
4. Press "Sync."

For iCloud:

1. Install iCloud from Google Play.
2. Log in to your Apple ID.
3. Enable the “Contacts” option in the application settings.

⚠️ Note: when using multiple cloud services at the same time (e.g. Google) + Mi Account) synchronization conflicts can occur, leading to duplicate contacts. To avoid this, select one primary service and disable synchronization in the others.

7. Solving Contact Issues on Xiaomi

Even with the right contacts settings on Xiaomi, there can be problems, and let’s look at the most common ones and how to solve them:

If your contacts are lost after a phone reset, try to restore them through Google Contacts:

1. Go to contacts.google.com from your computer.
2. Log in to the same Google account as on your phone.
3. Check if your contacts are there. If so, turn on the phone sync (Settings → Accounts → Google → Contacts).

Frequently asked questions