How to create a copy of contacts on Xiaomi: all methods with instructions

Losing contacts on a smartphone is one of the most frustrating situations for a user, especially if the phone book contained important numbers of colleagues, customers or loved ones who are not in the messengers. MIUI They offer several built-in backup methods, but many users are unaware of them or use inefficient methods. SIM-The card limits the number of records and does not protect against physical loss of the card.

In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to backup contacts on Xiaomi, Redmi and other devices. POCO — standard-function MIUI You will learn how to automate the process, what backup formats are supported, and what to do if Suddenly contacts disappear after updating or resetting. MIUI, which allow you to save not only numbers, but also the history of calls, attached photos of contacts and notes to them.

Why it is important to regularly copy your contacts to Xiaomi

Many users only think backups after data is lost, while the risks of losing contacts on Xiaomi are higher than they seem:

• 🔄 Settings reset – even if you don’t plan to sell the phone, a factory reset may be required after a virus attack or critical system failure.
• 📱 Device failure – falling, getting moisture, or failing the motherboard often makes it impossible to extract data.
• 🔄 Update MIUI — Some users experience contact disappearance after major firmware updates (especially when switching between Android versions).
• 💾 Sync errors – if contacts are only linked to a Mi Account or Google account, server failures can cause them to be partially lost.

According to statistics from service centers, more than 40% of data recovery requests on Xiaomi are related to loss of contacts, and in 70% of cases, users could avoid the problem if they had created a backup copy in advance. For example, owners of Redmi Note 12 and Xiaomi 13 often face the fact that after updating to the newest devices. MIUI 15 contacts are duplicated or lost – this is due to a change in the data storage structure in new firmware versions.

⚠️ Attention: If you are using MIUI Global and MIUI China on a single device (via multi-ROM), Contacts may conflict between firmware, in which case you need to create a backup copy separately for each system.

Method 1: Backup through MIUI (feature)

The most reliable and universal method is the use of an integrated backup tool in the MIUI. It allows you to keep not only contacts, but also SMS, Call history, system settings, and even some application data, the main advantage of this method is complete independence from cloud services: a copy is stored locally on a device or external drive.

Instructions for MIUI 14/15 (relevant to Xiaomi 14, Redmi Note 13, POCO F5 and other models 2023–2026 year-end):

1. Open Settings → About the phone → Backup.
2. Press Local Backup.
3. Select Contacts (you can also mark the Call Log and Messages for a full copy).
4. Click Create a Backup and specify the location of the save (internal memory or MicroSD).
5. Wait until the process is complete (it can take up to 5 minutes depending on the number of contacts).

The backup file will have the.mibak extension and will be saved in the folder. MIUI/backup/AllBackup. You can copy it to a computer or cloud storage for additional security, and to recover data, just go to the same section and select a copy file.

Is the device connected to charging (the process can drain the battery by 10-15%)

Is there enough space (the copy takes up) ~5–50 MB depending on the amount of data)

Is battery optimization for the Backup application disabled (in battery settings)

Mi Account sync is temporarily disabled (to avoid conflicts)-->

⚠️ Attention: Backup copies MIUI They're not compatible between different versions of the firmware. MIUI 14, cannot be restored on the device with MIUI 12.Always check the firmware version before restoring!

Method 2: Sync with your Google account

If you use Google services, the easiest way to back up is to sync your contacts with your Gmail account, which has several advantages:

• ☁️ Cloud storage – Contacts are available from any device, even if your phone is lost.
• 🔄 Automatic updates – changes are synchronized in real time.
• 📱 Cross-platform – contacts can be easily transferred to an iPhone or other Android smartphone.

How to enable synchronization on Xiaomi:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Select your Gmail account (or add a new one).
3. Activate the switch opposite Contact.
4. Click More → Sync Now to start the process manually.

To check if your contacts are saved in the cloud, open contacts.google.com from a computer or other device, and all your records should be displayed there. If the contacts do not appear, check:

• 🔌 Internet connection (synchronization only works via Wi-Fi or mobile data).
• 🔄 No background activity restrictions for the Contacts app (check in Settings) → Battery → Background restriction).
• 📱 Google Contacts version of the app (update it to Play Market if sync doesn't work).

💡

If you have duplicate contacts after syncing with Google, use the built-in merge tool: Open Contacts → Management → Combine duplicates.

Method 3: Export of contacts to SIM-map

Maintaining contacts SIM-The card is the oldest, but still the most current method, and it's suitable if you need to quickly transfer numbers to another phone or back up without an Internet connection:

• 📌 Restriction on number - per one SIM-The card can be saved no more than 250-300 contacts (depending on the operator).
• 📇 No additional data – only names and main phone numbers are saved (without email, addresses, photos).
• 🔒 Risk of loss - if SIM-The card is damaged, the data cannot be restored.

Export instructions for SIM:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Contact Management → Imports/Exports → Exports to SIM-map.
3. Choose contacts for export (you can mark all or select specific ones).
4. Confirm the action and wait until the completion (may take 1-2 minutes).

To restore contact with SIM-Repeat the same steps, but select Import with SIM-Note that when importing contacts may be duplicated if they are already in the phone book. In this case, use the merge function in the contact settings.

Method 4: Using a Mi Account

Mi Account is a cloud service from Xiaomi that automatically synchronizes contacts, notes, photos and other data between devices.

• ☁️ Automatic synchronization – contacts are updated in real time when connected to the Internet.
• 📱 Cross-platform – data is available on any Xiaomi device (including tablets and smartwatches).
• 🔒 Password protection – Mi Account is linked to email and phone, making it difficult to access unauthorized accounts.

How to enable synchronization with Mi Account:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Mi Account.
2. Sign in to your account (or register a new one if you don’t have one).
3. Activate the Contact Switch.
4. Click Sync to start the process manually.

To check if contacts are saved in the cloud, open the Mi Cloud web version at i.mi.com and log in. Contacts should show all synchronized records. If contacts do not appear, try:

• 🔄 Reboot the device and repeat synchronization.
• 📶 Connect to another network (Wi-Fi instead of mobile Internet or vice versa).
• 🔧 Update the Mi Cloud app in the Play Market.

⚠️ Note: If you sell or transfer your Xiaomi to another person, be sure to untie your Mi Account in the settings (Settings) → Mi Account → Otherwise, the new owner will be able to access your contacts and other data!

💡

Syncing with Mi Account is the most reliable way for owners of multiple Xiaomi devices, but requires a stable Internet connection.

Method 5: Third-Party Backup Applications

If embedded tools MIUI You don't like it, you can use third-party apps, and they offer advanced features, like:

• 📊 Selective backup (for example, only contacts with a specific label).
• 🔄 Automatic planning (daily/weekly copy creation).
• 💾 Exports in different formats (.vcf,.csv,.xml).
• ☁️ Cloud integration (Dropbox, OneDrive, Yandex Drive).

Top.-3 Applications for backup contacts on Xiaomi:

Examples of Super Backup & Restore:

1. Install the app from the Play Market and open it.
2. Select the Contacts section.
3. Click Backup and specify the location of the save (internal memory, SD-map).
4. Once completed, copy the backup file (usually in.ab format) to a secure location.

To restore, you just need to open the application, select a copy file, and click Restore. Please note that some applications (such as Super Backup) require permission to send. SMS — This is necessary for recovery of messages, but not necessarily for contacts.

Method 6: Manual export to file VCF

The.vcf (vCard) format is a universal standard for storing contacts, supported by all modern devices.

• 🖥️ Compatibility – the file can be opened on Windows, Mac, iPhone or other Android device.
• 📄 Editing convenience – the file can be opened in the text editor and manually correct errors.
• 🔗 Easiness of transfer – the file can be sent by email, saved in the cloud or copied to a flash drive.

How to export contacts to.vcf to Xiaomi:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Contact Management → Import/Export → Export to file.
3. Choose your contacts for export (you can note everything).
4. Specify the location of the save (for example, internal memory → Download) and confirm.

The file will be saved with the name contacts.vcf (or similar) to restore contacts from.vcf:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Go to Contact Management. → Imports/Exports → File-based import.
3. Select the.vcf file and confirm the import.

If you want to edit a.vcf file manually, open it in any text editor (e.g. Notepad).++ or VS Each contact in a file starts with a line. BEGIN:VCARD ends END:VCARD. Example of:

BEGIN:VCARD


VERSION:3.0




FN: Ivan Ivanov




TEL;TYPE=CELL:+79991234567




EMAIL;TYPE=WORK:ivan@example.com




END:VCARD

⚠️ Note: When manually editing.vcf, watch for file encoding – it should be UTF-8. If you use ANSI or Windows-1251, Cyrillic symbols will be displayed incorrectly.

What to do if contacts are lost after resetting or updating

If contacts disappear after resetting settings, updates MIUI Or some other critical surgery, don't panic, and in most cases, they can be restored if you act quickly and correctly.

Algorithm of action:

1. Check cloud copies: Log in to Google Contacts and Mi Cloud - maybe contacts are saved there. If sync was enabled, restore data through Settings → Accounts and synchronization.
2. Search for local copies: Check the folder MIUI/backup/AllBackup Look for.mibak files. look for.vcf files in Download, Documents or root directory folders.
3. Use recovery apps: Install DiskDigger or Undeleter from the Play Market — they can find remote contacts if it hasn't been long. For deep scanning, connect your phone to your PC and use Recuva or EaseUS Data Recovery.
4. If contacts are critical and other methods have not worked, specialists can extract data from the memory chip (but this is expensive and not always possible).

If you back up regularly, it takes no more than 5 minutes to restore it, such as recovering from a.mibak file:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup.
2. Select Restore from backup.
3. Enter the.mibak file and confirm the recovery.

FAQ: Frequent questions about backing up contacts on Xiaomi