Backup of contacts on Xiaomi: 5 ways to save and restore

Losing contacts on a smartphone is one of the most frustrating situations for a user, especially when it comes to hundreds of important numbers collected over the years. Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi and POCO series) offer several ways to back up contacts, but not all users know about their existence or know how to use them. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods of creating a backup, from built-in MIUI functions to Google cloud services and local export.

It’s important to understand that Xiaomi contacts backup may vary depending on the firmware version (MIUI 12/13/14 or HyperOS), device model, and even regional settings. We’ve taken these nuances into account and prepared universal instructions that will work for most of the brand’s devices. If you’ve never kept a contact or done it in a long time, now is the time to figure out how it works.

Why it is important to keep in touch with Xiaomi regularly

Many users only think about backing up after data has already been lost, while risks arise daily:

• 🔄 Resetting to factory settings (for example, before selling a phone or after a virus attack).
• 💥 Breakdown of the device - a fall, moisture, failure of memory.
• 📱 Theft or loss of a smartphone (even with a lock) SIM-Contact cards may not be available).
• 🔧 Errors: Failures after the update MIUI, application.
• ⚡ Replacement of the phone – transfer of contacts to the new device without loss.

Statistics from service centers show that more than 60 percent of data recovery calls are related to lost contacts, with 80 percent of users not having an up-to-date backup, and the backup process takes no more than 5 minutes, saving hours of nerves and money to recover.

⚠️ Note: If you are using Xiaomi with two SIM-In the cards, the contacts can be stored separately for each card. → Settings → Accounts to avoid losing some of the numbers.

Method 1: Backup via MI Cloud (official Xiaomi cloud)

The most reliable and simple method is synchronizing contacts with the cloud service MI Cloud, which is built into Xiaomi firmware and works on all devices of the brand.

• 🔒 Automatic backup update when adding new contacts.
• 🌍 Access numbers from any device via the web version MI Cloud.
• 📲 Recovery on the new Xiaomi smartphone in 2 clicks.

To enable synchronization:

1. Open the Settings. → Xiaomi Account (or Mi Account).
2. Sign in to your account (if not registered, create it).
3. Move to the MI Cloud → Synchronization.
4. Activate the slider opposite Contact.
5. Click Sync to create a copy immediately.

Sign in to MI Cloud| Make sure contacts are synced | Check the date of the last backup in Contacts | Try adding a test contact and making sure it shows up in the cloud-->

If the synchronization is not started, check:

• 📶 Internet connection (preferably Wi-Fi).
• 🔋 Adequate battery charge (minimum 20%).
• 📱 Update of firmware (in Settings) → The phone).

⚠️ Note: When changing your account MI (For example, when selling a phone, all data from MI Cloud will be removed from your device. First, transfer your contacts to another service or export them locally.

Method 2: Export contacts to VCF file (local saving)

If you don’t trust cloud services or want a physical copy of your contacts, you can export them to a.vcf file, which is supported by all modern smartphones and can be stored on a memory card, in the cloud (Google Drive, Yandex Disk), or on a computer.

Instructions for Xiaomi:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Press three points (⋮) top-right → Contact management.
3. Select Import/Export Contacts → Export to Storage.
4. Specify which contacts to export (e.g. only with the SIM-card).
5. Select a folder to save (we recommend Internal Memory → Download or memory card).
6. Confirm the export – the file will be called contacts.vcf.

File ready is available:

• 📤 Send to the mail or messenger (for example, to yourself in Telegram).
• 💾 Copy to a computer through USB-cable.
• ☁️ Download to the cloud (Google Drive, Dropbox).

💡

You can open a VCF file in any text editor (e.g. Notepad). If you need to find a specific number, use file search (Ctrl+F).

Method 3: Sync with your Google account

If you use Google services (like Gmail or YouTube), backing up your contacts through a Google Account is the best option, and it works even when you switch to other brands (Samsung, iPhone, etc.).

How to turn on synchronization:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Synchronization.
2. Select your Google account (or add it if you are not connected).
3. Activate the Contact Slider.
4. Click Sync (or More → Sync Now).

To check that the contacts are saved:

1. Go to your computer at contacts.google.com.
2. Sign in under the same account.
3. Make sure all numbers are displayed in the list.

MI Cloud|Google Account|Local exports to VCF|Other/not saving-->

Advantages of this method:

• 🔄 Automatic update when adding/deleting contacts.
• 🌐 Cross-platform – contacts will be available on Android, iOS and via the web.
• 🔍 Easy search and editing through the Google web interface.

⚠️ Note: If you delete your Google account from your Xiaomi phone, all contacts synced with it will disappear from the device. VCF or transfer them to MI Cloud.

Method 4: Backup through the MIUI Backup app

MIUI firmware has a built-in application to create full backups, including contacts, which is suitable if you want to save not only numbers, but also other data (messages, photos, settings).

How to make a backup:

1. Open Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset (or Backup in new versions of MIUI).
2. Select Local Backup.
3. Check Contacts (you can also select other data).
4. Click Backup and wait until it is completed.
5. The backup file will be saved by MIUI/backup/AllBackup.

Features of this method:

• 📦 It saves not only contacts but also other data (apps, SMS, note-book).
• 🔐 Backup file encrypted – it can only be restored on Xiaomi devices.
• 📱 It requires a lot of space (from 500 MB to several GB).

Method 5: Transfer of contacts to SIM-map (obsolete but working method)

Although this method is considered outdated (due to character limitations and lack of support for contact photos), it still works on Xiaomi devices, and is convenient to use if you are temporarily switching to another phone or want to have a physical copy of your most important numbers.

How to export contacts to SIM:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Press. ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports.
3. Select Export on Export SIM-map.
4. Specify which contacts to export (select individual numbers).
5. Confirm the action – the contacts will be copied to SIM.

Limitations of the method:

• 📵 Nana SIM-The card only stores the name and number (without email, addresses, photos).
• 🔢 Limit the number of characters in a name (usually up to 14 characters).
• 📱 Not all modern phones support importing from the SIM (For example, the iPhone requires additional action).

If you decide to use this method, we recommend:

• 🔄 Regularly update the data on SIM (for example, once a month).
• 📝 Keep a separate list of important contacts in a notebook or cloud.

How to Recover Contacts on Xiaomi from Backup

Building a backup is half the job, and it's equally important to be able to recover data properly, and let's look at the process for each of these methods.

1.Recovery from MI Cloud

1. Log in to your account. MI new-device.
2. Go to Settings → MI Cloud → Synchronization.
3. Turn on the synchronization of contacts and wait for completion.

2.Import from the VCF file

1. Copy the contacts.vcf file to your phone (for example, via Telegram or USB).
2. Open the Contacts app → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports.
3. Select Import from storage and specify the file.

3. Recovery from Google Account

1. Add your Google account to your phone settings.
2. Enable contact synchronization in Settings → Accounts → Google.
3. Wait until the synchronization is complete (may take a few minutes).

4.Recovery from MIUI Backup

1. Copy the backup file to the MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder.
2. Open Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
3. Select the right backup and click Restore.
4. Check the Contacts and confirm the action.

💡

Before restoring contacts from any source, it is recommended to create a current backup, which will help to avoid data loss in case of conflict versions.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

When backing up contacts on Xiaomi, users often face typical problems, and let’s look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

If none of these methods worked, try:

• 🔧 Reset the settings of the Contacts application (Settings) → Annexes → Contacts → Warehouse → Clear the data).
• 📱 Update the firmware to the latest version MIUI or hyperos.
• 💬 Contact Xiaomi via official chat (in the Feedback app).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions