Where to save contacts on Xiaomi, so as not to lose: a comparison of all ways

Losing contacts on a Xiaomi smartphone is one of the most frustrating situations users face, and it can be a setup reset, a phone break, a theft, or even a simple bug when updating their firmware, but the problem isn't that contacts are missing, but that most owners don't think about how to store them until it's too late.

Modern smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO offer at least 5 different options for maintaining contacts - from the classic SIM-But not all of them are equally reliable and convenient, and in this article we'll look at the pros and cons of each method, learn how to transfer the contacts between them, and choose the best option for different scenarios, whether it's changing the phone, traveling abroad or just insurance against force majeure.

Spoiler: Keeping contacts only on SIM-It's like driving without a seatbelt in 2026, but there are some nuances, like syncing with a Mi Account might not work when you lock an account, and Google Contacts require a stable Internet connection.

1. Keeping contacts in the Xiaomi account (Mi Account)

Synchronizing contacts with Mi Account is the standard way for all Xiaomi, Redmi and other smartphones POCO. Account binding is automatic when you first turn on your phone, but many users are unaware of the feature. Let's look at how it works and what pitfalls the method has.

How to turn on synchronization:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Slip on three points in the upper right corner → Contact management.
3. Choose Contact Synchronization → Mi Account.
4. Activate the switch and wait for the process to complete.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 Automatic backup – contacts are synchronized every time you connect to the internet.
• 📱 Access from any Xiaomi device – just log in to the same account.
• 🔒 Loss protection – even when resetting your phone, contacts will recover after logging in to your account.

However, there are serious shortcomings:

• ⚠️ Linking to Xiaomi ecosystem – if you switch to a phone from another brand (like Samsung or iPhone), moving contacts will be a problem.
• 🚫 Account blocking – if you violate the rules (for example, suspected fraud), Mi Account can be blocked, and access to contacts is lost.
• 🌍 Regional restrictions – Mi Account functions are unstable in some countries (e.g. India.

⚠️ Note: If you are selling or transferring your phone to another person, be sure to untie Mi Account in the settings (Settings) → Accounts. → Mi Account → Delete your account otherwise the new owner will be able to see your contacts after the reset!

2. synchronize with Google Contacts

For users who are actively using Google services (such as Gmail or Google Drive), syncing contacts with Google Contacts is one of the most reliable options, and unlike Mi Account, this method is universal and works on any device, including iPhones and Android smartphones from other brands.

How to set up synchronization:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts → Google.
2. Select your Google account (or add a new one).
3. Activate the switch opposite Contact.
4. Wait until the synchronization is complete (may take a few minutes).

The advantages of storage in Google Contacts:

• 🌐 Cross-platform – Contacts will be available on any device after you sign in to Google.
• 🔍 Easy search and editing – you can manage contacts through the web version of contacts.google.com.
• 📤 Exports in different formats –.vcf and.csv are supported for backup.

Cons:

• 📶 Internet is required – without a connection to the network contacts are not synchronized.
• 🔐 Privacy – Data is stored on Google servers, which can be critical for some users.
• 🔄 Duplicate conflicts – if contacts are synced with Mi Account and Google at the same time, duplicates may appear.

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Before selling your phone, export your contacts from Google to a.vcf file via the web version – this ensures that you don’t lose them even when you reset your account.

3. Maintaining contacts on SIM-map

The old way that many people still use is to keep contacts in the SIM-And this seems to be a reliable method, because SIM-The card is physically separated from the phone, but it has a lot of limitations to be aware of.

How to transfer contacts to SIM-map:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Click on three points → Contact Management → Import/Export.
3. Select Export on Export SIM-map and confirm the action.

Advantages:

• 📱 Phone Independence – Contacts will remain even when you change your device.
• 🔌 Working without the Internet – no synchronization is required.
• 🔒 Reset protection - at factory settings of the phone contacts on SIM unaffected.

Disadvantages:

• 📵 Limited number of records – most SIM-The card supports no more than 250 contacts.
• 📇 No field, no field, no field SIM Only name and number are saved, without email, addresses and photos.
• ⚠️ Risk of loss - if SIM-The card will be damaged or stuck in the slot, the data will be lost.
• 🔄 Inability to edit – to change the contact, you first need to copy it to your phone.

⚠️ Note: If you use two of these SIM-maps in Xiaomi, contacts will only be saved on the one selected as the main one for calls. → SIM-maps and mobile networks.

4. Local storage in the phone memory

By default, many Xiaomi smartphones save new contacts to the device’s local memory, which is convenient if you do not want to depend on cloud services, but it is extremely risky – if you reset or break the phone, all data will be lost.

How to check where your contacts are stored:

1. Open Contacts. → press any contact.
2. Scroll down to the Warehouse field - there will be the Device specified, SIM account.

When to use local storage:

• 📴 Temporary contacts – if you need to keep a number for a short time (for example, for a one-time call).
• 🔒 Confidential Data – If you don’t trust cloud services.
• 🌍 Internet in regions with poor coverage.

Risks:

• ❌ Loss on reset – factory settings will remove all local contacts.
• 🔄 No automatic backup – you need to manually export contacts.
• 📱 Change phone problems – moving contacts will require additional actions.

If you still store contacts in your phone’s memory, export them regularly:

1. Open Contacts. → Contact management → Imports/Exports.
2. Select Export to file and save a backup in.vcf format to a memory card or to the cloud.

5. Export contacts to file (backup)

The most reliable way to keep contacts safe is to back up.vcf (vCard) regularly, which can be saved to a memory card, to the cloud (Google Drive, Mi Cloud), or even sent to your own mail, and the main advantage is that you have complete control over the data and are not dependent on Xiaomi or Google services.

Step-by-step export instructions:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Click on three points → Contact Management → Import/Export.
3. Select Export to file.
4. Please indicate which contacts to export (all or selected).
5. Save the file to a convenient location (for example, on the SD-map or in downloads).

Where to store a backup copy:

Important nuances:

• 🔄 Update your backup at least once a month (or after adding new contacts).
• 📂 Keep multiple copies in different places (e.g., one on a single file) SD-map, another in the cloud).
• 🔐 Encrypt the file if there is confidential information in the contacts (you can use archivers such as the file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file file 7-Zip password-wise).

💡

Exporting to a.vcf file is the only way that is guaranteed to work when changing the phone brand (for example, from Xiaomi to iPhone or Samsung).

6. Transfer of contacts between different storage methods

If you decide to change the way you store your contacts (for example, transfer them from your home). SIM-Maps in Google Contacts or from Mi Account to local memory, you can do this in a few steps, the main thing is not to delete old contacts until the transfer is completed to avoid losses.

Scenario 1: Transfer of c SIM-Maps in Google Contacts

1. Open Contacts. → Contact management → Imports/Exports.
2. Select Import with SIM-Maps and specify Google as your target storage.
3. Wait for the import to be completed and check the contacts in Google Contacts.

Scenario 2: Transfer from Mi Account to Local Memory

1. Export contacts from Mi Account to.vcf (as described in the previous section).
2. Open Contacts. → Imports/Exports → File-based import.
3. Select the saved file and specify the Device as the target storage.

Scenario 3: Synchronization between Google and Mi Account

If you want to have contacts in both Google and Mi Account, follow these steps:

1. Make sure your contacts are synced with Google (see section 2).
2. Export them to the.vcf file.
3. Import the file to Mi Account via Contacts → Imports/Exports.

⚠️ Note: When synchronizing with Google and Mi Account at the same time, duplicate contacts may appear. To avoid this, use the Connect Contacts function in the Contacts settings of the application.

7. How to avoid contact loss: Security checklist

To never lose important numbers, follow these rules:

Additional advice:

• 🔄 Check the synchronization periodically – go to Settings → Accounts and make sure contacts are synced without errors.
• 📱 Test recovery – try importing a backup on another device to make sure it works.
• 🔒 Secure accounts – Use complex passwords and two-factor authentication for Mi Account and Google.

If you have lost contact, try the following ways to recover:

• 🔍 Check the cart in Google Contacts (stores remote contacts for 30 days).
• 📱 Restore from backup (if any).
• 🔄 Contact Xiaomi for support – if contacts were linked to Mi Account, they can be restored by confirming ownership of the account.

FAQ: Frequent questions about keeping contacts on Xiaomi