Transferring Android contacts to Xiaomi via Bluetooth: The Complete 2026 Guide

Why Bluetooth is not always the best choice for contact transfer

Moving contacts between Xiaomi smartphones via Bluetooth seems like a simple solution: no cables, Internet or Google accounts are needed. However, in practice, users face MIUI limitations, synchronization errors and loss of data. In this article, we will discuss how to transfer Bluetooth contacts between Android devices, what pitfalls await owners of Redmi, POCO or Mi, and when to choose alternative methods.

The main problem is that current versions of MIUI 14/15 limit Bluetooth functionality for contact transfer, which manufacturers deliberately narrow to the cloud service (Google Contacts, Mi Account) or specialized applications, but workarounds exist — and we have tested them on devices from Xiaomi 11T Pro to Redmi Note 12.

Before you start, check:

• 📱 Version MIUI on both smartphones (path: Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI). On old firmware (below) MIUI 12) Bluetooth contact transfers were more stable.
• 🔄 Sync contacts with a Google account (if enabled, Bluetooth can block duplication).
• 📡 Visibility of devices: both smartphones should be detected within a radius of 10 meters without obstacles.

Preparation of Xiaomi smartphones for the transfer of contacts

Both devices must be configured before transfer, and this step is often skipped, leading to errors such as "Can't send contacts" or "File is not supported."

On the original smartphone (from which you send contacts):

1. Open the Contacts app (not the phone book in the Phone app).
2. Put three points on it (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Contact Management → Imports/Exports.
3. Check that the contacts are stored in your phone’s local memory, not just your Google account. If they’re linked to your account, export them to your.vcf file.

On your target smartphone (Xiaomi, which you are accepting contacts):

• 📲 Make sure that in the settings → Annexes → Permits → Bluetooth includes contact and storage rights.
• 🔍 Enable Detection Mode: Settings → Connections and sharing → Bluetooth → Settings (⚙) → Visibility of the device.
• 🚫 Turn off energy saving mode for Bluetooth in Settings → Battery → Energy saving regime.

⚠️ Note: If the target Xiaomi is installed MIUI 15 or later, standard Bluetooth contact import may be blocked. In this case, use the.vcf workaround (described in the next section).

Step-by-step: Transfer of contacts via Bluetooth

Follow this algorithm if both smartphones support direct contact transfer (relevant to MIUI 12-14).

Step 1: Device pairing

1. On the original smartphone, open Settings → Connections → Bluetooth and turn it on.
2. On the target Xiaomi, do the same and wait for both devices to find each other.
3. Slip on the name of the original smartphone in the list and confirm the pairing (the code must match on both screens).

Step 2: Sending contacts

1. Open the Contacts app on the original phone.
2. Choose a contact (or multiple, holding your finger on the first and marking the rest).
3. Click on the Share icon (usually as a three-dot or arrow) and select Bluetooth.
4. In the list of devices, select your Xiaomi and confirm the shipment.

Step 3: Receiving contacts

1. The target Xiaomi will have a notification about the incoming file.
2. Choose Save or Import (depending on the MIUI version).
3. Specify where to save contacts: to Google account, Mi Account or local memory.

💡

If Bluetooth refuses to transfer contacts, try temporarily disabling sync with Google Account on both devices. Go to Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync and deactivate the Contacts option.

Alternative method: transfer via file.vcf

On devices with MIUI 15 and later, direct Bluetooth transmission is often blocked, and the only reliable way is to export contacts to a.vcf file and transmit them over Bluetooth as a normal document.

Export of contacts:

1. Open Contacts. → ⋮ → Contact management → Exports/imports.
2. Select Export to the file and specify the location of the save (for example, Internal Memory → Download).
3. The file will be called contacts.vcf or the like.

File transfer:

1. Open any file manager (such as Mi File Manager).
2. Find the.vcf file, tap it and select Share → Bluetooth.
3. Send the file to the target Xiaomi.

Import on the new device:

1. On the target smartphone, open the resulting file (usually automatically offered import).
2. Select an account to save (local or Google).
3. Confirm the import. Contacts will appear in the phone book in 1-2 minutes.

⚠️ Note:.vcf files may not be imported if they exceed 2MB (about 5,000 contacts), in which case break them into multiple files using applications like VCF Splitter.

Mistakes in the transfer of contacts and their solutions

Even when set up properly, Xiaomi users face typical problems, and let’s look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

1. "Failure to send contacts" error

Most often it occurs due to:

• 🔒 Restrictions MIUI — Manufacturer blocks the transmission of contacts via Bluetooth in new firmware.
• 📶 Unstable Connection – Reboot Bluetooth on both devices.
• 📱 Outdated version of the Contacts app – update it via Google Play.

Solution: Use a.vcf file or third-party applications (Send Anywhere, Xender).

2 Contacts were transmitted, but no photos

Bluetooth has a limit on the size of the data that you transmit, and contact photos are usually cropped to carry them.

• 🖼️ Export contacts to.vcf via Google Contacts (web version saves photos).
• 📤 Use Mi Cloud or Google Photos to transfer images separately.

3.The target Xiaomi does not display the reception option

This is typical of MIUI 15, where the Bluetooth contact function is hidden.

• 📎 Accept the file as a regular document, then manually import through Contacts → Imports.
• 🔄 Use Nearby Share (built into Android 10)+): It transmits.vcf without restriction.

💡

If neither method works, the most reliable way is to sync through Google Account or Mi Cloud, which ensures that all data, including photos and additional fields, is safe.

Comparison of Contact Transfer Methods on Xiaomi

Bluetooth is not the only way to transfer contacts, but here we compare it with alternatives in key terms.

As you can see from the table, Bluetooth is inferior to cloud services in reliability and functionality, and its main advantage is that it does not depend on the Internet. If you need to move contacts without connecting to the network, combine Bluetooth with a.vcf file.

Security of contact transfer

Contact transfer is the exchange of sensitive data, and even through Bluetooth, there are risks:

• 🕵️‍♂️ Data interception: Bluetooth connection can be listened to using specialized equipment (e.g. Ubertooth One).
• 📱 Automatic sync: Some applications (like Truecaller) can scan new contacts.
• 🔗 Duplicate in the cloud: If your contacts are saved to Google or Mi Cloud, they may be available on your other devices.

How to minimize the risks:

• 🔐 Use Bluetooth Invisibility Mode after Transfer (Settings) → Bluetooth → Visibility of the device → Off.).
• 🧹 Delete the.vcf file after importing from both devices.
• 🛡️ Turn off automatic contact synchronization in Settings → Accounts. → Google/Mi → Synchronization.

⚠️ Note: If you are transferring contacts through third-party applications (Xender, ShareIt), check their permissions. SMS, Location and call logs that are redundant for contact transfer.

FAQ: Frequent questions about transferring contacts to Xiaomi