How to Transfer Contacts from One Xiaomi to Another: Quickly and Losslessly

Moving contacts from the old Xiaomi to the new one is a challenge that every user faces when changing devices. Even if you stay in the ecosystem of the same brand, the process is not always intuitive: Some require authorization in Mi Account, some require additional synchronization settings, and sometimes a couple of clicks are enough. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to transfer contacts between Xiaomi, Redmi and other smartphones. POCO — from classical export through SIM-Map to Automated Solutions through the Cloud.

Xiaomi devices offer multiple built-in tools for data migration, but not all of them are equally reliable: for example, synchronization through Mi Cloud may not work if the old phone has an Internet connection and Bluetooth transmission is limited by the number of contacts. We tested each method on Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12 and POCO X5 models (2023-2026) and identified their pros and cons.

Before you start, check:

• 🔋 Battery charge on both devices (minimum 50%) – interruption of the process can lead to data loss.
• 📶 Stable Internet connection (for cloud methods) or Bluetooth (for local transmission).
• 📱 Version MIUI: on old firmware (below) MIUI (12) some functions may not be available.

1. Transfer contacts via Mi Account (the fastest way)

If both of your smartphones are linked to the same Xiaomi account, it takes no more than 5 minutes to sync contacts, which works even if the phones are on different networks or countries, as long as you have access to the Internet.

How to do this:

1. On the old Xiaomi, open Settings → Accounts → Mi Account.
2. Make sure the contact sync switch is active (green). If not, turn it on and wait until the process is complete (the sync icon will disappear).
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and enable contact synchronization in the same settings.
4. Open the Contacts app and wait for all the records to appear (it can take up to 10 minutes).

⚠️ Note: If the contacts on the old phone were stored only in the device memory (not in the account), they must first be exported to the Mi Cloud. → Accounts. → Mi Account → Contacts click Export and select In the cloud.

Check that both phones have the same MIUI version (or no more than 1 version)

Make sure your old phone has your contacts synced in your Mi Account.

Connect both devices to Wi-Fi (mobile internet may be slower)

Close all background applications to speed up the process-->

2. Transfer of contacts over Bluetooth (without the Internet)

If you don't have Wi-Fi or mobile internet, Bluetooth is a lifeline, which is suitable for transferring up to 500 contacts at a time (some models have a limit of 250), and the main advantage is that you don't need to log in to your accounts.

Step-by-step:

• 📱 On the old Xiaomi, open your contacts. → ⋮ (Menus) → Imports/Exports → Send.
• 🔵 Select Bluetooth and turn it on if it is turned off.
• 📲 On your new phone, activate Bluetooth and make it Visible to Everyone (in Bluetooth settings).
• 🔄 On your old phone, select a new Xiaomi from the list of available devices and confirm pairing.
• 📤 Click Send all contacts and wait until completion (may take 5-15 minutes depending on the number of records).

⚠️ Note: If contacts on a new phone don't show up after transfer, check the Bluetooth folder in the file manager.Sometimes contacts are saved in.vcf format and require manual import via Contacts → Imports/Exports → Import from the device.

3. Export of contacts to SIM-map (universal method)

The method is "grandfather", but reliable: SIM-The card supports the transfer of contacts to any device, not only Xiaomi, minus the limit on the number of characters in one contact (up to 140 characters) and the lack of support for photos.

How to export:

1. Put it in. SIM-card.
2. Open Contacts. → ⋮ (Menus) → Imports/Exports → Exports to SIM.
3. Select contacts (all or selective) and confirm the export.
4. Move it. SIM-map to the new Xiaomi.
5. In Contacts of the new phone, select Import/Export → Import with SIM.

🔹 Important: On some models (POCO F3, Redmi Note 10) SIM-The card must be in the first slot (Slot 1), otherwise the import/export option may not appear.

4.Move over Google Account (for Android users)

If you use Google Contacts, syncing through Gmail can be more convenient than through Mi Account, a method that works even when you switch from Xiaomi to smartphones of other brands.

Instructions:

• 📱 On your old phone, open Settings. → Accounts. → Google.
• 🔄 Make sure that your Contact Sync is on, and if it's not, activate it and wait until it's done.
• 📲 On the new Xiaomi, add the same Google Account and enable contact sync.
• 🔍 Open Contacts. → ⋮ (Menus) → Accounts and select Google as the default source.

⚠️ Note: If contacts are duplicated after synchronization, use the Connect Contacts function in the Contacts app (available in the menu). ⋮ → Contact management).

5. Local backup and recovery (for power users)

This method is suitable if you want to save a full copy of contacts in a.vcf (vCard) file and transfer it to a new phone without being linked to the cloud. USB-drive, in cloud storage or send by email.

How to create a backup:

1. On your old phone, open your contacts. → ⋮ (Menus) → Imports/Exports → Export to file.
2. Choose the Memory of the Phone or SD-map.
3. The file will be saved as contacts.vcf (usually in the Download or MIUI/backup folder).
4. Transfer the file to a new phone (e.g., via Explorer → Send → Bluetooth/Wi-Fi Direct).
5. On the new device, import the file: Contacts → ⋮ → Imports/Exports → Import from the device.

🔹 Tip: If the.vcf file doesn't open, check its integrity on your PC or try renaming it as a file. contacts_backup.vcf (sometimes).

💡

To speed up the transfer of a large number of contacts, archive the.vcf file in ZIP before sending it, which will reduce its size by 30-50% and speed up the transfer over Bluetooth or email.

6.Move over Mi Mover (official Xiaomi app)

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary app for migrating data between devices, allowing you to transfer not only contacts, but also messages, photos, apps and even system settings, but it only works on phones with MIUI 9 and later.

How to use:

• 📱 Install Mi Mover on both phones (available from the App Store or via Settings) → Annexes → Mi Mover).
• 🔄 On the old phone, select Send, on the new phone, Receive.
• 📲 Connect your phones to a single Wi-Fi network or use a hotspot (on an old phone).
• 🔑 Scan on your old phone. QR-code that will appear on the new.
• 📋 Select Contacts in the data list to transfer and click Start.

⚠️ Note: If the Mi Mover is stuck in the connection phase, try it:

• Disable VPN or firewall on both devices.
• Reboot the phones and try again.
• Use mobile internet instead of Wi-Fi (sometimes it helps).

💡

Mi Mover is the most versatile way, but requires a stable connection. If the data is not portable, check if the antivirus does not block the transmission (for example, Avast or 360 Security).

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even when following instructions, you may have difficulty, and here are the most common ways to eliminate them:

🔹 If nothing helps: Try resetting the network settings on your new phone (Settings) → System system → Resetting settings → Network resetting. This often solves synchronization problems.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions