You added a new number to the Xiaomi phone book, chose to save on the phone SIM-But when you reboot or retrieve your account, the contact disappeared? This problem is familiar to many owners of the brand's smartphones, from the budget Redmi to the flagship Mi 13 Ultra. In 80% of cases, it's not the hardware breakdowns that are to blame, but the software restrictions. MIUI or.
In this article, we’ll look at all the possible causes, from the trivial lack of space on the SIM to hidden firmware bugs that Xiaomi is slow to fix. You’ll learn how to check the compatibility of the card with your model, bypass system limitations and even restore lost contacts. And for owners of old devices (before MIUI 12) we’ll give you some instructions – their problems are often unique.
It is important that you use two SIM-The problem with the cards is that there's a conflict of slots. We tested the solutions on the Redmi Note 11 Pro.+, POCO X5 Pro and Mi 11 Lite – all methods work, but some models will require unlocking the bootloader.
1. Verification of compatibility SIM-maps with Xiaomi
The first thing to rule out is hardware incompatibility. SIM-The cards support the maintenance of contacts, especially if:
- 🔹 The card was issued before 2010 (old standard) SIM 2G 32-64 KB memory)
- 🔹 Virtual eSIM is used (on Xiaomi it does not support the storage of contacts)
- 🔹 Card from the operator that blocks the recording (for example, some Tele2 or Yota rates)
How do you check? Put the SIM in another phone (like Samsung or Nokia) and try to keep in touch. If you get it, it's a problem in Xiaomi, if it doesn't, it's malfunctioning or outdated.
Modern Xiaomi (starting with the MIUI 13) Officially, they only support USIM-map (4G/5G) memoryily 128 KB: If your card is older, the system can silently ignore the commands to write without giving out errors. SIM from the operator (free of charge in the communication salon).
⚠️ Attention: On Redmi 9A and POCO M3 s MIUI 12.5 there is a bug - the system shows a successful saving on the SIM, It actually records contacts in internal memory. → Management → Imports/Exports.
MIUI Limitations: Why the System Blocks Recording
MIUI aggressively caches contacts, and sometimes it interferes with their retention on SIM.
| Reason. | Manifestation | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Access to contacts for the "Phone" application is disabled | When saving, there is an error "No permissions" | Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Phone → Permissions and turn on “Contacts” |
| Conflict with Google Contacts | Contacts are saved to Google instead of SIM | Turn off sync in Settings → Accounts → Google → Contact Synchronization |
| bug MIUI double-sided SIM | Contacts are only saved on the first SIM. | Change the cards or update the firmware to MIUI 14+ |
The most insidious bug, MIUI 12.0.3–12.5.8, automatically redirects the SIM to internal memory if synchronization with Mi Account is enabled.
- Open the Settings. → Accounts. → Mi Account
- Turn off "Contact Synchronization"
- Reboot the phone.
- Try to keep contact on the SIM again.
💡
If the contacts are gone after the sync is turned off, don't panic. They're saved in the Mi Account cloud and will return after the sync is turned on again.
Lack of memory on the SIM-map
Even modern USIM-The cards have a strict limit on the number of contacts, usually 250-500 records:
- 📞 Each contact with multiple numbers takes up more space.
- 🏷️ Additional fields (email, address) reduce the limit
- 🔄 Remote contacts can remain in memory as "garbage"
How to check the free space:
- Open the Contacts app
- Click on three points → Contact Management → Import/Export
- Select Export to SIM-card – the system will show the available number of slots
If there is no room but contacts are scarce, try a full SIM reset:
Export all contacts to the file VCF|Put it in. SIM To another phone and delete all contacts|Return the card to Xiaomi and try to keep the test contact|If it doesn't help, replace it. SIM operator-->
⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi with MIUI 13+ There is a hidden function of cleaning the "garbage" on SIM. To activate it, enter the code ##4636## in the Phone application, then select Information about SIM-map → Clear the cache. This can free up to 20 percent of the memory. 4. Double conflict SIM (Dual SIM) If your Xiaomi supports two of your SIM-Cards, the problem may lie in the priority of slots. The default system tries to keep contacts on SIM1, but: 🔄 If SIM1 — This is an eSIM, recording is impossible. 📶 If SIM1 used 4G, SIM2 — For calls, there may be a conflict 🔧 On some models (Redmi Note 10 Pro) slot SIM2 Physically does not support the Solution record: Change the cards (move the cards) SIM2 into SIM1) B Settings → SIM-Maps and mobile networks prioritize calls to SIM, Where you want to keep your contacts Update the firmware to MIUI 14 - it fixed a double bug SIM How to check if Xiaomi supports your entry SIM2? Insert two physical SIM-- cards (not eSIM) to your smartphone. Try to keep contact with each of them. SIM2 It's a "failed to save" error, or it's a dead end -- the slot doesn't support recording. It's a hardware limitation, and you can only fix it by replacing the motherboard. 5. Software bugs and workarounds in firmware MIUI There are several known bugs associated with contacts on the SIM: Version. MIUIBagabypass 12.0.1–12.0.8While maintaining SIM contact duplicated in internal memory Disable sync with Mi Account before saving 12.5.1–12.5.5Export of contacts to the EU does not work SIMUse a third-party app SIM Contacts Manager 13.0.1–13.0.4Contacts to SIM displayed empty (no names) Remove the cache of the "Contacts" application in the settings For Xiaomi on Android 11 And there is a radical method, which is forced preservation through ADB: Connect your phone to your PC and enable debugging. USB The command is: adb shell content insert --uri content://com.android.contacts/raw_contacts --bind name:"p:Name" --bind number:"p:Number" (replace "Name" and "Number" with real data) Check the result in the "Contact" app" 💡If no one has helped, the problem can be Damage to the file system SIM If SIM-The card has been used for a long time on different phones, and its file system may get damaged: 🔄 Contacts are saved but disappear after rebooting 📱 For export on SIM There is a “Not enough memory” error, although there is a lot of space. 🔧 The logs of the system (viewed through the adb logcat) have records of SIM FILE NOT FOUND How to recover: Make a backup of contacts through Export to VCF Put it in. SIM Return the card to Xiaomi and format through the engineering menu: ##86583## → SIM Settings → Format SIM Restart your phone and try to save the test contact if formatting didn’t help — SIM - Refer to the operator for replacement. SIM-card – 5-7 years, after which the failures of the recording begin. 6. be in hardware damage to the controller SIM motherboard. In this case, only repairs in the service center will help. 7. Hardware malfunctions If all software methods have been tried, but contacts are still not saved, physical breakdowns are possible: 🔌 Contact connector damaged SIM-cards (often after falls or moisture infestation) 🔧 Controller malfunctioned. SIM motherboard 📶 Problems with the antenna module (affects the work with the SIM) How to Diagnose: Check if there is no luftitis SIM-If so, the connector is damaged. SIM If it works there, it's a problem with Xiaomi. Run the hardware test with code ##6484## on some models. MIUI). Cost of repair: 💰 Replacement of the connector SIM: 800–1500 ₽ 💰 Controller repair: 2000–4000 ₽ 💰 Replacement of the motherboard: from 5000 ₽ (Unprofitable for budget models) ⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi with water protection (e.g. Mi) 11 Ultra or Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G) self-cleaning SIM Alcohol can impair leakage. Only contact authorized service centers. FAQ: Frequent questions: Can I transfer contacts to SIM For internal memory, Xiaomi? Yes, for this: Open Contacts. → Management → Import/Export Select Import with SIM-Specify the target storage (internal memory or account) Google/Mi) Nana MIUI 14 There is an option to automatically back up contacts with SIM When you first import, why after you update? MIUI Contacts have ceased to exist on SIM? This is a well-known problem when moving from MIUI 12 on MIUI 13/14. Solutions: Reset the settings of the Contacts app in Settings → Apps Reverse to the previous firmware version via Fastboot Use third-party contact management apps (e.g. True Contacts) Can contacts be restored if they are missing from the app? SIM? Chances are if: You have previously synced contacts with Mi Account or Google – check the cloud There is a backup in.vcf format on internal memory or SD-map SIM-The map is not formatted – the specialists of the service center can extract data through the SIM To restore remote contacts on Xiaomi, you can use the utility Dr.Fone (Android Data Recovery mode), but it requires root rights. SIM-map (4G) There are no contacts either? The operator has released a card with a limited file system (found in Yota and Tele2) Xiaomi has disabled the service SIM Toolkit (include in Settings) → Annexes → All applications) Conflict with VoLTE (disable it in Settings → SIM-map → Challenge 4G) Check the card on another phone. If the problem persists, request a replacement from the operator under warranty. SIM? Yeah, more reliable options: 🔵 Google Contacts: synced to your account, available on any device 🟠 Mi Account: Backup to Xiaomi Cloud 🟢 Local Export: Save to.vcf file for internal memory or SD-map 🔴 Third-party applications: Simpler Contacts or Contacts+ backup SIM-A card is the most unreliable way to store contacts. Use it only for temporary reservations.