The situation when on the screen of the smartphone Xiaomi suddenly appears notification «SIM-card filled in" or "Memory SIM This message can occur at the most inopportune time, for example, during an important call or when trying to save a new number. Owners of low-end and mid-range models of Redmi or Poco face this more often, as older models are faced with this. SIM-Cards have a very limited amount of internal memory for storing records.
The main reason is that modern smartphones can default to save contacts directly to the SIM chip, rather than in the memory of the phone or Google account. The storage limit on the chip is usually between 200 and 250 records, and when this limit is reached, the system blocks the ability to add new numbers. It is critical to understand that ignoring this message will lead to the inability to save new contacts, which violates the basic functionality of the device.
In this article, we will take a look at the algorithm for freeing up space, not only the standard methods of cleaning through the contact menu, but also the deeper settings of the MIUI system. You will learn to transfer data to secure cloud storage, which will eliminate the loss of information when you change your device or reset your settings.
Why there is a memory overflow error SIM
The architecture of storage on SIM cards was developed decades ago, when the main purpose of the chip was solely to identify the subscriber in the network and store a minimum number list. MIUI They have huge amounts of memory, but when importing contacts from an old phone or manual recording, users often choose the option of saving on the phone. SIM-This action quickly exhausts the available memory cells of the chip.
Another common reason is duplication of records. If you previously synced your phone to a Google or Mi Account account and then imported contacts back to the SIM card, copies could be created. Each copy takes up precious space. In addition, long contact names or added notes can take up more bytes of memory than standard short names, which speeds up the filling.
⚠️ Note: Removing contact directly from SIM-cards without prior backup can lead to permanent loss of numbers.Make sure that important data is stored in the cloud or on another media before cleaning.
It’s also worth noting that some carriers use a portion of SIM memory for their service SMS and network settings, further reducing the available space for the user. Understanding the memory structure helps avoid errors: phone local storage and cloud service don’t have the same stringent constraints as a physical chip.
How to check the fullness of the contact memory
Before you start taking drastic action to remove, you need to assess the scale of the problem. On Xiaomi smartphones with a MIUI shell, the contact management interface may vary slightly depending on the version of Android, but the logic remains the same: you will need to open a standard application Contacts or Phone.
For accurate statistics, go to the app settings, usually through three dots in the top right corner or through the menu button. In the list that opens, look for Settings or Contact Management, and it shows how many records are stored on the device, how many are in the account, and how many are on the SIM card.
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Use the “Combine Repetitive Contacts” function in the settings to automatically find and remove duplicates, freeing up space for the user to use the device. SIM-card without manual check of each number.
If you see that the indicator of filling SIM-The card is close to 100% (usually 250 contacts), you need to urgently transfer the data. Android may not warn in advance, and the error will pop up when you write a new number.
Transfer of contacts with SIM-phone cards and cloud
The most effective way to solve the overflow problem is to move all the records to the internal memory of your smartphone or directly to your Google account, which not only frees up space on the chip, but also secures your data.
Open the Contacts app, click on the menu (three dots or horizontal bars) and select Import/Export Contacts. From the menu that appears, select Import with SIM-The system will prompt you to select your destination: “Phone” or your Google account (for example, user).@gmail.com). It is recommended to choose a Google account.
☑️ Algorithm of transferring contacts
Once confirmed, the copying process will begin, depending on the number of records, it will take from a few seconds to a minute, and when all the numbers are completed, they will appear in a shared number, and now that the copies have been created in a secure location, you can start cleaning the SIM card itself.
Removal of contacts directly from SIM-map
After successful data transfer, you need to delete the originals from the SIM card to reset the occupancy counter. If you do not, the phone will continue to consider the memory occupied. In the Contacts app, go to the display settings and select Contacts to Display» -> «SIM-Now you only see the numbers that are stored on the chip.
Allocate all contacts. MIUI This is often done by long-term clicking on the first contact, and then selecting the "Select All" option in the menu that appears. After highlighting, click the "Delete" button (basket icon). SIM-Confirm the action.
⚠️ Warning: Make sure you actually backed up before deleting. Restore deleted ones with SIM-Contact cards without a backup are almost impossible, since the chip does not have the function of "Baskbasket».
If standard means to remove all contacts fails (for example, the button “Delete” is inactive), try the following method: copy the contacts to the phone, then in the settings. SIM-maps (via the contact management menu) select "Delete all contacts from the contact menu" SIM». This item is often hidden in deep submenu display settings.
Set up automatic saving in Google Account
To ensure that the “Sim card is full” problem never happens again on your Android device, you need to change the priority save location. By default, the smartphone may offer saving on SIM, but we will change this behavior to permanent.
Go to Settings, find the Apps section, or immediately go to Contacts. Select Settings -> Default Accounts for New Contacts. From this menu, select your Google account. Now, every new number you write down will automatically fly to the cloud, bypassing the limited SIM card memory.
| Storage area | Limit of records | Risk of loss | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| SIM-map | ~250 contacts | High (if card is damaged) | Only on the card device. |
| Phone memory | Depends on the device's memory | Medium (when resetting settings) | Only on this phone. |
| Google Account | 15 GB (thousands of contacts) | Minimum | From any device in the world |
| Mi Account | 5GB (free) | Minimum | On Xiaomi devices and in the browser |
The other thing that cloud services do is sync, and if you lose a Redmi phone or buy a new one, just log in to your account and all numbers will be instantly available, and it's a modern data standard that completely eliminates the reliance on physical media.
What to do if your contacts are not synchronized?
Solving problems with display and duplicates
Even after cleaning, you can have a situation where the phone continues to claim memory is busy, or you see strange duplicate names.This often happens when the same contact is stored on both SIM and Google and in the phone's memory. Xiaomi's system has a built-in tool to deal with this.
In the Contacts app, find the Contacts Organization or Tools section. Select the Repeated Contacts Unit function. The system will analyze the database, find matches by phone number or name, and suggest combining them into one card, which will free up space and put order in the phone book.
Sometimes cleaning the contact app cache helps. Go to Settings -> Apps -> All Apps -> Contacts -> Memory. Click Clear Cache. This won't delete your numbers, but will reset temporary files that may cause status errors.
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Regularly cleaning up duplicates and moving data to the cloud is the only way to ensure that the SIM is filled error never appears on your smartphone again.