Synchronizing Xiaomi contacts with another phone: all working methods

Transferring contacts from Xiaomi’s smartphone to another phone is a challenge that every user faces when changing devices, even if you’ve never saved numbers in the cloud or on a mobile phone. SIM-The main thing is to choose the right way depending on the model of the recipient phone (Android, iPhone or other Xiaomi) and the available tools.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven sync methods, including official Mi Cloud and Google Account services, as well as alternative options for cases where cloud services are not available. Particular attention will be paid to the nuances of porting to iPhone (where there are often problems with naming encoding) and how to restore contacts if they are accidentally deleted. All instructions are relevant for Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices on MIUI 14/15 and Android 13/14.

Synchronization via Mi Cloud (official method)

Mi Cloud is Xiaomi’s own cloud storage that automatically backs up contacts if the feature is enabled, a method that is suitable for transferring data between Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO devices or to any Android phone that supports importing.vcf files.

To check if synchronization is enabled:

1. Open the Settings. → Mi Account.
2. Select Mi Cloud → Synchronization.
3. Make sure the switch opposite Contact is active (green).

If the sync has been disabled, turn it on and wait until the process is complete (it can take up to 10 minutes).

• 📱 Sign in to the same Mi Account.
• 🔄 Enable contact synchronization in Mi Cloud.
• ⏳ Wait for contacts to appear (usually takes 1-5 minutes).

Check the Wi-Fi connection|Make sure there is enough space on your account (contacts take up) ~1-5 MB)|Remember the password from the Mi Account|Turn it off. VPN (It can block access to the cloud)-->

Important: If you are swapping Xiaomi for an iPhone, export contacts from Mi Cloud to a.vcf file via the i.mi.com web version, and then import it to your iPhone via iCloud or mail.

⚠️ Note: If you change region to Mi Account (e.g. China to Russia), cloud data may be reset.Be sure to export contacts to file before changing region!

2. Transfer through Google Account (universal method)

Syncing with Google is the most reliable way, as it works on any Android device, and even on an iPhone (via Gmail).If your contacts were previously saved to a Google Account, they will automatically appear on the new phone after authorization.

How to check and enable synchronization:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Select your account and make sure the Contact Switch is on.
3. Press Sync (if the button is inactive, wait for automatic sync).

On the new phone:

• 📲 Add the same Google Account to Settings → Accounts.
• 🔄 Turn on contact synchronization.
• 🔍 Check the contacts in the Phone or Google Contacts app.

Nuance for iPhone: After adding Google Account to Settings → Passwords and contact accounts will appear in the Contacts app, but can be duplicated with iCloud. To avoid duplicates, disable sync with iCloud before importing.

⚠️ Note: If you used multiple Google Accounts on the old Xiaomi, contacts could be shared between them. → Accounts. → Google → Account management!

3.Export/import via VCF file (for any device)

The.vcf file (vCard) is a universal contact storage format that all modern smartphones support, and it comes in handy if cloud services are not available or you want to back up.

Instructions for Xiaomi:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Press. ⋮ (three-point) → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Export to file.
3. Select contacts for export (for example, all or only with the SIM-map).
4. Save the file to your internal memory or SD-map.

To transfer the file to another phone:

• 📎 Send.vcf via Bluetooth, email or instant messenger (Telegram, WhatsApp).
• 📱 On the new phone, open the received file and confirm the import.
• 🔍 Check the contacts in the phone book.

The advantage of the method: the.vcf file can be edited manually (for example, delete duplicates or correct numbers) through a text editor or specialized services like VCF Editor.

4. Transfer through SIM-map (for older models)

The method is suitable for devices without Internet access or without cloud accounts, but it has limitations:

• 📵 Limited number of contacts (usually up to 250 per person) SIM).
• 📇 No fields for email, addresses and additional numbers.
• 🔠 Coding problems (Russian letters can be displayed as "???").

How to transfer contacts:

1. On Xiaomi, open contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Exports to SIM.
2. Select contacts and confirm the export.
3. Move it. SIM-card.
4. On the new device, import contacts through Contacts → Settings → Import with SIM.

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If SIM contacts are displayed in characters, try changing the encoding in your phone’s settings (usually in Settings → Additional → Language and Input → Encoding).

Important for iPhone: Apple does not support importing contacts directly with SIM.

1. Export your SIM contacts to your Android phone to a.vcf file.
2. Send the file to your iPhone via AirDrop or mail.
3. Import through the Contacts app.

5. Bluetooth synchronization (without the Internet)

Bluetooth is a simple but slow way to transfer contacts, suitable for transferring between two Android devices, if you do not have a cable or Internet connection at hand.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on both phones (Settings → Connections → Bluetooth).
2. Connect the devices (click Search and select the second phone).
3. On Xiaomi, open contacts → ⋮ → Send.
4. Choose contacts and send method – Bluetooth.
5. Confirm reception on the second phone.

Limitations:

• ⏳ Transmission 100+ Contacts may take 5-10 minutes.
• 📱 Not all Xiaomi models support sending contacts via Bluetooth (for example, on some models). POCO function is missing).
• 🔄 The receiving phone must support importing.vcf over Bluetooth.

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Bluetooth is only suitable for a one-time transfer of a small number of contacts. For regular synchronization, use cloud services (Mi Cloud or Google).

Comparison of synchronization methods

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even if you follow the instructions, you can get errors, and let's look at the typical situations and how to fix them.

1. Contacts are not synced with Mi Cloud

• 🔌 Check your internet connection (sync only works over Wi-Fi or mobile network).
• 🔄 Restart your phone and try again.
• 🔧 Update. MIUI Up to the latest version (older versions have cloud bugs).
• 📧 Make sure there is enough space on your Mi Account (free 5GB).

2.On iPhone, contacts are displayed in hieroglyphics

The problem is with the UTF-8 encoding.

• 📎 Export contacts to.vcf via Google Contacts (they handle Cyrillic correctly).
• 🔄 Before importing on your iPhone, open the.vcf file in the text editor and save it in encoding. UTF-8.
• 📱 Use third-party apps like My Contacts Backup (available in the App Store).

3. Contacts are duplicated after synchronization

This happens if the contacts are saved to multiple accounts (Mi Cloud, Google, SIM) to clear the duplicates:

• 🧹 In Google Contacts (web version) select Additional → Find and combine takes.
• 📱 On Xiaomi, open contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Connecting contacts.
• 🔍 Check your sync settings and disable unnecessary accounts.

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If duplicates appear regularly, turn off automatic sync for all accounts except one (e.g., only Google).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions