How to copy contacts on a Xiaomi smartphone: all ways of 2026

Transferring contacts from one device to Xiaomi is a task that every user faces when buying a new smartphone, resetting settings or switching from a new smartphone to a new one. iPhone/Samsung. Unlike the old button phones, where contacts were stored only on the phone. SIM-Modern Redmi, Poco or Mi offer several ways of synchronization: through a Google account, a proprietary cloud. MI Cloud, export to.vcf or even Bluetooth, but what method to choose to avoid losing any number?

In this article, we will look at all the current ways to copy contacts on Xiaomi in 2026, from standard to little-known. You will learn how to transfer numbers from Android to Android, from iPhone to Xiaomi, and how to restore contacts after resetting to factory settings. Particular attention will be paid to the hidden MIUI settings that allow you to export contacts even without access to the Internet. All instructions are tested on the latest versions of MIUI 14/15 and adapted for models from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

1. copying contacts through a Google account (the most reliable way)

Google account sync is a universal method that works on any Android device, including Xiaomi, and its main advantage is that contacts are automatically backed up in the cloud and available on all your gadgets, so you can copy numbers in this way:

1. Open the Contacts app** on your old phone.
2. Go to Settings → Contact Management → Import / Export → Export to Google.
3. Select the Google account you want to keep your contacts to and confirm your export.
4. On the new Xiaomi, sign in to the same Google account via Settings → Accounts and Sync.
5. Enable contact synchronization in the Google → Account Sync section.

In 5-10 minutes, all numbers will appear in the phone book of the new device, a method that is even suitable for transferring contacts from the iPhone to Xiaomi – just pre-export them to Google Contacts via iCloud.

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If contacts are not synced, check to see if Contacts is enabled in Google’s sync settings, and make sure both devices have the latest version of Google Contacts installed.

⚠️ Note: If you delete a contact on one device, it will disappear on all others connected to this Google account. To avoid accidental loss, we recommend that you enable version archiving in Google Contacts ("More" section). → Repeal the changes»).

2. Transfer of contacts through SIM-map (without internet)

If you do not have access to Wi-Fi or mobile Internet, you can copy contacts to the Internet. SIM-This method is suitable for a small number of numbers (usually a small number of numbers). SIM It supports up to 250 contacts:

• 📱 On your old phone, open your contacts. → Settings (⚙️) → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Exports to SIM-map.
• 🔍 Select the contacts you want to copy (or click “Select All»).
• 📤 Confirm the export. Contacts will remain on SIM-name-card + Number (without photos and additional fields!).
• 🔄 Move it. SIM-map to the new Xiaomi.
• 📥 In Contacts of the new phone select Import with SIM-maps and confirm the transfer.

Please note: this method does not save contact photos, notes or additional fields (e.g. email addresses, Tele2 or Yota, block the recording of contacts on SIM-In this case, the error "Can not export" will appear».

3. Export contacts to VCF file (universal format)

The.vcf (or vCard) file is the standard contact storage format that all modern smartphones support, and is convenient to use if you need to:

• 🔄 Move contacts from iPhone to Xiaomi.
• 💾 Create a backup copy on your computer.
• 📤 Send contacts by email or messenger.

To export contacts to.vcf:

1. Open Contacts → Settings → Contact Management → Import / Export → Export to File.
2. Select contacts (or click “Select All”).
3. Specify the folder to save (for example, Downloads or Documents).
4. A file with the.vcf extension will appear in the selected directory. Move it to the new Xiaomi in any convenient way (for example, through Xiaomi File Manager or Google Drive).
5. On a new phone, import the file through Contacts → Settings → Import / Export → Import from the file.

Contacts are not duplicated|The file is saved in an accessible folder (not on the SD-map)|The file name does not contain Cyrillic or spaces|There is enough memory on the new phone to import.

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If the.vcf file does not open on Xiaomi, check:

• 📌 File extension – it should be.vcf, not.txt or.csv.
• 📌 File size – if there are too many contacts (over 10,000), break them into multiple files.
• 📌 Encryption – sometimes when exporting from the iPhone, there are problems with the Cyrillic alphabet. In this case, open the file in the text editor and save it in encoding UTF-8.

4. Synchronization via MI Cloud (branded Xiaomi cloud)

MI Cloud is a cloud storage service from Xiaomi that automatically backs up contacts, messages, photos and notes to copy contacts through MI Cloud:

1. On the old Xiaomi go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → MI Cloud.
2. Sign in to your Mi Account (if not registered, create one).
3. Turn on the synchronization of contacts by moving the slider to the "On" position.
4. On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and wait until sync is complete (usually takes 1-2 minutes).

The advantages of MI Cloud:

• 🔒 Data is encrypted and stored on Xiaomi servers.
• 📱 All Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco models are supported.
• 🔄 You can restore contacts even after resetting the phone to factory settings.

⚠️ Note: If you delete the contact on one device synchronized with MI Cloud, it will disappear on all other gadgets associated with this account. To avoid losses, create a backup before mass editing contacts. MI Cloud → Backup → Create a backup copy.

Google account|SIM-map|MI Cloud|File. VCF|Bluetooth/differential-->

5. Bluetooth Contact Transfer (for older models)

If you don't have access to the Internet or cloud services, you can transfer contacts over Bluetooth, which is suitable for Xiaomi based on MIUI 12 and older, and also for transferring from push-button phones.

1. On both phones, turn Bluetooth on in the Quick Settings Panel.
2. Pair devices: On your old phone, select a new Xiaomi from the list of available devices and confirm your connection.
3. On your old phone, open Contacts → Settings → Import / Export → Send Contacts.
4. Select contacts to transfer and click “Send via Bluetooth”.
5. On Xiaomi, confirm the file acceptance and wait for the transfer to be completed.
6. After receiving the file (usually contacts.vcf), import it through Contacts → Settings → Import from the file.

Limitations of the method:

• 🐢 Slow transmission speed (about 10 contacts per minute).
• 📵 Not all contact fields are transmitted correctly (e.g. photos or multiple phone numbers).
• 🔋 High battery consumption on both devices.

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Bluetooth is only suitable for a single transfer of a small number of contacts. Use Google or MI Cloud for regular synchronization.

6. Transfer contacts from iPhone to Xiaomi (step-by-step instructions)

The transition from iPhone to Xiaomi is often accompanied by problems with perenosom contacts due to ecosystem differences (iCloud vs Google).

Method 1: Through iCloud and Google Contacts

1. On iPhone, open Settings → [Your name] → iCloud and enable Contact Sync.
2. On your computer, go to iCloud.com, log in to your Apple ID and export your contacts to the.vcf file.
3. Import this file to Google Contacts.
4. On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account and enable contact sync.

Method 2: Using the application “Switching to Android”

If you have an iPhone with iOS 12 and newer, use the official Google app:

1. Download Google One on your iPhone.
2. On Xiaomi, during the initial setup, select Copy Data from iPhone (or install the Mi Mover app from Google Play).
3. Follow the instructions on the screen – data (including contacts) will be transferred over Wi-Fi.

If the contacts are not transferred or are displayed in hieroglyphics, check the encoding of the.vcf file (should be UTF-8) and repeat the import.

7.Restore contacts after resetting Xiaomi to factory settings

If you’ve done a hard reset on Xiaomi but pre-synced your contacts with Google or MI Cloud, they’re easy to restore:

• 🔄 After resetting the first time you turn on your phone, log in to the same Google or Mi Account you used before.
• 📥 Enable contact synchronization in account settings.
• ⏳ Wait until synchronization is complete (it can take up to 15 minutes depending on the number of contacts).

If the sync wasn’t set up in advance, try restoring contacts from the backup:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → MI Cloud → Backup.
2. Select the latest backup (check the date of creation!).
3. Click “Restore” and select “Contacts”.

⚠️ Note: Backup copies in MI Cloud is only stored for 30 days. If more than a month has passed since the last backup, you can't restore contacts this way. In this case, try using data recovery software, such as Dr.Fone or EaseUS MobiSaver (root rights required).

8. Frequent errors and their solutions

When copying contacts on Xiaomi, users often face problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:

If none of these methods worked, try:

• 🔄 Reboot your phone (sometimes helps with synchronization freeze).
• 📌 Update the Contacts app via Google Play.
• 🛠️ Reset the application settings Settings → Annexes → Contacts → Warehouse → Clear the data (Warning: This will remove all unsynchronized contacts!).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions