Where to store your contacts in Xiaomi: 5 places you didn’t know about

Have you bought a new Xiaomi smartphone and can't find out where old contacts went? Or after resetting, the phone book is empty, even though there used to be hundreds of numbers, POCO And Mi. The thing is, the firmware. MIUI Contacts can be stored in multiple locations at the same time, and it is not always obvious where exactly.

In this article, we’ll take a look at all the possible locations where contacts are located in Xiaomi, from the standard Contacts app to hidden folders in the device’s memory. SIM-map, Google account, Mi Cloud, how to move or restore them after a reset, and why do contacts sometimes duplicate and how to fix them.

If you've lost important numbers or just want to make a backup, this guide will help you understand all the nuances. Don't panic: 90% of the time, contacts don't disappear without a trace, you just need to find them correctly.

1. Standard Annex "Contacts" in MIUI: Where to look and how to use

The most obvious place to store contacts in Xiaomi is the built-in Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette on a green or blue background), but even here there are pitfalls: numbers can not be displayed in full or duplicated if they are saved in different accounts.

To open a full list of contacts:

1. Click on the Contacts icon on the home screen or in the app menu.
2. At the top of the screen, tap on the search bar or three dots (⋮) menu-call.
3. Select "Contact Management" or "Settings" (depending on version) MIUI).
4. Here you will see all the sources of contact, SIM-Map, Google, Mi Cloud and Others.

If the list does not show all contacts, check the filter at the top of the screen. Often, only the numbers from the Google account are shown by default, and those that are saved on the screen are shown by default. SIM-It's hidden in the card or in the phone's memory, so you can see everything:

• 📱 Click on the filter icon (usually a funnel or three lines).
• 🔍 Select “All Contacts” or tick all available sources.
• 🔄 Update the list by pulling the screen down.

It's important if you can't see the tab. SIM-The list of sources is yours, which means that SIM does not support the storage of contacts (relevant for some virtual operators or modern eSIMs).

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If contacts are displayed but not synced with other devices, check if your Google account is connected in your Account settings. → Google → Synchronization of contacts.

Contacts to SIM-How to check and transfer the phone

Many users keep their contacts in the old-fashioned way. SIM-In Xiaomi, these numbers are not always automatically displayed, but must be imported into the device memory or into the cloud.

To check if there are contacts on SIM:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select "Import/Export".
3. Tap on "Import with" SIM-map".
4. The system will show a list of numbers saved on SIM. If the list is empty, there are no contacts.

If contacts are SIM It is better to transfer them to your phone memory or Google account because:

• 📵 SIM-The card has a limit on the number of contacts (usually 200-250).
• 🔄 When changing the phone or SIM numbers may be lost.
• 📱 In the memory of the device or the cloud, you can store not only numbers, but also photos, email, birthdays.

For transfer:

1. In the menu "Import / Export" select "Import with" SIM-map".
2. Tick the necessary contacts (or click "Select all").
3. Choose where to save: "Device" (in memory of the phone) or "Google" (in account).
4. Confirm the import.

3. Contacts in Google account: how to check sync and restore data

The most reliable way to store contacts is with a Google account, and if you log in on your phone and you've synced, all numbers are automatically saved to the cloud and available on any device, but sometimes syncs are turned off and contacts disappear after you reset.

To check if your contacts are saved on Google:

1. Open Settings → Accounts → Google.
2. Choose your account (if there are several).
3. Check if the contacts sync is enabled (the slider must be active).
4. If the synchronization is disabled, turn it on and wait for the process to be completed.

To view your Google contacts directly:

1. Open your browser and go to contacts.google.com.
2. Sign in with the same account as on your phone.
3. Check if your contacts are displayed there, and if so, you can restore them to Xiaomi.

If you have contacts on Google but don’t show up on your phone:

• 🔄 Reset the device.
• 🔗 Delete and re-add Google account in settings.
• 📱 Update the Contacts app on Google Play.

On Google account|Nana SIM-map|In the memory of the phone|In Mi Cloud|Another option-->

4.Mi Cloud: How to Find and Recover Xiaomi Contacts

Xiaomi offers its own cloud storage, the Mi Cloud. If you’re logged in to a Mi Account on your phone, contacts could automatically sync there, which is handy if you’re using multiple Xiaomi devices (like a smartphone and tablet).

To check your contacts in Mi Cloud:

1. Open your Settings → Accounts → Mi Cloud
2. Make sure you are logged in to your Mi Account (if not, log in).
3. Check if the synchronization of contacts is enabled (Sync section).
4. If sync is enabled but contacts are not displayed, click "Sync" manually.

To recover contacts from Mi Cloud after resetting:

1. Log in to the same Mi Account you had on your old device.
2. Open Settings → Accounts → Mi Cloud → Synchronization.
3. Activate the slider opposite the "Contacts".
4. Wait until the synchronization is complete (may take a few minutes).

Attention! If you reset your phone to factory settings and don't remember your Mi Account data, it's going to be hard to restore access to the cloud, so try to remember your email or password number.

5. Local contacts in the phone memory: where the file lies and how to copy it

If the contacts are stored directly in the phone’s memory (under the “Device” section of the Contacts app), they are stored in a database system file that can be copied for backup or transfer to another phone.

File with contacts in MIUI usually:

/data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db

However, it is not possible to access it without root rights, instead you can export contacts to a.vcf file:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Press three points (⋮) and select "Import/Export".
3. Put it on Export to File.
4. Choose which contacts to export ("All" or "Device" only).
5. Specify a folder to save (for example, “Downloads”) and confirm.

The obtained contact.vcf file can be:

• 📤 Send to another phone by email or messenger.
• 💾 Save to the cloud (Google Drive, Mi Cloud).
• 📱 Import back through the same section "Import/Export".

Export to the.vcf file|Check sync with Google|Check sync with Mi Cloud|Copy a file to a computer or cloud|Check that contacts are displayed in the web version of Google Contacts-->

6. How to Restore Remote Contacts on Xiaomi

If the contacts are lost after being reset, updated or accidentally deleted, you can try to restore them, depending on where they were originally stored.

Restoration from Google Account:

1. Go to the Google Contacts website.
2. On the left menu, select "More" → Repeal the changes".
3. Please indicate the time period (up to 30 days ago).
4. Click "Confirm" - the contacts will return to their previous state.

Recovery from Mi Cloud:

1. Open your Settings → Accounts → Mi Cloud
2. Select "Backup" option.
3. Check if there are available backups with contacts.
4. Select the desired copy and click "Restore".

Recovery from local backup:

If you have previously exported contacts to a.vcf file, just import it back:

1. Open "Contacts" → Imports/Exports → File-based import.
2. Select the contacts.vcf file in your phone’s memory.
3. Confirm the import.

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If contacts were only stored in the phone's memory and not synced with the clouds, it's almost impossible to recover them after a reset. Always back up!

7.Why do contacts duplicate and how to fix them

A common problem at Xiaomi is duplicate contacts, which occurs when the same number is stored in multiple sources (e.g., Google and Google). SIM-This can be fixed manually or automatically.

Method 1: Combining duplicates manually

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Press three points (⋮) and select "Contact Management".
3. Put it on "Joint Contacts."
4. The system will show you possible take. Press "Combine" for each.

Method 2: Disconnecting Unnecessary Sources

If the duplicates appear due to synchronization with multiple accounts:

1. Go to Settings. → Accounts.
2. Select an account that doesn’t need contacts (e.g., Mi Cloud if you only use Google).
3. Turn off contact sync for this account.

Method 3: Using Third-Party Applications

If built-in tools don’t help, try duplicate cleaning apps like:

• 📱 Contacts Optimizer (optimizes and removes duplicates).
• 🔍 Simpler Contacts (allows you to manually connect contacts).
• 🧹 Cleanup Duplicate Contacts (Automatic Scanning).

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Before using third-party contact apps, check their permissions. Don't let contact programs access them - this can lead to data leakage.

8. Transferring contacts from Xiaomi to another phone (Android/iPhone)

If you change Xiaomi to another smartphone (such as Samsung or iPhone), contacts can be transferred in several ways, the most reliable is through a Google account or a.vcf file.

Moving to Android:

1. On Xiaomi, export your contacts to a.vcf file (see section 5).
2. Copy the file to a new phone (via Google Drive, Bluetooth, or cable).
3. On the new phone, open the contacts.vcf file and add contacts automatically.

Portability to iPhone:

1. On Xiaomi, sync your contacts with your Google account.
2. On iPhone, go to Settings → Contacts → Accounts → Add an account → Google.
3. Log in to the same account and enable contact synchronization.
4. The contacts will appear in the iPhone phone book.

Transfer through SIM-card if there are few contacts):

1. On Xiaomi, export your contacts to SIM-map.
2. Insert the SIM into the new phone.
3. Import contacts with SIM memory.

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When you transfer contacts to your iPhone through Google, you may lose photos of your contacts. To save them, use a.vcf file or specialized applications like Move to iOS.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi contacts