Switching to a new Xiaomi smartphone or reinstalling the system is often stressful because of the risk of losing important data. However, the MIUI ecosystem offers reliable cloud storage that allows you to save and instantly restore your call list.
In this article, we will take a look at all the current ways to get your records back into the phone book. You will learn about synchronization, backup files and how to solve common errors. The right approach to data migration ensures that no important number is lost when you change devices.
There are several scenarios where you need to recover, such as buying a new gadget, resetting to factory settings, or simply wanting to have a copy of it on your tablet. Modern Mi Cloud tools allow you to manage your subscriber list remotely through your browser or directly through the operating system interface, and understanding these mechanisms will eliminate the need to manually enter hundreds of numbers.
Account preparation and synchronization check
Before you start moving actively, you need to make sure your data is actually in the cloud. Often users assume that sync is automatic, but there may have been changes to your privacy settings. Go to the Settings menu and find the section responsible for your Mi Account account.
Make sure the switch opposite the Contacts switch is activated and lit in blue. If you haven't turned it on before, the system will suggest combining local data with cloud data. It's important to wait until the initial upload is complete, especially if the subscriber list is large. An unstable Internet connection can interrupt the process, leaving some records only on the device.
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Use a Wi-Fi connection to first synchronize a large number of contacts to avoid the consumption of mobile traffic and speed up the data transfer process.
Check the status of the last sync in the same menu. The system should display the current date and time. If it says "long ago" or the process has stalled, try switching the switch to turn off and re-energize. This will force the change check and update the information on Xiaomi servers.
Restoration of contacts through smartphone settings
The easiest and fastest way to recover lost records is to use the phone’s built-in functionality, which is ideal when you’ve just turned on a new device or performed a full reset, and the system will suggest that you recover data when you first log in to your Mi Account.
If you don't get an automatic offer, do the following manually: Open Settings, go to Mi Account, then select Cloud. This shows you a list of all the types of data that you can recover, and find the phone book icon and click on it.
- 📱 Click on the Restore to Device button to start the boot process.
- 🔄 Choose a source if the system offers multiple backup options.
- ⏳ Wait until the process is complete without closing the lock screen.
Some versions of the HyperOS or MIUI shell may have slightly different paths, and sometimes the recovery function is put into a separate Security or Services app. If the standard path doesn't work, search the settings by typing in "recovery."
☑️ Pre-reconstruction checks
Once you've done this, reboot your device, so that the indexing services correctly display new entries in your phone book and messengers, and sometimes contacts don't appear immediately, but within minutes of turning on.
Import via i.mi.com web interface
Remote browser data management is a powerful tool that is often overlooked. Xiaomi’s web version of the cloud allows you to not only view the list of numbers, but also manage them, edit errors and export data in a convenient format, which is especially useful if the phone is lost or is in repair.
To get started, go to i.mi.com from your computer or other smartphone. Sign in using your Mi Account. If two-factor protection is enabled, you will need code from an SMS or authenticator app. After you log in, select the Contacts icon from the main menu.
| Action. | Description of function | Utility. |
|---|---|---|
| Exports | Saving the list in the vCard file | Tall. |
| Recovery | Recoil from the previous version of the list | Critical |
| Merger | Combination of duplicate records | Medium |
| Search | Quickly search for the right subscriber | Tall. |
To import data, look for the "Import" or "Restore" button. The web interface allows you to select a specific date by which you want to roll back changes. The system stores the history of changes for up to 30 days, which gives you the chance to return the deleted by mistake numbers. Once you select the restore point, confirm the action.
What if the web version doesn’t display contacts?
Transfer data from other Android devices
The situation when you need to move to Xiaomi from a device from another manufacturer (Samsung, Huawei, Honor), is very common, in this case, direct synchronization through the Mi Account is impossible without prior preparation.
On your old device, open the Contacts app, go to the settings and select Export. Save the file in.vcf format to internal memory or to a microSD card. This universal format is supported by all modern smartphones. Then transfer this file to the new phone via Bluetooth, messenger or USB-cable.
Once you have a file on your Xiaomi device, just click on it. The system automatically prompts you to open it through the standard phonebook app and import the records. You can choose which account to store the data to: local storage, Google or Mi Cloud.
- 📂 Use a file manager if the automatic import is not started.
- 📤 For mass transmission, it is better to use the application "Mi Mover".
- ☁️ After importing, turn on sync so that the data goes to the cloud.
Mi Mover makes this process much easier: It creates a direct Wi-Fi connection between two phones and transmits all the data, including contacts, messages and Wi-Fi settings, eliminating the need to manually work with files.
Work with backup files (.vcf and.csv)
.vcf (vCard) files are the de facto standard for sharing contact information, containing not only phone numbers, but also additional fields: addresses, email, photos and notes, and when imported from the cloud, you may find yourself having to manually manage these files.
If you have backed up through a web interface, the file can be downloaded in.csv (for tables) or.vcf. The phone prefers vCard. If you have a.csv file, it is best to open it on your computer first in Excel or Google Tables, check the encoding and convert it if necessary.
To import a file from your computer, connect your phone to your PC in file transfer mode (MTP). Copy the.vcf file to the root of internal memory or to the Downloads pack. On your phone, open the Contacts app, click three dots in the menu corner, and select Import from the file. Specify the path to the saved document.
The system can request permission to access the storage, the process of reading the data will begin after confirmation, if the file contains duplicates of existing numbers, the phone will suggest skipping them or making copies, and it is recommended to choose to create copies, then manually check the list.
Removal and duplication
After mass importation, there is often a problem of duplication of records, which occurs when the same contact is stored simultaneously in the phone's memory, in the Google account and in the Mi Cloud, as a result of which the name may be displayed several times when calling or the list becomes unreadable.
The built-in cleaning tool will help solve this problem. Go to the Contacts app, click on the settings menu and find Contact Management or Contact Management. Select the Repeated Contacts Combination function. The system will analyze the list and suggest that you drain the matching records.
⚠️ Warning: Before mass unification or deletion, make sure the latest version of contacts is already uploaded to the cloud.A mistaken merger can result in the loss of unique numbers that the system considered duplicates.
Also, users often encounter a problem when contacts are not displayed after importing: check the display filter in the phone book, click on the contact list settings and make sure that the "All contacts" check box is ticked or the specific account you saved them to is selected. Sometimes the default is only displayed. SIM-map.
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Regularly checking your contact list for duplicates and linking to your account correctly prevents future data loss and makes it easier to find the right people.
If the numbers are displayed but without names, check the app permissions. Messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber) must have permission to read the phone book to download the avatars and names from your database. → Annexes → Permits.