How to transfer contacts from Mi Account to Google Account on Xiaomi: all ways

The transition from Xiaomi ecosystem to Google services often comes with the need to move contacts. Many users face the problem of how to save all phone numbers, email addresses and other data when changing their main account on the device. In this article, we will discuss three working methods for transferring contacts from Mi Account to Google Account on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, including solutions for cases when standard synchronization does not work.

The thing about MIUI is that by default, contacts are linked to Mi Cloud, not Google, which makes it difficult to switch to a different smartphone or change your profile, and we'll look at both automatic ways through phone settings and manual methods using.vcf files. You'll also learn why contacts are sometimes duplicated after the transfer and how to avoid it.

Why you should transfer contacts from Mi Account to Google

Using a Google Account to store contacts has several key advantages over Mi Cloud:

• 🌍 Cross-platform: Contacts will be available on any Android device or through the web version of Google Contacts, even if you switch from Xiaomi to a smartphone of another brand.
• 🔄 Automatic synchronization: Changes to contacts are instantly updated across all connected devices without additional action.
• 🛡️ Storage Reliability: Google Provides More Reliable Data Backup and Recovery Mechanisms.
• 📱 Integration with services: contacts automatically pull up in Gmail, Google Meet, Calendar and other applications.

Also, when resetting your phone to factory settings or switching to a new Xiaomi model, it’s easier to restore contacts from Google than from Mi Cloud, especially if you’re having trouble logging in to your Xiaomi account.It’s also worth considering that some apps (like WhatsApp or Telegram) work better with contacts synchronized through Google.

⚠️ Attention: If you are using MIUI 12 and later, when you delete the Mi Account from the device, all contacts associated with it will be lost without the possibility of recovery, unless they are previously exported!

Method 1: Automatic synchronization through MIUI settings

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI tools to transfer contacts, which is useful if you already have both accounts (Mi and Google) on your device.

Instructions:

1. Open the Contacts app on your Xiaomi.
2. Tap it on three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Contact Management.
3. Go to the Import/Export Contacts section.
4. Select Export to the file and specify Mi Account as the source.
5. Save the.vcf file to internal memory or SD-map.
6. Return to Import/Export and select Import from the file by specifying the saved.vcf.
7. When importing, select Google Account as your target account.

After the procedure is completed, check that the contacts have appeared in your Google Account.

• Open contacts.google.com in your browser.
• Sign in with the same account as on your phone.
• Make sure all contacts are displayed correctly.

Make sure that both accounts are added to your phone (Mi and Google)

Check for free space on the device (minimum 50 MB)

Disable battery optimization for the Contacts app

Backup your contacts in Mi Cloud (in case of an error)

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If you have duplicated contacts after import, use the Combine and Correct function in Google Contacts.

1. Open contacts.google.com.
2. On the left menu, select Duplicates.
3. Press Combine All.

Method 2: Manual export and import via.vcf file

If automatic sync fails (for example, due to MIUI errors or lack of access to Mi Cloud), you can use manually exporting contacts to a.vcf (vCard) file, followed by importing them to Google.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Contacts app on Xiaomi.
2. Press three points (⋮) → Contact management → Imports/Exports.
3. Select Export to the file and specify Mi Account as the source.
4. Save the file with the name mi_contacts.vcf In a convenient location (for example, in the folder Download).
5. Connect your phone to your computer or send the file to your mail.
6. Open Google Contacts in your browser.
7. In the left menu, select Import. → Select a file and upload it. mi_contacts.vcf.
8. Wait until the import is complete (may take a few minutes if there are many contacts).

The advantage of this method is that you get backup contacts as a file that you can store on multiple devices.

• 📌.vcf file may not save contact photos.
• 📌 If the contacts used custom fields (for example, additional dates or notes), they may not be transferred correctly.
• 📌 Large number of contacts (1000)+) The file may not be imported, in which case break it down into pieces.

💡

If you import Contacts into Google, you may have a file too big error, use free services like VCF Splitter to break the file into 500 contacts.

Method 3: Synchronization through third-party applications

If standard methods don’t work (for example, due to MIUI restrictions or Mi Cloud lockdown), you can use third-party applications to transfer contacts.

Let’s look at the example of Copy My Data:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and select Copy Contacts To.
3. Specify Mi Account as the source and Google Account as the recipient.
4. Confirm the transfer and wait until it is completed.
5. Check your contacts in Google Contacts.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party apps, disable battery optimization for them in settings MIUI (Settings → Annexes → Permits → Auto-start, otherwise the process may be interrupted!

Automatic synchronization via MIUI

Manual export/import via.vcf

Third-party annexes

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Solving problems when transferring contacts

Even when following instructions, users often encounter errors, and consider the most common problems and solutions:

1. Contacts are not synced with Google

If the contacts do not appear in Google Account after the transfer:

• 🔄 Check if synchronization is enabled: Settings → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization of contacts.
• 🔄 Restart the device – sometimes MIUI "Forgetting to update the data.
• 🔄 Delete and re-add Google Account on your device.

2.Duplicate contacts

If there are duplicates after import:

• 🧹 In Google Contacts, use the Unify and Fix function (the menu on the left).
• 🧹 Manually remove duplicates through the Duplicate filter.
• 🧹 Before importing, export your contacts from Google to a file, and after transferring them, compare files using Excel or Notepad.++.

Error "Cannot import contacts"

If Google Contacts refuses to import a.vcf file:

• 📄 Check the file for Cyrillic characters in names – sometimes they cause crashes.
• 📄 Break the large file into parts (by 300-500 contact).
• 📄 Try importing a file via Gmail: Contacts → More. → Imports.

How to avoid losing contacts in the future

To avoid the problem of moving contacts again, follow these recommendations:

• 🔒 Use Google as your primary contact account from day one of using Xiaomi.
• 🔒 Set up automatic backup in Settings → System system → Backup.
• 🔒 Periodically (once in a 1-2 Export contacts to the file and save it to the cloud (Google Drive, Yandex Disk).
• 🔒 If you use Mi Cloud, enable two-factor authentication to protect your account.

It is also useful to know that:

• 📱 On new Xiaomi models (for example, Xiaomi 13, Redmi Note 12) when you first turn on, the system offers to choose the main account for contacts - choose Google.
• 📱 When you reset your phone to factory settings, your contacts from Google will automatically recover if you specified this account when you set up the phone.

💡

Starting with MIUI 14, Xiaomi added a “Data Migration” feature when you first turn on your smartphone, which allows you to transfer contacts from Mi Account to Google in one step.

Transferring contacts with PC (for power users)

If you have access to a computer, you can transfer contacts via Mi. PC suite ADB-This method is suitable for cases where the phone is not turning on or there are problems with the screen.

Method 1: Through Mi PC Suite

1. Download and install Mi PC Suite.
2. Connect Xiaomi to your PC via USB (enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times tap on version).
3. In Mi PC Suite, select Contacts → Export and save the.vcf file.
4. Import the file to Google Contacts as described in Method 2.

Method 2: ADB (for advanced users)

If the phone is not turned on, but you have access to Recovery Mode:

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

This command will copy the contact database on the PC, and then it can be converted to.vcf using tools like Contacts-To-VCF.

⚠️ Attention: Working with ADB requires an unlocked bootloader and may result in a loss of warranty on the device. Use this method only if other methods are not available!

FAQ: Frequent questions about contact transfer