How to keep in touch with Xiaomi: all the ways 2026

Keeping contacts on Xiaomi smartphones seems like a simple task — until you encounter nuances. Some users lose numbers after resetting, others can not transfer contacts from the SIM- card to the memory of the phone, and still others do not understand why synchronization with Google Account works every time. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to save contacts on Xiaomi devices (including the models of Redmi, POCO and Black Shark) with the features of MIUI 14/15 and Android 13/14.

Importantly, the methods vary depending on where you want to keep your contact — in your phone memory, on your SIM- card, on Google Account or Mi Cloud. We will look at each option with step-by-step screenshots (interface descriptions) and warn you of typical errors. For example, did you know that when you save your SIM- card, photos of contacts and additional fields like an email address are lost?

If you’ve just bought a new Xiaomi 14 or Redmi Note 13 Pro+, this guide will help you organize your phone book from day one. For older models (such as the Mi 11 or POCO F3), let’s clarify which features may be missing due to the MIUI version.

1. Keeping contact in the memory of the phone (locally)

Local saving is good if you don’t want to be tied to cloud services or have a stable Internet connection, but it has a critical drawback: when you reset your phone to factory settings, all contacts will be deleted without recovery (unless you back up manually).

To save the number in the memory of the device:

1. Open the Contacts app (a icon with a person's silhouette).
2. Click on the + icon in the lower right corner (or select Create Contact).
3. Enter your name and phone number. Pay attention to the Save in field - select Device or Phone (names may vary depending on the version of MIUI).
4. Fill in the additional fields (if necessary) and click Save.

⚠️ Warning: On some Xiaomi models (e.g., POCO X5), the save option is hidden on the device. To see it, first add a contact to your Google Account, then edit it and change the save location.

The advantages of local preservation:

• 🔒 Doesn't require the Internet.
• 📱 Contacts are available even without authorization in the Mi Account.
• ⚡ The fastest runs on older smartphones (e.g., Redmi 9A).

Disadvantages:

• 🚫 Risk of data loss when a phone is reset or broken.
• 🔄 There is no automatic synchronization between devices.
• 📵 Contacts cannot be restored after removal without a backup.

2: Save contact on SIM- card

Saving a SIM- card is an outdated but still popular method, especially among users who often change phones or use two devices (for example, a work and a personal one).

• 📞 Contact limit: Most SIM- cards can save no more than 250 numbers.
• 📛 Limited fields: name and number only (no photos, email, addresses, etc.).
• 🐢 Slow access: With a lot of contacts, the phone can hang when you open the phone book.

Instructions for conservation:

1. Open Contacts. → press «+».
2. Enter contact details.
3. In the Save box, select "SIM- card" (or "SIM1"/"SIM2" if you have two slots).
4. Press Save.

⚠️ Warning: On Xiaomi with MIUI 14+, the save option on the SIM- card may be hidden. To enable it, go to Settings → Apps → Contacts → Rights → Memory and allow access to SIM.

If you need to transfer contacts from SIM- card to the phone memory:

1. Open Contacts → "⋮" (three points) → "Import/Export."
2. Select "Import with SIM- Card".
3. Specify where to save (for example, in Google Account or device memory).
4. Confirm the import.

3. Synchronize contacts with Google Account

Keeping your contacts on Google is the most reliable way if you have multiple Android devices (not just Xiaomi), all changes are automatically synced over the Internet, and when you reset your phone, you just need to log in to restore your phone book.

• 🌐 A stable internet connection is required for first synchronization.
• 🔄 When you change your Google Account, your contacts are not automatically transferred.
• 📱 On some Xiaomi models (e.g. Black Shark 5), sync may be disabled after the MIUI update.

How to keep in touch with Google:

1. Open Contacts → "+".
2. Enter contact details.
3. In the Save in box, select your Google Account (usually your email is displayed).
4. Press Save.

If the option doesn’t show up, add Google Account to your phone’s settings first:

Settings → Accounts and sync → Add an account → Google

To enable automatic synchronization:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Choose your account.
3. Activate the “Sync Contacts” switch.

💡

If contacts are not synced, check if traffic saving mode is turned off in the settings of Google Play Services. → Annexes → Application management → Google Play Services → Mobile data and enable "Background data transfer».

4. Save contacts in Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

Mi Cloud is Xiaomi’s proprietary cloud storage that allows you to synchronize contacts, photos, notes and even SMS between the brand’s devices, an advantage over Google: it works even without an Internet connection (synchronization will occur when the network first appears).

• 🔐 Mi Account is required (if not, you will have to register).
• 📱 Contacts are not transferred to devices of other brands (such as Samsung or iPhone).
• 🌍 Mi Cloud servers are located in China, which may affect synchronization speeds in some regions.

How to keep contact in Mi Cloud:

1. Make sure you are logged in to your Mi Account (Settings → Mi Account).
2. Open Contacts → "+".
3. In the Save in box, select “Mi Account” or “Mi Cloud”.
4. Fill in the data and save it.

To enable automatic synchronization:

1. Go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Activate the Contacts switch.
3. Click on Sync to start the process manually.

If the synchronization is not working:

• 🔄 Reboot the phone.
• 📶 Check your internet connection (better to use Wi-Fi).
• 🔧 Update the Contacts app via Google Play.

Import and export of contacts (backup)

Even if you save contacts to the cloud, it doesn't hurt to back up periodically. On Xiaomi, you can do this in the.vcf format that all modern smartphones support. You can send a backup copy to an email, save it to Google Drive, or copy it to your computer.

How to export contacts:

1. Open Contacts → "⋮" → "Import/Export."
2. Select "Export to File".
3. Specify which contacts to export (e.g., only from a Google Account).
4. Click Export and select a save location (such as Downloads or Google Drive).

How to import contacts from the file:

1. Copy the.vcf file to your phone (for example, via Telegram or email).
2. Open Contacts → "⋮" → "Import/Export" → "Import from file."
3. Select a file and confirm the import.

⚠️ Warning: When importing contacts from a.vcf file to Xiaomi, sometimes there is a “failed to import” error, in which case, try opening the file through Google Contacts in the browser (contacts.google.com) and syncing with your phone.

6. Features on different Xiaomi models

The interface and features available may vary depending on the smartphone model and MIUI version.

• 📱 Xiaomi 13/14, Redmi Note 12/13, POCO F5: Full support for all save methods, including Mi Cloud and Google. There is a function of merging duplicate contacts.

If you have a global version of MIUI (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Global), you will be prompted by default to keep contact with your Google Account, while the Chinese firmware (China ROM) gives priority to Mi Cloud, and Google Services may not.

💡

On Chinese MIUI firmware (China ROM) to use Google Contacts, you must manually install Google Play Services through Settings → Additional → Google.

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

Even with the right contacts, Xiaomi users are faced with common mistakes, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

Problem 1: Contacts are lost after the MIUI update

Reason: Reset your sync settings or conflict between your Google Account and Mi Cloud.

Decision:

1. Check if synchronization is included in Settings → Accounts and synchronization.
2. If you have contacts in Mi Cloud, log in to Mi Account again.
3. Import contacts from a backup (if any).

2 problem: You can't keep contact on the SIM- card

Reason: No access to the SIM- card or eSIM (Virtual SIM) is used.

Decision:

• Go to Settings → SIM- Cards and Mobile Networks → Settings SIM1/SIM2 and enable Contacts SIM.
• If you use eSIM, save the contact to your phone or cloud.

Issue 3: Duplicate contacts

Reason: Simultaneous sync with Google and Mi Cloud, or import from multiple sources.

Decision:

1. Open Contacts → "⋮" → "Connect Contacts."
2. Select duplicates and click "Combine".
3. Turn off sync in one of the clouds (for example, leave only Google).

Problem 4: Google Contacts Are Not Shown

Reason: Synchronization or conflict with MIUI is disabled.

Decision:

• Delete your Google Account and add it again.
• Clear the Contacts app cache (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Contacts → Clear the cache).
• Update Google Play Services in the Google Play Store.

FAQ: Frequent questions