How to keep in touch with Xiaomi: all ways with step-by-step instructions

Keeping contacts on Xiaomi smartphones only seems to be a simple task – in practice, users are faced with nuances that depend on the version. MIUI, Error in choosing a storage location (e.g. saving on the device) SIM-A map instead of a Google account can cause you to lose all your numbers when you change your phone or reset your settings. In this article, we’ll look at 5 proven ways to save contacts, including hidden features. MIUI, which are not written in the official instructions.

We will pay special attention to the problems typical for Xiaomi: why contacts are duplicated when synchronizing with the new model. MI Cloud, how to transfer numbers from the old device to the new without loss, and what to do if the phone does not offer to save the number to the new one SIM. Also consider the unique bug in the MIUI 14, which causes contacts to disappear after a system update – and how to avoid it.

1. Save contact in Xiaomi phone book (locally)

The most obvious, but not always optimal, way is to save directly to the phone’s memory, which is suitable if you’re not planning to change your device or reset your settings, as contacts are out of sync with the cloud and may be lost.

To keep the number locally:

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette).
2. Click on the + icon in the lower right corner.
3. Enter your name and phone number. Pay attention to the room type field - select Mobile, Work or Home for easy further sorting.
4. Click Save and select Device** (or Locally in older versions of MIUI).

⚠️ Attention: Local contacts take up space in the phone's memory and are not automatically backed up. When reset to factory settings, all numbers will be deleted. To avoid this, regularly export contacts to.vcf via the Contact Management menu. → Imports/Exports.

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If the Device field is missing when you save a contact, update the Contacts app via Google Play or check your sync settings in Settings → Accounts and Sync.

2. Retention on SIM-map: when it is justified

Maintaining contacts SIM-And this is an outdated, but sometimes necessary, method:

• 📱 You are temporarily using someone else’s phone and don’t want to leave your contacts in their memory.
• 🔄 You need to quickly transfer the numbers to another device without the Internet.
• 🛡️ You don’t trust cloud services and you want physical control over your data.

Instructions for saving on SIM:

1. Open Contacts. → press «+»**.
2. Fill in the fields and press Save.
3. In the list of options, select «SIM-map”** (if this paragraph is not available, see the decision below).

⚠️ Attention: SIM-The cards have a strict limit on the number of contacts (usually 200-250) and do not support fields for email, addresses or photos. Names are saved only in Latin - Cyrillic will appear as Krakozabra on some devices.

3. Sync with Google account: a reliable way

Keeping your contacts in a Google account is the most reliable method, as:

• 🔄 Data is automatically synced between all devices with this account.
• ☁️ Backups are created in the Google Contacts cloud.
• 🔧 All fields are supported: multiple numbers, email, addresses, birthdays and even photos.

Step-by-step:

1. Make sure you add a Google account on your phone: Settings → Accounts and Sync → Add an account.
2. Open Contacts. → «+»** → fill in the data.
3. When saving, select your Google account (usually displayed as your email).
4. For forced sync, go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google → [Your account] → Sync contacts.

⚠️ Note: If you use multiple Google accounts, contacts may be split between them.To avoid confusion, assign one account to the primary in sync settings.

4.Use of MI Cloud: Features for Xiaomi

MI Cloud is Xiaomi’s proprietary cloud storage that offers 5GB for free. Its advantage over Google is that it’s optimized for the Xiaomi ecosystem and supports additional features like SMS and note backup.

How to save contacts in MI Cloud:

1. Register or sign in to Mi Account: Settings → Accounts and Sync → Mi Account.
2. Enable Contact Synchronization: Go to Mi Cloud → Sync → Contacts and activate the slider.
3. Now, when you add a new contact, select the option “Mi Account”**.

Comparison of MI Cloud and Google Account:

⚠️ Attention: When in use MI Cloud on phones with MIUI Global and MIUI China may have synchronization conflicts. If contacts are duplicated, turn off sync with the MI Cloud and only leave a Google account.

Import/export of contacts: backup

Even if you save contacts to the cloud, it is recommended to back up manually periodically, which will protect against synchronization failures or accidental deletion.

How to export contacts:

1. Open Contacts. → press three points (⋮) top-right.
2. Select Contact Management → Import / Export → Export to Storage.
3. Specify which contacts to export (e.g., SIM only or from a Google account).
4. The.vcf file will be saved to the phone’s internal memory in the Download or MIUI/backup folder.

To import contacts back:

1. Go to Contact Management → Import/Export → Import from Storage.
2. Select the.vcf file and specify where to save contacts (on your device, SIM or account).

📌 Export contacts to.vcf file

📌 Check synchronization with Google/MI Cloud

📌 Make sure the backup file is copied to a PC or flash drive

📌 Write down important numbers on paper (in case of failure)

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6.Moving contacts from the old Xiaomi to the new

When buying a new smartphone Xiaomi can transfer contacts in several ways, the fastest is the use of the function “Cloning apps”** in MIUI:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Additional → Cloning apps.
2. Select Contacts and follow the instructions for creating a backup.
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and recover data from the cloud.

Alternative methods:

• 📤 Bluetooth: Send a.vcf file from your old phone to your new phone via Bluetooth.
• 📧 Email: Send your contact file to your email and open it on your new device.
• 🔗 Xiaomi Migration: Use the Mi Mover app (pre-installed on new phones).

⚠️ Note: When transferring contacts via.vcf file, check the encoding. If contact names use Cyrillic characters, open the file on your PC via Notepad++ and save it in code. UTF-8, Otherwise, the new phone will display Cracosabras.

Problem Solving: Contacts are not saved or are lost

If contacts do not persist or disappear after a reboot, check the following points:

Problem 1: Contacts are not listed.

• 🔍 Make sure that all accounts are displayed in the Contacts app settings: → Displayed contacts.
• 🔄 Restart your phone - sometimes MIUI Does not update the contact list immediately after adding.

Problem 2: Contacts are duplicated.

• 🤝 This is due to simultaneous synchronization with Google and MI Cloud. Turn off synchronization in one of the services.
• 🧹 Use the function of merging duplicates: Contacts → Management → Combine duplicates.

Problem 3: Contacts disappear after the MIUI update.

MIUI 14 has a bug that, after an over-the-air (OTA) update, may temporarily disappear the contacts stored in MI Cloud. Solution: Go to Settings → About → Phone → MIUI Version and click on the MIUI logo 5 times to activate the hidden recovery menu. Then select Restore Contacts from the backup.

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If contacts are lost after resetting, they can only be restored if they have been synced with Google or MI Cloud.

FAQ: Frequent questions about contacts on Xiaomi