Switching to a new Xiaomi smartphone or reinstalling the operating system often causes stress for users fearing losing their data. The most valuable information for most people is the phone numbers that have been accumulating in the phone book for years. Fortunately, the Android ecosystem offers a robust cloud storage mechanism to avoid manually reprinting hundreds of records.
The basis for data storage is Google Account, which is integrated by default into any Android smartphone. When set up correctly, all your records are automatically uploaded to the corporation's servers and can be instantly restored on any device.
In this guide, we will take a look at the intricacies of the synchronization process, possible errors and ways to fix them, learn how to make sure that numbers are actually saved, and how to set up automatic list updates in the future without your involvement.
Preparing a Google Account Before Transfer
Before you start configuring the Xiaomi smartphone itself, you need to make sure the integrity of the data in the source. Often users do not suspect that their contacts are stored not in the cloud, but in memory. SIM-maps or locally on an old device, and web-based verification is the most reliable way to verify.
Go to your computer or any other gadget and go to contacts.google.com. Sign in with the same login you plan to use on your new phone. If you see a complete list of your friends and colleagues here, then the saving process has been successful before, and you just need to sync the device.
If the list is empty or contains only a part of the records, you must first download the missing data from the old phone. To do this, on the old device in the contact settings, select the option “Export” or “Copy” with the target storage specified Google Account, not the phone memory.
⚠️ Warning: If you see duplicate records when checking in your browser, don't rush to delete them manually.Google's service offers a built-in tool to combine duplicates that works much more efficiently than manual editing.
- 📱 Make sure that the old device has enabled contact synchronization before resetting it.
- 🌐 Check your internet access as downloading large lists can take time.
- 🔒 Make sure you remember your account password, as it will be required to sign in to Xiaomi.
Adding a Google account to MIUI or HyperOS
After initial setup of Xiaomi smartphone or at any other time, you can add an account. the interface of the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS may be slightly different visually, but the logic of the system components remains the same for all models, whether it is a budget Redmi or flagship Xiaomi.
Open the main settings menu, scroll down to Accounts and Sync. In some firmware versions, this item may simply be called “Users and Accounts.” Click on Add Account and select the Google logo from the service list.
Enter your credentials. A security system can request a sign-in confirmation via a push notification on another device or code from an SMS. This is a standard two-factor authentication procedure that should not be ignored for the sake of your data security.
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If you've just bought a phone and you're setting it up for the first time, it will prompt you to enter a Google account at the welcome stage, which is the easiest way to access all your contacts right away.
Once you log in, the system will suggest you choose which data to sync, make sure the switch opposite the Contacts item is activated, and without that step, the numbers won't appear in the phone book automatically.
Manual and automatic data synchronization
Even after adding an account, the download process may not start instantly, especially if the connection to the server is unstable, in which case manual intervention is required to force the update of the contact list on the Xiaomi device.
Go back to Accounts and Sync and search your Google account. Click on it to open the detailed service menu, and you'll see a list of all types of data: Calendar, Drive, Photos, and of course Contacts.
If there is no tick or update icon next to Contacts, click on it. In the menu that opens, select Sync. The process of exchanging data between the cloud and the phone's memory will start, which can take from a few seconds to several minutes depending on the volume of the base.
☑️ Synchronization control
To automate the process in the future, make sure that the “Data Autosynchronization” option is activated in the sync section, which ensures that any new number you add from your computer or other device will instantly appear on your smartphone.
- 🔄 Manual sync start helps correct errors when contacts aren’t loaded themselves.
- 📶 Successful synchronization requires a stable connection to a Wi-Fi network or mobile Internet.
- ⏱ Update time depends on the number of records and Internet connection speed.
Configure the display of contacts in the application
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the sync was successful, but the phone book numbers are not displayed. This does not mean data loss, but only indicates the wrong filtering settings in the Contacts app from Xiaomi or Google.
Open the Contacts app and go to its settings (usually three dots in the corner or a gear) and find the Display Contacts or Display Contacts section, where the default restriction may be that you hide entries from certain sources.
Select the All Contacts option or manually mark your Google Account in the source list, which force the app to show all the records uploaded from the cloud, even those previously hidden.
Why are contacts duplicated?
You also need to look at sorting, and you can choose the order of the display by name or by last name in the settings, and for Russian-speaking users, sorting by name is often more convenient, making it more intuitive to find acquaintances.
Import of contacts from other sources
If your data is saved as a backup file (.vcf or.csv formats), it can be uploaded directly to Xiaomi, bypassing the complex synchronization process through the Google cloud in real time, a method ideal for transferring data from old button phones or other operating systems.
Copy the backup file to your smartphone memory. Open the Contacts app, click on the menu, and select Import Contacts. The system will prompt you to select the source of the file — specify Device Memory or Internal Drive.
Find your file with the.vcf extension. After selecting, the system will ask where to save the imported numbers. It is critical to choose your Google Account as the target storage so that these contacts also end up in the cloud and do not disappear the next time you change your phone.
| File format | Description | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|
| .vcf (vCard) | Universal format for all phones | Perfect for importing on Xiaomi |
| .csv | Table format (Excel) | Requires prior conversion |
| .backup | Specific format of MIUI | Use only on Xiaomi/Poco |
Once you have completed importing, be sure to check the list for encoding errors, especially if the names are written in Cyrillic.
Resolving and Recovering Removed Numbers
There may be disruptions, such as missing contacts, not syncing or not showing correctly, most often the problem is desynchronizing the Google Play service or overflowing the app cache.
Try clearing the cache of Google Play and the Contacts app itself. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find the service you want, select Memory, and click Clear Cache. Don't confuse it with Clear Everything so you don't delete the data.
If numbers have been accidentally deleted, Google allows you to restore them from archive in the last 30 days, not on your phone, but via the web interface contacts.google.com under Settings → Cancel Changes. Select the period of time preceding deletion.
⚠️ Attention: Google’s Contact Recovery function only works for 30 days after deleting, and then the data is deleted permanently, which is why checking the cloud regularly is so important.
If you have a persistent sync error, try removing your account from the system and adding it again, and this will restart all the system processes associated with communicating with the corporation’s servers.