Changing your smartphone or having to reset your device to factory settings is always a stressful, high-risk, high-value-awareness experience. Contacts that contain numbers from colleagues, family and business partners are especially worrisome. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices often wonder how to securely save a phone book to move it to any other device without losing names and numbers. VCF (vCard) is a universal standard supported by almost all modern operating systems, including Android and iOS.
The process of creating a backup on the shell of MIUI or HyperOS is as simplified as possible by developers and does not require the installation of third-party applications. You do not need to search for complex programs on your computer or understand engineering menus. All the necessary tools are already built into the basic application Contacts or available through the cloud service Mi Cloud. The main thing is to understand where the export button is located, since the location of the menu may vary slightly depending on the firmware version.
In this article, we’ll go into detail on a few ways to create a vCard file with all the numbers at once so you can save it to a memory card, send it to yourself by mail or upload it to the cloud, which ensures that even if your phone is completely broken, your phone book will remain intact. We’ll look at both the classic method through the export menu and alternative synchronization options.
Preparation for data export and source selection
Before you start creating a file, you need to make sure you export exactly the records you want. In Xiaomi smartphones, contacts can be stored in different places: SIM-card, internal phone memory or Google account to successfully save to a universal format VCF It is best to have all the records in the device’s memory or synced with the Google account that is linked to the phone.
Check the contact list and make sure it doesn't have duplicates that might confuse you after the transfer. SIM-The card, which you have to copy to the internal memory of the phone, is done through the control menu. SIM-Backup will only be complete if the data source is selected correctly.
⚠️ Note: If you are exporting contacts with SIM-The card, make sure it is inserted securely into the slot, and extracting the card during the process can cause the data to be read in error.
Also, you should pay attention to which Google or Mi Account is currently active, and if you use multiple email accounts, make sure you work with the one that is the main one, which will avoid the situation where the file is saved but does not contain all the necessary records due to filtering by accounts.
Exporting contacts through the standard application
The fastest and most reliable way to get a.vcf file is to use the built-in Contacts app, which does not require an internet connection and works even in flight mode. To start, open the app, which usually has an icon with a phone handset or a human silhouette. In the upper right corner of the screen, find a menu represented by three vertical dots or a “More” button.
Once you open the menu, select “Import/Export Contacts” and the system will prompt you to select the data source (where we copy it) and the target storage (where we store it), select “Export to Storage” or “Export to.vcf”. MIUI will automatically offer to save all available contacts to one archive file, which greatly simplifies the process.
- 📂 Click on the menu button in the Contacts app».
- 📤 Select the item "Export to the storage».
- 💾 Confirm the action and the file will be created in internal memory.
- 📁 Find the file in the folder. MIUI/contacts or the root of internal memory.
When the process is complete, the system will notify you of the successful creation of the file, usually it gets the name contacts.vcf or 00001.vcf with a date, and this file weighs very little, even if you have several thousand numbers, because the text takes up little space, and you can send it to your messenger or email immediately for reliability.
☑️ Pre-export verification
Using Mi Cloud for Backup
Xiaomi smartphone owners have the unique ability to use the Mi Cloud cloud service to automatically store data. It's not exactly creating a VCF file manually, but the result is similar - your contacts are securely saved and can be restored at any time.
Go to the settings menu, select "Mi Account" and find the "Cloud" section, and you need to activate the sync for "Contacts." Once you turn on this feature, all new numbers will automatically fly to the cloud, but to get the file to be transferred to another device, you need to use the web version of the service.
| Parameter | Local exports | Mi Cloud | Google Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|
| We need the Internet. | No. | Yes. | Yes. |
| Creating a VCF file | Yeah, right away. | Yes, through the website. | Yes, through the website. |
| Automation | No. | Yes. | Yes. |
| Brand dependency | No. | Partially. | No. |
When you access i.mi.com from your computer, you can see all your saved contacts. The web interface has a handy Export button that allows you to download all your VCF records. It's a great way to make a full backup without any cable or wires. Synchronization keeps your data up to date at any given time.
What to do if the Mi Cloud is full?
Save Contacts through Google Contacts
Because Android is a product of Google, the company’s ecosystem offers perhaps the most reliable way to store numbers: any Xiaomi has Google Contacts installed by default or sync with search services integrated, and if you’ve saved numbers to a Google profile, they’re already safe.
To create a file, go to contacts.google.com from any browser. In the menu on the left, find the Export section. You will be asked to choose which contacts to upload (all or only favorites) and in which format. Choose the vCard format (for Contacts contacts). The file will be downloaded to your device and you can use it anywhere.
This method is especially useful for those who are planning to switch to a smartphone of another brand, such as Samsung or iPhone. the versatility of the VCF format ensures that no character is lost during conversion.
⚠️ Note: When exporting via Google, make sure you choose the vCard format instead of the vCard format. CSV. Format CSV It is designed for Excel tables and may not appear in the phone book correctly when imported.
Search and manage saved files
Once you have exported, it is important to know where to look for the file you created. In the MIUI-based Android file system, files are saved by default to internal memory. Open the Explorer or Files app (usually a yellow or blue folder on your desktop).
Most often, the contacts.vcf file lies at the root of internal memory or in the MIUI/contacts folder. For a quick search, use the file search function inside the explorer by entering the.vcf extension. If you plan to transfer data to another phone, this file can be copied to a computer, a flash drive or sent via Bluetooth.
- 🔍 Open the "Conductor" application».
- 📂 Go to the internal storage.
- 📄 Find a file with the.vcf extension.
- 📤 Copy or send the file in a convenient way.
Don't delete this file immediately after you create it. Better save it on your computer or in the cloud (like Google Drive or Yandex.Disk) as an archived copy. In case of a phone loss or system failure, you can always restore numbers by simply opening this file on a new device. Android file system makes it easy to manage such documents.
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Keep your contacts backed up on multiple media: one file on your computer, one in the cloud, and one on your flash drive. This three-copy rule will save your data in any critical situation.
Recovery of contacts from the VCF file
The recovery process is as simple as creating a backup. If you have a.vcf file, you can import it to any smartphone. All you have to do is transfer the file to the device (via USB, Bluetooth or messenger) and click on it. Android automatically recognizes the format and suggests adding contacts to the phone book.
Alternatively, use the Import/Export menu in the Contacts app we talked about earlier, select Import from Storage or Import from.vcf. The phone will find the file automatically or ask you to specify the path to it, and the process of adding records will begin after confirmation.
It is important to note that when importing a large number of contacts, the process can take several minutes. Do not turn off the screen or run heavy applications at this point, so as not to interrupt the recording of data.
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The VCF format is a universal key to your phone book, allowing you to transfer data between any device regardless of the operating system or manufacturer.