Why it is important to keep contacts in a Google account on Xiaomi
Losing contacts is one of the most frustrating situations for a smartphone owner: Imagine if your phone is stolen, it breaks, or you accidentally reset your settings to the factory settings. Without a backup, it will be extremely difficult to restore the numbers of friends, colleagues and loved ones. Synchronizing contacts with a Google account on Xiaomi solves this problem once and for all.
Unlike local storage on your phone, Google Contactsโ cloud service ensures that your address book is always at hand โ whether itโs a new smartphone, tablet or even a computer. Moreover, on Xiaomi devices with MIUI firmware, synchronization with Google by default can be disabled due to the duplicate Mi Cloud feature. This often causes confusion among users who do not understand why contacts are not saved to Google account automatically.
In this article, we will discuss:
- ๐น How to enable Google Contact Sync on any Xiaomi smartphone (including Redmi, POCO, Black Shark)
- ๐น Step-by-step instructions for different versions MIUI (12, 13, 14 and HyperOS)
- ๐น What to do if contacts are not synchronized or duplicated
- ๐น How to transfer contacts with SIM-Maps or Local Memory on Google
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced user, after reading this article, you will be able to set up contact backups so that you never lose important numbers.
Preparation: What to do before synchronization
Before you start setting up, make sure your Xiaomi smartphone is ready to sync. Here are the key points:
- Google account. Without it, sync is impossible. If you don't have an account, create it through Settings โ Google Accounts โ Add an account.
- Stable Internet connection. The first synchronization will require uploading data to the cloud. Better to use Wi-Fi to avoid wasting mobile traffic.
- Free space in Google Contacts: Free accounts allow you to store up to 25,000 contacts. If the limit is exceeded, delete unnecessary posts via contacts.google.com.
Also check if sync is enabled with Mi Cloud, which may conflict with Google, to turn it off:
- Go to Settings โ Accounts and Sync โ Mi Cloud.
- Find the Contacts section and deactivate the slider.
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If you use two Google accounts (for example, personal and work), choose the main one to sync contacts.
The final step is to update the Google Contacts app to the latest version via Play Market.Outdated versions may not support new sync features.
Step-by-step: how to save contacts in a Google account on Xiaomi
The sync process is slightly different depending on the version of MIUI. Below is a universal instruction, suitable for most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices.
Method 1: Through Google Account Settings
- Open the settings on your phone.
- Go to Accounts and Synchronization (in some versions of MIUI โ Memory and Synchronization).
- Select your Google account (if there are several, tap it on the right one).
- Activate the slider near the Contact point.
- Click Sync (or More โ Sync Now).
If Contact is not listed, then Google Contacts is disabled. Enable it through Settings โ Apps โ App Management โ Google Contacts โ Enable.
Method 2: Through the Contact Application
- Open the standard Contacts app (a human silhouette icon).
- Tap the three-point menu (โฎ) top-right.
- Select Settings โ Contact Management โ Import / Export Contacts.
- Click Export on Google and confirm the action.
This method is useful if you want to transfer contacts from local memory to Google once, without including constant synchronization.
Make sure your Google account settings enable contact sync |
Open contacts.google.com and check for records |
Create a test contact on your phone and update the page in your browser โ it should appear |
Try to delete the contact from your phone โ it should disappear in Google (if the sync is two-way)-->
Method 3: For older versions of MIUI (up to 12)
On devices with MIUI 11 and below, the path to settings may be different:
- Go to Settings. โ Accounts.
- Select Google and log in to your account if required.
- Slip it on your email address.
- Turn on the Contacts slider and press Sync.
What to do if the synchronization is suspended?
How to transfer contacts with SIM-Google maps
Many Xiaomi users still keep their contacts on the site. SIM-This is inconvenient: limit on the number of records (usually) 250-500), No photos and no additional fields. Google Contacts will only take a few minutes to move.
- Put it in. SIM-card to the phone and open the Contacts app.
- Tap the three-point menu (โฎ) โ Settings โ Contact management โ Import/Export of contacts.
- Select Import with SIM-map.
- Please specify your Google account as the import target.
- Confirm the action and wait for the process to be completed.
After importing, we recommend:
- ๐ธ Remove duplicates through Settings โ Contact management โ Combining and correcting.
- ๐ธ Add photos and additional information (email, address) to contacts via the web version of Google Contacts.
- ๐ธ Export backup in.vcf format (in case of account problems).
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Import with SIM-The map does not delete the original contacts from it. Once transferred to Google, the map can be safely extracted or formatted.
If there is an error in the importation, "I could not read it". SIM-map, try it:
- Reboot the phone.
- Remove and re-insert SIM-map.
- Use another smartphone to read contacts (if the SIM is old or damaged).
Problem Solving: Contacts are not synced with Google
Sometimes synchronization fails to work at the expense of all efforts, and here are the common reasons and ways to eliminate them:
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Synchronization doesn't start | Background mode for Google services is disabled | Go to Settings โ Applications โ Application Management โ Google Contacts โ Battery and select Without Limits. |
| Contacts not updated | Cash app is full. | Clear the cache through Settings โ Apps โ Contacts โ Memory โ Clear the cache. |
| Duplicate records | Sync is enabled in both Mi Cloud and Google | Turn off contact sync in Mi Cloud (see Preparation section). |
| Error "Synchronization disabled by administrator" | Security Policy on the Work Account | Please refer to IT-Use or use a personal Google account. |
If none of these methods worked, try resetting your sync settings:
- Go to Settings โ Accounts and Sync โ Google โ Your account.
- Click Delete your account (donโt worry, contacts will be saved in the cloud).
- Add the account again and enable contact synchronization.
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Before deleting your Google account, check that your contacts are actually saved to the cloud. To do this, open contacts.google.com in your browser.
โ ๏ธ Note: If you use Xiaomi with custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), standard settings MIUI In this case, install the Google Contacts app from the Play Market and set up sync through it.
How to Recover Google Contacts for a New Xiaomi Phone
Going to Xiaomi's new smartphone? Recovering contacts from a Google account is easy, and the key is not to miss the step of adding an account when you first set up your phone.
- Turn on your new phone and connect to the internet.
- At the setup stage, select Restore from backup โ Google.
- Enter your Google account details (the same place your contacts are stored).
- In the Synchronization section, activate the Contacts slider.
- Wait until the synchronization is complete (may take a few minutes).
If the phone is already set up but the contacts are not tightened:
- ๐ฑ Go to Settings. โ Accounts and synchronization โ Google โ your account.
- ๐ Turn on Contact Sync and Click Sync Now.
- ๐ Open the Contacts app and check if the posts have appeared (sometimes you need to restart the app).
If contacts are not restored, check:
- ๐น The correctness of the Google account (you may be using another email).
- ๐น Internet connection (sync only works online).
- ๐น Is it blocking? VPN Firewall access to Google servers.
Additional tips: Backup and contact management
Syncing with Google is only half the battle, and to keep your contacts safe, follow these guidelines:
1. Regular backups
Even cloud services can fail. Export contacts to a.vcf file every 3-6 months:
- Open contacts.google.com.
- Click Export on the left menu.
- Select the vCard format (for iOS and Android).
- Save the file to your computer or the cloud (like Google Drive).
2. Removal of duplicates
Duplicate contacts are a common problem when syncing with multiple accounts, to clear the address book:
- ๐น On the phone: Contacts โ Settings โ Contact management โ Combining and correcting.
- ๐น In the web version: contacts.google.com โ Duplicates on the left menu.
3. Use of labels and groups
Google Contacts allows you to sort entries into groups (e.g., Work, Family, Friends) and it makes it easier to search and send messages to the public.
- Open contacts.google.com.
- In the left menu, select Create a label.
- Give the group a name and add contacts.
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Contact groups sync with Xiaomi phone only if you use the Google Contacts app instead of the standard one.
4.Configuring the display of contacts
On Xiaomi, you can choose which contacts to show in the phone book:
- Open Contacts โ Settings โ Display Contacts.
- Select All Contacts or specify specific accounts (e.g. Google only).
โ ๏ธ Note: If you hid contacts from your Google account in your display settings, they wonโt be visible in Phone and Messages apps.This doesnโt mean theyโre deleted โ just check your visibility settings.