How to establish contacts with Xiaomi

A modern smartphone is impossible to imagine without a phone book that stores hundreds of important numbers. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices often face the need to transfer recordings from an old phone or add new ones manually. The process seems simple, but there are nuances in the shell of MIUI or HyperOS, which can lead to data loss.

The right address book setting is not just about typing numbers, it's about where you store it, and it depends on whether you keep the number when you flash it or buy a new gadget, and in this article, we'll look at all the ways you can do it, from manual input to automatic synchronization through cloud services.

Special attention should be paid to save formats, as local storage of the phone is less reliable than a cloud account, we will consider how to avoid typical errors and ensure the safety of your database in any situation.

Preparation for data transfer and source selection

Before you start adding records in a mass manner, you need to figure out where the data is going to come from. If you've just unpacked a new smartphone, you might have an old machine on your hands. SIM-It's important to understand that modern versions of Android and shells. MIUI Differently interpret the terms “contacts” SIM" and "phone contacts".

The most reliable way is to use a Google account, which allows you to create a single digital ecosystem where the database of numbers is updated in real time, but if you do not have access to the Internet or prefer local storage, you will have to use other methods, and in any case, before you start manipulating it, you should check the free space and battery power.

Make sure the device has a standard set of applications from the manufacturer. In China and global versions of firmware, the names and icons may differ, but the functionality remains similar.

• 📱 Check availability SIM-The map and its serviceability in the new device.
• ☁️ Make sure you remember the login and password from your Google account.
• 🔋 Charge the battery of the smartphone to a minimum 40-50% avoiding sudden shutdown.
• 📶 Make sure you have a stable Wi-Fi connection for fast data downloads.

If you plan to port data from your iPhone, you’ll need the Move to iOS app or similar tools from Xiaomi, such as Mi Mover.These snails create a direct communication channel between devices, bypassing the complex Bluetooth settings.

Manually add a new contact through the phone application

The most basic way to top up your address book is to manually enter data. To do this, open the standard Phone or Contacts app, which usually has a green or blue icon in the bottom dock. In the lower or upper right corner of the screen, you will find a button with a plus symbol + or the inscription "Create".

Once you click, the input form will open. Here, it is important to choose the correct Save in field. By default, the system may suggest saving the entry to the SIM-Power users recommend choosing a Google account right away so that data is not lost when you accidentally reset your settings.

Fill in the fields: first name, last name, phone number. The system automatically determines the country code, but it can be changed manually, and fields are available to add email, address, birthday, and even photos of the subscriber.

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Add a photo to each contact immediately when you create it – this will help you identify the caller faster on the lock screen and in the call log.

Note that you can add additional fields, click on the "More" or "Add Field" button to enter a work number, fax or alias, which is especially useful for business contacts where it is important to distinguish between mobile and city numbers.

After filling in all the fields, click the Save button (usually a tick or text in the corner) and the record will instantly appear in the general list. If you choose to sync with Google, the check will take place in a few seconds, and the copy will appear in the cloud.

Import of contacts with SIM-card and other phone

Transferring records from the old SIM-cards are a classic task when changing devices, although (capacity) SIM-The cards are limited and only store text (name and number), a method that is still relevant.

Open the Contacts app. Click on the three dots in the top right corner (settings menu) and select Import/Export Contacts. From the menu that opens, select the source Import from SIM-The system will suggest you choose an account to save — again, you better choose Google.

The process can take anywhere from a few seconds to a minute, depending on the number of records, and when you complete it, you'll see a notification of successful import, and all the numbers that were on the map will appear in the general ledger.

If you're changing the phone as a whole, not just a map, use Bluetooth or the Mi Mover app. From the import menu, select Import from another phone. Follow the on-screen instructions: the old device will need to be scanned. QR-code.

This method allows you to transfer not only numbers, but also photos, posts and addresses, if they were stored in the memory of the old device, the transfer speed depends on the amount of data and the version of Bluetooth.

Sync with Google Account and Mi Cloud

Xiaomi’s ecosystem offers two powerful backup tools: Google Contacts and Mi Cloud. Using cloud technology ensures that your phone book is accessible from any device, whether it’s a tablet, a new smartphone or a computer.

To set up sync with Google, go to Settings → Accounts and Sync (or just Google). Select your account and make sure the switch opposite Contact is active. If sync is enabled, all new records will automatically fly to the cloud.

Similarly, Mi Cloud works: Go to your Mi Account settings, select Cloud, and enable contact sync, which is especially useful if you use multiple Xiaomi devices, as it allows instantaneous data exchange within the brand.

It's important to check the sync status periodically, and sometimes, if you don't connect well, it can freeze, so manual updates or re-entries can help.

Work with VCF files and export data

VCF (vCard) is a universal standard for sharing contact information, and one such file can contain hundreds of entries from the entire phone book, including photos and additional fields, which is the perfect way to make a full backup before flashing.

To create such a file, go to the Contacts app, open the settings menu (three dots) and select Import/Export contacts. Click Export to the drive (or "Export to file.vcf"). The system will create a file that is usually stored in the root of internal memory or in the MIUI/backup/contacts folder.

The resulting file can be sent to your mail, saved to the cloud (for example, Google Drive or Dropbox), or transferred to your computer. To recover, simply open the file on a new device, and the system will prompt you to import the data contained in it.

And using VCF is also convenient for transferring contacts to another person, so instead of dictating numbers, you can send a single file through a messenger, and the recipient will just open it and save all the numbers with a single touch.

Combining duplicates and cleaning the phone book

Over time, many duplicates accumulate in the address book: the same person can be recorded from different SIM-It's a messaging app or social media, it creates chaos and it makes it difficult to find. MIUI It has a built-in tool to solve this problem.

Go to the contact settings and find Combine Repetitive Contacts, the system will analyze the database, find the records with the same names or numbers, and suggest combining them, and you can do this automatically or manually check each pair.

Also, delete old, irrelevant numbers regularly. Go to your contact list, select an unnecessary post, and click Delete. If the contact has been synced with Google, it will also be removed from the cloud, freeing up space.

⚠️ Note: When combining duplicates, the system may mistakenly connect different people with similar names. Always check the result before final confirmation, especially if contacts have different phone numbers.

For deeper cleaning, you can use third-party apps or Google Contacts web interfaces, where sorting and deleting functionality is more advanced, where you can easily filter out contacts without numbers or with empty fields.

Solving synchronization problems and errors

Users often experience contacts that are not saved or synced, and one of the most common causes is a crowded Google account storage, and if the 15GB limit is exhausted (often due to photos in Google Photos), contact sync may stop.

Another common problem is a Google Play service malfunction, in which case cleaning the app cache helps. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find Google Play Contacts and Services, then select Clear Cache.

If the problem is not solved, try to delete the account from the system and add it again, this will restart all sync processes, be sure to back up before doing this if the data is not stored in the cloud.

⚠️ Note: When you delete your account from your device, all locally stored data associated with it may disappear.

Sometimes contacts can disappear after updating the firmware. This does not mean that they are deleted forever. Most often, the display filter is lost. In the contact app, click on three dots and select Marked contacts (or "Contacts to display"), then tick against your Google account.

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90% of contact disappearance problems are solved by checking display filters or re-authorizing with a Google account.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)