How to add a new contact in a smartphone Xiaomi: all the ways of 2026

Adding contacts in Xiaomi smartphones only seems to be a simple task - in practice, users are faced with the nuances of synchronization, the choice between the two. SIM-Map and Google account, as well as hidden features MIUI. In 2026, the interface of the “Contacts” application has undergone changes, and new models (for example, Xiaomi 14 or Redmi Note 13 Pro) have undergone changes.+) We've got unique features like automatic duplicate recognition, and this article will help you understand all the subtleties, from basic recording creation to advanced tricks for optimizing the phone book.

Feature MIUI The system offers several ways to save contacts: locally on the device, on the device. SIM-map (with character restrictions!), Google account or even Mi Account. Each option has pros and cons: for example, contacts on the Internet. SIM They don't sync to the cloud, but they're easy to transfer to another phone, and we'll go through all the methods, including rare ones, like importing from the cloud. VCF-You'll also learn how to avoid common errors that cause contacts to suddenly disappear after resetting their settings.

1. Basic method: adding contact through the “Contacts” application

The most obvious method is to use the standard Contacts app (an icon with a human silhouette on a green background), and in MIUI 14/15 the interface became more minimal, but the functionality remained the same, to create a new record:

1. Open the Contacts app (if it is not on the home screen, search through the swipe search down).
2. Click on the + icon in the lower right corner (or the New Contact button in the menu).
3. Choose where to keep contact: SIM-map, Google account or locally on the device.
4. Fill in the fields: Name, Phone (specify the country code!), if necessary, add Email, Address or Birthday.
5. Click Save in the upper right corner.

An important point: if you choose to save on SIM-map, email fields and addresses will not be available — SIM Supports only name and number (maximum 20 characters per name!) Also note that contacts are not available. SIM not reserved in MI Cloud and not synced with other devices.

Selected the correct account to save (Google/Mi/device)

The country code in the phone number (+7 for Russia)

The fields “Name” and “Family” are filled in correctly (for search)

Incognito mode is disabled in the contact settings (if used)

-->

Xiaomi has a hidden feature called fast contact addition from the call log.

1. Open the Phone application and go to the Journal tab.
2. Find the right number and click on it.
3. In the window that opens, select Create a contact or Add to an existing one.

2. Maintaining contact with SIM-map: restrictions and life hacks

Maintaining contacts SIM-A card is a convenient way to quickly transfer numbers to another phone, but it has serious limitations:

• 📛 Symbols limit: contact name up to 20 characters, phone number up to 20 digits (including country code).
• 🔍 No search: in SIM-The card cannot search for contacts by part of the name (only manual scrolling).
• 🚫 No additional fields: it is impossible to save email, address or photo.
• ☁️ No sync: Contacts are not backed up in the cloud or displayed on other devices.

To keep contact on the SIM:

1. Open Contacts. → Settings (⚙️) → Imports/Exports → Exports to SIM.
2. Select contacts to transfer (or click Select All).
3. Confirm export. The process can take up to 1 minute (depending on the number of contacts).

💡

If you want to transfer your SIM contacts to a new Xiaomi device, use the Import with SIM option in the same settings. The system will automatically prompt you to save them to your Google account or locally.

⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi models (e.g, POCO F5) export SIM Cyrillic symbols are lost in names. 1-2 contact!

3. Synchronizing contacts with Google account: why it is a must-have

Keeping your contacts in a Google account is the most reliable way to do this, as they are:

• ☁️ Automatically backed up in the cloud.
• 🔄 Sync with all devices under the same account (including tablets and PCs).
• 🛡️ Restore after resetting the phone to factory settings.
• 🔍 Supports advanced search (including notes and addresses).

To enable synchronization:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Select your account (if not, add it through Add Account).
3. Activate the Contact Switch.
4. For forced synchronization, press More (⋮) → Synchronize now.

If the contacts are not synchronized, check:

• 📶 Internet connection (synchronization only works via Wi-Fi or mobile data).
• 🔋 Adequate battery level (at low charge) MIUI suspends background processes).
• 🔄 No restrictions for Google in Settings → Annexes → Permit management → Auto-start.

Advanced methods: import/export and business card scanning

If you need to transfer contacts from another phone or from a file, MIUI offers several ways:

Imports from VCF-file (vCard)

The.vcf format is a standard for the exchange of contacts.

1. Get a file (e.g., exported from another phone or from Outlook).
2. Move it to your phone’s memory (via Explorer or Mi Drop).
3. Open Contacts. → Settings (⚙️) → Imports/Exports → File-based import.
4. Select the.vcf file and specify the account to save.

Scanning a business card through a camera

The function of the Scanner of business cards is available in the application Contacts on models with MIUI 13+:

1. Open Contacts. → Settings (⚙️) → Business card scanner.
2. Point the camera at the card (Russian, English, Chinese are supported).
3. The system automatically recognizes the name, number, email and address.
4. Check the data and save it to the selected account.

⚠️ Note: When importing contacts from.vcf to Xiaomi 13T Pro and later, an error "Inappropriate format" may occur if the file is created in iOS. Solution: open the file on your PC via Excel, save in encoding UTF-8 and repeat the import.

5. Automatic contact backup in MI Cloud

MI Cloud is Xiaomi's cloud storage that automatically backs up contacts if the feature is enabled.

1. Go to Settings → Mi Account (if not authorized, log in to your account).
2. Select MI Cloud → Backup.
3. Activate the Contact Switch.
4. Click Backup Settings and select frequency: Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi and mobile network.

The advantages of MI Cloud:

• 🔄 Automatic contact recovery when changing Xiaomi phone.
• 📱 Support for backup SMS and call logs (optional).
• 🛡️ Encryption of data during transmission.

Limitations:

• 🚫 It does not work with other brands (only Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO).
• 📶 Requires a stable Internet connection for first synchronization.

💡

MI Cloud is the best choice for owners of multiple Xiaomi devices, but it will not replace a Google account for cross-platform sync.

6. Problem Solving: Contacts are not saved or are lost

If contacts don’t show up or disappear after a reboot, check the following points:

Problem 1: Contacts are not listed

Possible causes and solutions:

• 🔍 Account filter: At the top of the Contacts screen, click on the profile icon and select All Contacts (sometimes only Google or Google are displayed). SIM).
• 🔄 Sync Disabled: Check your Google account settings (see Section 3).
• 📵 Cache failure: Go to Settings → Annexes → Contacts → Warehouse → Clear the cache.

Problem 2: Contacts are lost after MIUI update

This is a common problem when switching to a new firmware version.

1. Check if sync with Google is enabled (Settings → Accounts → Google → Contacts).
2. If you have contacts in MI Cloud, go to Settings → Mi Account → MI Cloud → Restore.
3. If nothing helps, try importing a backup from Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi 12S Ultra and Xiaomi 13 Lite after upgrading MIUI 15 may be lost linking contacts to accounts. Before updating, back up through Settings → The phone. → Backup and reset → Local backup!

7. Hidden Chips: Groups, Shortcuts and Voice Control

MIUI offers a few little-known functions for working with contacts:

Establishment of contact groups

Groups are convenient for mass mailing or filtering, to create a group:

1. Open Contacts → Groups → Create a Group
2. Please specify a name (e.g., “work” or “family”).
3. Add participants from the contact list.

Contact labels on the main screen

To quickly call frequently used contacts:

1. Hold your finger in the free seat of the main screen.
2. Select Widgets → Contacts.
3. Drag the contact shortcut widget onto the screen and select the desired number.

Voice control

In Xiaomi, you can call your contacts in voice:

• Activate Google Assistant (hold the Home button or say “OK, Google”).
• Say, "Call [the contact name]."
• For SMS: "Send a message [name]: [text]."

💡

If the voice assistant does not recognize the contact name, add Latin transliteration in the Name field (for example, Ivan Ivanov).

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi contacts