Changing a mobile device or switching to a new one SIM-The card often involves the need to migrate important data. POCO They're facing the challenge of keeping a phone book in order to keep in touch with their loved ones and partners, and moving numbers to a physical medium is a time-tested method that guarantees access to contacts even if the gadget is completely lost or broken.
The modern MIUI shell provides built-in tools for managing the phone book, making the copying process as simple as possible. You don't need to install third-party applications or have programming skills. You just need to know the right path in the settings menu and understand the difference between storing data in the cloud and on a card chip.
In this article, we will discuss all the steps of the procedure, from preparation to final verification of records, and we will also discuss the technical limitations of the storage format and how to solve common problems that can be encountered when importing data.
Preparation of the device and compatibility check
Before proceeding with active actions, you must make sure of serviceability SIM-The physical contact between the chip and the phone's reader must be perfect, otherwise the recording process may be interrupted or error-free. Remove the tray, wipe the card contacts with a soft dry cloth and set it back to the characteristic click.
It is important to understand that the standards SIM-Older Mini-SIM or Micro-SIM cards may have less memory capacity than today’s Nano-SIM, although more recently, the amount of memory is more dependent on the carrier that issued the card. If the card is too old, it may not support storing additional fields, such as email or address.
⚠️ Before starting mass copying, we strongly advise you to check the free space on the SIM-Overflow of memory of the chip can cause damage to the file structure of the media.
Make sure your smartphone battery is at least 30-40% charged. Although the operation does not require large energy costs, a sudden power outage at the time of data recording can cause a software failure in the communication module.Rebooting the device after installing the card will help the system correctly count all available resources.
Analysis of the current contact database and backup
Before moving numbers, you should evaluate the amount of information that needs to be processed. In Xiaomi smartphones, contacts can be stored in different sources: in the memory of the device itself, in the Google account, in the Mi Cloud account or on the current one. SIM-To successfully transfer to a new SIM, all data must be consolidated in one place, usually the internal memory of the phone.
Open the standard Contacts app and go to edit or manage mode, and you'll see lists sorted by storage source, if your numbers are scattered across different lists, you need to combine them. This is a critical step, because the export function is a very important part of the process. SIM-The card often only works with the device’s local memory.
Backup is a digital hygiene rule that should not be neglected. Even if the procedure seems safe, a human factor or software bug can lead to unpredictable results. Exporting to a.vcf file will take a few seconds, but save you from losing your entire phone book in the event of a failure.
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Use the “Combine Duplicates” function in the Contacts before export application to avoid clogging. SIM-graph.
Step-by-step transfer instructions through the standard menu
The basic method of moving data is built into the system application and does not require access to hidden engineering menus. The interface may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI (12, 13, 14 or HyperOS), but the logic of actions remains the same for all models. First, open the Contacts app and find the menu button, which is usually represented by three dots or horizontal bars.
In the drop-down list, select "Import/Export contacts" and the system will prompt you to select the direction of travel. SIM-If you have two SIM cards installed, the phone will ask you to specify which media to write the information to.
☑️ Algorithm of action
Once you select a source (usually Phone or All Contacts), the system will show you a list of records available for transfer. You can select individual numbers or mark them all at once. Press the confirmation button, and the copying process will begin. Do not remove the card or restart the phone until the notification of completion of the operation appears.
| Action. | The way is on the menu | Expected output |
|---|---|---|
| Opening menu | Contacts → Three points. | Drop-down list of options |
| Choice of function | Import/Export of contacts | Data management menu |
| Direction | Exports to SIM-map | Contact list for selection |
| Completion | Press OK. | Notification of success |
Working with storage format limitations
Users are often surprised to find that after the transfer to the SIM-The card lost photos, email addresses and second phone numbers, and it's not a system bug, it's a technical limitation on the host. GSM, SIM cards were developed decades ago and support only text information of limited length.
The maximum length of a contact name is also often limited to 14-20 characters, if the name in the phone book was long, it may be cropped when exported, and the storage format on the card does not fully support Unicode, which can lead to problems with displaying special characters or letters of some rare alphabets.
⚠️ Note: When copying long-name contacts, the system can automatically shorten them. Check important post-transfer entries to make sure the names are readable.
To circumvent these restrictions, modern smartphones offer to save contacts in a Google account, which allows you to store an unlimited amount of data, including photos, dates of birth and notes. SIM-In the modern world, the card is increasingly used as an emergency carrier for a basic set of numbers, rather than as a primary storage device.
Using Mi Mover to Migration Data
If your goal is to transfer contacts from your old phone to the new Xiaomi, rather than just copy them to a SIM, it is more convenient to use the proprietary Mi Mover utility.This application is pre-installed on all new devices of the brand and allows you to transfer data over Wi-Fi Direct without using the Internet. The transmission speed is much higher than when recorded on SIM-map.
Run the app on both devices. On the new phone, select Receiver and on the old phone, Sender. QR-When you code and establish a connection, select Contacts, and you can transfer not only numbers, but also call history, messages and system settings.
What if Mi Mover can't see an old phone?
The advantage of this method is that the formats are fully compatible, and all fields, including avatars and additional numbers, will remain in their original form, especially for Android smartphone owners of other brands that are moving to the Xiaomi ecosystem.
Solution: Contacts are not copied or disappeared
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the copying process is started, but ends without visible result, or the copied numbers are not displayed. SIM-As mentioned earlier, old cards can hold as little as 250 records, in which case you need to remove some of the old or unnecessary numbers directly from the card.
The second common problem is concealing contacts. After transfer, go to the display settings in the Contacts app. Make sure that the box is ticked against the item "Show Contacts with the Contacts" SIM-By default, the phone can only display records from the cloud or memory of the device, ignoring the physical media.
If neither of these methods works, try extracting the card and pasting it into another phone to check if it works. A damaged chip or oxidized contacts can prevent data from being recorded. In rare cases, formatting the card through the phone's menu helps, but it will delete all data from it permanently.
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If contacts are missing after transfer, check the display filtering settings in the Phone app – most likely they are simply hidden.