How to transfer numbers from SIM-Xiaomi maps: The full guide

Buying a new smartphone or switching to a platform MIUI The process of data migration is often accompanied by a desire to start using the device faster, without wasting time manually entering hundreds of phone numbers. SIM-Unlike older push-button phones, modern Xiaomi smartphones offer flexible tools for managing your address book, allowing you not only to copy records, but also to structure them correctly.

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices often face a situation where contacts do not automatically appear after installing a new SIM card, which is due to the fact that the Android system and the MIUI shell prioritize cloud sync or local storage by ignoring the data on the carrier chip until the moment of the explicit request of the user.

In this article, we will take a detailed look at all the available import methods, look at the nuances of working with different versions of firmware and tell you how to avoid common errors that lead to duplication of records or data loss.

Preparation of SIM-card and compatibility check

Before you start active actions in the menu of the smartphone, you need to make sure that the physical serviceability of the media. SIM-Cards with cropped edges or damaged contacts can be read by a phone to access the network, but the process of reading the contact memory can be disruptive. If your SIM card has been in use for many years and has been moving from phone to phone, it makes sense to pre-check its condition.

Insert the card into the slot of your Xiaomi device and wait for the network indicator to appear. Note that modern smartphones support two SIM cards, so the system can request the choice of the main card for calls and the Internet. This is not critical for the import procedure, but it is important to understand which slot the card with the desired numbers is installed in. If you use adapters for nano-sim, make sure that they do not block access to the memory chip.

⚠️ Attention: If SIM-card blocked PIN-In the code, Android will request input when it first boots. Without successful unlocking, access to contacts on the map will be impossible, and the import function may appear as inactive or empty.

It is also worth noting that (capacity) of memory SIM-It's a limited card. It usually contains 250 before 500 The length of the contact name is limited. 14-16 When you move from a button phone, long names are often cut off, and when you import to Xiaomi, you'll see exactly these, truncated versions. GSM, It's not a smartphone bug.

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Before starting the procedure, take a picture of the screen with a contact list on your old phone or write down a few key numbers on paper, which will create a backup recovery point in case of an unexpected failure when reading the card.

Import contacts through the standard application "Contacts"

The most direct and reliable way to transfer numbers is to use the built-in Contacts app, which is part of the MIUI shell. This method does not require an Internet connection and works even in air mode, since the interaction takes place directly between the SIM controller and the phone's memory. First, look for an icon on your desktop or in the Tools folder with the image of the phone handset and the silhouette of a person.

Once you open the app, you need to go to the control menu. Depending on the version of MIUI (12, 13, 14 or HyperOS), the interface may vary slightly, but the logic remains the same. Usually the menu is hidden behind three dots in the upper right corner or behind a three-bar button, which is where the key function for working with external media is located.

In the menu that opens, select Import Contacts, and the system will prompt you to select a data source. SIM-map, SIM 1 SIM 2) and possibly other available sources like Bluetooth or files. If you select a SIM card, you will see a list of all the records you find. You can tick specific numbers or select the "Select All" option for mass copying.

The critical point is to choose your destination, and it will offer you to save your contacts to your Google account, your phone memory, or your Mi Account, and you should choose a Google account, because it will automatically sync and save your data even if you lose your device, and if you choose a Phone, your contacts will only be linked to that particular device.

Set up sync with Google Account

The Android ecosystem is built around a Google account, and ignoring this tool when working with contacts on Xiaomi is to deprive yourself of the main advantage of the platform. SIM-Maps to the device memory (as described in the previous section), you need to make sure that they fly correctly to the cloud, which will turn your local list into a universal, accessible from any device.

To check your settings, go to Settings on the main smartphone menu. Find Accounts and Sync (or simply “Accounts”). Select your Google account from the list. This list shows all the services that sync with the searcher’s servers. Make sure the switch opposite Contact is activated (blue or green).

If the switch is turned off, turn it on. The system can offer you a choice of which contacts to sync. Choose the ones you just imported from the SIM card. The process will take a few seconds or minutes depending on the number of records and the speed of the Internet connection. Once completed, you can check the result by opening the site contacts.google.com from your computer.

Using cloud sync, you can not only save numbers, but also edit them from your computer, add photos, email addresses and jobs. All changes will instantly show up on your Xiaomi. Also, when you buy a new phone, you just need to enter Google’s username and password, and the entire phone book will be restored automatically, without the need to re-transfer from the SIM card.

Using Mi Mover to migrate from another Android

If you are switching to Xiaomi from another Android smartphone and want to transfer not only contacts from the SIM card, but also the entire history of calls, SMS and applications, the best solution will be the proprietary utility Mi Mover. This application is preinstalled on all Xiaomi phones and allows you to create a direct data channel over Wi-Fi, bypassing the operator’s Internet traffic.

Run the app on the new Xiaomi and select the Receiver role. On the old device, you also need to run Mi Mover (you can download it from the Play Market) and select the Sender role. Scan QR-It's going to connect the devices, unlike just copying the code. SIM, This method retains the data structure, contact groups and binding to messengers, if supported.

When you configure the data, the system will suggest you to select the types of files to migrate to. Be sure to tick the Contacts item. The utility will determine whether they are stored on the old phone's SIM card or in its internal memory, and will suggest transferring everything to the appropriate sections of the new device, which is especially convenient if the old SIM card keeps the contacts in a format that Xiaomi reads incorrectly when directly importing.

⚠️ Note: When using Mi Mover, make sure that the screens of both phones do not go out during transmission. Interrupting the process during the copying phase of contacts can lead to the creation of broken records or the complete absence of the phone book.

The advantage of the method is that it often bypasses the limitations of the number of characters in a contact name on SIM. An older phone can upload full names to an intermediate file that Mi Mover correctly interprets and writes to the new Xiaomi database, a smarter way than a direct import from a chip.

Solution: duplicates and missing numbers

After the number transfer, users often face the problem of duplication, which occurs when the same contact is maintained and on the Internet. SIM-It's in the map, it's in Google, it's in the memory of the phone, and the system displays them as different records. MIUI There's a built-in tool to deal with this. Open the Contacts app, click on the menu, and select Contact Organization (or "Contact Management").

In this section, find the function "Join Duplicate Contacts"; the system will analyze the database, find records with the same numbers or names, and suggest combining them into one card; this will clean the phone book and make it more efficient to search it; the process is completely secure and does not delete unique data.

If the numbers are gone, check the display filters. In the Contacts app, click three dots or swipe right to open the filter menu. Make sure the check box is ticked against "All contacts" or the specific account you saved them to. Sometimes the default filter is on "Only contacts on the phone," and imports from SIM are ignored in the display.

Transfer contacts to iPhone (iOS) with Xiaomi

The situation where a user is switching from Android to iOS also requires a special approach to contacts. SIM-Maps on iPhones are possible, but Apple warns that the map formatting could be changed, making it unreadable for older phones.

At Xiaomi, make sure that all contacts with the SIM-Maps are copied to Google Contacts (as described in the second section). then on iPhone go to Settings → Contacts → Accounts. Add your Google account and enable contact sync. All numbers previously imported to Xiaomi will appear in the iPhone phone book in a few minutes.

An alternative method is to use the Move to iOS app, which is available on Google Play, which works similarly to Mi Mover but is optimized for data transfer to the Apple ecosystem, but for reliable long-term storage, it is better to use cloud synchronization rather than temporary transfer files.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions