How to sync Google contacts with Xiaomi Redmi Note: 3 proven ways

Transferring contacts to the new Xiaomi Redmi Note is one of the first tasks that users face. Even if you have saved all the numbers in your Google Account, without proper synchronization, they may not appear in the phone book. In this article, we will discuss three working methods: automatic synchronization through settings, manual import/export of a.vcf file, and solving typical errors (for example, when contacts are duplicated or not updated).

The Redmi Note (including the Note 10/11/12/13 Pro) features a MIUI shell that sometimes conflicts with Google services, and we’ve taken these nuances into account and prepared instructions based on the latest versions of MIUI 14/15 and Android 13/14. If you switched from an iPhone or other Android device, here you will find the latest solutions without losing data.

1. Automatic synchronization of contacts through Google Account

The easiest way to do this is to link your Google Account to your phone and enable sync, which works if your contacts are already saved to contacts.google.com (like your previous smartphone), and the Redmi Note takes 2-3 minutes to process, but there are some important nuances.

First, check if your account is connected to your device:

Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
If there is no account, click Add Account and log in.
If you have an account, but contacts are not synchronized, tap it and turn on the Contacts slider.

Once activated, synchronization will start automatically, to speed up the process:

🔄 Reboot your phone – this often resolves the sync freeze.
📶 Connect to Wi-Fi (synchronization over mobile internet may be slower).
⏳ Wait 5-10 minutes – sometimes Google servers take processing time.

Google account added in settings

Enables the "Contacts" slider in the synchronization menu

Phone's connected to the Internet.

It has been at least 5 minutes since the activation.-->

If contacts are not available, check if the sync in the Contacts app itself is disabled:

⚠️ On some versions MIUI In the Contacts app there is a separate setting: ⋮ (menu) → Settings → Contact management → Sync. Make sure your Google Account is selected.

2. Manual export and import of contacts via.vcf file

If automatic sync doesn’t work (for example, due to a Google server error) or you want to transfer contacts selectively, use the.vcf file. This method is versatile and suitable for porting from an iPhone, Samsung or even a SIM card.

Instructions for export from another device:

On your old phone, open your contacts. → ⋮ (menu) → Contact management → Exports/imports.
Select Export to Device (or Export to File) and save the contacts.vcf file.
Flip the file to Redmi Note via Bluetooth, Google Drive, or USB cable.

Imports to Xiaomi Redmi Note:

Open the Contacts app.
Tap. ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Import from the device.
Select the contacts.vcf file and confirm the import.

What happens if the.vcf file is not opened?

If the phone doesn’t see the file or gives an error, check: 1. File extension – it should be.vcf, not.vcf.txt. 2. Encoding – sometimes when transmitted via messengers (for example, Telegram), the file is corrupted. Try sending it by email or through Google Drive. 3. Device memory – if the phone has less than 100 MB of free space, the import may be interrupted.

On Redmi Note 10 and later, when importing from a file, the contacts are saved by default to Xiaomi’s account, not Google. To avoid this, select your target account in the Contacts app settings before importing.

3. synchronization of contacts with SIM-map

If your contacts are stored on SIM-You can transfer them to your Google Account directly from Redmi Note, which is relevant for users who switch from button phones or older smartphones without cloud services.

Step-by-step:

Put it in. SIM-map.
Open Contacts. → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Import with SIM-map.
Select contacts (all or selectively) and click Import.
In the window that appears, select Google (not Device or Xiaomi!).

Limitations of the method:

📱 One on one. SIM-The card usually contains no more than 250 contacts.
📞 Numbers are saved without photos and additional fields (email, address, etc.).
⚠️ If a contact already exists on Google, there will be duplication.

Nana SIM-map

On Google Account

In the account of another manufacturer (Samsung, Huawei, etc.)

In iCloud (from iPhone)

Another option-->

4. Solving synchronization problems

Even after setting the contacts correctly, let’s look at the 5 most common errors and how to fix them on the Redmi Note.

Problem.	Possible cause	Decision
Contacts not updated	Google Play Contacts or Services cache damaged	Clear the cache to Settings → Applications → App Management → Contacts / Google Play Services → Storage → Clear the cache
Duplicate contacts	Contacts are saved on both Google and SIM/device	Use the function of Combine contacts in the menu of the application Contacts
Synchronization is 0% suspended	Unstable Internet connection or MIUI blocking	Connect to another Wi-Fi network or turn off Battery Optimization for the Contacts app
Contacts are on Google, but not on your phone.	In the settings disabled the display of contacts from Google	Contact us. → ⋮ → Settings → Manage contacts and enable display for Google Account

If none of these methods worked, try Forced Synchronization:

Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google → Your account.
Turn off the Contacts slider, wait 10 seconds and turn on again.
Click Sync Now (if there is a button like this).

💡

If after all the manipulations, the contacts did not appear, check if the sync in the web version of Google Contacts is disabled. Go to contacts.google.com, click ⚙️ → Settings → Cancel changes and select a refund within the last 30 days.

5.Moving contacts from iPhone to Xiaomi Redmi Note

iPhone users often have trouble switching to Android, and the main problem is that contacts are stored in iCloud, not Google, and there are two reliable ways to migrate them to the Redmi Note.

Method 1: Through iCloud.com

On your computer, go to iCloud.com and log in.
Open Contacts, highlight all (or necessary) contacts and click ⚙️ → Exports vCard.
Save the.vcf file and transfer it to Redmi Note (e.g. via email).
Import the file on your phone as described in Section 2.

Method 2: Google Account (without a computer)

On iPhone, open Settings → Contacts → Accounts → Add an account → Google.
Log in to your Google Account and enable contact synchronization.
Wait for the sync to complete (check at contacts.google.com).
On Redmi Note, add the same Google Account and enable sync.

Important: in the first method, contacts are transferred once, and in the second – synchronized constantly (changes to the iPhone will affect Xiaomi and vice versa).

6.Configure the display of contacts in MIUI

Even after successful synchronization, contacts may not show up in the phone book, due to the MIUI features, where some accounts are disabled by default, and it's easy to fix this:

Instructions:

Open the Contacts app.
Tap. ⋮ (menu) → Settings → Contact management.
In the Display Contacts section, enable sliders for: Your Google Account; SIM-maps (if you use them); devices (for local contacts).

Ready.

If contacts are not displayed anyway, check:

🔍 Are they hidden by a filter (in the search bar of the Contacts application there can be a filter by group).
📱 Is it disabled to Show contacts only with phone numbers (in the same settings).
🔄 Do not need to update the Contacts app in Google Play.

💡

In MIUI, contacts from different accounts (Google, Xiaomi, SIM) can be displayed in different tabs of the Contacts app. To see all numbers, select the All Contacts tab at the top of the screen.

7. How to avoid future contact loss

To avoid the problem of transferring contacts when you next update your phone, follow the simple rules:

🔒 Keep contacts only in Google Account – this is a universal format that supports all smartphones.
📅 Check sync regularly: go to contacts.google.com and make sure all numbers are in place.
📱 Turn off the save on SIM-The card is an outdated method with a limit on the number of contacts.
🔄 Set up backup in Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset → Backup MIUI (turn on the copy of contacts).

If you change phones frequently, consider using cross-platform services:

Google Contacts is free, integration with Android.
Microsoft Outlook is suitable for corporate users.
Syncthing is open source software for synchronization between devices without the cloud.

⚠️ If you plan to sell or drop Redmi Note, first untie your Google Account in the settings. Otherwise, the new owner can access your contacts through data recovery.

FAQ: Frequent questions about contact synchronization

Can I sync contacts with Xiaomi Account instead of Google?

Yes, MIUI has built-in synchronization via Xiaomi Account. To do this: Add Xiaomi account to Settings → Accounts and Sync. Enable Contact Sync. In Contacts, select the contact display from Xiaomi Account. However, there are drawbacks to this method: contacts will not be available on other devices (for example, on a computer or iPhone), and when you reset your phone, they will have to be restored manually.

Why did the photos of the contacts disappear after the synchronization?

This is a typical problem when migrating from iPhones or older versions of Android. Contact photos are stored separately from the main data and may not sync. Solutions: Check if your Contact Photos are synced in your Google Account settings. Use the.vcf file - it saves photos (but not always in high resolution). Manually add photos through the Google Contacts web version.

How to combine duplicate contacts on Xiaomi?

MIUI It has a built-in tool for merging takes: Open Contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Join contacts. Select duplicate contacts and click Unite. Repeat for all takes. If there are too many takes, use the web version of Google Contacts: there is an option to Find and combine duplicates.

Synchronization works, but new contacts don't get added to Google. What do we do?

This occurs if the phone settings indicate that new contacts are saved to the Device or SIM-Map, not Google Account. Open Contacts → ⋮ → Settings → Save contacts. Select your Google Account as your default location. After that, all new contacts will automatically sync.

Can I sync my contacts without the internet?

No, you need to sync with your Google Account online, but you can: Export your contacts to a.vcf file and transfer them to another phone manually (e.g., via Bluetooth or cable). SIM-Map to move the main numbers (no photos or additional data) and use local sync through apps like My Contacts Backup (available on Google Play), but remember, without the Internet, you can't update contacts on all devices at once.