Modern smartphones, including the popular Xiaomi Redmi 8, by default offer to save contacts to the cloud account Google or internal memory of the device. This is convenient for synchronization between gadgets, but often users face the need to move numbers to the cloud. SIM-This is the need when you change your device to a button phone, when you sell a smartphone, or just to create a physical backup of the database.
But owners of Android devices with a MIUI shell know that standard menus are not always obvious. The interface can hide the necessary options, and the copying process has its own nuances, which are important to know in advance. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to correctly and safely transfer entries from the phone book to the carrier chip using the standard system tools.
It is important to understand that the capacity SIM-The chip is limited by the specifications of the chip, and unlike cloud storage or internal memory, which can write thousands of numbers with long names, the SIM has strict limits. Therefore, before starting the procedure, it is worth assessing the amount of data and, possibly, auditing records, removing duplicates.
Restrictions on the SIM-card storage format
Before proceeding with mass copying, it is necessary to understand the technical limitations of the carrier. SIM-A card is a microcomputer with very modest resources, designed primarily to identify a subscriber on the network, not to store multimedia data. When you move contacts, the system forcibly trims the excess information, leaving only the basic data.
Most often, only a name and a phone number can be written to a SIM card, and all additional fields, such as a second number, email, address, job title, or photo, will be irretrievably lost when transferred, and there are limits on the length of the name: it is usually no more than 15-20 characters in GSM encoding, so long composite names can be cropped or displayed incorrectly on other devices.
⚠️ Note: When copying contacts with extended fields (multiple numbers, addresses) to SIM-All additional information will be deleted.Save the full version to your Google account before starting the procedure.
Another important aspect is the encoding of names: Old SIM card standards can misrepresent Cyrillic characters (Russian letters) on some devices, replacing them with question marks or obscure characters. Modern Big Three carrier chips usually do not have this problem, but when ported to very old phones, it can be difficult to display names.
Why are some numbers not copied?
Preparation of the telephone book for transfer
To successfully perform the operation in Xiaomi Redmi 8, it is recommended to pre-order the contact list. Chaotically scattered entries, duplicates of combined accounts and messenger numbers can create unnecessary confusion.
Make sure you clearly understand where you will copy data. Xiaomi smartphones often sync from multiple sources: Mi Account, Google account, phone memory and social networks. If you just start copying, the system can try to move all the records found, including system or temporary files, which will lead to the filling of the space on the SIM with garbage.
- 📱 Open the Contacts app and check the display filter by selecting All Contacts».
- 🧹 Delete duplicate entries that may have occurred when synchronizing different accounts.
- 💾 Make sure important numbers with photos and addresses are saved in the Google cloud in case of a crash.
- 🔋 Charge the battery of the Redmi 8 smartphone to at least 40% so that the device does not turn off during the recording process.
For the correct operation of roaming and number determination, international formats are better to lead to a single appearance (for example, for the correct operation of roaming and number determination, +7 instead of 8, although the SIM-Formatting card is often reset to base card, pre-normalization of data in the phone will reduce the risk of errors when reading the card in another device.
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Before you move, try copying one test pin, inserting the SIM card into another phone, and checking if the name and number are read correctly, and that will keep the entire database from being lost.
Step-by-step copying instructions through contact settings
The most reliable and regular way to transfer data in the MIUI shell installed on Redmi 8 is to use the built-in contact management functionality. This method does not require the installation of third-party software and ensures the compatibility of formats. The algorithm of actions is quite simple, but requires careful choice of source and recipient of data.
First, you need to open the standard Contacts app (yellow icon with a human silhouette) and in the lower or upper right corner of the screen (depending on the version of MIUI) you can find a settings menu represented by three dots or a gear, and that's where the import and export functions that control the movement of records between storages are hidden.
Contacts → Menu (three points) → Import / Export of contacts → Export to SIM-cardAfter selecting the item “Export to” SIM-The system will suggest selecting the contacts to transfer, you can mark specific numbers manually or use the "Select all" function. Once the selection is confirmed, the system will begin the copying process. Speed depends on the number of records, but usually takes no more than a few minutes even for a full phone book.
☑️ Checklist of contact transfer
When you copy, you may be alerted that some data (photos, addresses) will be lost, which is the standard behavior of the system that we mentioned, and by agreeing with it, you confirm your understanding of the format limitations. SIM-When the operation is completed, the system will report the number of successfully copied and missed records.
Alternative methods through the controller SIM-map
In some versions of the firmware MIUI or when using certain interface configurations, the path through the contact application may not be obvious or changed. SIM-This is a deeper way of managing the settings of the card itself, including the management of the data stored on it.
To access this menu, go to the general smartphone settings. Find the section responsible for connection and networking. In Xiaomi Redmi 8, it is often called «SIM-And you can control the parameters of each slot, if you have a dual-sim machine.
| Parameter | Description | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Use by default | SIM for calls and the Internet | Make sure the right SIM is active. |
| SIM settings | Name of the network, PIN-code | Check the status of the card |
| Contacts on SIM | Records management | Use it to copy. |
| Type of network | Preferred type (4G/3G) | It doesn't affect contacts. |
Inside the menu settings of a specific SIM-map (SIM 1 SIM (2) find the item “Contacts to SIM-map" or "Contact management SIM». Clicking on it will take you to the interface where you can see the numbers you have saved, and through the menu (three dots), you can also access the option "Copy Contacts" and by choosing "Copy from the phone book", you will start the same process as you did through the main application, but from the system settings level.
⚠️ Note: If you have two inserted SIM-You can read the cards, you can watch which one you're copying, and if you're confused, you can write the numbers on the wrong card you were planning to retrieve.
This method is especially useful if the Contacts app is not working properly or is hanging. The system settings menu often works more stable, as it accesses modem drivers directly, bypassing some levels of the Android user interface.
Importing contacts with another SIM-map
Often users need to not only save but also restore data.The situation when you insert an old SIM card into the new Xiaomi Redmi 8 is classic.The system can automatically suggest importing numbers, but if this does not happen, you need to act manually.The process is reverse copying and is called import.
In the same menu "Import / Export contacts" select the option "Import from the SIM-The system reads the data from the chip and suggests choosing a place to save it, and it is critical to choose the right account - it is best to save it to a Google account or Phone, but not back to the SIM card to avoid cyclical copying.
When importing, there may be a name conflict: if the phone already has a contact "Mom" and the SIM card also has a "Mom" with a different number, the system will ask what to do. You can choose "Combine", "Replace" or "Miss." Carefully read the system's queries so that you do not erase the current data with old entries from the SIM.
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Always save imported contacts to your Google cloud account, not your phone’s memory, to ensure they are automatically synchronized and protected from loss when you change your device.
Once the import is complete, it is recommended to check several random numbers: make sure that the names are written correctly, without "crackers", and that the phone numbers are full. If you imported contacts from an old SIM card, check if the city or country code has been added, if necessary for your region.
Solving Copying Problems and Errors
Despite the simplicity of the procedure, Redmi 8 users may encounter errors. SIM-As mentioned, the chip has limited capacity (usually 250 records). If you try to copy 500 contacts, the system will give an error. The solution is one: copy parts or pre-clean the SIM card of unnecessary records.
Another problem is the lack of a menu item "Export to the SIM». In the new versions of Android and MIUI Google is actively promoting the rejection of the storage of contacts on SIM cards, considering this method obsolete. If the item is not in the export menu, try to find it through the settings of the SIM card. SIM-If not, it is possible that the carrier or the type of chip does not support recording contacts (rarely, but it happens on corporate SIM cards).
- ❌ “Cannot Save” Error: Check if the SIM card is on the SIM card PIN-It needs to be temporarily removed from the security settings.
- ❌ Contacts are copied with cropped names: this is a technical limitation, you will have to manually shorten the name after copying.
- ❌ The process hangs: restart the smartphone, remove and insert the SIM card again, making sure that it sits tightly in the slot.
Also worth mentioning is the format problem, which some users complain of being inactive after the numbers are moved, which can happen if the SIM card has a prefixed storage format and the phone has misinterpreted them, in which case manual editing of the number format after the transfer helps.
⚠️ Attention: Never take out SIM-This can cause damage to the chip's file system and the complete loss of recorded information.
Synchronization as a modern alternative
Speaking of saving numbers, the SIM card method is slowly becoming a thing of the past. For owners of Xiaomi and other Android smartphones, cloud synchronization is a much more efficient way to back up, and it has no restrictions on the size, length of names and the presence of photos.
To make sure your contacts never go away, you just need to sync with Google once, and if you change your phone or reset Redmi 8 to factory settings, you just need to type in your login and password, and the entire phonebook will recover automatically in a couple of minutes, eliminating the need to mess around with the physical transfer of data to chips.
However, knowing how to save phone numbers on a SIM card on android Xiaomi Redmi 8 remains an important skill. In situations where there is no Internet access, an account is blocked or you need to quickly move the SIM to a simple phone to call, it is the physical storage of data on the chip that becomes the only salvation.