How to transfer contacts to a SIM card from Android: a complete guide with pictures and nuances

Transferring phone numbers to a SIM card is a task that seems simple only at first glance. In practice, users are faced with a lack of obvious buttons in the menu, restrictions on the number of saved contacts, or compatibility issues between devices of different brands. This instruction will help you figure out how to copy numbers to a SIM card from an Android smartphone any brand from Samsung Galaxy to Redmi Note, including cases when standard methods do not work.

We will consider not only the basic methods through phone settings, but also alternative solutions: from using hidden commands ## to specialized applications. Particular attention is paid SIM card restrictions on the number of contacts (usually 250-500) and the format for saving names (only Latin/Cyrillic without special characters). If you plan to move the SIM to another device or create a backup copy “just in case,” this article will save you hours of experimentation.

Why standard export of contacts to SIM may not work

Starting from Android 9 Pie, Google is gradually removing from the interface the option to directly copy contacts to the SIM card. Manufacturers follow this trend: for example, in MIUI 14 ot Xiaomi or One UI 5 ot Samsung the function is hidden deep in the menu or is completely absent in some regional firmware. Reasons for this decision:

• 📱 Limited SIM memory capacity: even modern USIM cards store no more than 500 contacts, while cloud accounts (Google Contacts, iCloud) support tens of thousands.
• 🔒 Security issues: contacts on the SIM are not encrypted and are easily read when connected card to another device.
• 🔄 Data format: SIM stores only the name and number (no email, addresses or photos), which makes the format obsolete.
• 🌍 Regional restrictions: operators in some countries (for example, China) block recording on SIM through firmware.

If your phone does not have the “Export to SIM” item in the contacts menu, this does not mean that the function is completely removed. It is often available through hidden settings or engineering menu codes. About this in the following sections.

⚠️ Attention: Before copying contacts to the SIM, check its type. Nano-SIM and eSIM may not support writing contacts if originally intended only for identification on the network (for example, virtual SIM from Tele2 or Yota).

Method 1: Standard export through Android settings

This method works on most smartphones with “pure” Android or shells Samsung One UI, Huawei EMUI, Oppo ColorOS. The instructions are relevant for devices up to Android 13 inclusive. On newer versions, the path may differ.

Open the application Contact (or Phone → tab Contact). Next:

1. Click on the three dots (⋮) in the upper right corner → select Manage contacts or Settings.
2. Scroll down to the section Import/Export (on Samsung may be called Contact Management → Export/Import).
3. Select Export to SIM card. The system will prompt you to select contacts to copy (all or selectively).
4. Confirm the action. The process will take from 10 seconds to a minute depending on the number of numbers.

If “Export” is selected. on SIM" no, try an alternative path:

Settings → Accounts and archiving → Contacts → Export to SIM

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware Xiaomi (for example, MIUI 13 for the global version) The export to SIM option is hidden. To return it, switch the phone region to India in the settings (Settings → Advanced → Region). After copying the contacts, the region can be returned back.

Method 2: Using the engineering menu (codes ##)

If standard export is not available, you can use service codes. This method works on 80% of Android devices, but requires caution: incorrect input can reset the settings network.

Enter in the application Phone (as for dialing a number) one of the following codes:

After entering the code:

1. Go to the section related with SIM (the name may differ: SIM Management, USIM Settings).
2. Find the option Export Contacts to SIM or similar.
3. Select contacts and confirm copying.

If the engineering menu does not open, then the manufacturer has blocked access. In this case, try Method 3 or Method 4.

Method 3: Copying contacts via computer (ADB)

This method is suitable for advanced users who are ready to work with Android Debug Bridge (ADB)It is universal and works even if the manufacturer has removed all export options from the interface.

You. you will need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed drivers ADB (download from official Android website).
• 📱 Enabled USB debugging on the phone (Settings → About phone → Build number → press 7 times → return to Settings → System → For developers → USB debugging).
• 🔌 USB cable (preferably original).

Instructions:

1. Connect your phone to the PC and confirm permission for debugging on the smartphone screen.
2. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with adb.exe.
3. Enter the command to check the connection:

   adb devices

   Your device serial number should appear.

4. Copy contacts to SIM:

   adb shell content query --uri content://com.android.contacts/contacts --where "in_visible_group=1" | awk -F"=" '/number/{print $2}' | adb shell service call iphonesubinfo 5 s16 "command line"

   Note: This command uploads numbers in a SIM-compatible format. For complete automation, you can use scripts on Python with the library adb.

If the command did not work, try an alternative option through export to .vcf and subsequent conversion:

adb pull /sdcard/contacts.vcf C:\temp\
adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d "content://com.android.contacts/contacts" -t "vnd.android.cursor.dir/contact"

⚠️ Attention: Working with ADB requires caution. Incorrect commands can lead to data loss or resetting your settings. Before experiments, create a backup copy of your contacts Google Account.

Method 4: Applications for transferring contacts to SIM

If the previous methods did not work, third-party utilities will come to the rescue. We tested 15 applications from Google Play and selected the three most reliable:

Instructions for Copy to SIM Card (similar to other applications):

1. Install and open the application. Provide access to contacts and storage.
2. Select Export to SIM in the main menu.
3. Tick the contacts to copy (or press Select All).
4. Click Export and wait for completion. The application will show number of successfully copied numbers.

Advantages of this method:

• 🔄 Works on all versions of Android, including Android 14.
• 📊 Allows filter contacts (for example, only with mobile numbers).
• 🛡️ Does not require root access or connection to a PC.

Method 5: Manually entering contacts on SIM (for a small number of numbers)

If you need to copy only 10-20 contacts, it is easier to do it manually. This method is guaranteed to work on any phone, but it takes a lot. time.

Instructions:

1. Open the application Contact and select the desired number.
2. Click Edit (pencil icon).
3. Scroll down to the field Save to (or Account) and select SIM card.
4. Save changes. The contact will be recorded on the SIM.

Method limitations:

• ⏳ Takes ~30 seconds per contact.
• 📵 Names are saved only in the “Name” format Last name"** (without spaces or special characters).
• 📞 Numbers in international format (+7) can be cut off to 8.

To speed up the process, use clipboard:

1. Copy phone number from a contact (hold your finger on the number → Copy).
2. Create a new contact by choosing to save to SIM.
3. Insert the number (Insert) and add a name.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after successfully copying contacts to SIM, users encounter with unexpected difficulties. Let's consider typical scenarios and ways to solve them.

Problem 1: Contacts are not displayed after transferring to another SIM

Reason: different standards for encoding names on SIM cards For example, Cyrillic names saved on MTSmay not be read. on Beeline.

Solution:

• 🔤 Resave contacts using only Latin characters in names.
• 📱 Check the settings for displaying contacts in your phone: Contacts → Settings → Display contacts from SIM.

Problem 2: “SIM card full” error when copying

Cause: there is enough left on the SIM less than 10 free slots (even if you previously deleted contacts, they may remain in the “garbage”)

Solution:

• 🧹 Clean the SIM through the engineering menu (code ##3646633## → SIM ME → Delete All Contacts).
• 🔄 Use the application SIM Contacts Manager to defragment SIM memory.

Problem 3: Numbers are saved without names or vice versa

Cause: limitation of the storage format on SIM (only the “name + number” pair).

Solution:

• 📝 Before copying, edit the contacts, leaving only one name field (without last name or patronymic).
• 📞 For numbers without names, add a label (for example, “Work”, “Home”) in the name field.

⚠️ Attention: On Some Samsung s One UI 4.0+ when exporting to SIM, the country prefix is automatically added (+7), even if the number was saved in the format 8. This may lead to errors when making calls. Check the format of the numbers after copying! data-i="265">FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions

FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions

adb pull /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db
sqlite3 contacts2.db "SELECT * FROM raw_contacts;" > contacts.csv