Replacing an old smartphone with a new brand device Honor is always a joyful event, but it is often overshadowed by the need to transfer accumulated information. Among all the data, the phone book is the most important, because losing numbers can lead to serious communication problems. Although modern cloud services offer automatic synchronization, the classic transfer method via Bluetooth remains one of the most reliable and fastest methods that does not require an Internet connection or registration in additional accounts.
Many users mistakenly believe that this process is complicated or requires the installation of third-party software, but the operating system Android has built-in tools for exporting and import. In this article, we will look in detail at how to correctly transfer contacts from any Android smartphone to an Honor device using only standard Bluetooth functionality. You will learn about the nuances of the file format, the features of pairing devices and ways to solve typical errors that occur during transfer.
It is worth noting right away that the success of the operation depends on the correct preparation of both devices. The Bluetooth protocol does not directly transfer contacts as a live database, it sends them as a business card file (vCard), which then needs to be imported. Understanding this mechanism will help you avoid confusion when, after a seemingly successful transfer, numbers do not appear in the list. Let's get the gadgets ready for work.
Preparing devices and setting up visibility
The first step before starting data transfer is to ensure a stable connection between the sending and receiving devices. You need to activate wireless modules on both smartphones. To do this, lower the notification shade (swipe from top to bottom) and find the Bluetooth icon, or go to the menu Settings → Connected devices → Bluetooth. Make sure the enable slider is active on both devices.
The visibility of the device is critical. The new phone Honor by default can be hidden from strangers for security purposes. In order for the old smartphone to “see” the new one, on your Honor device you need to go to the Bluetooth settings and select the option “Visible to other devices” or “Discoverable”. Typically, this mode is active only for 2 minutes after opening the settings menu.
After turning on visibility, search for devices on your old phone. The name of your new Honor should appear in the list of available gadgets (often this is a model, for example Honor X8 or Honor Magic). Click on it to pair. You may be asked to confirm your passcode on both smartphone screens - make sure the numbers match and tap Confirm or Pair.
Make sure both smartphones are on and not in sleep mode during the search, as this may interrupt the discovery process.
Exporting contacts to vCard format on older Android
Before sending data by air, it must be properly packaged. The operating system stores numbers in a database that Bluetooth cannot transmit directly. You will need to create a container file. Open the standard Contacts or Phone application on the device from which you will be transferring. In some shells (for example, pure Android) you need to click on the three dots in the corner of the screen, in others (for example, MIUI or old versions EMUI) - menu button or “More”.
In the list of actions that opens, find the item “Manage contacts”, “Import/export” or simply “Export”. The system will prompt you to select a saving format. The key here is the choice of format .vcf (vCard). This format is the universal standard for electronic business cards and is guaranteed to open correctly on an Honor smartphone. Do not confuse it with the .csv or .xls formats, which are intended for tables and may not display correctly in the phone book.
After selecting the format, the system will ask where to save the file. Typically, internal memory or a SIM card are offered (although exporting to a file takes longer from a SIM card). Select internal memory. The phone will create a file, which is often called contacts.vcf or has a name with the creation date. Remember or write down the path to the folder where the file was saved (most often this is the root of the memory or the “Downloads” folder), since it will need to be found for sending.
⚠️ Attention: If you have more than 500-1000 contacts in your phone book, the process of creating a vCard file may take from 10 to 30 seconds. Do not close the application or lock the screen at this moment, so as not to interrupt the formation of the database.
The process of transferring a file via Bluetooth
Now that the file with contacts has been generated, the stage of its physical transfer begins. There are two main ways to initiate a send. The first is through the menu of the file itself. Open the Files app (or File Manager, My Files) on your old phone. Find the previously created file .vcf. Tap and hold until the context menu appears, then select Share or Send. From the list of available transfer methods, select Bluetooth.
The second method is direct transfer from the Contacts application. In the contact management menu, next to the export button, there is often a “Send contacts” option. Once selected, the system will prompt you to select all contacts or specific groups, and then immediately ask for a transfer method. Select Bluetooth and find your Honorin the list of devices. This method is more convenient because it does not require manually searching for a file in memory.
A system notification about the incoming file will appear on the receiving device (Honor). Be sure to click "Accept" or "OK". Note that Bluetooth transfer speeds are relatively low (usually 1-2 Mbps), so a file of several megabytes (equivalent to thousands of contacts) can be transferred in 30 seconds to a couple of minutes. Do not move too far from your devices to avoid losing connection.
- 📲 Make sure that geolocation is enabled on both devices - in modern versions of Android (starting from 6.0), this requirement is necessary for Bluetooth scanning to work.
- 🔋 Check the battery level - with active use of Bluetooth, energy consumption increases, and draining the phone in the process can lead to loss file.
- 📂 If the transfer is interrupted, the file may be damaged; in this case, delete the undownloaded file from the Downloads folder on Honor before trying again.
Importing contacts on an Honor smartphone
After the successful completion of the transfer, the file appears in the internal memory of the new Honor smartphone, but the contacts have not yet been added to the phone book. You need to find this file. Open the Files app on Honor and go to the Bluetooth folder (often found under Internal Storage → Bluetooth) or the Downloads folder (Downloads). The file you are looking for will have the extension .vcf.
Click on the file. The Android system will recognize it as a business card and automatically launch the import wizard. A list of all contacts contained in the file will appear on the screen, asking you to choose where to save them. You will be offered options: “Phone”, “SIM card” or your Google account. Highly recommended (in the context of reliability, not as a template phrase) select saving to a Google account. This will ensure automatic synchronization: if you lose your phone, the numbers will remain in the cloud.
If you select the “Phone” option, the contacts will only be saved in the device memory. After selecting the storage location, click the "Import" or "Save" button. The process will take a few seconds, after which you will see a notification that the entries have been added successfully. Now, when you open the Contacts application, you will see all the transferred numbers.
☑️ Verifying successful import
Solution: Contacts are not transferred or visible
Despite the simplicity of the method, users often encounter technical obstacles. One of the most common problems is that devices do not see each other. In this case, try restarting Bluetooth on both devices: turn it off and on again. Also make sure that none of the devices are connected to other gadgets (for example, headphones or a car stereo), as some Bluetooth modules cannot simultaneously support an active connection with the accessory and transfer files.
Another common situation: the file is transferred, opened, but import does not occur or the button is inactive. This can happen if the file is damaged during transfer or if the memory on your Honor device is full. Check for available space. There may also be a problem with access rights: when you first launched the Contacts or Files application, the system may have asked for permission to access memory, which you accidentally denied. Check this in Settings → Applications → Contacts → Permissions.
Sometimes users complain that after import, Russian names disappeared or “krakozyabry” appeared instead. This is an encoding issue that is rare, but does happen when transferring between very old and new versions of Android. In this case, when exporting on your old phone, try not selecting “All contacts”, but dividing them into groups of 100-200 pieces and transferring them in small portions.
⚠️ Attention: If the system gives the “Not enough space” error when importing, do not try to import contacts to the SIM card to free up memory. The SIM card has an extremely limited capacity and (does not support) storing additional fields such as email, address or photo.
Comparison of methods: Bluetooth vs Google Account
Although the topic of the article is devoted to Bluetooth, for completeness it is worth comparing this method with cloud synchronization. Bluetooth is good because it is autonomous and does not require the Internet. However, it is slow and requires the physical presence of both devices nearby. Synchronization via a Google account occurs in the background, quickly and does not consume battery power as intensively as an active Bluetooth module.
Below is a table that helps you choose the best method in your situation.
| Criteria | Bluetooth (vCard) | Google Account (Synchronization) | SIM card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet availability | Not required | Required (Wi-Fi or mobile) | Not required |
| Speed (1000 contacts) | Low (2-5 min) | High (automatic) | Very low (manual copying) |
| Saving photos of contacts | Yes | Yes | No |
| Saving email/addresses | Yes | Yes | No (name and number only) |
If you plan to (long-term use) an Honor smartphone, setting up a Google account is mandatory. This not only saves contacts, but also allows you to restore the home screen layout, Wi-Fi passwords and application settings in the event of a reset or breakdown.
What to do if contacts are duplicated?
When you repeatedly import the same file, the system may create duplicates. To fix this, open the Contacts app on Honor, tap on the menu (three dots) → Manage contacts → Merge contacts. The system will automatically find duplicate entries and offer to merge them.
Optimization and security of the phone book
After successful data transfer, it is recommended to perform cleaning and structuring. Often, when importing old databases, contacts with the same names (for example, “Mom” and “Mom Mobile”) or entries without numbers appear in the new phone book. Go through the list and remove what is unnecessary. Google's Contacts app has a smart merging feature that links different numbers of one person into one card.
It's also worth paying attention to security. If you have been transferring contacts via Bluetooth in a public place, make sure that the visibility mode on Honor is turned off. Always-on detection mode makes your phone vulnerable to Bluetooth bombing (spam attacks) or unauthorized connection attempts. In Bluetooth settings, select Visibility → Hidden.
Back up regularly. Once a month, go to your contacts settings and export to a .vcf file, saving it to your computer or cloud storage (Google Drive, Yandex.Disk). It will take a minute, but will save you if you lose your phone or get a virus attack. Remember that data is a new currency, and its safety is entirely in your hands.
The most reliable way to save contacts is not storing a file on your phone, but regular synchronization with a cloud service, which can be accessed from any device in the world.
Is it possible to transfer contacts via Bluetooth if one of the phones has an iPhone?
No, you cannot directly transfer contacts from Android to iPhone (iOS) via the standard Bluetooth file sharing protocol. Apple uses a proprietary protocol for file transfer (AirDrop), which is incompatible with Android. In this case, it is better to use import through a Google account (by logging into Gmail on the iPhone) or transfer the file through instant messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp), and then open it on the iPhone for import.
How many maximum contacts can be transferred with one vCard file?
There is no technical limit on the number of contacts in one file.vcf, the limits depend on the file system and the amount of RAM phone memory. However, in practice, files with more than 2000-3000 contacts may be processed (very slowly) or cause errors when imported on weaker devices. It is recommended to split large databases into parts of 500-1000 records.
Company names and positions disappeared after the transfer, why?
This happens if, when exporting on an old phone, you chose to save to a SIM card, and not to the phone’s memory or Google account. The SIM card has an ancient storage standard that only supports a name and phone number (and even then, the name is often truncated to 10-12 characters). Always store contacts in your device's memory or in the cloud.
Is it safe to accept .vcf files from unknown numbers?
vCard files themselves are usually safe since they are a text format. However, theoretically, hackers could try to inject malicious code through vulnerabilities in the contact parser (although this is extremely difficult in modern versions of Android). The main danger is social engineering: you can enter a malicious link in the “Site” or “Email” field on a contact card. Accept files only from trusted people.