Changing a smartphone or the need to reserve a phone book are standard tasks that most mobile device users face. Owners of the popular model Samsung Galaxy A51 often wonder how to quickly and safely save their numbers on physical media. Transferring contacts from the device's internal memory to SIM card is a reliable way to protect data, especially if you plan to change the device or are afraid of a system failure.
The Android operating system installed on Galaxy A51provides built-in tools for managing entries in the phone book. However, the One UI shell interface may differ from the standard “pure” Android, which sometimes causes confusion among users when searching for the necessary options. It is important to understand the difference between storing data in the cloud, in the device's memory and on a SIM card chip in order to choose the best option for your purposes.
In this article we will analyze in detail a step-by-step algorithm of actions that will allow you to move contacts to a SIM card without losing information. We will look at the nuances of working with different types of numbers, limitations of the storage format on SIM and alternative backup methods that may be even more effective in modern realities.
Preparing for the data transfer procedure
Before taking active steps to export data, you need to make sure that the device and the SIM card itself are ready. Make sure that your SIM card is correctly detected by the system and is not blocked by a PIN if you do not plan to enter it during the process. Insert the card into the appropriate slot and reboot the device if it does not see the network or the module itself.
Pay attention to the state of your phone book. If you have duplicate entries, it is better to delete them in advance so as not to take up the limited space on the SIM card chip with unnecessary information. To do this, you can use the contact merging function in the application Contact. It’s also worth checking where exactly your numbers are currently stored: in your Google account, in your phone memory, or already on your SIM.
⚠️ Attention: SIM cards have a limited storage capacity, usually from 250 to 500 entries. If you have more numbers in your phone book, you won’t be able to transfer everything at once - the system will give an error or transfer only part of it.
Make sure that your battery charge Samsung A51 is at least 30-40%. Although the transfer procedure does not require much power, suddenly turning off the device while data is being written to the chip can damage the file structure of the contacts. This is a rare case, but it is better to play it safe and connect your smartphone to a charger.
Before mass transfer, try exporting 1-2 test contacts to make sure that the SIM card receives data correctly and does not produce recording errors.
Step-by-step guide for exporting to a SIM card
Process transfer in the One UI shell is intuitive, but requires care when choosing the source and recipient of the data. Open the standard application Contactwhich usually has a green icon with a silhouette of a person. At the bottom of the screen, find and click on the menu icon in the form of three horizontal lines (hamburger menu) or the “Manage contacts” button, depending on the software version.
In the menu that opens, select Manage contacts. Next you will need the option Move contacts. The system will prompt you to select a source: check the boxes for the contacts you want to transfer, or click "All" if you want to save the entire phone book. Once selected, click the "Done" button or the navigation arrow.
Now you need to specify the destination. In the list of available storages, select your SIM card. It may appear as "SIM 1" or "SIM 2" if you are using two cards. Clicking the button Move will start the data copying process. The duration of the operation depends on the number of entries, but usually takes no more than a few minutes.
☑️ Transfer algorithm
After the process is completed, the system will notify you about the successful transfer. It is recommended to immediately check the result: go to the contact display settings and select display only from the SIM card to make sure that all numbers are in place and are read correctly.
When moving contacts, the original entries in the phone memory are deleted. If you want to keep a copy, use the "Copy" function instead of "Move" if it is available in your firmware version, or first export to a .vcf file.
SIM card storage format limitations
Users are often surprised to find that after transferring to the SIM card, subscriber photos, email addresses and additional numbers are missing. This is due to technical limitations of the old SIM chip storage standard. The recording format on the SIM card is extremely primitive compared to modern digital profiles in Android or iOS.
The main limitation concerns the length of the name and number. On a SIM card, the contact name is usually limited to 10-15 characters, and the phone number must be written in international or national format without unnecessary characters. If the contact name was long, for example "Ivan Ivanovich Petrov (work)", it will be truncated to "Ivan Ivanovich".
| Contact parameter | Phone memory / Google | SIM card |
|---|---|---|
| Contact name | Up to 100+ characters | ~10-15 characters |
| Photo | Supported | Not supported |
| Email address | Supported | Not supported |
| Multiple numbers | Unlimited | Usually 1 main |
It is also worth noting that special characters and emojis in contact names when transferring on SIM may appear incorrectly or turn into question marks. This is due to differences in character encodings used by the operating system Android and the GSM telecommunications standard.
Why can't you save photos to a SIM card?
SIM card technology was developed in the 80s primarily for authentication in the operator's network, and not for storing multimedia. The chip's memory capacity is only a few tens of kilobytes, which is barely enough for text data of numbers and names.
Alternative backup methods
Given the serious limitations of SIM cards, many experts recommend using more modern methods of saving the phone book. The most reliable way for owners Samsung A51 is synchronization with the account Google. This method allows you to store an unlimited number of contacts, restore them if you lose your phone, and automatically update data on all devices.
To set up synchronization, go to Settings devices, find the section Accounts and archiving and select Account management. Click on your Google account and make sure that the switch next to "Contacts" is activated. In this case, all new numbers will be automatically saved in the cloud.
Another convenient option is to use the application Samsung Cloud or apps Smart Switch. These tools allow you to create complete backups of your device, including settings, messages, and media files, not just your phone book. You can save the backup to your computer or to Samsung cloud storage.
- 🔄 Google Contacts: Automatic synchronization, access from any device via a browser, recovery after a reset.
- 💾 VCF File: Export all contacts to one file, which can be saved to the phone memory, to a memory card or sent to your email.
- 📱 Smart Switch: Official Samsung app for completely transferring data to a new phone or computer.
If you still prefer to have a physical copy, but the volume of contacts exceeds the capacity of the SIM, consider exporting to a file .vcf and saving it to a microSD memory card. This is a universal format that can be read by almost any phone.
Importing contacts from the SIM card back to the phone
The situations are different: perhaps you switched from an old push-button phone, where all the numbers were stored on a SIM card, and now you want to load them into your new one Galaxy A51. The import procedure is mirrored to the export and is performed through the same contact management menu.
Go to the application Contact, open the menu and select Manage contacts. This time you need the option Import contacts. Please indicate your SIM cardas the source. The system will scan the chip and show a list of found records.
Next you need to select a storage location. It is recommended to select an account Google or phone memory, but not the SIM card itself, to avoid duplication. After selecting the destination storage, click the import button. All numbers will appear in your phone book, and they will remain on the SIM card (unlike moving, when importing, the data is copied).
⚠️ Attention: When importing a large number of contacts from a SIM card, duplicates may be created if some numbers are already in the phone’s memory. After importing, use the "Manage Contacts" → "Merge Duplicates" function to clear the list.
Check that the imported data is correct. Sometimes SIM numbers are written without a country code, which can cause problems with number identification or calls abroad. In this case, you will have to edit the contacts manually by adding a prefix +7 or another operator code.
Solving common problems and errors
During the process of data transfer, users may encounter various technical difficulties. One of the most common problems is that the Move button is greyed out or greyed out. This often means that the SIM card has run out of free space. In this case, delete old unnecessary entries directly from the SIM card through the control menu to free up slots.
Another situation: the phone sees the SIM card for calls, but does not display it in the list of contact storages. Try removing the tray, wiping the SIM card contacts with a soft cloth and inserting it back. Make sure the card is inserted the correct way and until it clicks into place. Also check if airplane mode is turned on.
If, during transfer, contact names are displayed in crappy characters or hieroglyphs, the problem is in the encoding. Unfortunately, it is difficult to fix this directly on the SIM. The best solution is to import these contacts into the phone, edit the names correctly and save them to the device memory or Google account, and delete them from the SIM card.
- ❌ Memory error: Clear the SIM card of old entries before transferring new ones.
- 📶 No network: Make sure the SIM card is active and does not require entering a PUK code.
- 📂 File not found: When importing from a file, check the path to the memory or microSD card.
In rare cases, resetting the Contacts application helps. To do this, go to Settings → Applications, find "Contacts", select Memory and click Clear cache. This will not delete your numbers, but can fix software glitches in the interface.
What to do if the phone does not see contacts on the phone at all SIM?
Try to insert this SIM card into another, preferably an older phone. If there are no contacts there either, they may have been deleted or the card was formatted by the operator when it was replaced.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is it possible to transfer contacts from Samsung A51 to iPhone via SIM card?
Yes, it is possible, but with data loss. You export SIM contacts to Samsung, insert the card into the iPhone, then select "Import contacts from SIM" in iPhone settings. However, all photos, second numbers and long names will be lost due to SIM format limitations.
Where are contacts stored by default on the Samsung Galaxy A51?
By default, modern versions of Android and the One UI shell offer to save contacts in a Google account. This ensures their automatic synchronization and protection against loss. You can change this in the Contacts app settings by selecting Default Contacts.
How many contacts fit on one SIM card?
The capacity depends on the type and age of the SIM card. Standard cards can hold between 250 and 500 entries. New USIM cards may have larger capacity, but the standard for recording contacts often remains limited to the GSM protocol.
Are contacts deleted from the phone after they are transferred to the SIM?
Yes, if you use the Move function. The original entries in the phone memory will be deleted. If you want to keep them both, use the "Copy" function (if available) or make a backup copy in Google first.
How to restore contacts if I accidentally deleted them from the SIM?
It is almost impossible to directly restore contacts deleted from the SIM card, since there is no recycle bin on the chip. The only chance is if you have a backup in Google Contacts or a .vcf file. Go to contacts.google.com, go to the menu on the left and select "Cancel changes" to restore the state of the phone book to the moment before deletion.