Smartphone owners Honor often face the need to transfer the phone book when changing devices or wanting to free up internal memory. Despite the fact that modern cloud services have become a standard, physically copying numbers to SIM card remains a popular method, especially when switching to push-button phones or devices from other manufacturers without a Google account.
Procedure on the shell MagicOS (formerly EMUI) is intuitive, but has a number of hidden nuances that not all users are aware of. For example, additional fields such as email or address are often lost during export, and the length of the contact name is limited by the capabilities of the SIM card chip. In this article we will analyze in detail the algorithm of actions, the pitfalls of the storage format and methods for restoring data in case of failure.
It is worth noting right away that the menu interface may differ slightly depending on the firmware version of your Honor. However, the operating logic of the Contacts system application remains the same for the entire ecosystem Android. Below are step-by-step guide that will help you safely migrate data without losing important information.
Preparing the device and checking storage capacity
Before starting the copying procedure, you need to make sure that your SIM card is correctly identified by the system and has sufficient free memory. Older chips often have a limit of only 250 numbers, while modern models support up to 500 entries. If you try to record more contacts than the physical media allows, the process will be interrupted, and some of the data may be lost beyond recovery.
To check the current status, go to the phone settings and find the section responsible for managing cards. In smartphones Honor the path usually looks like this: Settings → SIM cards and mobile networks. Here you will see a list of installed modules. Make sure that the card is active and appears in the list of available storage media.
⚠️ Attention: Some telecom operators block the ability to write contacts directly to the SIM chip for security reasons or due to the specifics of the tariff plan. If the “Copy to SIM card” item is missing or inactive, contact your operator’s communication center to clarify technical restrictions.
It is also recommended to create a backup copy of the current phone book before starting any manipulations. This security rule is relevant not only for transferring to a SIM card, but also for any operations with the contact database. You can use built-in tools Honor or third-party applications to create a file .vcfthat will save all data unchanged.
☑️ Ready to transfer
Step-by-step guide for exporting via the Contacts application
Basic method of data transfer implemented through the standard Contacts application, which is preinstalled on all devices Honor. This method is the most reliable as it uses Android system APIs and minimizes the risk of errors when reading the database. Open the application by finding it on the desktop or in the all apps menu.
After launching the application, pay attention to the control menu. Depending on the interface version, the button for calling additional options may be located in the upper right corner (three dots) or placed in the lower navigation bar. You need to find the item responsible for managing the list of numbers, which is often called “Contact Management” or simply “Contacts” in the drop-down list.
In the menu that opens, select the option Import/Export contacts. The system will offer several directions for moving data. You will need to select the “Export to SIM” action. If you have two SIM cards installed, the smartphone will ask for clarification on which media the information should be recorded on. Select the desired slot.
Next follow the prompts of the transfer wizard:
- 📱 Select the data source (usually “Phone” or your Google/Honor account).
- 📝 Check the boxes those contacts that need to be transferred, or use the “Select all” function.
- 💾 Click the “Copy” or “Export” button to start the process.
- ⏳ Wait for the operation to complete without turning off the smartphone screen.
If there are a lot of contacts (more than 100), the process may take several minutes. Do not minimize the application or lock the screen until a success message appears.
After the operation is completed, the system will notify you about the number of records successfully copied. If some contacts could not be transferred, the application usually reports the reason for the error, for example, “insufficient space” or “unsupported number format.”
Storage format limitations and lost data
Users often wonder why after transferring to SIM card contact names became shorter or photos disappeared. This is due to the architecture of data storage on the SIM card chip, which was developed decades ago and has severe technical limitations. Unlike the internal memory of a phone or the cloud, SIM is not designed to store multimedia and extended fields.
The main limitation concerns the length of the name. The GSM standard allows storing a name of no more than 14-16 characters (depending on the encoding). If the name of your contact in your phone Honor was longer, it will be automatically cut off when recording to the SIM card. The last name may disappear completely if it does not fit into the allotted character limit.
| Data type | Phone memory/Cloud | SIM card | Transfer result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name contact | Up to 100+ characters | Max. 16 characters | Cut off |
| Phone number | Several numbers | One number | Only the first one |
| Photo | Supported | Not supported | Deleted |
| Email/Address | Supported | Not supported | Deleted |
Another critical point is the ability to store only one phone number per record. If a contact has three numbers on their phone (mobile, work, home), only the first one from the list, usually labeled “Mobile,” will be recorded on the SIM card. The remaining numbers will be irretrievably lost during the export process.
⚠️ Attention: Profile photos, email addresses, birthdays and notes are never transferred to the SIM card due to the lack of corresponding memory cells in the chip structure. Consider SIM only as a carrier for basic names and numbers.
Why are names stored in uppercase?
Many old and modern SIM cards use GSM 7-bit encoding, which by standard displays text in capital letters. This is not a bug of the Honor phone, but a feature of data display on the chip itself. When imported back into the smartphone, the case may not be restored correctly or may remain capitalized.
Alternative methods of copying through system settings
If the standard Contacts application is for some reason unavailable or does not work correctly, you can use the Android system settings menu. This method duplicates the functionality of the application, but sometimes allows you to bypass minor software glitches in the interface. It is especially useful on devices Honor with custom launchers.
Go to the main settings menu of your smartphone. Use the search bar at the top of the screen by searching for "Contacts" or "Import." The system will automatically find the required section. Alternative way manually: Settings → Applications → Contacts → Storage, however in new versions MagicOS management is often placed in a separate subsection “Users and accounts”.
In the management section data you will find similar import and export buttons. The principle of operation is the same: you select the source (phone) and recipient (SIM card). The only difference may be the absence of a preview of the contact list before starting copying - the system can immediately begin transferring all available records.
For advanced users, it is possible to use third-party file managers if the contacts are saved as a file .vcf. However, you cannot write this file directly to the SIM card. First you need to import it into the phone's memory, and then export it to SIM using the methods described above. Directly writing files to a SIM card chip through a file manager is technically impossible.
Restoring contacts from a SIM card to a new phone
The situation when you need to transfer data back from a SIM card to a smartphone Honor or any other Android device occurs just as often. This is true when purchasing a new device or after resetting the settings to factory settings. The import process mirrors the export procedure, but has its own peculiarities of processing duplicates.
Go to the Contacts application and select the control menu. This time you will need the "Import from SIM" option. The system will prompt you to select destination—the location where the data will be saved. It is highly recommended to select “Phone” or your Google account to take full advantage of modern storage (photos, multiple numbers).
When importing, the system may ask you what to do if duplicates are detected. If you already have contacts with the same names, the smartphone will offer three options:
- 🔄 Merge: add a new number to an existing contact card.
- ❌ Skip: do not copy the contact if the name is the same.
- ✅ Create a copy: save the contact as a new, separate one record.
Choosing the “Merge” option is the most reasonable solution, since it allows you to restore additional numbers that may have been lost during the previous export to a SIM card (if they were miraculously preserved there in a truncated form) or simply structures the database. After the import is complete, be sure to check your phone book for broken entries with truncated names.
Always import contacts from the SIM card to the internal memory of the phone or a cloud account, and do not leave them on the SIM card. This will ensure the safety of extended information and photos.
Solving common problems and errors
During the copying process, users may encounter various errors, from the “Memory full” message to a complete lack of response to commands. Most often, the problem lies in a physical malfunction of the SIM card or its incompatibility with the current phone slot Honor. Try removing the card, wipe the contacts with a soft eraser and insert it back until it clicks.
If the phone sees the SIM card for calls, but does not see it as contact storage, it may be blocked by the operator for writing. In this case, the only solution is to use cloud synchronization or transfer the file .vcf via Bluetooth or instant messengers. Do not try to force data to be written through third-party utilities - this may damage the SIM card file system.
Another common problem is name encoding. After transfer, instead of Russian letters, hieroglyphs or question marks may be displayed. This happens due to an encoding conflict between the phone and the SIM card. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to fix this on the SIM card itself. It is recommended to copy the contacts back to the smartphone's memory as quickly as possible, where the UTF-8 encoding supports any languages.
⚠️ Attention: The interfaces of mobile operating systems are constantly updated. The location of the buttons and the names of menu items may change in future versions MagicOS. If you do not find the item described, use the search in your phone settings.
If the contacts are missing after an unsuccessful copying attempt, do not panic. The data in the phone's internal memory usually remains untouched unless you select the "Move" option instead of "Copy". Always use the copy function, which creates a duplicate, leaving the original in place until manual verification.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Can I copy contacts if the phone screen is broken?
If the sensor does not work, but there is an image, you can try connecting a USB mouse via an OTG adapter. If the screen is completely black, but the phone is working, you will need to connect to a computer and use USB debugging (if it was previously enabled) or specialized backup software, but direct access to the contacts menu without an image is not possible.
How many contacts can a modern SIM card hold?
The standard capacity of modern USIM cards is from 250 to 500 entries. Old Mini-SIM cards can only hold 100-150 numbers. The exact number depends on the telecom operator and the year the chip was manufactured. If you try to record more available space, the system will display an error.
Will the contacts on the SIM card be visible in the iPhone?
Yes, when you install a SIM card from Android (Honor) into the iPhone, the contacts will automatically be loaded into the iOS phone book. However, due to SIM format limitations, you will only see names (truncated) and primary phone numbers. Photos and additional fields will not be displayed.
How to delete all contacts from the SIM card after transfer?
In the Contacts application on Honor, select the control menu, then Import/Export. Find the "Delete contacts from SIM card" option. Be extremely careful: this action is irreversible and will delete data from the physical chip, but will not affect the copy in the phone's memory if you have previously exported.
Why are some numbers saved with a country code, and some without?
It depends on the record format in the original phone database. The SIM card stores the number exactly as it is written in the “Mobile” field. If the number in a contact is written as +7..., it will be saved with a plus. If it’s like 8... then with an eight. It is recommended to convert all numbers to the international format before exporting for correct operation in roaming.