Saving contacts to a SIM card in Xiaomi Redmi 8 is a task that seems simple only at first glance. Many users encounter difficulties: missing options in the menu, restrictions on the number of entries, or errors during export. The fact is that modern versions MIUI (especially those based on Android 9/10) hide this function, considering it outdated. However, for those who often change phones or want to have a backup copy of contacts without cloud services, saving to SIM remains relevant.

In this article we will examine all working methods transferring contacts to a SIM card in Redmi 8, including hidden settings, bypassing MIUI restrictions and alternative methods for different firmware versions. You will also learn how to avoid common mistakes (for example, cutting off names or losing numbers) and what to do if the phone does not see the contacts on the SIM after the transfer.

Before you begin, check two key points:

  1. Your SIM card supports storing contacts (usually this standard SIM or Micro-SIM, but not all nano-SIM).
  2. The phone has official firmware installed MIUI (custom builds can remove the export to SIM function).
📊 Which SIM card do you use in Xiaomi Redmi 8?
Standard (Mini-SIM)
Micro-SIM
Nano-SIM
eSIM (virtual)
I don’t know

Why is there no “Save to SIM” option in Xiaomi Redmi 8?

In the latest versions MIUI 11/12 for Redmi 8 developers Xiaomi removed the direct button for exporting contacts to a SIM card. This is due to several reasons:

1. Limitations of Android: Starting from Android 9 Pie, Google recommends using cloud services (Google Contacts, Mi Account) instead of SIM storage due to the low capacity of cards (maximum ~250 contacts) and lack of support for additional fields (email, addresses, etc.).

2. Xiaomi Policy: The company is actively promoting its cloud service Mi Cloud, where contacts are synchronized automatically. This makes it easier to switch between devices, but is not suitable for users who prefer offline storage. Xiaomi Policy: Many SIM cards (especially) do not physically support recording contacts, although the phone “sees” them. This leads to errors during export. Xiaomi, but is not suitable for users who prefer offline storage.

3. Technical problems: Many SIM cards (especially nano-SIM) do not physically support recording contacts, although the phone “sees” them. This results in errors during export.

However, the function can be returned! Next, we'll show you how to do this through hidden settings, third-party apps, and even ADB commands for advanced users.

💡

If your goal is simply to back up your contacts, consider exporting to a file .vcf (business card). This method is more reliable and supports all fields (photo, email, notes).

Method 1: Saving through the standard Contacts application (if the option is available)

In some firmware Redmi 8 (especially on MIUI 10 or earlier) the option to export to SIM remains. Let's check its presence:

  1. Open the application "Contacts"** (icon with a man).
  2. Click on the three dots (⋮) in the upper right corner → select "Management contacts"**.
  3. Scroll down and find the item "Import/Export contacts" (or "Export to SIM card").
  4. Select contacts to export (you can check all) and click "Export"**.

If there is no option, go to the next method. If the option is there, but an error occurs during export (for example, "Could not save contacts"**), the reasons may be as follows:

  • 🔴 SIM card is full (maximum ~200–250 contacts).
  • 🔴 No write permission (try rebooting the phone).
  • 🔴 Contacts contain invalid characters (for example, emoji in names).
What to do if contacts are cut off when exporting to SIM?

SIM cards only support Latin characters and numbers in names. Cyrillic characters (Russian letters) may be displayed as ???? or cut off Solution: before exporting, rename the contacts with a transliteration (for example, “Ivanov” → “Ivanov”)

Method 2: Using the hidden menu of engineering settings

There is a hidden menu for working with SIM cards, where you can manually manage contacts. This method works even if the option is not in the standard interface. Xiaomi Redmi 8 There is a hidden menu for working with SIM cards, where you can manually manage contacts. This method works even if the option is not in the standard interface.

Instructions:

  1. Open the application "Phone"** (dialer).
  2. Enter the code: ##846636## (this will bring up the menu «SIM Toolkit»**).
  3. In the window that appears, select "Manage contacts" → "Export to SIM".
  4. Mark the required contacts and confirm the export.

⚠️ Attention: This code may not work on custom firmware or in some regional versions MIUI. If after entering the code nothing happens, proceed to the next method.

Also note that through the engineering menu you can export contacts only to the SIM card that is active for calls (if you have two SIMs, check the default settings in Settings → SIM cards and mobile networks).

Method 3: Applications for transferring contacts to SIM

If standard methods do not work, third-party utilities will come to the rescue. We tested several applications and chose the most reliable ones for Redmi 8:

Application Link (Play) Market) Pros Cons
SIM Contacts Manager com.simcontmanager ✅ Supports Cyrillic
✅ Export/import in batches		 ❌ Advertising in the free version
Copy to SIM Card com.copy2sim ✅ Simple interface
✅ Works without root		 ❌ Limit to 50 contacts per day
Super Backup & Restore com.idea.backup.smscontacts ✅ Backups to the cloud
✅ Export to .vcf and on SIM		 ❌ Requires access to SMS

How to use (using the example of SIM Contacts Manager):

  1. Install the application from Play Market.
  2. Open it and provide access to contacts and storage.
  3. Select "Export to SIM" → mark contacts → press "Save".
  4. Wait for completion (may take up to 1-2 minutes for 200+ contacts).

Make sure the SIM card is inserted into slot 1 (main)

Close all background applications (especially instant messengers)

Check free space on SIM (via ##4636##)

Disable battery saving for the application-->

⚠️ Attention: Some applications (for example Copy to SIM Card) may request superuser rights (root). To Redmi 8 getting root is difficult and unsafe - this will deprive you warranty and may cause crashes. If the application requires root, choose another.

Method 4: Export via VCF file and manual transfer to SIM

If none of the above methods worked, use a workaround: export contacts to a file .vcfand then import them to another SIM card through another phone (for example, an old Nokia or Samsung with support for SIM storage).

Step 1. Export contacts to file:

  1. Open "Contacts" → ⋮ → "Manage contacts" → "Import/Export" → "Export to file".
  2. Select a save location (for example, "Internal memory" or "SD card").
  3. The file will be saved as contacts.vcf.

Step 2. Transfer to another SIM:

  • 📱 Insert another SIM card into other phone (where there is an import function from VCF to SIM).
  • 📤 Copy the file contacts.vcf to this phone (via Bluetooth, email or flash drive).
  • 🔄 Import contacts from a file into the phone book, and then export them to SIM.
  • 🔙 Return the SIM card with contacts back to Redmi 8.

This method is longer, but more reliable - you are guaranteed to receive all contacts without trimming names or losing numbers.

💡

File .vcf is a universal format for storing contacts. It can be opened on any device, including PC (via Outlook or Google Contacts).

Method 5: ADB commands for advanced users (without root)

If you are familiar with Android Debug Bridge (ADB)you can try exporting contacts to SIM via the command line. This method does not require root access, but will require connecting the phone to the PC.

What you will need:

  • 🖥️ A computer with installed ADB drivers (you can download from the site Android Developers).
  • 📱 Enabled USB debugging on Redmi 8 (Settings → About phone → Version MIUI → press 7 times, then return to Settings → Advanced → For developers → USB debugging).
  • 🔌 USB cable (preferably original).

Instructions:

  1. Connect Redmi 8 to your PC and confirm permission to debug on your phone.
  2. Open command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and enter: 
    adb devices

    Make sure that the device is detected.

  3. Run the command to export contacts to SIM: 
    adb shell content insert --uri content://com.android.contacts/sim/contacts --bind name:s:"Name" --bind number:s:"+79991234567"
    Replace Name i +79991234567 with real data.
  4. For mass export, use a script (you will have to manually enter all contacts or write a parser).

⚠️ Attention: This method requires knowledge of the command line and patience. An error in syntax can result in data loss. If you are not sure, use simpler methods.

How to automate export via ADB?

You can write a simple one Python script using a library subprocess for parsing contacts from .vcf-file and recording them one by one on SIM via ADB. Code example:

import subprocess

with open('contacts.vcf', 'r') as f:


for line in f:


if 'FN:' in line:


name = line.split(':')[1].strip()


if 'TEL:' in line:


number = line.split(':')[1].strip()


subprocess.run(f'adb shell content insert --uri content://com.android.contacts/sim/contacts --bind name:s:"{name}" --bind number:s:"{number}"', shell=True)

For the script to work, you will need an installed Python 3 phone connected via ADB.

Frequent errors and their solutions

When saving contacts on SIM c Redmi 8 users face typical problems. We have collected the most common ones and ways to eliminate them:

1. The phone does not see contacts on the SIM after export

  • 🔹 Reboot the device.
  • 🔹 Check if the SIM card is active in the settings (Settings → SIM cards and mobile networks).
  • 🔹 Try it insert SIM into another phone - if contacts are displayed there, the problem is in the firmware Redmi 8.

2. Contacts are saved without names (only numbers)

  • 🔹 Remove special characters from names (emoji, commas, quotes).
  • 🔹 Use Latin instead Cyrillic.
  • 🔹 Export contacts one at a time, not all at once.

3. Error “Could not save contacts”

  • 🔹 Free up space on SIM (delete old contacts).
  • 🔹 Check SIM on another phone - it may be damaged.
  • 🔹 Update the firmware MIUI to the latest version (sometimes bugs are fixed in patches).

4 After the transfer, some numbers disappeared.

  • 🔹 SIM cards are stored only one number per contact. If you have multiple numbers for one person, they will not be saved.
  • 🔹 Check if the character limit in the name has been exceeded (usually ~20 characters).
💡

Before bulk exporting contacts to SIM, make a backup copy in .vcf-file. This will take 1 minute, but will save the data if something goes wrong.

Is it possible to save contacts with photos to a SIM card?

No, SIM cards only support text data: name and phone number. Photos, email addresses and other fields will not be saved. To transfer contacts with photos, use a file .vcf or cloud services (Google Contacts, Mi Cloud).

How many contacts can be saved to a SIM card in Redmi 8?

It depends on the type of SIM card:

  • 🔹 Standard SIM (Mini-SIM): ~200–250 contacts.
  • 🔹 Micro-SIM/Nano-SIM: ~100–150 contacts (often less due to operator restrictions).

The exact number can be found through the engineering menu (##4636## → "SIM card information"**).

Why are they duplicated after contacts are transferred to SIM?

This happens because MIUI automatically synchronizes contacts with your account Google or Mi Account. To avoid duplicates:

  1. Before exporting, disable synchronization (Settings → Accounts → Google/Mi Account → Contacts synchronization).
  2. Delete duplicates through the app "Contacts"** (⋮ → Manage contacts → Merge duplicates).

Is it possible to save contacts on SIM without a phone (via a computer)?

No, to record contacts on SIM you definitely need a device that supports this function (phone or special SIM reader with software). The computer cannot directly write data to the SIM card - only read it through adapters (and not all models).

Which is better: storing contacts on SIM or in Google Account?

It depends on your tasks:

SIM card Google Account
✅ Quick transfer to another phone
✅ Does not depend on the Internet
✅ Suitable for temporary storage		 ✅ Automatic synchronization
✅ Storage of all fields (email, addresses, photos)
✅ Access from any device
❌ Quantity limit (~200 contacts)
❌ Only name and number
❌ Risk of loss if SIM is damaged		 ❌ Requires Internet for synchronization
❌ Dependency on Google (linked to account)

Recommendation: Use SIM for temporary transfer, and for permanent storage, set up synchronization with Google Contacts or Mi Cloud.