Losing contacts on a smartphone is one of the most unpleasant situations for the owner Xiaomi Redmi 9. Even if the phone is working properly, a system crash, accidental deletion or factory reset can erase all numbers in seconds. Fortunately, most of them do not require special knowledge. Android offers several reliable ways to save contacts. In this article we will look at all the current methods: from standard synchronization with manual export to a SIM card or to a file. We will pay special attention to the nuances associated with the firmware Android offers several reliable ways to save contacts, and most of them do not require special knowledge.

In this article we will analyze all the current methods: from standard synchronization with Google account before manual export to SIM card or file. We will pay special attention to the nuances associated with the firmware MIUI on Redmi 9, since the interface here differs from “pure” Android. You'll also learn how to recover contacts if they're already missing, and how to automate backups so you don't have to worry about data security anymore.

If you just bought Redmi 9 or are planning to reset it to factory settings, save this article to bookmarks - she useful for quickly transferring contacts to a new phone or backing them up before updating the firmware.

1. Synchronizing contacts with a Google account (the most reliable way)

Synchronization with Google is not just a backup, but a full-fledged cloud storage that automatically updates contacts on all your devices. On Redmi 9 this method works stably, but there are a couple of nuances associated with MIUI.

To enable synchronization:

  1. Open the application Contact (icon with a silhouette of a person).
  2. Tap on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Manage contacts.
  3. Go to Synchronize contacts → select your Google account.
  4. Activate the switch next to c Contact.

After this, all contacts saved in the phone’s memory will be uploaded to the cloud. Important: if you have not synchronized contacts before, the process may take several minutes - do not interrupt it and do not log out of your account.

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If you have several Google accounts, select the one you use more often. Contacts will be available on any device after logging into this account.

To check that the synchronization was successful:

  1. Go to the site contacts.google.com from a computer or another phone.
  2. Make sure that all numbers are displayed in the web version.
⚠️ Attention: If you delete a contact on your phone, it will automatically disappear from your Google account (and vice versa). To avoid accidental losses, enable Contact Archiving in Google settings.

2. Export contacts to VCF file (for PC backup)

File .vcf (vCard) is a universal format for storing contacts that is supported by all modern phones and email clients. On Redmi 9 export to VCF takes less than a minute, and the file can be saved to flash drive, sent by email or uploaded to the cloud.

Export instructions:

  1. Open Contact → three dots → Manage contacts.
  2. Select Import/Export contacts → Export to file.
  3. Tick the contacts you want to save (or press Select all).
  4. Click Export and select a save location (for example, Internal memory or SD card).

The file will be named contacts.vcf or similar. You can:

  • 📤 Send it to your email (for example, via Gmail or Yandex.Mail).
  • 💾 Copy it to your computer via USB cable.
  • ☁️ Upload to Google Drive or another cloud.
  • 📱 Transfer to another phone via Bluetooth or via instant messenger.

Contacts are not duplicated (merge duplicates)

File saved in accessible place (not in a folder with limited access)

The file name is clear (for example, "Contacts_Redmi9_2026.vcf")

2 copies were made (on the phone and in the cloud)-->

To later import contacts back, repeat the steps, but select Import from file and specify the path to .vcf.

⚠️ Attention: If you edited contacts after export, changes in the file .vcf will not be reflected for the current copy, repeat the export regularly (for example, once a month).

3. Saving contacts to a SIM card (outdated, but working method)

A SIM card can store a limited number of contacts (usually up to 250), but this method is suitable if you need to quickly transfer numbers to another phone without the Internet. On Redmi 9 the export interface to SIM is a little hidden, so follow the instructions carefully.

How to save contacts on SIM:

  1. Open Contact → three dots → Management contacts.
  2. Select Import/Export contacts → Export to SIM card.
  3. Mark the desired contacts (or Select all) and press Export.
  4. Wait for completion - the process may take up to 1-2 minutes.

Method limitations:

  • 📵 Stored only phone numbers and names (without email, addresses, photos).
  • 🔢 Maximum ~250 contacts (depending on the operator and SIM model).
  • 🔄 When importing to a new phone, problems may arise with encoding (Cyrillic is displayed krakozyabry).

If contacts on SIM are not displayed correctly, try:

  1. Import them to a phone that supports the Latin alphabet (for example, iPhone).
  2. Edit names manually after import.

Once a week

Once a month

Only before resetting the phone

Never done-->

4. Backup via MIUI Backup (Xiaomi's proprietary tool)

MIUI offers a built-in backup solution - MIUI Backup. It saves not only contacts, but also SMS, call logs, and application settings. However, this method has disadvantages: the backup copy is tied to the account Xiaomi, and you can restore it only on phones with MIUI.

How to make a backup:

  1. Go to Settings → About phone → Backup copy and reset.
  2. Select Local backup.
  3. Tick the checkbox Contact (you can also select SMS, call logs, etc.).
  4. Press Backup and wait for completion.

The backup file will be saved in the internal memory of the phone along the path: 

/MIUI/backup/AllBackup/

It can be copied to a computer or to the cloud for reliability.

To restore contacts:

  1. Return to Local backup.
  2. Select the desired backup from the list and click Restore.
  3. Confirm the recovery contacts only (so as not to overwrite other data).
Method Pros Cons Suitable for
Google synchronization Automatic update, access from any device Requires Internet, linking to an account Continuous backup
VCF file Universal format, can be edited Manual export/import One-time backup
SIM card Not need internet, quick transfer Limited volume, no additional data Short-term storage
MIUI Backup Saves SMS and settings Only for Xiaomi phones Full backup before reset
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For maximum reliability, use 2 methods at once: synchronization with Google (for automatic updates) + export to VCF once a month (for manual backup).

5. Transferring contacts through applications (for advanced users)

If standard methods are not suitable, you can use third-party applications. They offer additional functions, for example cloud storage with a history of changes or export to Excel. Let's consider the top 3 proven tools.

1. My Contacts Backup (free, without unnecessary water)

  • 📲 Export contacts to .vcf or .xlsx (Excel).
  • ☁️ Automatic upload to Google Drive or Dropbox.
  • 🔄 Ability to schedule automatic backup.

2. Super Backup & Restore (premium version available)

  • 📱 Backup contacts, SMS, call logs.
  • 📧 Sending a backup to email in one click.
  • 🔒 Encrypting backups with a password.

3. Contacts Optimizer (for cleaning and backup)

  • 🧹 Removing duplicates and empty contacts.
  • 🌐 Synchronization with multiple accounts (Google, Outlook, etc.).
  • 📊 Visualization of contacts (for example, which numbers do not have names).

Before using third-party applications:

  1. Check reviews and ratings Google Play.
  2. Do not give the application access to unnecessary permissions (for example, geolocation).
  3. Create a test backup and check its integrity.
⚠️ Attention: Some contact backup applications may contain advertising modules or collect data. Avoid apps with suspiciously wide resolutions (for example, access to the camera or microphone to backup contacts).

6. Recovering deleted contacts (if they are lost)

If your contacts have already been deleted, don't panic—they can often be restored. The methods depend on how they were saved previously.

Option 1: Recovering from a Google account

Google stores the history of contact changes for 30 days. To rollback the deletion:

  1. Go to contacts.google.com.
  2. In the left menu, select Cancel changes.
  3. Specify the time range (for example, "1 hour ago" or "1 week back").
  4. Click Confirm —the contacts will return to their original state.

Option 2: Restore from a local MIUI backup

If you made a backup copy via MIUI Backup:

  1. Go to Settings → About phone → Backup and reset.
  2. Select Local backup copy and find the file you need.
  3. Click Recover and select only Contact.

Option 3: Using recovery applications

If contacts were deleted without a backup, try apps like DiskDigger or GT Recovery. They scan the phone's internal memory for deleted data. Please note:

  • 🔍 The less time has passed since deletion, the higher the chances of recovery.
  • 📴 For applications to work you need root access (on non-rooted phones the efficiency is lower).
  • ⚠️ Do not save new data to your phone before recovery - it can overwrite deleted contacts.
What to do if contacts are missing after updating MIUI?

After major updates MIUI Sometimes synchronization settings are reset. Check:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and synchronization → Google and turn on contact synchronization again.

2. If the contacts do not appear, try deleting and re-adding your Google account.

3. As a last resort, restore contacts from backup (see section above).

7. Automation of backups (so as not to forget)

Manual creation of backups is reliable, but requires discipline. Fortunately, Redmi 9 you can set up automatic backup contacts so you don’t have to remember about it for months.

Method 1: Auto-sync with Google

Default Google synchronizes contacts once every few hours, but you can enable continuous synchronization:

  1. Go to Settings → Accounts and synchronization → Google.
  2. Select your account and activate Sync automatically.
  3. Make sure that next to Contact there is a checkmark.

Method 2: Task Scheduler (for export to VCF)

Applications like MacroDroid or Tasker allow you to automate the export of contacts. For example, you can set up:

  • 📅 Weekly export .vcf to the cloud.
  • 🔔 Notification if synchronization with Google has not taken place for more than 3 days.
  • 📤 Automatic sending of a backup copy to email.

Method 3: Cloud services (Dropbox, Yandex Disk)

Some backup applications (for example, Super Backup) can automatically upload .vcf to the cloud. To do this:

  1. Install the application and connect it to your cloud account.
  2. Set up a schedule (for example, once a week on Mondays).
  3. Make sure there is enough space on your phone for temporary files.
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Automatic synchronization with Google + monthly manual export to VCF is the optimal strategy for most users Redmi 9.

8. Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Even when following instructions, users often encounter problems. Here are the most common errors and their solutions:

Problem 1: Contacts do not sync with Google

Possible causes and solutions:

  • 🔌 No Internet —check your Wi-Fi or mobile network connection.
  • 🔄 Synchronization is disabled — go to Settings → Accounts → Google → Synchronization and turn it on.
  • 🔒 Authentication error — remove your Google account and add it again.
  • 📱 MIUI Restrictions — Redmi 9 sometimes background synchronization is blocked. Go to Settings → Battery and performance → Application power management and disable optimization for Contact and Services Google Play.

Problem 2: Duplicates appear when importing from VCF

To avoid duplicate contacts:

  1. Before importing, export your current contacts to a separate file (for backup).
  2. Use applications like Contacts Optimizer to merge duplicates.
  3. Manually check the contacts after import and delete duplicates.

Problem 3: Contacts on the SIM card are displayed as crappy ones

This is an encoding problem. Solutions:

  • 📱 Import contacts to a Unicode-enabled phone (for example, iPhone or new Android).
  • 🔤 Manually edit names after import.
  • ☁️ Use cloud backup instead of SIM (for example, Google or VCF).
⚠️ Attention: Interface MIUI may vary depending on the firmware version. If your menu does not have these items, update your phone to the latest version or check alternative paths (for example, Settings → Advanced → Backup).

FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions

Is it possible to save contacts to a flash drive without a computer?

Yes. Export contacts to a file .vcf (see section 2) and select as the save location SD card. The file will be available for copying to another phone or. computer.

How to transfer contacts from Redmi 9 to iPhone?

The easiest way:

  1. Export contacts to .vcf on Redmi 9.
  2. Send the file to yourself by email or via instant messenger.
  3. On iPhone, open the file - contacts will automatically be added to your address book.

Alternative: synchronize contacts with Google, then add this account to iPhone to Settings → Passwords and accounts.

Why were contacts not restored after resetting the phone?

Probable reasons:

  • Synchronization with Google was disabled before the reset.
  • You are not logged into the same Google account after the reset.
  • The contacts were stored only in the phone memory (not in the Google account).

Solution: Check contacts.google.com —if the contacts are there, enable synchronization on the phone. If not, try restoring them from a local backup (see section 6).

Is it possible to save contacts in Excel?

Yes, but not using standard means MIUI. Options:

  • Use the application My Contacts Backup (export to .xlsx).
  • Export contacts to .vcf, then convert the file to Excel through online services (for example, convertcsv.com).
How to protect contacts from accidental deletion?

Recommendations:

  • Enable two-step authentication for Google account.
  • Create separate Google account only for contacts (in case the main one is hacked).
  • Use applications with versioning (for example, Contacts+that save the history of changes).
  • Store the backup copy .vcf in encrypted archive (for example, via 7-Zip with a password).