Blacklist on Xiaomi: the principle of operation, configuration and hidden functions

Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones offer a built-in tool to block unwanted calls and messages, a blacklist that has become indispensable for users tired of spam, annoying marketers or former contacts. However, many owners of Redmi, POCO or Mi devices still don’t know how to set up a lock, what types of numbers can be added to the list, and what to do if an important contact accidentally gets into a prohibited one.

In this article, we will discuss the unique feature of MIUI: the blacklist on Xiaomi works not only for calls, but also integrated with the system applications "Messages" and "Security", which allows you to block SMS and notifications from spammers at the system level. You will learn how the lock logic differs on different versions of the firmware (from MIUI 12 to MIUI 14), what hidden settings are available through the engineering menu, and how to circumvent the operator restrictions if the lock does not work.

How the blacklist works for Xiaomi: technical details

Unlike standard Android solutions, the MIUI blacklist is implemented at the system services level, and when you add a number to the lock, the system performs three key actions:

• 📞 Call blocking: the number is automatically sent to the list of banned modules for com.android.server.telecom, which manages phone calls.This means that the subscriber will not even see the signal "busy" - his call will be reset at the operating system level.
• 💬 Filtration SMS: messages from the blocked number do not fall into the inbox, but are sent to a hidden directory /data/user_de/0/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db markedly blocked=1.
• 🔔 Suppress notifications: If the number is associated with an account in messengers (for example, WhatsApp or Telegram), the system sends a signal to the applications via NotificationManager so that they also ignore notifications from this contact.

It’s important to understand that Xiaomi’s blacklist works locally — it doesn’t sync to the cloud (unlike Google’s services) and doesn’t block carrier-level numbers. This means that if you reset your phone to factory settings or reinstall the firmware, the list of blocked contacts will be lost. However, MIUI 13+ has an option to export the list to.blk, which we’ll talk about below.

Where is the blacklist on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

The path to blacklisting can vary depending on the device model and firmware version. We have compiled the current routes for all modern Xiaomi smartphones:

On some models (such as the POCO F5 or Redmi Note 12 Pro+), the path may be hidden. If you don't find the "Black List" item on the menu, try:

1. Open the phone application → three-point (⋮) → select the settings → Blocking and spam.

Check the version of MIUI in Settings → About the phone

Update the Phone app in Google Play

Backup contacts in Settings → Google → Backup

Disable Dual Apps for messengers (can knock the lock)-->

How to Add a Number to a Blacklist: All Ways

Add a contact to the lock on Xiaomi in six different ways, and we tested each of them on the Redmi K50 and Xiaomi 13 Ultra devices with the latest updates:

• 📱 Through the call log: Open the phone application → Find a number in history → press it → Choose Block (Block the Ban icon).
• 👤 From Contacts: Open Contacts → select a subscriber → ⋮ → Some firmwares need to keep your finger in touch.
• ⚙️ Through Settings: Go to Settings → Blacklist → press Add → Select from contacts or enter manually.
• 📧 Isa SMS: Open a message from the spammer → press three points → Lock down the sender. MIUI 14 can block all senders with the same prefix.
• 🔍 By Keyword: In Settings → Blacklist → Message filter, add words like "winning," "credit," "share." This function only works for the purpose of SMS.
• 📎 Import of the list: in MIUI 13+ You can import a list of blocked numbers from a.blk or.txt file (one number per line).

Please note that if you add a number manually, enter it in an international format (e.g. +79123456789, not 89123456789). Otherwise, the system may not recognize an incoming call from the same subscriber, but with a different prefix.

💡

To block all numbers with an unknown identifier (such as Hidden Number or Unknown), add *#31# to the blacklist. This does not work on all firmware, but often helps against spammers hiding their number.

Hidden blacklist opportunities: engineering menu and ADB

For experienced Xiaomi users, there are advanced lock settings that are not available through the standard interface.

• 🔧 Set up a whitelist (allow calls only from certain numbers).
• 📊 Export complete statistics of blocked calls to.csv.
• 🔄 Automatically block numbers after the first missed call.
• 🚫 Prohibit shipment SMS to blocked numbers (by default you can send messages in response).

To access these functions:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone → 7 times click on the MIUI version.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell am start -n com.android.settings/.Settings$BlockedNumbersSettingsActivity This will open a hidden lock menu with advanced options.

The following commands can be used to manage the blacklist through ADB:

# View the current blacklist


adb shell content query --uri content://call_log/blacklist




Add a number to the lockdown



adb shell content insert --uri content://call_log/blacklist --bind number:s:"+79123456789"




Remove the number from the lock



adb shell content delete --uri content://call_log/blacklist --where "number='+79123456789'"

Xiaomi blacklist issues and solutions

Despite the convenience, users often find that the blacklist on Xiaomi is not working properly, and we have collected the most common problems and proven ways to solve them:

⚠️ Note: If the blacklist is reset after the firmware update, do not attempt to restore it from a backup via Mi Cloud.This may result in duplicate records and errors in the Telecom module).

If none of these methods worked, try resetting your network settings:

1. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks.
2. Select Network Settings Reset (this won’t delete data, but reset connection settings).
3. Restart the device and check the blacklist.

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On devices with Dual SIM The blacklist is valid for each SIM-If you block the number on one. SIM, He can still call the second card, so to block it completely, add a number to the blacklist for both cards.

How to export and import a blacklist

In MIUI 13 and later, you can save a list of locked numbers to a file to transfer it to another device or restore it after a reset.

Export of the list:

1. Open the Settings. → PapaSSWORD & security → Blacklist.
2. Press three points (⋮) top-right.
3. Select Export and save the file in.blk format (it is saved by default to /sdcard/Download/blacklist.blk).

List import:

1. Place a.blk or.txt file (with numbers one in a row) in your phone’s memory.
2. In the same blacklist menu, click ⋮ → Imports.
3. Select a file and confirm the import, and the numbers will be added to the ones already on the list.

The.blk file has a simple structure and can be edited manually, for example, to add a number and a comment to it, the line in the file should look like this:

+79123456789 Spam from the bank

⚠️ Note: When importing a list from.txt, make sure the file is saved in encoding. UTF-8. Otherwise, the Cyrillic characters in the comments will be displayed incorrectly, and some numbers may not be imported.

Alternative ways to block on Xiaomi

If the built-in blacklist doesn't work, you can use third-party solutions, and we've tested several applications and services that integrate well with MIUI:

• 🛡️ Truecaller: blocks spam numbers based on global database. minus - requires a lot of permission and can conflict with the built-in lock.

For enterprise users, Xiaomi Enterprise Blocklist (available in MIUI for Business) is suitable.

• Centrally manage blacklists across multiple devices.
• Block numbers by templates (for example, all numbers with the prefix +37529).
• Keep a log of locked calls with connection to the device and time.

To activate Enterprise Blocklist, you need to:

1. Install the firmware MIUI Enterprise (available for Xiaomi 12 Pro, 13 Ultra and other flagships).
2. Connect to Xiaomi Admin Console via the web interface.
3. Download the list of numbers in.csv format with columns phone_number reason.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the blacklist on Xiaomi