Users of the popular Redmi Note 7 smartphone often face a situation where the list of address book is displayed incorrectly or the names are sorted according to the wrong rules. This may be due to the fact that the system has chosen the English alphabet by default, which causes Russian names to be scattered throughout the list or grouped at the end. It is important for owners of a Xiaomi device to understand that the management of the alphabet is divided into two parts: the list display settings and the data entry language.
In this article, we will discuss in detail how to make your phone sort contacts according to the rules of the Russian language, as well as how to switch the keyboard layout when you add a new number. Properly configuring these parameters significantly saves time when finding the right subscriber. The interface of the MIUI shell has its own features, which we will now discuss in detail.
Before you make any changes, it's worth noting that the sorting algorithms depend on the system language you choose and the regional settings. If you've recently updated your firmware or reset your factory settings, the settings could have gone back to global values. Changing the system's language to Russian automatically activates the correct sorting of contacts by alphabet. Let's move on to practical steps.
Setting up a sort of contact list
The first step is to make sure that the address book itself is set to display names correctly. The standard Contacts app on the Redmi Note 7 has a settings menu that controls how records are followed, and users often look for this option in the phone's general settings, which is a mistake.
Open the Contacts app and find the gear icon or three dots in the corner of the screen, and this is where you find the display settings or sorting. This is where you choose the priority order by name or surname. It's critical for a Russian-speaking user that the system understands the structure of the name.
If the contact list is mixed and English names are mixed with Russian without logical structure, check the language of the smartphone interface. The system language dictates the rules of the alphabet for most embedded applications. Switching to Russian in the Advanced Settings section often solves the problem of a chaotic list instantly.
⚠️ Note: If the sorting has not changed after the system language change, it is possible that the display filter is included in the list of contacts only SIM-maps where metadata can be read differently.
Switching the keyboard language when entering
The second aspect of the question of how to change the alphabet concerns the direct input of data. When you create a new record or edit an existing one, you need a Russian layout. Xiaomi often has a Gboard keyboard or a system MIUI Keyboard installed by default.
To switch the alphabet while you're typing, use a special icon on the on-screen keyboard, usually a globe or a space with a language one. A short tap changes the input language from English to Russian and back again. If this icon is not there, you need to activate it in the input method settings.
Go to Settings → Additional settings → Language and input. Here, select Current Keyboard and go to Languages. Make sure that the list is Russian activated. Multilingual input allows you not to switch manually, but rely on autocorrection, but for guaranteed results, you better use explicit switching.
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Use the “Switching Shake” feature in the Gboard keyboard settings to change the alphabet with a quick move of the smartphone without aiming at a small button.
Regional settings and name format
The depth of the alphabet and word order is determined by the region you choose. In Redmi Note 7 smartphones, the region affects not only the content in the Mi Video or Mi Music app, but also the format of the contact storage, with some regions adopting the order of "Family, Name", in others - "Name, Surname".
To change these settings, go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Region. Selecting a country “Russia” or “Kazakhstan” (or any other Russian-speaking country) automatically applies the appropriate formatting standards, which is especially important for correctly displaying patronymics and complex surnames.
Also in this section, you can find date and time format settings that indirectly affect call log sorting. System localization is a complex process that affects a lot of hidden parameters. Don't ignore this step if you want to fully Russify the experience of using the device.
☑️ Checking regional settings
Account Synchronization and Conflict
Often, the alphabet problem occurs after syncing with a Google or MI Cloud account. If you switched from another phone where contacts were stored in an encoding or format other than the current one, there may be mush, the system tries to combine duplicates, and the alphabetic order is lost.
Check the source of contacts. In Contacts, click on the menu and select Display Contacts. Make sure all sources are selected, but when editing, choose to save to your Google account or phone, but not to your phone. SIM-map, because SIM-The card has limitations on the length and encoding of the characters.
If your contacts come from Gmail, you can fix them directly in the web version of your email, and you have Export and Import, which allows you to recode the list, and after you clear the duplicates in the cloud, you click Sync on Redmi Note 7.
| Parameter | Recommended value | Where to find out. |
|---|---|---|
| Language of the system | Russian | Settings → Advanced settings |
| Region | Russia | Settings → Advanced settings |
| Storage of contacts | Google Account | Appendix Contacts → Settings |
| Sorting | Named | Appendix Contacts → Settings |
Third-party applications for contact management
If standard MIUI tools fail to achieve the desired result, you can use third-party solutions. There are powerful contact managers at the Google Play store who can forcibly sort the database by given algorithms.
Apps like Contacts+ or Druu offer flexible display settings, which can ignore the system sorting settings and build the list as convenient as the user, but it is worth remembering that installing third-party software requires permissions to access personal data.
The use of such programs is especially relevant for business users who have thousands of numbers in the database. Third-party algorithms often work faster and smarter than standard ones, offering partial match search and smart grouping.
⚠️ Warning: When installing third-party contact managers, turn off syncing of the standard application to avoid creating double entries in the phone database.
How to remove duplicate contacts?
Frequent problems and their solution
Sometimes users notice that after updating the firmware Redmi Note 7 Russian letters in contacts are replaced by question marks or incomprehensible characters, which indicates a problem with the encoding, in which case helps to clear the cache of the application “Contacts” and “Contact Storage”.
To do this, go to the Settings. → Annexes → All applications → Contacts → Memory. Click Clear and select Clear Everything. Don't worry, the numbers won't be deleted if they're saved to your Google account or on your Google account. SIM-map, only the display settings will be reset.
If the problem is massive and it affects the entire interface, it may be that the language pack is damaged, in which case resetting to factory settings will help, but make sure to back up all the important data before doing so.
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Resetting the Contacts app does not delete the numbers themselves if they are synced to the cloud, but returns the sorting order to the factory standard.
In conclusion, the correct alphabet in contacts is a matter of setting the region and language correctly. Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 has a flexible system that works flawlessly when approached correctly. Follow the instructions and your phone will work like a clock.