How to change your name in your contacts on Xiaomi: 5 ways to use MIUI 12-14

Changing the contact name on Xiaomi smartphones seems like an easy task, but many users face unexpected difficulties. MIUI, Phone model (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 13 and synchronization method (Google, Mi Account, SIM-This article covers all current methods of editing contacts with the latest updates in 2026.

We will not only analyze the basic actions through the standard Contacts app, but also consider the nuances of working with duplicates, synchronization between devices, and recovery of accidentally deleted names.

1. Basic method: editing through the Contacts app

The most obvious method is to use the built-in Contacts app (an icon with a human silhouette on a green background), which works on all Xiaomi devices regardless of the MIUI version, but may be slightly different visually on POCO and Redmi due to different shells.

To change the name:

1. Open the Contacts app (if it is not on the home screen, search through the swipe search down).
2. Find the right contact through the search bar or scroll through the list.
3. Tap the contact name once to open the card.
4. Press the Edit button (pencil in the upper right corner).
5. In the Name field, enter a new value, and you can specify both the full name and nickname.
6. Save the changes with the Ready button or tick.

Make sure the name field is filled in correctly | Check the linked phone numbers | Pay attention to the company field (if necessary) |Sync enabled (cloud icon at the top)

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On some models (such as Xiaomi 13T Pro), a sync notification may appear after editing. If you use Google Contacts, the changes will automatically apply to all devices where you are logged in under the same account.

⚠️ Note: If after editing the contact name has not changed in messages or calls, check the display settings in the Phone application.

2. editing through Google Contacts (for synchronized accounts)

If your contacts are synced with your Google Account, you can change them not only on your phone, but also through the web version, which is convenient when you need to massively edit names or work from a computer.

Instructions for the web version:

1. Open your browser and go to contacts.google.com.
2. Sign in with the same account as on your phone.
3. Find contact through search or manually.
4. Click on the name, then select Edit (pencil icon).
5. Change the name in the appropriate field. Here you can divide the name and surname, add pronunciation.
6. Save the changes.

Changes are synchronized with the phone usually within 1-2 minutes.

• 📱 Check your internet connection on your phone
• 🔄 Update your Google Contacts page (sometimes helps) Ctrl+F5)
• 🔧 Go to Settings. → Accounts. → Google → Synchronize contacts and turn it on again

Important for MIUI 14+ users: Recent firmware versions have introduced the Smart Contact Connection feature, which can automatically merge duplicates. If the name is reset after editing, check this setting in Contacts → Settings → Contact Management.

3. Change of name of contacts to SIM-map

Contacts saved directly to SIM-They have limitations: you can't add a photo, the field for the name is limited. 15-20 symbols (depending on operator) and special symbols may not be supported.

To change that name:

1. Open Contacts and go to the SIM tab (or Phone on some models).
2. Find the right contact and click on it.
3. Choose Edit (on some firmware you need to pinch the contact to appear menu).
4. Type a new name in a limited field. Be careful, you can't use emojis or long names.
5. Save the changes.

⚠️ Note: When transferring contacts with SIM On the phone (or back) names may be cropped or formatted. Always check the result after the migration.

4. Massive name change through export/import

If you need to change names for a large number of contacts (for example, add a prefix or correct a typo in the last name), it is more convenient to use export to the.vcf file, edit on the computer and return import.

Step-by-step:

1. In the Contacts app, click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Contact Management → Export.
2. Select the account (Google or Mi) from which you want to export your contacts.
3. The contacts.vcf file will be stored in the phone’s internal memory (usually in the Download folder).
4. Transfer the file to your computer and open it in a text editor (such as Notepad++) or a special program (Microsoft Outlook).
5. Find the lines with FN: (Full Name) and change the names. Format: BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:3.0 FN:Old Name TEL;TYPE=CELL:+71234567890 END:VCARD
6. Save the file and import back through Contact Management → Import.

This method requires caution:

• 💾 Always back up the original.vcf file.
• 🔍 Check the file encoding (should be) UTF-8)
• 📱 After importing, it may be necessary to restart the phone for correct display

5. Features of editing on different versions of MIUI

The interface and editing capabilities of contacts vary markedly depending on the version of MIUI, and the key differences that are important to consider are below.

MIUI 12 and below:

• 📱 There is no division into tabs "Everything", "Google", "SIM" — All contacts are displayed together.
• 🔍 Search is slower, especially with more contacts (>1000)
• 🖼️ No way to add animated photos to contacts

MIUI 13-14:

• 🌐 Support for Rich Communication Services (RCS) — Contact names can be pulled from messengers
• 🔄 The Intelligent Association function can automatically correct typos in names
• 📊 Added contact usage analytics (calling frequency, latest interaction)

POCO Launcher:

• 🎨 Contacts app design is different - the edit button is hidden behind a long tap
• 🔍 No global search for all fields (only by name and number)
• 📱 When editing a contact, advertising may appear (on some models)

To check the version of MIUI, go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. If you have POCO or Redmi with custom firmware, some features may work differently.

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On devices with MIUI 14+, you can use voice input to change names. Open the contact, click the "Name" field and say "Change name to [new name]" - the system recognizes and prompts you to save.

6. Recovery of accidentally deleted or changed names

If you accidentally change the name of a contact to a wrong one or delete it altogether, there are several ways to return the previous version, depending on where the contact was saved initially.

For Google Contacts:

1. Go to contacts.google.com.
2. In the left menu, select Others → Cancel Changes.
3. Please indicate the time range (up to 30 days ago).
4. Find the right contact in the change list and restore it.

For Mi Account:

• 📱 Recovery is possible only within 7 days after the change.
• 🔧 Go to Settings. → Accounts. → Mi Account → Synchronization → History of change
• 🔄 Select the date when the contact was in the correct form

For contacts on SIM-map:

• ❌ Recovery is impossible – changes apply immediately to the card memory
• 💾 The only way is if you have a backup of a.vcf file.

⚠️ Note: If you use third-party backup applications (such as Super Backup), check their settings. Some programs save contacts in encrypted form and you will need a password to restore them.

7. Solving common problems when changing names

Even after editing correctly, Xiaomi users sometimes find that the changes are not applied or displayed incorrectly.

Problem 1: The name has changed, but the calls/messages show the old.

• 📱 Restart your phone – sometimes resetting the app cache helps
• 🔧 Check the display settings in the phone → Settings → Caller identification
• 🔄 Turn off and turn on sync for your account again

Problem 2: You can’t change your name – the edit button is inactive.

• 🔒 Check if there are restrictions in the settings → Annexes → Contacts → Permits
• 📱 If the contact is linked to Mi Account, log in again.
• 🔄 Update the Contacts app via Google Play or App Gallery

Problem 3: After the change, the name is displayed in characters or Krakozabra.

• 🌐 Check the code when importing/exporting (should be) UTF-8)
• 📱 Remove the contact and recreate – sometimes it helps
• 🔧 Reset the settings of the Contacts app in Settings → Annexes

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If a problem with displaying names occurs after the MIUI update, try clearing the system cache in Recovery mode. To do this, turn off the phone, press Power + Volume up, select Wipe Cache Partition.

Frequently asked questions