Combining duplicate contacts on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face an unpleasant situation when duplicates appear in the phone book after changing the device or synchronizing with a Google account. Instead of a single subscriber, the list displays two or more entries, which creates confusion and makes it difficult to find the right number, a problem that is especially acute for users who have used different email services for a long time or transferred data from button phones via button phones. SIM-map.

Fortunately, the MIUI and HyperOS shells have built-in contact management tools that help you quickly fix this mess. You don't have to install third-party apps or manually edit every record. The system itself finds matches by name or phone number and suggests combining them into a single card, which saves time and puts the order back on the list of important calls.

In this article, we will go into detail about all the ways to delete duplicates, from automatic merger to manual editing. You will learn how to configure sync so that the problem does not return, and what hidden phone book features can come in handy. Follow the instructions and your address book will become clean and structured.

Automatic connection through the Contacts app

The easiest and most effective way to clean up your messaging is to use the standard merging feature built into the Contacts app. Xiaomi algorithms are smart enough to recognize the same names or numbers, even if they are written in different formats (such as with or without a country code).

When you start the app, look at the top of the screen or the settings menu. Modern versions of MIUI often pop up a notice of duplicates found immediately after opening. If you don't have one, you need to go to Control Mode. Click on the three dots in the top right corner or select the Contacts tab at the bottom of the screen to reveal the additional menu.

• 🔍 Find the item "Combine repetitives" in the list of actions.
• 📱 The system will analyze the database and show the list of pairs for the merger.
• ✅ Confirm the action for all duplicates found or select specific records.

It's important to understand that the merger process stores all the information from both cards, and if one contact only has a home number, and the second one has a mobile number and an email, then after the combination, the new record will have all this data, and you don't have to back up before this operation, because the action is reversible through Google history, but rechecking important numbers will not hurt.

⚠️ Note: In automatic integration, the system may mistakenly associate different people with the same names (e.g., two "Alexander Ivanovs") if they share any secondary data.

Manual card merger and editing

Sometimes the automation is not perfect, and the user has to intervene manually, which is necessary if the system does not see the connection between the records due to different spellings of the names (for example, "Dmitri" and "Dima") or if the numbers are recorded in international and local formats. Manual editing gives full control over what information will remain in the final card.

To start the procedure, select the specific contact to fix. In the data view menu that opens, find the edit button, usually marked with a pencil or located in a three-dot menu. In some versions of the firmware, there is a separate "Connect" or "Combine" button that allows you to select a second contact from the list to merge with the current one.

Path to function: Contacts → Select a record → Menu (three dots) → Linked contacts → Add a link

Once you have selected the second contact, the system will suggest combining them, and you will see a preview of the final card, where all the fields will be collected, which is a convenient way to correct errors made when you first entered the data, for example, you can delete extra fields or add a missing address that was not in any of the original records.

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If you manually combine contacts, first copy rare information (such as a birthday or address) to the clipboard so you don’t lose it when the field is accidentally deleted.

Working with duplicates through Google Contacts

The most reliable storage for Android owners is Google Contacts. It syncs with all devices and has a powerful web interface to manage the database. If the tools on Xiaomi smartphone are not working correctly, you can clean through the browser on your computer or in full web mode on your phone.

Go to contacts.google.com and log in under the same account that you use on your smartphone. On the left side of the screen, you often see a notice of duplicates you find, with the suggestion "Combine and fix" on it, which is the safest method, because all changes are instantly reflected on your phone after sync.

The web interface allows you to look at contacts as a list or a card, which is convenient for identifying visual duplicates, so you can single out multiple entries at once and group them together, which is especially useful if you have dozens of identical "Unknown" entries in contacts or duplicates of colleagues' names.

Using Google’s cloud service ensures that your contacts are not lost when you change your phone. The merger done through Google’s web interface takes precedence over the phone’s local data the next time you sync, which means that if you clean up the database in your browser, the phone will also be clean, even if the local duplicates are still displayed.

Configuring synchronization and storage sources

A common cause of duplicates is the wrong synchronization setting. The phone can simultaneously store new numbers in the device's memory, on the phone. SIM-And the map and the Google account, and when you connect a new account or you restore data, all of those sources add up, creating a porridge out of the records.

To avoid this, you need to set up priority storage. Go to the Contacts app settings and find the "Import and Export" or "Contact Management" section, where you can select where the new numbers are saved by default, and only use your Google account is recommended.

Also check which accounts are synced to the system. Go to Settings → Accounts and sync. Make sure your main Google account is ticked against Contacts. If you have multiple email accounts connected (e.g. old work and personal), the system can pull data from everywhere.

Disabling synchronization from unnecessary accounts or SIM-If you change the settings, you should perform forced synchronization so that the phone updates the list according to the new rules.

Import and export for deep cleaning

If built-in methods don't help and duplicates keep appearing, you can use the method of "shaking" the database through export and import, which allows you to upload all contacts to a file, clean them with third-party means or simply rewrite the database, which often eliminates software display errors.

First, export your contacts to a VCF file (vCard) through the contact management menu in the app or through Google's web interface, save the file to internal memory or send it to your own mail.

• 📤 Export all contacts to.vcf file.
• 🗑️ Remove all contacts from your phone (by making sure the file is saved!).
• 📥 Import the file back by selecting the target Google account.

When importing, the system often suggests combining existing records with those in the file, which is a good time to clean up the file. If you use a computer, you can open the VCF file in a text editor or special cleaners to remove duplicates before downloading back.

⚠️ Warning: Before deleting all contacts, make sure the export file is saved and opened correctly.Loss of the contact base can be a critical issue if the backup turns out to be a bit.

Solving problems with SIM-card

SIM-The map is a thing of the past in terms of keeping contacts, but many users still keep numbers there. SIM-The card has a limited volume and does not support long names or additional fields (email, addresses). SIM The phone often creates full copies of records that are already in memory.

It is recommended to completely abandon the storage of numbers on SIM-Transfer all data to the cloud or phone memory, and select "Import with" from the contact management menu. SIM-Once successfully transferred, you can clear the cards. SIM-Map via the menu "Delete contacts with the SIM".

After cleaning. SIM-Make sure you check the display settings. The Contacts app has a filter that allows you to only show numbers from certain sources. SIM", Otherwise, you may think that the contacts are missing, even though they are simply hidden by the filter.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Regularly checking contacts and storing them exclusively in the Google cloud is the best prevention of duplicates on Xiaomi smartphones.