Xiaomi Redmi 9 Contacts Setup: From Synchronization to Error Correction

Xiaomi Redmi 9 remains one of the most popular budget smartphones due to balanced performance and flexible firmware MIUI. However, many users face problems when working with the phone book: duplicate contacts, lack of synchronization with accounts, inconvenient sorting or missing numbers after updating. This article will help you understand how to properly configure the display of contacts on Redmi 9, avoid typical errors and optimize the work with the address book.

Unlike newer models (e.g. Redmi Note 12 or Redmi Note 12). POCO X5), interface MIUI 14+ The Redmi 9 is currently running on the base. MIUI 12–13 (depending on the firmware version) This means that some settings may differ from current flagships, but the basic principles remain the same. We’ll look at both basic actions (like adding a contact) and advanced features like recovering deleted numbers or configuring display for business users.

We will focus on syncing with Google Account and Mi Account, as incorrect settings often lead to data loss, and we will also discuss why contacts may not display correctly after transferring from an iPhone or an old Android device, and how to fix this.

1. Basic contact settings: add, edit, delete

Before you go into complex manipulations, make sure you are good at working with the basic phone book features. On Xiaomi Redmi 9, adding a contact is possible in several ways, and the choice depends on your preferences.

The fastest method is through the Contacts app (a human silhouette icon). Open it, press the button. + In the lower right corner and fill in the fields: Name, phone number, if necessary, add Email or Address. Pay attention to the field Number type (mobile, work, home) - this will help the browser filter contacts.

• 📱 Through Call Log: Click on the number in the Call History → Choose to create a contact or add to an existing one.
• 📧 From messages: open the dialogue in Messages, tap on the number → Keep it as a contact.
• 🔍 Voice input: activate Google Assistant and say, “Add contact Ivan, phone 89123456789».

To edit or delete the contact:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Find the contact you want (use the search at the top if the list is large).
3. Put it on him. → Click Edit (pencil) or Delete (basket).

⚠️ Note: When you delete a contact from local memory, it will disappear forever if it was not synced to the cloud. Before mass deletion, check your backup settings (see Section 3).

Make sure that your contact is not duplicated in the cloud.|Keep important numbers in your notes in case of error|Make sure you change the correct entry (sometimes the same names lead to confusion)|Sync changes with your account after editing-->

2. synchronize contacts with Google and Mi Account

One of the most common problems on Xiaomi Redmi 9 is missing contacts after resetting or updating the firmware, which is due to the lack of synchronization with cloud services. By default, the smartphone offers to save contacts either in local memory, or in Google Account or Mi Account (Xiaomi account).

To sync with Google:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Choose your account (or add a new one if you don’t have one).
3. Activate the switch opposite Contact.
4. Press More. → Synchronize now.

For Mi Account:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Mi Account.
2. Sign in to your Xiaomi account (or sign up).
3. Enable the option of Contact Synchronization.

A critical mistake many users make: synchronizing with Google and Mi Account simultaneously without prioritizing, resulting in duplicate contacts (2-3 copies of the same number) to avoid the problem, select ONE primary sync service and disable the duplicate one.

Google Account Only|Only Mi Account.|Both services at the same time|Local storage.|I don't know/don't use/-->

3. Combination and removal of duplicate contacts

Contact duplicates are a common problem on the Xiaomi Redmi 9, especially if you were migrating data from an old phone or syncing with multiple accounts. MIUI There is a built-in tool for combining records.

To find and combine the takes:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → Select Contact Management → Connecting contacts.
3. The system will automatically find possible duplicates. Click Combine next to pairs or choose Combine all.
4. Confirm the action.

If the automatic connection does not work or you want to manually control the process:

• 🔍 Use contact search to find the same names.
• 📋 Open the contact card. → press edit → Combining with another contact.
• 🗑️ For mass removal of duplicates, export contacts to.vcf file (see section 5), clear the list and import back.

⚠️ Note: When manually combining, make sure you don't link different people's numbers with the same names (e.g., two Ivan Petrovs.

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Before combining duplicates, back up your contacts (export to.vcf). If something goes wrong, you can recover the original data.

4.Configuring the display of contacts: sorting, groups, selected

By default, the Xiaomi Redmi 9 displays contacts in alphabetical order by name, but you can change this setting, as well as configure groups for easy filtering (e.g., Work, Family, Friends).

To change the order of sorting:

1. Open Contacts. → Three points. → Settings → Contact display.
2. Select Sort by: Name or Surname.
3. Set up the name format (for example, “Family name” or “Family name”).

To establish groups:

1. In the Contacts app, tap on Groups (the tab at the bottom or in the menu).
2. Click Create a group, give it a name (e.g., “Colleagues”).
3. Add contacts to the group by ticking them.

To add a contact to your favorites (for quick access):

• 🌟 Open the contact card. → Click on the star in the upper right corner.
• 📞 Now this contact will be displayed in the Favorites tab in the Phone application.

5. Export and import of contacts: backup and transfer

Backup contacts are a must before resetting your phone, updating your firmware or replacing your device. On Xiaomi Redmi 9, there are two ways to export: via a.vcf file (business card) or via Mi Cloud.

For export to.vcf file:

1. Open Contacts. → Three points. → Contact management → Import/Export of contacts.
2. Select Export to the vault.
3. Specify which contacts to export (e.g., only from Google Account).
4. Click Export and save the file in the phone memory or on SD-map.

For import from the file:

1. Copy the.vcf file into your phone’s memory.
2. In the same menu (Import/Export) select Import from the device.
3. Please enter the file and confirm the import.

The following is the Mi Cloud:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Contacts.
• 🔄 Enable backup and wait for synchronization to complete.
• 📲 When transferring to a new phone, simply log in to the same Mi Account and restore the data.

⚠️ Note: When importing contacts from a.vcf file to a phone with pre-existing records, duplicates are possible. Before importing, it is recommended to clear the local phone book or use the Combine with existing ones option (if available).

💡

Export.vcf contacts regularly (every 1-2 months), even if you use cloud sync, which will protect you from data loss if your Google or Xiaomi servers fail.

6. Correction of contact display errors

Sometimes the contacts on Xiaomi Redmi 9 are not displayed correctly: instead of names, numbers are shown, photos are lost, or the list is empty despite the synchronization, let's look at typical problems and their solutions.

If the contacts disappear after the firmware update:

1. Check if synchronization is included in Settings → Accounts.
2. Reboot the phone.
3. If the data is not restored, import it from a backup (see Section 5).

The unique feature of Redmi 9: after updating to MIUI 13 some users encounter an error where contacts from Google Account are not displayed in the Phone app but are visible in Contacts.The solution is to reset the Phone app settings (not Contacts!) via Settings → Annexes → Phone. → Resetting settings.

7 Additional features: contact widget, fast access, voice dialing

Besides the basic settings, MIUI It offers a number of useful contact features that many Xiaomi Redmi 9 users don’t use, such as a widget for quick access to favorite numbers or voice dialing.

To add the contact widget to the main screen:

1. Press and hold the empty space on the home screen.
2. Pick the Widgets.
3. Find the Contact Widget (usually) 2×2 or 4×1) And drag it on the screen.
4. Set up the contacts you see (favorites or last ones).

For voice dialing:

• 🎤 Activate Google Assistant with a long press on the Home button (or say “OK, Google»).
• 📞 Say: “Call Ivan Petrov” or “Tell your mother».
• 🔊 If voice dialing doesn’t work, check the permissions for Google in Settings. → Annexes → Permits.

Another useful feature is quick access to contacts from the lock screen:

1. Go to Settings → Lock screen → Application shortcuts.
2. Select Contacts or Phone for left/right shortcut.
3. You can now call your favorite contacts without unlocking your phone.

Widget on the main screen|Voice dialing|Quick access from the lock screen|Synchronization with social networks|None of the above.-->

8.Contact security: encryption, hidden numbers, leak protection

Contacts are sensitive information, and the Xiaomi Redmi 9 has tools to protect them, such as hiding individual numbers, blocking access to a phone book, or encrypting backups.

To hide contact from prying eyes:

1. Open the contact card. → Edit.
2. Scroll down and press More. → Hide contact.
3. Confirm the action. Now this contact will be visible only to you (unless the hidden contact mode is enabled).

To block access to the application Contacts:

• 🔒 Set a password for the application itself through Settings → Confidentiality → Application lockdown.
• 👤 Or use the Second Space (Settings) → Special facilities → Second space to separate personal and work contacts.

To protect backup copies:

• 🔐 When exporting to.vcf, save the file to an encrypted folder (for example, through the Safe folder in Mi Cloud).
• 📁 Do not back up contacts in cloud services with weak security (for example, on public file sharing sites).

⚠️ Note: If you are selling or transferring the Xiaomi Redmi 9 to another person, it is not enough to simply delete contacts. → The phone. → Reset settings) and delete all associated accounts (Google and Mi Account) in the Accounts and Sync menu.

FAQ: Frequent questions about setting up contacts on Xiaomi Redmi 9