How to set up the display of contacts on Xiaomi

Xiaomi’s smartphones are famous for their MIUI feature shell, which offers users the widest possible personalization of the interface. One of the most commonly used features of the phone is the phone book, which stores the numbers of friends, colleagues and delivery services. However, standard display settings may not suit all users, especially those who are accustomed to minimalism or, conversely, need the most detailed information on the screen.

The problem may be not just aesthetics, but usability, some of which are hampered by information and others lacking in detail when a call is made, and in this article we will detail how to change the appearance of the contact list, adjust the sorting and solve typical problems when numbers stop showing correctly or avatars disappear.

Basic settings of the list appearance

To start with, consider the standard features that the shell itself provides without installing third-party software. Most versions of MIUI and the new HyperOS have their visualization settings hidden in the Contacts or Phone menu of the app itself, and to access them, you need to open the app and find the gear icon or three dots in the corner of the screen.

Here, the user can adjust the font size, which is critical for people with visual impairments. zoom in makes the interface more readable, but reduces the number of lines visible on a single screen. Also, the option of displaying photos is often available: you can choose whether to show round avatars next to names or leave only a text list to save traffic and performance.

Another important parameter is the format of the name display, which allows you to choose whether to show first: first name or last name, and this is especially true for business users who keep a customer base and are accustomed to a certain sorting order in a notebook.

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If you have changed the font size in the system, but it remains the same in contacts, try restarting the device - some elements of the MIUI interface are updated only after a full turn on cycle.

Sorting and displaying of names

Managing the order of the records is not just a matter of convenience, but also a necessity for those who work with huge databases. Standardly, the system offers sorting alphabetically, but the nuances may differ. You can customize the display so that the contacts are sorted by name and displayed by last name, or vice versa.

To change these parameters, go to the application settings and find the "Sort" or "Display Order" section. Here the following logical connections are available:

• 📋 Sorting by name, displaying first and last name – a standard option for personal use.
• 🏢 Sorting by surname, displaying surname and name - convenient for corporate directories.
• 🔤 Name only – an option for minimalists, saving space on the screen.

It is important to note that the changes are applied instantly, but may not affect the contacts saved on the site. SIM-map if the synchronization is not configured correctly. SIM-The card often has limitations on the length of the name field, which can cause sorting to work incorrectly, ignoring the second names or patronymics.

Solving Missing Contact Problems

One of the most common complaints users have is that after a system update or device change, some numbers have disappeared from the list, most often due to the wrong display filter, not the deletion of data, Xiaomi's system allows you to hide contacts from certain sources, and sometimes this filter is turned on automatically.

To return all the recordings to the screen, you need to go to the contact display settings and check the item "Contacts to display." Make sure that there is a checkbox "All contacts". If you select “From Phone Only” or “Google Only” you will not see numbers saved from other sources, such as your Mi Cloud account or your Google account. SIM-map.

⚠️ Warning: If you see duplicate contacts, don't rush to delete them manually.Settings often have a "Joint Duplicates" feature that automatically finds duplicate entries and merges them into one card, saving all numbers and addresses.

It’s also worth checking if Hide Contacts Without Numbers is accidentally enabled, which is useful for keeping a list clean, but can hide important entries if they don’t have a phone number saved by mistake, such as an email or address.

Setting up avatars and photos of callers ID

Visual identification of the caller is an important part of the modern smartphone. Setup to display photos on an incoming call requires permission to access the gallery and properly set up your account. The MIUI shell has a feature for automatically matching photos from social networks, but it only works when you have an Internet connection and authorization.

To manually install a photo, you need to open a contact card, click on the camera or edit icon, and select an image from the gallery. The system will suggest cropping the photo to a round or square format. The quality of the display depends on the resolution of the original image: if the photo is small, when stretched to the full screen during a call, it may appear blurry.

The Smart Avatars feature, available in newer versions of firmware, allows contacts to be assigned standard images generated by the system if the user has not uploaded their photo, making the list visually more enjoyable and structured, eliminating gray circles with letters.

Use of third-party launchers and dialers

Xiaomi’s standard tools are powerful, but sometimes users want to radically change the interface by installing a third-party call app (dialer) or launcher. Popular applications like Truecaller, Simple Contacts or Google Contacts can completely replace the standard interface.

When you install an application, the system will request a default authorization, and then all calls and list displays will be processed by the new program, which gives you access to advanced design themes, ad blockers, and improved integration with messengers.

However, it is worth considering that third-party applications may consume more battery resources and require additional permissions, which can affect data security.Be sure to review the reviews and access rights that the application requests before installing.

Synchronization and cloud services

The key to consistently displaying contacts across all Xiaomi devices is to set up sync correctly. If you see numbers on one phone but don’t see them on a tablet or after a reset, the problem lies in the accounts.

The system offers two main ways of storing: Mi Account and Google Account. It is recommended to use Google Account as the main one, as it provides better compatibility when switching to smartphones of other brands. You can check the synchronization status in the Settings → Accounts and Sync section.

It is important that the slider opposite the Contacts item is active, and if the sync is disabled, any changes made to the device will remain local and will not be displayed in the cloud or other gadgets, and regular check of this parameter will save you from losing important data.

⚠️ Note: When you delete a Google account from your device, all contacts stored in that account will disappear from your phone, although they will remain in the cloud.

For advanced users, synchronization via CardDAV is also available, allowing you to connect corporate Exchange servers or Yandex.Disk for a single phone book, which requires manual server and port configuration, but provides maximum flexibility for business.

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Regular sync with the cloud is the only reliable way not to lose contacts when the screen breaks or the smartphone is completely lost.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)