Connecting contacts on Xiaomi Redmi 9: 3 working methods + problem solving

Why Redmi 9 has duplicate contacts and how to fix it

Xiaomi Redmi 9 owners often face the problem of duplicate contacts in the phone book. MIUI — Xiaomi’s proprietary shell, which automatically creates copies when synchronized with multiple sources: a Google account, SIM-For example, if you added a contact manually on your phone and then imported it from a Google backup, the system might perceive it as two different contacts.

Another common reason is incorrect synchronization after resetting or updating the firmware. Redmi 9 (models M2003J15SC/M2004J19G) is especially sensitive to such failures due to optimization of MIUI for budget devices, as a result, the user sees the same names with different numbers in the contact list or, conversely, the same numbers with different names, you can solve the problem manually or using built-in tools of the system – more on this.

Method 1: Connecting contacts through the standard Contacts app

The easiest method is to use the built-in merger function in the Contacts app, which is suitable if there are few duplicate records (up to 50 pieces).

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette on the home screen or in the app menu).
2. Slip on the three dots in the top right corner and select Contact Management.
3. Go to the Combine Contacts section (in some versions of MIUI it may be called Find and Combine Doubles).
4. The system will automatically scan the phone book and suggest options for the merger, and opposite each take will be a "Combine" button.

If no automatic offers appear, try manually:

• 🔍 Find a contact that is duplicated and open its card.
• 📌 Slip on Edit (pencil icon) and scroll down to the Linked Contacts block.
• ➕ Click Add Link and select duplicate entry from the list.

⚠️ Note: When manually combining, check that all numbers, emails and notes from both records remain in the final card. MIUI Sometimes you forget to move the extra fields.

Duplicate phone numbers | Repeated email | Notes and birthdays | Contact photos-->

Method 2: Synchronize your contacts with your Google account

If the duplicates are due to a conflict between local contacts and data from a Google account, cloud-based linking will help solve the problem. This method is suitable for users who actively use Google services (Gmail, Drive, Photos).

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Select your account and make sure the switch opposite Contact is turned on (blue slider).
3. Return to Contacts, tap three points and select Settings → Import/Export → Export to.vcf (save backup to your device).
4. Remove all contacts from your phone: Settings → Contact Management → Delete all contacts (select Local Contacts).
5. Update sync with Google: Settings → Accounts → Google → Sync now.

After that, all contacts will be downloaded from the cloud without taking takes. If some records do repeat, use the first method for manual merge.

⚠️ Note: If you are using a double SIM-Redmi 9 card, the contacts from each card can be duplicated separately. SIM1, Which ones are to SIM2, so you don't lose data.

Only on the phone.|Synchronizing with Google|Using a Xiaomi account|Save it for SIM-map|Other-->

Method 3: Using third-party applications (for mass unification)

If you have hundreds of duplicate entries in your phone book, manually combining them will take hours, and a third-party application, Simpler Merge or Contacts Optimizer (available on Google Play), will help, analyzing contacts using algorithms similar to those used by carriers to clean databases.

The following steps are taken for Simpler Merge:

1. Install the app and give access to contacts.
2. Click Scan - the program will show all possible duplicates.
3. Select the criteria for the merger (by name, number, email) and confirm the merger.
4. Save a backup copy before applying changes (Export to VCF).

Advantages of third-party applications:

• 🤖 Automatic detection of duplicates according to complex rules (for example, “Ivan Ivanov” and “Vanya Ivanov” will be recognized as one person).
• 📊 Visualization of connections between contacts (graphs, diagrams).
• 🔄 The ability to reverse changes if something goes wrong.

What to do if contacts don’t join together: common mistakes

Sometimes, even after all the manipulations, the duplicates remain, and here are the typical reasons and solutions:

• 📵 No internet: To sync with Google or Xiaomi requires a network connection. Check mobile internet or Wi-Fi.
• 🔒 Limitations MIUI: In some regional versions of firmware, the contact merge function is disabled. Update to the latest version (Settings) → The phone. → Updating the system).
• 📱 Conflict with another application: Antiviruses (like Avast) or call managers (like Truecaller) can block changes to the phone book.

If the problem persists, reset the Contacts app settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Contacts and select Warehouse.
3. Click Clear Data and Reset Settings.

⚠️ Note: After resetting the application settings, all local contacts (not synced to the cloud) will be deleted.

💡

Before mass contact combination, back up your phone via Settings → System & Device → Backup. You can recover data from a MIUI backup even after you reset your phone to factory settings.

How to avoid the appearance of doubles in the future

To avoid recurring problems, follow these rules:

1. Select one primary source: For example, sync your contacts only to Google or only to your Xiaomi account, but not both at the same time.
2. Turn off imports with SIM-Cards: In the Contacts app settings, disable automatic importation when inserted SIM (Settings → Import with SIM → Turn it off).
3. Clean the cache regularly: Once a month, go to Settings → Apps → Contacts → Clear the cache.

Redmi 9 with MIUI 12.5 and later has a hidden Smart Sync feature that automatically prevents duplicates. To activate it, go to Settings → Special Features → System Settings → Enable Smart Contact Sync.

Frequent questions about contacts on Xiaomi Redmi 9

💡

Regular sync with one cloud service (Google or Xiaomi) and disable automatic import from the Internet SIM-This card will eliminate 90% of the problems with duplicate contacts on Redmi 9.