How to combine contacts on Xiaomi Redmi 9T: 5 proven ways

Xiaomi Redmi 9T — It's a popular smartphone with extensive contact management capabilities, but even it's not immune to duplicates in the phone book. Duplicate records occur when you sync with multiple accounts (Google, Mi Account, SIM-maps, importing from backups, or manually adding the same numbers, and a growing contact base makes it harder to find the right subscribers, takes up excess memory, and creates havoc in the call list.

In this article, you will find 5 working methods for connecting contacts on Redmi 9T, from standard MIUI functions to third-party utilities. We will break down the nuances of synchronization, explain why some duplicates can not be combined automatically, and give recommendations for preventing their occurrence. If your phone book has turned into a maze of repeating names, this guide will help you to restore order in 10-20 minutes.

Why do Redmi 9T have duplicate contacts?

Before you start combining, it is important to understand the root of the problem. On Xiaomi Redmi 9T duplicates arise for the following reasons:

• 🔄 Multiple synchronization: the smartphone is connected simultaneously to Google Account, Mi Account and saves contacts on the Internet SIM-Each source creates its own copy of the record.
• 📱 Import from backups: When you restore data from the backup (for example, after resetting settings), old contacts can be superimposed on new ones.
• 🤖 Application errors: Some messengers (WhatsApp, Viber) automatically add contacts to the phone book, duplicating existing ones.
• 🔄 Manual Addition: Users can enter the same number in different formats (e.g., with or without country code).

The MIUI system on Redmi 9T tries to automatically combine duplicates, but often fails due to differences in number format (e.g. +79123456789 and 89123456789) or the lack of matching in the Name fields.

Method 1: Automatically combine through the standard "Contact" application

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI function. It is available in the standard Contacts application and does not require the installation of additional software.

1. Open the Contacts app on Redmi 9T.
2. Tap the three-point menu (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Contact Management.
3. Go to the "Connect" section (may be called "Find and combine duplicates", depending on the version of MIUI).
4. The system will scan the phone book and suggest a list of duplicates, and each will have a "Combine" button.
5. Check the proposed pairs and confirm the combination.

Important nuances:

• 🔍 The system searches for duplicates by name and phone number, but may miss entries with minor differences (e.g., "Ivan" and "Ivan Petrovich").
• 📵 If the contact is linked to a Google Account, the changes are synced to the cloud after the combination.
• ⚠️ Not all duplicates can be combined automatically – sometimes manual editing is required (see Method 2).

Make a backup copy of contacts|Check the stability of the Internet connection|Close background annexes|Make sure the battery is charged at more than 30 times%-->

If the built-in tool didn’t find duplicates, but you’re sure of them, try updating the Contacts app via Google Play or clearing its cache in the settings (Settings → Apps → Application Management → Contacts → Clear the cache).

Method 2: Manually combining contacts

Automatic integration is not always a good idea, especially if duplicates have different names or overlapping data, and manual processing will help:

1. Open the Contacts app and find the duplicate entry.
2. Slip on the contact to open his card.
3. Click on the three-point menu (⋮) and choose to combine with....
4. In the list, tick all the records you want to combine with the current one.
5. Confirm the action with the button Ready.

What if the "Combine with..." option is not available?

• 🔄 Check if the contacts are read-only (e.g. synced to your Exchange corporate account).
• 📵 Make sure that the records are not tied to different accounts (e.g., one to Google, one to Mi Account).

💡

If there are many duplicates, use a name search in the Contacts app to speed up the manual pairing process.

Once combined, the system will suggest selecting which data to save from each record (such as your primary phone number, email or address) and carefully check the end card – sometimes useful information (second number, birthday) can be lost.

Method 3: Connecting through Google Contacts (web version)

If the duplicates are due to synchronization with Google Account, it is more convenient to work through a web interface, which is suitable for owners of Redmi 9T, whose contacts are saved in Google:

1. Open your browser on your PC or smartphone and go to https://contacts.google.com.
2. Sign in with the same account that is linked to Redmi 9T.
3. On the left menu, select Duplicates (or Combine and Fix → Find Duplicates).
4. The system will show you a list of repeat contacts. Click Combine all or select specific pairs.
5. After the combination, wait for synchronization with the phone (can take up to 10 minutes).

Advantages of this method:

• 🖥️ It is easier to work on a large PC screen, especially if there are hundreds of duplicates.
• 🔍 Google Contacts offers more flexible unification settings than MIUI.
• 📵 Changes are automatically applied to all devices associated with the account.

Please note that if you use multiple Google accounts on Redmi 9T, duplicates may appear due to overlays of contacts from different profiles, in which case it is recommended to combine accounts or manually transfer contacts to one profile.

Method 4: Export, edit and import contacts

If the built-in tools don't work, you can export contacts to a file, edit it manually (or with special programs) and download it back, a method that takes longer, but guarantees 100% control over the process.

Step 1: Exporting contacts

1. Open Contacts. → Menus (⋮) → Contact management → Import/Export of contacts.
2. Select Export to the file and specify the location of the save (for example, Internal Memory).
3. The file format is.vcf (business card).

Step 2: File editing

The.vcf file can be opened:

• 📄 In any text editor (for example, Notepad)++ or VS Code) - for manual removal of duplicates.
• 🛠️ In specialized programs like VCF Merge or Duplicate Contacts Remover (available for use) Windows/macOS).

Step 3: Import the edited file

1. Delete all contacts on Redmi 9T (or back up!).
2. Return to Import/Export Contacts and select Import from the file.
3. Specify the path to the edited.vcf file.

Important! Before mass deletion of contacts, be sure to back up through Settings → System and Device → Backup or manually copy the.vcf file to your PC. You can't recover deleted records without a backup.

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Export/import is the most reliable way to get rid of duplicates, but it requires caution. Always check the edited file before importing!

Method 5: Third-party applications for contact combination

If the standard methods do not work, specialized utilities will come to the rescue. For Xiaomi Redmi 9T, the following applications will work (available on Google Play):

How do you choose an app?

• 🆓 If you don’t have enough duplicates, you’ll need a free version of Duplicate Contacts.
• 🔍 For deep cleaning (correcting the format of numbers, removing empty fields) Contacts Optimizer is suitable.
• 📱 For regular use, it is better to buy Simpler Merge – it works faster and without advertising.

💡

Before using third-party apps, disable autosynchronization of contacts in your account settings. This will prevent the creation of new duplicates.

After installation of the annex:

1. Give access to contacts.
2. Run a duplicate scan.
3. Check the proposed changes and confirm the merger.
4. Sync your data with the cloud (if necessary).

⚠️ Attention! Some apps require access SMS and call logs — deny such permissions unless they are critical to the utility.

How can we prevent duplicates in the future?

To avoid recurring problems, follow these guidelines:

• 🔄 Turn off autosynchronization with unnecessary accounts: Go to Settings → Accounts and syncs. Select an account (e.g. Mi Account or Google) and disable contact sync if you don't need it.

Use one primary storage source

• It is recommended to store contacts either in Google Account or in the device memory, but not simultaneously in both.
• Avoid keeping contacts on SIM-The card is an outdated method with limited memory.

Set up messengers

• On WhatsApp: Settings → Account → Contact Synchronization → Disable.
• In Viber: More → Settings → Synchronization → Do not sync.

Check your phone book regularly

• Every 2-3 months, start the built-in duplicate combination.
• Before importing backups, delete old contacts.