The modern smartphone, especially the popular Xiaomi, becomes the center of our digital life, accumulating thousands of important connections. SIM-When you move data from an old device, or sync with different accounts (Google, Mi Cloud, social networks), users often face a nasty problem. The same persona can be recorded three or four times, creating chaos and making it difficult to find the right number.
Fortunately, MIUI and the standard Contacts app have powerful built-in tools to do this. You don’t have to manually delete records or use third-party programs that may ask for extra permissions. In this article, we’ll take a look at how to combine contacts on Xiaomi to make your phone book clean and structured again.
The cleaning process can take anywhere from a couple of minutes to half an hour, depending on the amount of garbage accumulated. We'll look at both automatic methods and manual editing for complex cases where the system can't identify matches on its own. Get ready to clean up your digital environment.
Why do you have duplicate records in MIUI?
Before you start a merger, it's helpful to understand the nature of the problem. Most often, double entries are caused by a smartphone synchronizing data from different sources, not always correctly matching them with each other, for example, you could save a friend's number in the memory of your phone, then sync it with Google, and later import a list from Viber or Telegram.
The system sees three different records with the same name but different technical identifiers and storage sources, and a common reason is to transfer data from an old phone where the numbering could have been different (for example, with and without the city code), resulting in the list:
- 📱 Full copies of records with the same numbers but different ID database.
- 📞 Variations of one number: +7, 8, or no country code, which knocks the comparison algorithm down.
- 👤 Different names for one person (nickname in messenger and full name in the app) SIM-map).
It’s important to note that duplicates not only take up space (though minimal), but also interfere with smart functions such as Caller ID identification or smart home integration.
Automatic connection via phone settings
The fastest and safest way to get a phone book in order is to use the standard merging feature built into the MIUI shell. Xiaomi's algorithms are smart enough to find matches by phone number and name, even if the recording format is slightly different.
To start automatic merger, open the standard Contacts app (a yellow icon with a human silhouette). In the upper right corner or in the menu (three dots/strips), find Settings or Contact Management. The interface may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI (12, 13, 14 or HyperOS), but the logic remains the same.
From the settings menu, select the option “Combine Repetitive Contacts.” The system will scan the database and suggest a list of pairs or groups that can be combined. You only need to confirm the action with the “Combine” or “Combine All” button.
☑️ Automatic merger algorithm
Once the process is complete, it is recommended to restart the device so that the phone book cache is updated, which ensures that all changes are correctly displayed in the interface and transmitted to the cloud the next time you sync.
⚠️ Warning: Before a mass association, make sure you have a backup of your contacts. Although the process is usually smooth, the accidental merger of different people with similar names (e.g., two Alexeis with the same but mistakenly entered number) can result in the loss of some data.
Manual merging of subscriber cards
Automation isn't always perfect. There are times when the system doesn't see duplicates because of typos in the number or significant differences in names, and in those cases, manual combination comes to the rescue, and this method allows you to control every step and ensures that you don't get the data mixed up.
To do this manually, open a specific contact card that has a duplicate. Scroll down to the very end of the information list, and there you'll find a "Combine" button or an icon that resembles two linked chains, and you click on it and you'll go to select mode.
The system will offer a list of contacts that can be duplicates based on the similarity of names or numbers. If the right person is not on the Recommended list, use a name search. If you choose the correct entry, confirm the merger.
What happens to the data when you merge?
This method is especially useful when you want to combine contacts that are not formally duplicates (different numbers) but are related to the same person, for example, you can combine a colleague’s personal number and their working corporate contact into a single card for convenience.
Work with Google and Mi Cloud accounts
Often the problem isn't with the phone itself, but with the cloud services being out of sync. If you're using multiple Google accounts or syncing with Mi Cloud at the same time, duplicates can be created on the server side. Verification and cleaning through the web interface is often more effective than tinkering with a smartphone screen.
There's a great tool for users of the Google ecosystem: Go to contacts.google.com from your computer or through your browser on your phone. From the menu on the left, select "Combine and Fix." The service will show possible duplicates and suggest combining them. This is a global cleanup that will apply to all devices that log in to this account.
Xiaomi has the same functionality: Go to the settings of the Mi Account on i.mi.com. The contact section also allows you to manage records. The advantage of cloud cleaning is that you can see the full picture and work with the big screen, which is more convenient when you parse thousands of records.
| Parameter | Google Contacts | Mi Cloud (Xiaomi) | Locally on Xiaomi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | From any device | Only Xiaomi devices | Just the current phone. |
| Accuracy of search | High (Google AI) | Medium | Depends on the MIUI version. |
| Speed of operation | Depends on the Internet. | Depends on the Internet. | Instantly. |
| Security | High (there is a history of change) | Medium | Requires a hand-copy |
Use cloud tools for the initial “rough” cleaning, and make minor edits directly on your smartphone, which will save time and battery power.
Display setting and list filtering
Sometimes users think they have duplicates, when in fact the display settings enable the display of contacts from all sources simultaneously without filtering. SIM-And you can use the card and you can use the phone's memory to set up the filters to help you understand the real situation.
Go to the Contacts settings and find Contacts to Display, where you can choose whether to show your phone, SIM, or all your accounts, and when you switch those settings, you'll see where the legs of the duplicates grow.
Also useful is the Sort and Format of Name function. Make sure the correct format is chosen (for example, "First Name" or "First Name"). Incorrect sorting can visually scatter the same surnames to different places on the list, creating the illusion of a mess.
💡
Advice: If you change frequently SIM-Configure your phone so that new contacts are saved by default to your Google account or phone memory, but NOT to your phone. SIM-This will prevent 90% of duplicate problems in the future.
Not only does filtering the list correctly remove visual noise, it also speeds up search. SIM-maps (and in the modern world they rarely store anything important other than a number), hide their display.
Imports and Exports: Radical Cleaning Methods
If the built-in tools don't work and the porridge in the contacts becomes unreadable, we can use a radical method -- full export, cleaning and re-importing -- that takes time, but it gives a guaranteed result, and we create a clean file and replace the current database with it.
First, export all contacts to a.vcf file. This can be done through the contact management menu. Save the file to internal memory or send it to yourself by mail. Then delete all contacts from the device (by making sure the file is saved first!).
Now open a.vcf file on your computer. There are online vCard editing services and programs that can find duplicates. Once you clean the file on your PC, just import it back into your phone. This is especially good if the duplicates are caused by file system software errors.
The way for export:
Contacts → Contact management → Import / Export of contacts → Export to internal memory⚠️ Note: When using the complete deletion and import method, be extremely careful. Delete contacts without a working backup can lead to irretrievable data loss. Always check the integrity of the.vcf file before deleting the originals.
💡
The most reliable way to avoid duplicates in the future is to store all contacts in one main account (Google) and disable saving on your account. SIM-card and phone.