How to change the language in the application “Contacts” on Xiaomi smartphones: 4 working methods

The problem with changing the language in the standard Xiaomi Contacts app is familiar to many users. The situation is complicated by the fact that in new versions of MIUI 13/14, developers have moved or hidden some settings, and in old firmware, the interface can be displayed with artifacts after changing the language. This manual covers all current methods, from basic change in settings to manual editing of configuration files for power users.

Many people mistakenly believe that the Contact language is tied to the system language of the smartphone, but this does not always work. For example, when you import a backup from Google Contacts or after resetting the settings, the application can “forget” the current localization, we will discuss how to fix this without losing data, and also what to do if the Cyrillic characters disappear after changing the language or there is a synchronization error.

Before you start settings, make sure your Xiaomi has the latest version of the Contacts app installed. Open Google Play → My apps → Updates and check for updates. If the app doesn’t update, download the latest version manually from Xiaomi’s official website or via APKMirror (links at the end of the article).

1. Standard method: changing the language through the application settings

The simplest method works on most devices with MIUI 12-14, but its location may vary depending on the model. For example, on the Redmi Note 11, the path will be one, and on the POCO X5 Pro, another.

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette).
2. Slip along three horizontal lines (menu) in the upper left corner.
3. Select the Settings (cog icon).
4. Scroll down to the Language or Language section.
5. In the list of available languages, select Russian (or the option you need).
6. Confirm the change and restart the application.

If the language item is not on the menu, then your version of the app does not support it, in which case move on to the next method. Also note that after changing the language, you may need to sync contacts with Google Account or Mi Account, which we will discuss in the section on errors.

Check the version of the Contacts application

Make a backup of contacts (Export to VCF)

Ensure a stable Internet connection

Close background applications to save RAM-->

2. Change the system language of the smartphone (if the first method did not work)

On some Xiaomi devices (especially custom firmware or regional versions of MIUI), the language of the Contacts app is tightly tied to system localization, which means that even if you change the language in the app itself, it will reset once it is rebooted, and the solution is to change the language of the entire smartphone:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Additionally. → Language and input.
• 🌐 Select Language and Region (or Language & Region).
• 🔄 In the list, find Russian (Russia) or another language you need.
• ⚠️ After the change, the system will suggest restarting the device - agree.

Important: This method will affect the language of all applications, including Messages, Phone, and Settings. If you need to keep the system language English but only change Contacts, use the third method in this article.

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T Google Play region may fly off after changing the system language. To avoid this, unplug your Google account in Settings before changing. → Accounts.

3. Manual editing of the configuration file (for advanced users)

If standard methods don't work, you can manually edit the Contacts settings file, which requires root rights or ADB access, but it gives you 100% results.

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and enable USB Debugging (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – tap 7 times, then go back to Additional → For Developers).
2. Open the command line on the PC and type: adb shell su cd /data/data/com.android.contacts/shared_prefs ls Look for the file view com.android.contacts_preferences.xml.
3. Download the file on PC: Adb pull /data/data/com.android.contacts/shared_prefs/com.android.contacts_preferences.xml
4. Open it in any text editor (e.g. Notepad)++) and find a line: <string name="locale">en_US</string> Replace. en_US on ru_RU (or another language).
5. Save the file and download it back: adb push com.android.contacts_preferences.xml /data/data/com.android.contacts/shared_prefs/
6. Reboot your smartphone.

This method is the only one that works on devices that block language changes by the manufacturer (for example, on some Chinese versions of Redmi for the domestic market).However, it requires caution - improper editing of a file can lead to an application crash.

4. Resolve problems after changing language

Even after a successful language change, Xiaomi Contacts can have side effects, and here are the most common ways to address them:

If selected contacts or groups are lost after changing the language, check if Hide contacts without numbers is enabled in the application settings. We also recommend exporting contacts to the.vcf file before any manipulations - this will save your data in the event of a failure.

Standard application settings

Changing System Language

Editing the configuration file

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5. Features for different versions of MIUI

The interface and settings available can vary greatly depending on the firmware version, and the key differences for popular versions are as follows:

• 🔹 MIUI 12: The language menu in Contacts is located in Settings → General. → Language. Supports up to 20 languages.
• 🔹 MIUI 13: Language moved to the main settings of the application (third line of the menu.
• 🔹 MIUI 14: In the global version, the Contact language is synchronized with the system language, but in the Chinese version requires manual adjustment through the system. ADB.
• 🔹 POCO Launcher: On devices with shell POCO The path to settings may be different - look for Settings → System system → Language and keyboard.

Xiaomi with Chinese firmware (e.g. Redmi K50 Ultra) often doesn’t have Russian on the list, and Google Contacts from Play Market will help if it does, because it ignores MIUI limitations and supports all default languages.

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If you travel frequently, add multiple languages to Contacts at the same time, and MIUI 13+ has the option to add additional languages in the app settings, allowing you to quickly switch between them without resetting your settings.

6. Alternative Contact Applications

If your Xiaomi standard Contacts app stubbornly refuses to change the language, consider alternatives.They not only solve the localization problem, but also offer additional features:

• 📞 Google Contacts: Full Gmail sync, support for all languages, cloud backup.
• 🔄 Simple Contacts: Minimalist interface, no advertising, open source.
• 🌐 Truecaller: Recognition of spam calls + Multilingual interface (including Russian).
• 📱 Drupe: Handy gestures for quick access to contacts, support for widgets.

To transfer contacts to the new app:

1. Export your current contacts to.vcf via Settings → Import/Export.
2. Install an alternative app from the Play Market.
3. Import the.vcf file in the new app (usually the option is in the Settings menu → Contact Management).

⚠️ Note: When using Truecaller, your contacts will be uploaded to the company’s servers to analyze spam calls. If this is privacy-critical, select another application or disable this feature in the settings.

7. Frequent errors and their solutions

Even after a successful language change, users face unexpected problems, and here are the most common scenarios and ways to fix them:

• ❌ Google Sync Error: Delete your Google account in your smartphone settings, then add it again.
• ❌ Hieroglyphs instead of names: This is because of a coding conflict. Set the Roboto or Noto Sans font in the screen settings.
• ❌ The application closes when opened: Clear the application data (Settings) → Annexes → Contacts → Memory. → Clear the data. This will delete all local contacts that are not synchronized with the account!
• ❌ No Russian in the list: Update the Contacts app to the latest version or set up Google Contacts.

If none of the methods worked, check if your device has modified firmware (e.g. xiaomi.eu or LineageOS) in which case the problem may be custom settings, and the best solution is to flash it to the official version of MIUI.

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Before any language manipulation, back up your contacts via Settings → Import/Export → Export to your device memory. This will take less than a minute, but save your data in the event of a crash.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions