Editing contacts on Xiaomi Redmi 8: a step-by-step guide

Xiaomi’s Redmi series smartphones have long proven to be reliable, but their MIUI software shell has its own features that can confuse a new user, especially standard applications such as Contacts, where functionality is hidden behind non-obvious menus. Many owners of the Redmi 8 model face difficulties simply changing the number or adding a photo to the subscriber.

In this article, we will take a look at all aspects of working with a phone book on a given device, and you will learn not only basic steps like saving a new number, but also more complex operations like merging duplicates and exporting data, and understanding these processes will help you keep your list of important calls in perfect order and avoid confusion when making calls.

MIUI offers a lot of sorting tools, but they require the right setup. We'll look at how to sync your records to your Google account so that when you change your phone, your phone book doesn't get lost. This is a critical step for the security of your data.

Basic principles of working with the MIUI phone book

Before you start actively editing, you need to understand the logic of data storage in the Xiaomi system. Unlike pure Android, it uses its own add-on, which by default can offer to save numbers to the manufacturer's cloud or on the manufacturer's cloud. SIM-The default setting often selects a Mi Account, which can be inconvenient for those used to the Google ecosystem.

When you open the app, you see a list of all the entries, but the management of them is hidden in the context menus. On Redmi 8 (long-press), the contact name opens an extended action menu that is not available with a regular short tap, which is an important interface nuance that many users forget when they try to find the Change button on the home screen.

The system allows you to flexibly customize the display: you can sort the list by name or surname, and filter the groups displayed. This is especially useful if you have hundreds of numbers and need to quickly find a specific person. To start working with the database, go to Contacts → Settings → Contact Display.

It is important to note that editing the records saved on SIM-It's very limited. You can usually only change the number, but you can't add a photo, an email, or an address for that contact, so it's recommended that you transfer all the records to your internal memory to make full use of all the functions of your smartphone.

Step-by-step instructions for adding and changing data

The process of creating a new record or an existing one on Redmi 8 is intuitive, but it has its hidden capabilities. To add a new subscriber, click on the plus icon in the lower right corner of the screen or select the corresponding option in the menu.

When editing, you may find that some fields are hidden, and to add additional numbers (such as work or home) or email addresses, you need to click on the Add More button or select the number type from the drop-down list.

The contact image helps to identify the caller more quickly, especially if the name is not clear or in a foreign language. You can choose a photo from the gallery or take a picture right at the time of recording. The image quality will be automatically optimized by the system for displaying in a small round window.

If you need to change an existing subscriber's number, find it in the list and click the "Change" button (usually a pencil icon) and you can delete old, unused numbers by clicking on the cross next to them. Remember to save the changes by clicking the tick at the top of the screen.

Managing duplicates and combining records

A common problem when changing phones or syncing from different sources is the appearance of duplicates. The same person can be listed twice: once with a mobile number, another time with a city one, or with different names (for example, "Alexei" and "Lesha"). Redmi 8 has a built-in tool to solve this problem.

To combine duplicates, go to the contact management menu. The system may itself suggest you combine similar entries, but manual control often gives the best result. Select contacts that belong to one person and use the "Merge" function.

⚠️ Note: When combining records from different sources (e.g, SIM And Google, you can give priority to one of them, make sure that all the important numbers and addresses are preserved after the merger.

The merger process is irreversible within the standard interface, so it's best to back up before a mass cleaning. It takes a couple of minutes, but saves you from losing important data in the event of an error. The algorithm is simple: select a few contacts, click the menu (three dots), and select the desired action.

Once combined, the system prioritizes the name and photo that was selected as the primary, adding the rest of the data as additional fields, which allows you to keep the database clean and accurate, avoiding repetitions when calling.

Grouping of contacts and setting up the display

To make it easy to navigate through hundreds of numbers, Xiaomi has a group system, so you can create your own categories, such as Family, Work, Sports Room or Delivery, which allows you to quickly filter the list and send group messages.

You create a new group through the Group menu, and you name it and you assign a ringtone if you want to make the calls from the group sound special, and you can also adjust the vibration for the group, which is useful in noisy environments.

In the display settings, you can select which contacts to show in the shared list, for example, you can hide contacts with the user. SIM-Maps or contacts from specific accounts, which helps you focus on your primary phone book.

Using groups also allows for quick messaging for all participants, and in the Messages app, you can select a whole group when you create a new newsletter, instead of adding each person separately, saving time during holidays or when you have urgent alerts.

Data portability and backup

Data security is a priority. Regular backups of contacts on Redmi 8 can be set up through a Google account. This ensures that even if a smartphone is lost or broken, all numbers will be restored immediately after entering the username and password on the new device.

For manual export or import, the.vcf file format is used. This universal format is supported by almost all phones and email clients. You can save the file to your computer or send yourself an email.

When you transfer data from your old phone to your new Redmi, you can use the Mi Mover app or standard Bluetooth, but the most reliable way is to sync through your Google Account. Just add your account to your old phone, enable contact sync, and then enter the same account on the new device.

If you're switching from an iPhone, use the "Move to iOS" app or export contacts via iCloud to.vcf format and import them to Xiaomi.The process takes a few minutes and keeps the entire phone book structure intact.

Advanced settings and hidden functions

There are some useful features hidden in the Contacts app settings that not everyone knows about, such as setting the dial speed when you double-click on a number, which makes it faster to dial frequently used numbers.

There's also a Smart Dial feature that offers contacts based on call frequency and time of day, and if you usually call your mom on Sundays, your phone can automatically offer her number at that time, part of MIUI algorithms designed to improve the user experience.

⚠️ Attention: The smart dialing feature analyzes your habits. If you value privacy over convenience, these features can be disabled in the "Additional" section or in the system settings.

Another useful option is to block unwanted numbers directly from your call history or contact list, so you can add a number to the blacklist and the caller will hear the signal busy and you won’t be disturbed.

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Use the Favorites feature to pin important contacts at the top of the list, and open the contact and click on the asterisk in the top right corner of the card.

Setting up the display of names is also important: you can choose to display only the first name, only the last name or first name and last name. For Russian-speaking users, the format “Name of the last name” is more convenient, whereas in some Western countries the reverse order is adopted.

Solutions to problems in editing

Sometimes users find that contacts are not saved or disappear after a reboot, most often due to the wrong choice of storage by default. Check in the settings where the new numbers are saved, you better choose a Google account.

Another common problem is name encoding, where when you import from old phones, names can turn into a set of characters, in which case it helps to re-export in UTF-8 format and clear the cache of the Contacts app through the app settings menu.

If the phone book is slow or hangs while scrolling, try to reduce the number of contacts displayed by hiding what is on the phone. SIM-You can use a map or a cache cleaner, and you can use a reset to reset your app, but remember to backup.

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The main reason for losing contacts is the lack of sync with the cloud. Always keep Google autosynchronization or Mi Cloud on.

If contacts are lost after a system update, don't panic. Often they're just hidden by a filter. Go to the display settings and make sure that there's a tick against your account and the All Contacts option.