A crowded phone book is not just a mess, but a real problem that many owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones face. Thousands of duplicates, old numbers and contacts from apps that have long been deleted can slow down the sync system and create confusion when finding the right subscriber. The standard phonebook interface often doesn't offer an obvious button to highlight all the entries at once, which forces users to delete them one at a time, spending hours doing so.
Fortunately, Android, in conjunction with the MIUI or HyperOS shell, provides several effective ways to do this. You can use built-in cleaning tools, Google's web interface, or specialized list management utilities. In this article, we'll go through each method in detail so you can choose the most convenient for your situation and quickly clean up the device.
Before you start taking drastic measures, you need to make sure that important data is safe. Backup is a critical step that should not be ignored, even if you plan to remove only junk. Error in allocation or failure of synchronization can lead to the loss of really important numbers, which will be impossible to recover without backup.
Preparing for mass removal and backup
Any manipulation of the contact database carries the risk of accidental loss of information. Even experienced users can make the mistake of allocating a range of numbers, so creating a restore point is a must. There are several layers of data protection in the Xiaomi and Android ecosystem that are worth using before cleaning.
The most reliable way is to use the Google Contacts cloud service. If your account is linked to your smartphone, chances are that sync is already on by default. You can check this in the system settings by finding the Accounts and Sync section. Make sure that the slider opposite the Contacts item is active, and click the Force Sync button.
⚠️ Before deleting, make sure that your contacts are stored in your Google account, not in memory. SIM-The local records of crashes can be lost irretrievably.
For added security, you can create a local export file, which creates a copy of all the.vcf numbers that you can open on any device, and you can send them to your email or save them to a cloud storage, like Google Drive or Mi Cloud.
☑️ Preparation for contact clearance
Removal via Google Contacts web interface
The most convenient and functional way to clean a phone book is to use the web version of Google, which allows you to use a large computer screen, the accuracy of the mouse cursor and advanced filtering functions that are not available in the mobile interface, which is the most secure option for working with large amounts of data.
To get started, go to contacts.google.com from your computer or smartphone browser in full mode. Sign in with the same account you use on your Xiaomi device. Once you download the list, you will see all contacts synced to the cloud.
The interface allows you to select the recordings in groups, you can click on the circle opposite the first contact, press the Shift key on the keyboard and click on the last contact in the list to highlight the entire range, and you can highlight all visible contacts through the checkbox in the upper left corner of the list.
Once highlighted, click on the basket icon or select "Delete" from the top menu. The system will request confirmation of the action. After that, the deleted contacts will go to the basket, where they will be stored for 30 days before final disappearance. This gives you a time window to recover if you accidentally deleted the excess.
What happens to duplicates when synchronized?
Importantly, the web interface also has a built-in tool to find and combine duplicates. There's a "Combine and Fix" item on the left menu that automatically finds duplicate entries and suggests that they be merged or deleted. It's a great way to clean the list without manual brute force.
Mass removal through the Contacts app on Xiaomi
If you don't have a computer on hand, you can use the standard Contacts app on your Xiaomi smartphone. Although the interface may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI or HyperOS, the logic of actions remains similar, this method is convenient for quick cleaning of small groups or selective removal.
Open the Contacts app and go to the Control menu, usually called by long-term pressing on any contact or through the menu button (three dots or stripes) in the corner of the screen. In the list that opens, select the option "Tag several" or "Contact management".
Once you activate the highlight mode, you can select contacts with your finger, and you can use the "Select All" feature at the top of the screen to speed up the process. However, be careful: on some versions of the shells, this button highlights only the contacts displayed on the current screen, and not the entire phone book.
- 📱 Click on three dots in the corner of the screen to call the menu.
- ✍️ Select "Tag several" or "Management".
- ✅ Click "Select All" or select the desired groups manually.
- 🗑️ Press the Remove button (basket) and confirm the action.
In some cases, the app may suggest selecting a contact source to delete if you have numbers saved on your phone and with the phone. SIM-maps, and from a Google account, the system will ask where exactly to delete the records.
⚠️ Note: The Select All feature in the mobile application may not cover contacts hidden by filters. Before removing, check the display settings and make sure that contacts from all sources are visible.
Using the Google Contacts for Android app
Instead of Xiaomi’s standard “call caller,” many users prefer to install the official Google Contacts app from the Play Market, which has a more modern interface and better tools for managing the database, including powerful algorithms for finding duplicates.
Once you install and open the app, go to the "Fix and Manage" tab, and it suggests that you combine duplicate contacts, and this process happens automatically: the algorithm analyzes names and numbers for matches, and you can combine them all with one "Combine all" button.
To manually remove, go to the main contact list. Press and hold your finger on the first contact you want to remove, then swipe your finger down or up on the screen, which allows you to quickly highlight contacts with a list without having to hit each name accurately.
Another useful feature is source filtering, which means you can only display contacts that are stored on your device and delete them, leaving only cloud copies, which helps clear the phone's local memory of any extra garbage that is not synced to the cloud.
Third-party applications for cleaning duplicates
When embedded tools can't handle the volume of garbage or the complex structure of duplicates, specialized cleaning applications come to the rescue, and they can find contacts without names, with the same numbers but different names, and other anomalies that are difficult to spot manually.
One of the popular solutions is Contacts Optimizer, or something like Cleaner for Contacts, which scans the database and reports on the problems that you've found, and you can look at each group of duplicates and decide which one to leave with and which one to delete.
The advantage of these apps is that they have flexibility in settings, and you can set criteria for whether you delete contacts without a phone number, without a name, or those that contain certain characters, which is especially useful for clearing the list of contacts left by various apps after they are deleted.
| Annex | Substantive function | Security | Advertising |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Contacts | Synchronization and merger | Tall. | No. |
| Contacts Optimizer | Finding complex duplicates | Medium | Present. |
| Cleaner for Contacts | Deletion of empty records | Medium | Present. |
| Duplicate Contacts | In-depth analysis of the base | Medium | Present. |
When using third-party software, be sure to check the permissions requested. The application only needs access to contacts. If the program requires access to a camera, microphone or geolocation without an obvious need, it is better to refrain from using it for the sake of data security.
Clearing contacts with SIM-map
Contacts stored on SIM-These cards are often a source of problems because they don't support long names, extra numbers, or email addresses. SIM-The cards are limited and old records may interfere with new records.
To remove contacts from SIM-maps on Xiaomi, open the Contacts app, go to settings and select Import and Export Contacts. SIM-You can choose to delete all records or only some of them.
It is recommended not to keep contact with SIM-I'd rather import them into my Google account. SIM-Use the card only to transfer numbers between devices that do not support cloud sync, this will ensure the safety of data even if the phone is lost or broken.
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Before removing contacts with SIM-cards be sure to make them import into the memory of the phone or cloud, as recovery deleted from the SIM-Recordings are almost impossible.
The import process takes a few seconds, and once you've made sure that all the numbers are moved to the cloud or to the phone's memory, you can clean them. SIM-This will also speed up the phone when it's turned on, because the system won't have to read data from the chip every time it starts.
Recovery of remote contacts
If you accidentally delete an important contact during a mass cleaning process, don't panic.The Google Contacts system has a built-in "Basket" feature where deleted items are stored for 30 days. This is your main safety mechanism.
To recover, go to the Google Contacts web interface, click on the menu (three bars) on the left and select Recycle Bin. There you will see a list of all deleted entries with the date of deletion, select the ones you need and click Restore.
Recovered contacts are automatically synced with your Xiaomi smartphone the next time you connect to the Internet. If you deleted contacts locally (not from the cloud), recovery is possible only from a pre-created backup file.vcf.
⚠️ Attention: After 30 days in the shopping cart, contacts are permanently deleted and irrevocably restored after this period by standard Google tools.
Regularly checking your cart and making periodic backups will help you avoid losing important information in the future.Don't rely on automatic synchronization alone, sometimes manual control will do just fine.
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The most reliable way to avoid data loss is to keep contacts in your Google account and periodically check the cart for accidentally deleted entries.