How to Delete All Contacts With Xiaomi Redmi 8: The Complete Guide

Owning a Xiaomi Redmi 8 smartphone often requires periodic cleaning of the phone book, especially when the device moves to a new owner or requires a radical update of the database. The accumulation of thousands of records, including duplicates and old numbers, can slow down the Contacts app and create confusion when finding the right subscriber. In the MIUI operating system, which is installed on the Redmi 8, the process of mass removal is implemented quite flexibly, but has its own features that need to be considered.

There are several scenarios that require a complete cleanup of the call list: selling a gadget, handing it over to a relative, or wanting to start a digital life from scratch. It is important to understand that just pressing the "Delete Everything" button in the standard interface is impossible - the system protects the user from accidental data loss. However, using the right sequence of actions, you can quickly free the device's memory from unnecessary information. Data security in this process is the first place, so before starting any manipulations, we strongly advise you to make sure that you have an up-to-date backup.

In this article, we will look at all available cleaning methods: from standard tools to the best tools available. MIUI Before working with Google cloud services, we will analyze the nuances of deleting records stored on the Internet. SIM-The map, and those that are synced to your account, will also be touched upon the issues of recovering accidentally deleted numbers, which is a critical skill for any smartphone user.

Preparation for mass deletion of data

Before we take drastic action to destroy all the phone book entries, we need to do a series of preparations to avoid the unpleasant situation when the number was deleted by mistake or synchronization managed to “multiply” contacts after they were deleted. The first step should always be a backup. In the Android ecosystem, this is done most easily through a Google account or built-in MIUI tools.

💡

Before removing all contacts, be sure to export the.vcf file to your computer or cloud storage to be able to restore the data to its original form.

Check where your numbers are stored. In modern smartphones, including the Redmi 8, contacts can be scattered across three main storage facilities: phone memory, SIM-Deleting from one source won't affect others unless you configure a permanent sync, so it's important to understand the storage structure for your particular case. If you're planning to sell a phone, deleting from a device alone isn't enough -- you need to untie your account.

Make sure your device is at least 30-40% charged, as the process of synchronizing and processing large amounts of data may require processor resources. Also check the stability of the Internet connection if you plan to work with cloud data. A stable Internet ensures that changes are applied correctly on all connected devices.

Removing contacts through the standard MIUI application

The most direct way to clean a phone book is to use Xiaomi’s built-in Contacts app. MIUI allows you to allocate groups of objects for performing operations. However, there’s an important nuance here: Choose All is often hidden or not working as users who are used to other shells expect. First, open the app and go to edit or manage the list.

To delete the records, you need to enter the highlight mode. This is usually done by long pressing the first contact in the list. After that, a toolbar with the number of selected elements will appear at the top of the screen. The action menu (often indicated by three dots or an icon "More") should search for the option "Select all" or "Select range." If this option is not available, you will have to select contacts manually by scrolling through the list.

Once all the necessary records are highlighted (they will be ticked or change the background color), press the delete button, which usually looks like a basket. The system will request confirmation of action. This is the standard measure to protect the Android system from accidental deletion. Confirm the operation and the cleaning process will start. On Redmi 8 with its processor, processing thousands of contacts can take several seconds.

Note that this method only removes contacts that are displayed in the current browsing mode. If you have a SIM-only display set up, the contacts from the phone memory will not be deleted. Always check the display filters before you start. In the display settings, you can select All Contacts to cover the maximum number of records.

Cleaning of contacts saved on SIM-map

Many users still keep numbers on the SIM-Deleting these contacts has its own specificity, as they are physically on the card chip, not in the memory of the Xiaomi Redmi 8.

Go to the Contacts app and find the settings menu (usually three dots in the corner). Select Settings or Contact Management. There should be an option to Import/Export Contacts. Select Delete Contacts and as your source, choose yours. SIM-map, SIM 1 SIM The system will prompt you to select the numbers for deletion.

⚠️ Note: Removal of contacts with SIM-The maps occur instantly and often without the ability to recover through the standard Google Recycle Bin, as this memory is not synced to the cloud by default.

If standard means cannot delete all records (for example, the interface suggests deleting one at a time), you can use a trick. SIM-The card in the phone memory, then clean it. SIM-The card is completely through the control menu, and then, if necessary, delete them from the memory of the phone.

Therefore, storing contacts in Redmi 8 memory or the cloud is a more modern and reliable solution. SIM-card is recommended to restart the device so that the system correctly updates the status of the carrier.

Managing and Deleting through Google Contacts

The most effective way to manage an Android phone book is to use the Google Contacts web interface, which allows you to delete all the records in one click, which is impossible to do directly from the smartphone screen due to interface limitations.

Go to contacts.google.com and log in to the same account used on your Xiaomi Redmi 8. On the left side of the screen you will see a list of groups and shortcuts. To delete everything, click on the highlight icon (square) in the top left corner of the contact list, and a menu will appear where you want to select "All" (or "Select all 1234 contacts, if there are many).

Once all the entries have been highlighted, click on the Recycle Bin icon or select Delete from the top menu. All contacts will be moved to the Recycle Bin where they will be stored for 30 days before final deletion. On Redmi 8, changes will automatically appear as soon as the device receives a sync signal. If this does not happen, go to your account settings and click Sync.

The advantage of this method is that it can roll back changes. If you delete the extra, Google has a Cancel Change feature in the web interface that allows you to restore the state of the phone book to 10 minutes, an hour or even a week ago, a unique feature that saves you from catastrophic data loss. There is no such feature on the device itself.

Resetting the settings of the contact application as a radical method

Sometimes users want to not just delete numbers, but reset the Contacts app itself to factory status to fix bugs, duplication, or freezes. In MIUI, this can be done through system settings, without deleting the data itself (if it is synchronized), but by resetting the app's cache and display settings.

Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find Contacts and Contacts and Phone from the list. Go to each and select Clear → Clear Everything (or Reset) and this action will delete local settings, call history (if it is stored separately) and cache, but the main records synchronized with the account must be reloaded.

However, if your goal is to delete data, then this method is not suitable for complete cleaning if sync is enabled. Once reset, the application simply re-downloads all contacts from the cloud. To make this method work for deletion, you first need to disable the sync of contacts in the settings of the Google account on the device, then clear the application data, and only then delete local copies.

⚠️ Attention: Resetting the Contacts app data may cause all numbers to disappear temporarily from the screen until background sync is complete.

This method is often used in troubleshooting when the phone book is not working properly, for example, if subscriber photos are missing or numbers are no longer being determined. For Redmi 8 with its RAM, cleaning the contact cache can slightly improve interface responsiveness.

Recovery of remote contacts and work with the basket

Accidental deletion of important numbers is a common problem. Fortunately, the Google and MIUI ecosystems have security mechanisms in place. The Contacts app on Xiaomi often has a built-in shopping cart that includes deleted entries, which can be found in the app's settings menu or in the navigation sidebar.

If you have used a Google account, Deleted items are stored in the cloud basket for 30 days. To recover, go to contacts.google.com, click on the menu icon (three bars) and select Recycle Bin, where you can select the numbers you want and click Restore. They will automatically return to your Redmi 8 phone book.

It is important to note that if you delete contacts and clear the cart, or if more than 30 days have passed, it will not be possible to restore them with standard means. There are paid programs for data recovery from Android, but their effectiveness is not guaranteed, especially if a long time has passed since the deletion and the memory has been overwritten with new data.

Decision (FAQ)