Any user can face a situation where the Xiaomi phonebook instead of the usual Cyrillic letters appear strange characters, squares or Latin, a problem that often occurs after updating the MIUI or HyperOS operating system, as well as after migrating data from the old device, text encoding can get lost, making reading contact names almost impossible.
Don't panic and think that data is irretrievably lost or corrupted. In most cases, the application interface simply misinterprets the stored characters. There are several proven ways to fix this situation without losing important information. You don't need a deep knowledge of programming to get the system running.
In this article, we will go into all the current methods of solving the problem in detail, we will look at both standard settings and more complex reset options, recovery will take no more than 10-15 minutes of your time, the main thing is to follow the instructions consistently and check the result after each step.
Reasons for Incorrect Characters in the Phone Book
Before we take action, we need to understand why the error occurred, and most often, when you transfer data from other devices, such as Samsung or iPhone, different systems use different standards for storing text information in the database.
Another common cause is conflicting versions of the Contacts app. After a major firmware update, the old version of the program may not display the new system fonts correctly, and the problem may lie in a crowded cache that accumulates errors during long-term use of the smartphone.
Sometimes the failure is software-based and is associated with a specific sync scenario through a Google account. If the data is stored in the wrong format in the cloud storage, the phone will automatically upload the "broken" names. Understanding the source of the error will help you choose the most effective method of correction.
Checking the language and regional settings of the system
The first thing to do is to make sure that the system has the right region and interface language. Sometimes, after resetting or updating, the region settings may change to international, which affects the sorting and display of names. To check, go to the Settings menu and select the Additional section.
In the list that opens, look for Language and input. Make sure that the main language of the system is Russian. If there are several languages in the list, check the order of their sequence. The system prioritizes the first language in the list to display the interface and text fields.
☑️ Checking basic settings
Also worth paying attention to is the format of the date and time, which often depends on the region you choose. The wrong region can lead to conflicts in the operation of system applications. Changing the region to Russia or Ukraine (depending on your location) often automatically adjusts the fonts.
⚠️ Note: After a region change, some system applications, such as Mi Video or Mi Music, can change their content to localized for the selected country.
If changing the region didn't work, try forcefully restarting the device, allowing the system to reread configuration files and apply new language settings to all active processes, often a simple rebut solves the display problem.
Cleaning the cache and application data Contacts
If the language settings are correct but the problem persists, an erroneous cache has probably accumulated.Cleaning the app data is a secure procedure that does not delete the phone numbers themselves if they are synchronized with the account.However, if contacts are stored only in the phone's memory, it is recommended to make a backup copy beforehand.
To do the cleaning, go to Settings → Applications → All apps. In the list, find the Contacts app (sometimes called Phone or Contacts and dialing). Click on it and select Warehouse.
You'll see two buttons on the storage menu: Clear the cache and Clear everything. Start by clearing the cache. If that doesn't work, use Clear Everything. This will return the application to its factory display settings.
Path to Reset: Settings → Apps → All Apps → Contacts → Storage → Clean EverythingOnce cleaned, the system may require re-authorization or field mapping adjustments, which is normal behavior, and the application will recreate the display database by reading current contacts from the system address book.
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Before completely clearing the application data, export contacts to the.vcf file via the contact management menu to protect yourself from accidental data loss.
Change of the subject and fonts
In MIUI and HyperOS, the fonts are often the subject of the design, and if you use a third-party theme downloaded from the Theme Store, it may not contain a full set of Cyrillic characters, in which case squares will be displayed instead of letters.
To rule out this factor, temporarily switch to a standard Classic or Default theme. Go to the Themes app, go to the profile (human icon) and select My Themes. Activate the standard design option.
Also check the installed fonts. Some custom fonts may not support certain characters or have bugs in the new OS version. Return to the default system font in the theme settings.
| Type of resource | Impact on contacts | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|
| A third-party topic | High (can change fonts) | Bring back the standard theme |
| Systemic font | Low (basic support) | Leave it unchanged. |
| Custom print | Average (possible gaps) | Check for Cyrillic. |
If the problem disappeared after the topic change, it was the wrong font file of the theme, and you can try to find an updated version of this theme or choose another one that claims full Cyrillic support.
Resetting the settings of the Google Contacts app
Many modern Xiaomi smartphones use Google Contacts instead of the standard MIUI app by default. If it crashed, the algorithm of actions is slightly different. The principles remain the same, but the paths in the menu can vary.
Open your phone's Settings, then go to the Apps section. Find Contacts (note the Google icon) in the list. Go to the storage and clean up the data. This action will update the app's local database.
What to do if the cleaning doesn’t help?
It is important to check your sync settings. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google. Make sure the tick opposite Contact is active. Try turning off and back on sync to initiate a re-download of data from the server.
⚠️ Attention: Deleting Google Contacts app updates will return it to the version that was on the phone with firmware.
Sometimes, removing and re-installing app updates through the Play Store helps, and this ensures that you are using the latest stable version with corrected encoding bugs.
Radical measures: Resetting and restoring backup
If none of the gentle methods worked, you will have to resort to more radical measures, which means completely resetting your phone settings or removing all contacts and then downloading them from the backup.
The most reliable way is to export contacts to.vcf. Open the Contacts app, go to the settings and select Import/Export Contacts. Save the file to internal memory or send it to your email. Then delete all contacts from the device.
Once cleaned, import the saved file. When imported, the system will rewrite the data into the database, often ignoring old encoding errors. If that doesn't work, then all that remains is a complete reset of the phone to the factory settings (Wipe all data).
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A full phone reset is guaranteed to eliminate software display errors, but requires a fresh backup of the data.
Remember that when you reset your settings, all data, including photos, messages and apps, are deleted. Use Xiaomi Cloud or Google Drive cloud services to save important information before you start the procedure.