The problem of displaying Russian letters in contacts on Xiaomi smartphones with the shell MIUI 12 has become a real headache for many users. Despite the fact that the system officially supports the Cyrillic alphabet, sometimes when synchronized with Google accounts or after a software update, Russian names turn into Krakozabras or disappear altogether, this error is especially often manifested on the Redmi Note 9 Pro, Poco X3 NFC and Mi 10T models, where MIUI 12 was installed out of the box.
In this article, we will look at all the possible causes of the problem and offer 5 proven ways to bring Cyrillic back into contact, from basic language settings to profound changes in system parameters, SIM-Map, local contacts) and firmware versions, and we'll also look at why the problem may come back after resetting, and how to avoid it.
Why Russian letters are not displayed in MIUI 12 contacts
The main reason is the incorrect character encoding that MIUI 12 sometimes applies to contacts imported from third-party sources, not a bug in the traditional sense, but a consequence of optimizing the system for the Chinese market, where Latin is dominant.
- ๐ Sync with a Google account where contacts were previously saved in an outdated format (for example, exported from an old phone through a mobile phone) VCF-file)
- ๐ฑ Transfer of contacts with SIM-maps where the encoding of names does not conform to the Unicode standards used in the MIUI
- ๐ง Update of firmware with MIUI 11 MIUI 12, wherein system fonts and language packs are reset to factory settings
- ๐ Changing the system region to China or Hong Kong (even temporarily) may result in the removal of Cyrillic support in some system applications.
Interestingly, the problem is more common on global versions of MIUI 12 than Chinese, because many language packages, including Russian, are initially disabled in firmware for Chinaโs domestic market, and global builds sometimes inherit these limitations after updates.
Method 1: Checking and changing the system language settings
The first thing to do is to make sure that Russian is installed as the main language in the system settings. Even if the MIUI interface is displayed in Russian, the language packs for contacts can be disabled.
- Open Settings โ Additional โ Language and input
- Click on the Language and select Russian (Russia). If it is not on the list, tap Add language and search in search.
- Go back to the previous menu and select Region โ install Russia or Ukraine (for some firmware this is critical)
- Restart the device โ it will apply changes at the level of system services
If the Russian letters in the contacts did not appear after the reboot, check the additional language packages:
- ๐ Go to Settings. โ Annexes โ Application management
- ๐ In search, enter Contacts and select the system application
- ๐ฅ Press Warehouse. โ Clear cache and Memory Management โ Clear the data (this wonโt delete contacts, only reset the app settings)
Make sure that the Russian language is established as the main language
Check the region (Russia/Ukraine)
Clear the cache of the "Contact" application
Reset the device-->
Important: On some MIUI 12 firmware for Redmi Note 8 Pro and Mi 9 Lite models, changing the region to Russia may lead to a blocking of Google services, in which case choose Kazakhstan or Belarus - they support Cyrillic without restrictions.
Method 2: Manually edit contacts through Google Contacts
If the problem occurs after syncing with Google, the most reliable way is to edit the contacts directly in the web version of Google Contacts, which will avoid the encoding errors that occur when editing locally on the device.
Step-by-step:
- Open contacts.google.com on your computer or other device and log in with the same account as you do on Xiaomi.
- Find contact with distorted Russian letters, usually displayed as???????? or รยรยฝรยดรยรยตรยน
- Open the edit contact and manually reprint the first and last name in Russian. Do not copy the text from other sources - this can transfer the wrong encoding.
- Save the changes and wait for the synchronization (usually takes 1-2 minutes)
- On Xiaomi smartphone, open the Contacts app, swipe down for an update and check the display
If there are many contacts, you can use batch editing:
- ๐ In Google Contacts, select several contacts by ticks.
- ๐ง Click on the icon. โฎ โ Export and save the file in Google format CSV
- ๐ Open the file in Excel or Google Sheets, correct the Russian names in the columns Name and Given Name
- ๐ Import the corrected file back to Google Contacts by selecting the option to Replace duplicates
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Before mass editing, back up your contacts through Settings โ Google โ Backup. This will allow you to roll back changes if something goes wrong.
Method 3: Resetting the Contacts app settings and re-syncing
If previous methods failed, the cause could be a corrupted app cache or a conflict between local and cloud data, in which case a complete reset of the Contacts app settings and then re-synchronization will help.
Note: This method will not delete your contacts, but will reset all display settings, groups and favorites.
- Go to Settings โ Applications โ Application Management
- Find Contacts (phone phone icon) and click on it
- Select Warehouse โ Clear cache and Clear data
- Return to the main settings of the application and click Disable (this will temporarily stop the application)
- Reset the device
- After the reboot, turn on the Contacts app again and wait for automatic sync with Google.
If the contacts are still not displayed correctly, try forced synchronization:
- ๐ Go to Settings. โ Accounts and synchronization โ Google
- ๐ฅ Select your account and enable Contacts slider if it is disabled
- ๐ Click on Contacts and in the menu that opens, select Sync
What if the contacts disappear after the reset?
Method 4: Change the encoding through the engineering menu (for advanced ones)
On some MIUI 12 firmware, the Cyrillic problem is solved through an engineering menu where you can manually encode for system applications, a method that requires caution, as incorrect changes can lead to malfunctions in the phone.
Instructions:
- Open the phone app and enter the combination: ##3646633###
- In the engineering menu, go to Connectivity โ CDS Information โ Radio Information
- Choose Phone 1 (even if you have one) SIM-map)
- In the command input field, type: AT+CSMP=17,167,0.8 and press SEND AT COMMAND
- Reset the device
This command compulsorily installs UCS2 (Unicode) encoding for SMS and contacts, which solves the Cyrillic display problem. If the problem persists after the reboot, try an alternative command:
AT+CSCS="UCS2"Warning: The engineering menu is designed for testing and debugging. Don't change other settings unless you're sure they're intended. Wrong commands can lead to network loss or other failures.
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The engineering menu is a powerful tool, but you should only use it if other methods have not worked. Always write down the initial settings before changing.
Method 5: Install an alternative contact application
If none of the system methods worked, you can use third-party contact management apps, which often handle encoding better and offer additional features.
Top.-3 Applications to replace standard "Contacts" with MIUI 12:
| Annex | Advantages | Deficiencies | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Contacts | Full account synchronization, support for all encoding, cloud backup | It can duplicate contacts, there are no MIUI features (e.g. blacklist) | Play Market |
| Truecaller | Spam recognition, enrichment of contacts with data from social networks, support of Cyrillic | Requires access to personal data, advertising in the free version | Play Market |
| Simple Contacts | Minimalist interface, no advertising, support for dark theme | Fewer functions than in a standard application | Play Market |
To install an alternative application:
- Download the selected application from the Play Market
- At the first start, give access to contacts.
- In the application settings, find the Import/Export option and select the source (Google, SIM or local contacts)
- Wait for the synchronization to be completed
- If desired, you can disable the standard application "Contacts" in the MIUI settings.
โ ๏ธ Warning: When using third-party contact apps, turn off sync in the standard app MIUI, To avoid duplication of records, go to Settings. โ Annexes โ Contacts โ Permits and disable access to contacts.
Additional advice and prevention of problems in the future
To prevent the problem with Russian letters in contacts from reappearing after updating or resetting the settings, follow these recommendations:
- ๐ Regularly back up your contacts via Google or locally in a format VCF. For this, use the Contact Path. โ โฎ โ Imports/Exports โ Exports to the vault
- ๐ฑ Avoid transferring contacts with SIM-maps -- this method is outdated and often leads to encoding errors. Use cloud sync or files. VCF
- ๐ง Don't switch to China or Hong Kong if you need Cyrillic support, these regions are optimized for characters and can disable other language packs.
- ๐ Before the update MIUI Check user reviews on forums (for example, 4PDA Xiaomi Community โ sometimes newer firmware versions contain coded bugs
If you often run into problems after updates, consider installing custom firmware based on MIUI, where these bugs are usually fixed.
- MIUI by XIAOMI.EU โ European build with full support for all languages
- LineageOS โ pure Android without MIUI shell (requires unlocking the bootloader)
- Pixel Experience โ firmware with interface from Google Pixel, excellent support for Cyrillic
โ ๏ธ Attention: Installing custom firmware voids warranty and can lead to unstable operation of the device.Be sure to unlock the bootloader through the official Mi Unlock tool before firmware and make a full data backup.