When the entire phone book suddenly disappears on a Xiaomi phone, it can cause panic in any user, which can occur after a system update, an accidental synchronization failure, or because the Contacts app malfunctions. It is important not to give in to emotions, since in most cases the data is not physically destroyed, but only hidden or moved to another storage.
Before we start radical measures like a complete reset, we need to do a basic diagnostic of the display. Often the problem lies in the filtering settings of the list, which could have gone wrong on their own. In this article, we will discuss in detail all possible causes of the disappearance of numbers and propose step-by-step solutions for their return.
Checking the list display and filtering settings
The first thing to do if your contacts are missing on Redmi or Poco is to check if the display filter is turned on. MIUI allows you to hide certain groups or accounts, which visually creates a data loss effect. Open the Contacts app, go to the menu (three dots or gears) and find the option “Display settings” or “Contact filter”.
Make sure to check the box against the “All Contacts” item or select all available accounts (Google, SIM-If you select a “Favorites Only” or a specific account that has not been synced, the list will be empty. Filtration is the most common cause of “disappearance” and can be easily fixed in a matter of seconds.
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If you have a few SIM-Check the display settings for each card separately, as filters can be applied individually to storage sources.
It's also worth checking if Phone Numbers Only is activated if you're used to storing records in the cloud.Switching the data source to the menu often returns missing records instantly without requiring complex backup manipulation.
Recovery from Google Cloud Sync
The most reliable way to recover lost data is to use Google services, and if you have synced your phone book, all changes to your phone book are automatically saved to your cloud profile, and even if you deleted the number a week ago, it can still be restored through the service's archive.
To do this, go to contacts.google.com from your computer or mobile browser. On the left menu, find the gear icon (Settings) and select Undo changes. The system will suggest you choose a time slot: 10 minutes ago, an hour, yesterday or a specific date.
☑️ Recovery through Google Contacts
Once confirmed, all contacts that existed at the selected time will be restored. Sync will take a few minutes, depending on the number of records and Internet speed. Make sure that the phone in the settings of your Google account is ticked "Contacts" so that the changes apply on the device.
What to do if the synchronization is not included?
Use of Mi Cloud backups
Xiaomi smartphone owners often use the built-in Mi Cloud service, and if you had a Mi Account and backup enabled, your contacts could have been saved there, especially for users who rarely use Google services.
Go to your phone's settings, select "Mi Account" and go to "Cloud." Find "Contacts" and check the date of the last sync. If the date is current, try turning off and re-enable the sync slider to force the data exchange process.
An alternative way is to use the web version of the cloud at i.mi.com. Sign in with your Mi ID, go to the contacts section and check for records. The web interface also allows you to export data in.vcf format, which can then be imported into the phone.
However, text recordings of contacts take up a minimum of space, so the chance of their presence there is very high.
Import and export of data through SIM-map
The old but proven method is to work with SIM-Many users still have their primary numbers on the SIM, and if contacts are lost from the phone's memory after they've been reset or changed, they may be physically on the chip.
Open the Contacts app, click on the settings menu and select Import/Export Contacts. Select the Import with option SIM-The system will suggest to choose the destination: the memory of the phone or Google account.
| Parameter | Phone memory | Google account | SIM-map |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security | Low (when losing your phone) | Tall. | Medium |
| Data volume | No restrictions. | No restrictions. | Limited (usually 250) |
| Number length | Anybody. | Anybody. | Standard. |
| Supplementary fields | Photo, email, address | Photo, email, address | Name and number only |
For importation with SIM-Card names may be cropped or displayed incorrectly due to storage format limitations on the chip. Once imported, it is recommended to manually check and edit long names or company names.
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SIM-The card is not a secure storage device, but a temporary storage medium. Always aim to migrate data to the cloud for automatic backup.
Search for local backup files
MIUI automatically creates local backups for the system and data, and even if you haven't sent them to the cloud, a file with the.bak extension can flatter your internal memory, and that's a rescue if your Internet accounts are empty.
Use a built-in Files Explorer or a third-party manager like Total Commander. Go down the path: MIUI → backup → AllBackup → Contacts. If the folder is empty or there are no files, check the Recovery section in your phone's settings.
Go to Settings → About Phone → Reservation and Restore → Mobile Device. This can display available system restore points. Choose the right date and start the process. The local backup often contains a full copy of the phone book at the time of creation.
⚠️ Warning: Recovery from the full backup system can replace the current data on the phone with data from the archive. Make sure that new photos or files created after the backup date are not needed or stored separately.
Third-party applications for data recovery
If the standard methods didn't work, you can turn to specialized software. There are programs for PCs that scan the internal memory of a smartphone for deleted, but not overwritten data, Examples of such utilities are Dr.Fone, Tenorshare UltData, DiskDigger (for Android).
Most of them require a full-time debugging. USB. To activate it, go to Settings. → About the phone and 7 times click on the "Version" MIUI». Then in the advanced settings will appear the item "For developers", where you need to turn on "Debugging by USB».
The effectiveness of these programs depends on the time elapsed since the deletion, the fewer actions taken on the phone after the disappearance, the higher the chances, scanning can take a long time and requires a connection to a computer.
⚠️ Warning: Be careful with free versions of recovery software, often they find files but require payment to retrieve them, and beware of fake software that may contain viruses.