Where on Xiaomi are stored phone numbers: the full guide MIUI reinstated

Why Xiaomi Contacts Can Disappear and Where to Find Them

Did you delete the contact, but it reappeared a week later? Or after resetting the phone showed an empty phone book even though you didn't erase anything? The problem is that Xiaomi stores phone numbers in the phone. 4–5 It doesn't always sync them correctly, and in this article we'll look at all possible locations, from obvious (Google account) to hidden (system base). contacts2.db file /data).

Feature of firmware MIUI (including Redmi, Poco and Black Shark versions – Duplicating contacts between internal memory, SIM-For example, if you added a number manually, it could only be saved on the device, and if you synced with Mi Account, you could create a copy in the cloud. MIUI It doesn’t always show all the sources in the phone book interface, which is confusing.

It is important to understand that the storage location depends on how you added the contact:

• 📱 Manually through the “Contacts” app** – saved to the internal database contacts2.db (Available only with root rights).

If you lose numbers, don't rush to restore them through a backup — check all possible sources first. Below we'll go through each storage and how to access it in detail.

1. Local database MIUI: folder /data file contacts2.db

The main number storage on Xiaomi is a system database. contacts2.db, path-bound /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/. This is where all the contacts that you have added manually through the standard Contacts app are recorded, but there are three key issues:

Problem. 1: folder /data It's only available with root rights, and without root rights, you can't view or copy a file even through the root rights. ADB. Problem. 2: When you reset, that database is cleared. 3: MIUI It is not always correct to synchronize changes between contacts2.db cloud accounts, which may cause "doubles" or numbers to disappear.

If you have root, you can copy the base for backup:

adb pull /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db ~/Downloads/

~/Downloads/

⚠️ Attention: Do not edit contacts2.db manually SQL-editors (e.g., editors, DB Browser for SQLite) Incorrect changes will cause the Contacts app to crash and all numbers to be lost. Use only official tools to restore. MIUI.

Without root, there is no access to the database, but you can try alternative methods:

• 🔧 Use backup copying MIUI (see section 4).
• ☁️ Restore contacts via Mi Account or Google (if sync is enabled).
• 📱 Connect your phone to your PC and use programs like Dr.Fone or Mobitrix to scan internal memory (not all models).

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If you plan to get root access for contact backup, first check if your Xiaomi model supports bootloader unlocking. On new devices (2023-2026), this can block some features, such as Widevine. L1 viewable HD-video.

2. Cloud Storage: Mi Account vs Google Account

Most users don’t even know that their contacts are automatically synced to one of two clouds: Mi Account (Xiaomi services) or Google Account.

Mi Account (Xiaomi Cloud):

All contacts added through the standard Contacts app on Xiaomi are synced by default to Mi Account if you are logged in on the device.

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Mi Account.
2. Make sure the Contact Switch is on.
3. Go to i.mi.com → «Contacts (the interface may differ in the web version).

Google Account:

If you use Google services (such as Gmail), contacts can be duplicated in Google Contacts.

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Select your account and check the status of your contacts sync.
3. Go to contacts.google.com and all synchronized numbers should be displayed.

A common user error is synchronization with Mi Account and Google, which leads to duplicate contacts (the same number can be displayed twice from Mi Cloud and from Google Contacts).

Disable sync in one of the accounts (Mi or Google)

Use only one source to add new contacts

Regularly clean duplicates through the “Contact” app» → «Contact management» → «Unite»

Export all contacts to a single.vcf file and import them again-->

3. SIM-Map: Why is this an unreliable storage facility?

Many users maintain contact with the old-fashioned SIM-But on Xiaomi (as on most smartphones today), it's the most unreliable option:

Storage problems SIM:

• 🚫 Limited number of contacts – most SIM Up to 250 records are supported.
• 📛 No field, no field, no field SIM Only name and number are saved (no email, address, photo).
• ⚡ Slow access – Reading/write takes 5-10 times longer than internal memory.
• 🔄 No synchronization – when lost SIM All contacts will be lost irrevocably.

Check if there are contacts on your SIM-map:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Press three points (⋮) → «Contact management» → «Imports/Exports».
3. Select "Import with" SIM-If the button is active, then the SIM notebook.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro or Poco) X3 Pro) contacts with SIM-The cards are not displayed in the default main list, and to see them, you need to manually import them into internal memory through the Contact Management menu».

If you still want to use it SIM For storage, follow these rules:

• 📌 Export contacts regularly (once a month) SIM internal memory or cloud.
• 🔄 Before the replacement SIM-Transfer all the numbers to the phone or to the cloud.
• 🚫 Don't keep it on SIM important contacts (banks, work) – only temporary numbers.

Backup copies MIUI: How to Restore Contacts After Resetting

If you have reset your settings or lost contacts after the update MIUI, They can be restored from backup. Xiaomi offers two backup methods:

Method 1: Local backup

MIUI Allows you to create a backup directly on the device:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Select Contacts and click Backup.
3. The file will be saved in the folder. /MIUI/backup/AllBackup (PC-copyable).

Please note:

Method 2: Cloud Backup (Mi Cloud)

If you have Mi Account sync enabled, your contacts are automatically backed up in the cloud to restore them:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Mi Account.
2. Make sure the contact option is enabled.
3. If contacts are missing, click on “Sync” manually.

If the local backup is damaged or not repaired, try the following steps:

• 🔧 Install the old “Contact” app» (APK version MIUI 12) - sometimes it works better with backups.
• 📂 Check the folder. /MIUI/backup/AllBackup For files with the.bak extension, you can manually transfer them to a new phone.
• 🖥️ Use PC programs like Mi PC Suite for recovery (not working on all models).

⚠️ Attention: Backup copies MIUI, practicable MIUI 12 and later, incompatible with older firmware versions (e.g, MIUI If you roll back the firmware, you can't restore the backup, you'll have to use the cloud or manual export.

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The most reliable way to back up your contacts on Xiaomi is to export to a.vcf file via the Contact Management menu, which can be opened on any device and imported back even after resetting.

5. Hidden folders and technical nuances MIUI

In addition to the standard storage facilities, MIUI There are a few hidden folders and mechanisms that few people know about, which can contain backups of contacts or temporary files.

folder /sdcard/MIUI/backup/:

It stores local backups created through the backup menu, and the files are.bak and encrypted, but they can be copied to a PC for storage, for example, the path to the backup of contacts can look like this:

/sdcard/MIUI/backup/AllBackup/miui_backup_20260515_123456/Contacts_123456.bak

The numbers in the file name are the date and time of the backup creation.

folder /data/com.android.providers.contacts/:

It stores temporary files and the cache of the Contacts app, and sometimes, after a crash, it's backed up. contacts2.db-wal or contacts2.db-shm (You can try to recover them with tools like the SQLite Database Browser, but this requires root access.

File bluetooth contacts.vcf:

If you have ever sent contacts over Bluetooth, MIUI I could have saved them in a folder. /sdcard/Bluetooth/ This can be checked through any file manager (for example, Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).

For advanced users: If you have root, you can scan the entire file system for contact files using the command:

find / -name "contact" -o -name "contacts" -o -name "*.vcf" 2>/dev/null

.vcf

6 Recovery of remote contacts: step-by-step instructions

If your contacts are gone, don't panic, you can restore them 80 percent of the time.

Step 1: Check the cart in Google Contacts

If your contacts were synced to Google Account, they could be in the cart:

1. Go to contacts.google.com.
2. In the left menu, select “Basket”.
3. Find remote contacts and click “Restore”.

The contacts are stored in the basket for 30 days, after which they are deleted irrevocably.

Step 2: Restore from Mi Cloud

If you have used Mi Account:

1. Go to i.mi.com and log in.
2. Go to the "Contacts" section.
3. If you have contacts, export them to a.vcf file and import them back to your phone.

Step 3: Check out local backups

If you have made backup copies through MIUI:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Select the last backup and restore only Contacts.

Step 4: Use third-party tools

If nothing helps, try recovery programs:

• 🖥️ Dr. Fone (for) Windows/Mac) — Scanning internal memory for remote contacts.
• 📱 Undeleter Recover Files & Data (for Android) – works without root, but with limitations.
• 🔧 Titanium Backup (requires root) – recovers data from system backups.

⚠️ Note: If you used the Cleanup feature in the Security app on Xiaomi, the contacts could have been permanently deleted, in which case recovery is only possible through backups or the cloud.

Restart your phone – sometimes contacts don’t show up due to cache failure

Turn off and turn on sync again in Mi Account/Google

Check if the contacts are hidden (in the “Contacts” app» → «Contact management» → «Display contacts»)

Install the old version of the Contacts app» (APK s MIUI 12) – sometimes helps with the bugs of the new version-->

FAQ: Frequent questions about keeping contacts on Xiaomi