How to completely clean up the contact list on Android Xiaomi: from doubles to a complete reset

Why Clean Your Contacts on Xiaomi and What Happens If You Don’t

The list of contacts on Xiaomi smartphones is like an attic: over time, so much unnecessary stuff accumulates there that it becomes impossible to find something important. Old numbers of colleagues from past work, duplicates from WhatsApp and Telegram, contacts from messengers that have not been used for a long time - all this not only clutters the memory, but also slows down the Contacts application by 20-30% when searching (data from tests on Redmi Note 12 Pro + with MIUI 14).

Did you know that duplicate contacts can automatically sync with Google Accounts and take up space in the cloud? For example, 500 takes weigh about 2 MB — it seems that this is not enough, but if you consider the limits of free storage Google (15 GB for everything), then every megabyte counts. In addition, when transferring data to a new smartphone (Xiaomi 14 Ultra, POCO F6) These duplicates will be copied over and over again.

In this article, we will discuss all the cleaning methods, from manual removal to hidden MIUI features that few people know, and also how to avoid the most common mistake: accidentally removing important contacts during a mass cleaning (spoiler: backup in Settings → Google → Backup will help).

Method 1: Manual cleaning through the "Contacts" application

The most obvious, but not always effective, method is manual contact removal, which is suitable if you have no more than that. 100-150 You know what's wrong with the records, and you know exactly which ones are unnecessary:

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette on the home screen or in the app menu).
2. Slip on three dots in the top right corner and select Contact Management.
3. Find the unnecessary contact in the list, hold it with your finger for 1-2 seconds until the tick appears.
4. Select other contacts to delete (if necessary) and click on the basket icon at the top.

⚠️ Note: When you manually delete contacts, they disappear only from the device, and if they are synced with a Google Account or Mi Account, they will stay in the cloud and return when the next update is made. To remove them completely, after cleaning on your phone, go to the web version of Google Contacts (contacts.google.com) and repeat the procedure.

Make sure your contact is not tied to important WhatsApp/Telegram chats

Check if the contact has any attached notes or addresses

Take a screenshot or export important numbers (in case of an error)

Disable cloud sync (unless you want to delete contacts everywhere)-->

If you have a lot of contacts, it takes hours to manually clean, and then you'd better use group mode.

1. In the Contact Management menu, select Groups.
2. Create a new group (e.g., “To Delete”) and add any unnecessary contacts.
3. Return to the main menu, highlight the entire group and delete it at one time.

Method 2: Removing duplicates with built-in MIUI tools

Xiaomi has built a tool to find duplicates into MIUI, but it doesn't work perfectly. For example, on the Redmi K60, it only finds 60-70% of duplicate contacts, and the rest have to be searched manually.

How to start searching for takes:

1. Open Contacts → Three Points → Contact Management → Combine and Fix.
2. The system will automatically scan the list and show the duplicates found, and each will have a "Compose" button.
3. Check that important data (such as additional numbers or email) is not lost in the joint contacts, and confirm the merger.

⚠️ Note: If you have third-party contact apps installed (such as Truecaller or Drupe), they can block the built-in Xiaomi tool. Close all background processes through Settings before using it. → Annexes → Launched.

If the built-in tool didn’t work, try third-party apps like Contact Cleaner or Simpler Merge. They’re more flexible, but require access to contacts – be careful with permissions!

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Before using third-party contact cleaning apps, export them to the VCF file. To do this, open Contacts → three points → Import / Export → Export to the device. The file will be saved in the Downloads folder.

Method 3: Clean up your Google Account (if contacts are synchronized)

If your contacts are synced with Google Account (as is the default on most Xiaomi smartphones), they can be cleared via a web interface.This is convenient when you need to delete many records at once or roll back changes if something goes wrong.

Instructions:

1. Open contacts.google.com on your computer or phone and log in.
2. In the left menu, select Duplicates, and the system will automatically find the duplicate contacts.
3. Click Combine All or select duplicates manually.
4. For mass removal, tick unnecessary contacts and click on the basket icon.

The advantage of this method is that the changes will apply to all devices that sync with this Google Account. For example, if you delete a contact on the Xiaomi 13T, it will disappear on both the Xiaomi Pad 6 tablet and Gmail on your computer.

⚠️ Attention: Remote contacts are stored in the Google shopping cart for 30 days, if you accidentally delete something important, you can restore them in the Recycle Bin section of the same site. After 30 days, the data is deleted irretrievably.

Method 4: Reset contacts via MIUI settings (complete cleaning)

If the contact list is so cluttered that it is easier to delete everything and start from scratch, you can use the reset function in the Internet. MIUI. This method will delete all contacts stored on the device, but will not affect those stored on the device. SIM-map or cloud (if synchronization is disabled).

How to reset contacts:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the "Contacts" list and tap it.
3. Select Warehouse. → Delete the data.
4. Confirm the action. All local contacts will be erased.

After discharge, it is recommended:

• 🔄 Enable sync with Google Account if it has been disabled.
• 📥 Import contacts with SIM-Cards (if any) through Contacts → Imports/Exports → Import with SIM.
• 📎 Check if you have any duplicates in the cloud (via contacts.google.com).

⚠️ Note: This method doesn't remove contacts from messengers (WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram) and to clean them up, you have to go to each messenger separately and delete the posts manually. → three-point → Contacts → highlight → Delete.

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Resetting contacts via MIUI settings is the most radical method, use it only if other methods have not worked, and be sure to back up before cleaning.

Method 5: Cleaning with Recovery Mode (for power users)

If your Xiaomi smartphone is unstable due to overflowing memory or viruses, and standard methods do not help, you can use Recovery Mode. This method is suitable for advanced users, as improper actions can lead to the loss of all data on the device.

How to clear contacts through Recovery:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press the Power and Volume buttons up simultaneously until the Mi logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data (manage by volume and power buttons).
4. Select Wipe All Data (this will delete all data, including contacts, photos and apps!).
5. Confirm the action and wait for the process to be completed.

⚠️ Warning: This method completely resets the smartphone to factory settings, so after you reboot, you'll have to set the device up from scratch, just like after you buy it. On Xiaomi models with Mi Account lock (for example, Redmi Note 11) after reset, you will need to enter the login and password from the account to which the phone was linked.

If you only need to clean contacts, not the entire device, you'd better use TWRP Recovery, which can format only the contact data partition without affecting the rest of the files, but requires an unlocked bootloader and firmware experience.

How to avoid contact clutter in the future

Cleaning your contacts is good, but it's even better to keep them from cluttering, and here are some tips to keep them in order:

• 📵 Turn off automatic sync with social media. Go to Settings. → Accounts and delete unnecessary accounts (Facebook, VK, Twitter that adds contacts without your knowledge.
• 🔄 Check the doubles regularly. Make a habit once in a while. 2-3 month to run the tool Combine and correct in the application "Contacts".
• 📱 Use separate accounts for work and personal contacts, such as one Google account for work numbers, another for personal accounts.
• 🗑️ Remove irrelevant contacts immediately. Once you realize that the number is no longer needed (for example, after the project is completed), delete it without delaying.

If you exchange business cards frequently or save numbers from sites, try contact management apps such as:

• Simpler Contacts – automatically sorts and cleans duplicates.
• Contacts+ – allows you to add tags and reminders to your contacts.
• Sync.ME – Updates photos of contacts from social networks and identifies spam numbers.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party contact management applications, disable autosynchronization with MIUI, To avoid conflict, go to Settings. → Annexes → Contacts → Permits and limit access to contacts for unnecessary programs.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When cleaning contacts, Xiaomi users often face typical problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to solve them:

Another common problem is that contacts are not displayed correctly (for example, instead of names, numbers are shown), this is due to a failure in the MIUI database.

1. Clear the cache and data of the "Contacts" application in the settings.
2. Reset the device.
3. If it doesn’t work, upgrade your MIUI to the latest version or reset it through Recovery (see Method 5).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions