How to completely clean the call list on Xiaomi phone: a step-by-step guide

The call log on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones becomes a mess of hundreds of contacts, missed calls and random numbers over time. Cleaning up this story not only frees up space in the device’s memory, but also protects your privacy — especially if multiple people are using the phone or you plan to sell the gadget. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to delete records, including hidden calls that are not displayed in the main journal.

It's important to understand that MIUI stores call data not only in the Phone app, but also in system logs. Standard deletion through the interface can leave a trace in the cache or backups. We'll show you how to clean everything without a trace, and also tell you what to do if the delete button is inactive or the log itself recovers after a reboot.

The instructions are valid for all current versions of MIUI 14/15 and models released after 2019 (including Xiaomi 13/14 Series, Redmi Note 12/13, POCO F5/X5). For older devices (before MIUI 12), some methods may not work - we will warn you about this separately.

1. Standard cleaning through the application "Phone"

The most obvious way is to use the built-in features of the Phone app, which is suitable for deleting individual records or the entire story, but does not affect system logs and backups.

To clear the entire journal:

• 📱 Open the Phone app (the tube icon on the home screen).
• 🔍 Go to the tab "Journal" (usually the second icon at the bottom).
• ⚙️ Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Log Settings.
• 🗑️ Tap Clear the call log and confirm the action.

If only specific records need to be deleted:

• 📞 A long press on any number in the magazine will highlight it.
• 🔘 Check all unnecessary calls.
• 🚫 Click on the basket icon at the top of the screen.

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If the Clear Log button is inactive, check if sync with Google Contacts or Mi Account is enabled. Turn it off in your account settings.

⚠️ Note: This method does not delete data from Mi Cloud backups.If you previously synced a log, records can be restored after a system reboot or update.

2. Remove via system settings (for MIUI 14/15)

Newer versions of MIUI have a separate section for managing application data, including a call log, which is more reliable because it clears cache and temporary files.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search bar, enter "Phone" and select the system application com.android.dialer.
3. Go to Warehouse and Cache.
4. Click Clear Data (this will delete the entire log) or Clear Cache (delete temporary files).

After this procedure, the log will be empty, but all settings of the Phone application will be reset to factory ones (for example, the binding to Google Duplex or redirect settings may disappear).

Take screenshots of important contacts | Turn off sync with Mi Cloud | Remember call forwarding settings | Check if you use the log to work

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3. Recovery Mode Reset (for power users)

If standard methods fail (e.g., due to a system failure or virus), you can use the recovery mode, which deletes all log data without recovery, but requires caution.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data (use volume buttons for navigation, power button for confirmation).
4. Go to Wipe All Data (this will reset your phone to factory settings!) or select Advanced Wipe → Data (a more secure option).
5. Confirm the action and wait for the process to be completed.

⚠️ Warning: This method deletes all data on your phone, including photos, messages and apps. Use it only if other methods have failed and you have a backup.

4. Cleaning of hidden calls and system logs

Xiaomi keeps a hidden call log for analytics and diagnostics, and this data is not displayed in a standard app, but takes up space and can be retrieved through ADB or special utilities to delete it:

Method 1: Through ADB (PC required):

1. Connect your phone to your computer and enable debugging via USB.
2. Open the command prompt and type: adb shell pm clear com.android.providers.contacts This will clear all contact and call related data.

Method 2: Through the file manager (root):

• 📁 Open Root Explorer or similar app.
• 🔍 Go to the folder. /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/.
• 🗑️ Delete the files contacts2.db and contacts2.db-wal.
• 🔄 Reboot the phone.

These methods will delete the entire history without recovery, including SMS and MMS data. Use them only if you are confident in your actions.

Once a week | Once a month | Only when I run out of memory | Never clear | I don't know what it is

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5. Automatic cleaning: setting up MIUI

MIUI 14/15 has a built-in auto-delete feature that is useful if you don't want to manually clean the log, but you're afraid the story will take up too much space.

How to set up:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management → Phone → Permissions.
2. Tap Additional Permits → Autocleaning data.
3. Turn on the option and select a period (e.g., “Delete records over 30 days”).

You can also limit the number of records you keep:

• 📊 Go to Settings. → System and device → Additionally. → Cleanup.
• 🔄 Enable Automatic Cleanup and add the Phone app to the list.

⚠️ Warning: Autocleaning doesn't work for Favorites numbers and contacts marked "Important." They'll have to be manually removed.

6.Recovery of accidentally deleted records

If you cleared the log by mistake, there is a chance to return the data – but only if:

• 🔄 You did not restart your phone after deleting it.
• 📱 The device does not automatically sync with Mi Cloud.
• ⏳ It's been no more than 24 hours.

Recovery methods:

The most reliable way is to restore a backup from the Mi Cloud:

1. Open Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Data Recovery
2. Select the latest backup that has a call log.
3. Check the Call Log and click "Restore".

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If you regularly clean the log, set up an automatic backup to Mi Cloud (Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Backup) to restore data if necessary.

7.Why does the journal itself recover after cleaning?

Many Xiaomi users are faced with the fact that after deleting the call history appears again.

• 🔄 Sync with Mi Cloud: Turn it off in Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization → Call magazine.
• 📱 Google Contacts: Go to Settings → Google → Backup and disable the Call Log.
• 🔄 System Updates: After patch installation MIUI It can recover data from the cache. Before updating, clean the log through Settings. → Warehouse → Cleanup.
• 🛠️ Phone app failure: Reinstall it through Settings → Annexes → Application management → Phone. → Remove updates.

If the problem persists, try resetting the phone app settings to factory:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management → Phone.
2. Press Warehouse. → Clear the data.
3. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning the call log