Xiaomi 12 is a flagship smartphone with a proprietary shell MIUI, which offers several ways to manage contacts. However, many users face problems: duplicate records, the inability to delete synchronized contacts or errors during mass cleansing. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods of removal, from standard to hidden MIUI functions, and also tell you how to avoid typical errors when working with a phone book.
It’s important to understand that contacts on Xiaomi 12 can be stored in three places at once: in the device’s memory, in the Mi Account account, and in the Google account. Where the record is located depends on how it is deleted. For example, trying to erase a contact synchronized with Google through the standard Contacts app can lead to its recovery the next time the data is updated, so we’ll go into detail on each scenario, from single deletion to complete cleaning of the phone book.
1. Standard removal through the “Contacts” application
The most obvious way is to use the built-in Contacts app (an icon with a person's silhouette on a green background), which is suitable for removing single entries, but has limitations: it doesn't work with contacts tied to a Google account or Mi Account if sync is disabled. Here's a step-by-step instruction:
- 📱 Open the Contacts app on the home screen or in the app menu.
- 🔍 Find the right contact through the search bar or scroll through the list manually.
- 🖱️ Click on the contact to open his card, then tap on three points (⋮) top-right.
- 🗑️ Select Delete and confirm the action in the window that appears.
If the Remove button is inactive (in gray), it means that the contact is synced with the cloud account, in which case it can only be deleted via the Google web interface or Mi Account, as we will discuss in the following sections.
💡
Before you delete your contacts, back up your Settings → Google → Backup or Settings → Mi Account → Cloud → Backup. This will help you recover your data when you delete it accidentally.
2. Massive removal of contacts on Xiaomi 12
When you need to clear a phone book of hundreds of unnecessary entries (for example, after importing from an old phone), manually removing each contact will take hours. Fortunately, MIUI has a hidden mass removal feature, but it doesn't work with all types of contacts.
- Open the Contacts app and tap on three horizontal lines (☰) top-left.
- Select Contact Management (or Settings, depending on the version of MIUI).
- Go to the Import/Export section → Delete contacts.
- Check the unneeded entries or click Select All (if you want to delete everything).
- Confirm the action with the Remove button.
Important: this method only removes local contacts stored in the phone's memory. The entries synchronized with Google or Mi Account will remain intact. If you need to clear cloud contacts, then move to the next section.
3. Delete contacts through Google account
If your contacts are synced to Google, deleting them via the app on your phone may not work — the records will simply return the next time you update the data. To erase them forever, use the web version of Google Contacts:
- 🌐 Go to contacts.google.com in your browser (preferably on PC).
- 🔍 In the left menu, select Other Contacts or All Contacts if you want to clear everything.
- ✅ Check the unneeded entries (for mass selection, use the Ctrl combination).+A on PC).
- 🗑️ Click on the basket icon (🗑️) In the top menu and confirm the removal.
Then sync your contacts to Xiaomi 12:
- Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
- Select your account and turn on the Contacts switch (if it is disabled).
- Tap it on three points (⋮) and choose to sync now.
⚠️ Attention: Deleted Google Contacts are stored in the cart for 30 days. To clear them, go to the Recycle Bin section at contacts.google.com and click Clear the Recycle Bin.
4. Clear contacts via Mi Account (for Xiaomi users)
If you use Mi Account for sync, deleting contacts via Xiaomi’s web interface may be more convenient than through Google.
- 🌐 Open account.xiaomi.com and log in.
- 📁 Go to the Cloud section → Contacts.
- 🔍 Find the entries you need through search or filters (for example, by group).
- 🗑️ Select contacts and click Delete.
Then update the data on the phone:
Settings → Mi Account → Cloud → Contacts → SynchronizeNote that if a contact is duplicated in Google and Mi Account, it must be deleted separately from both sources, otherwise it may be restored the next time you sync.
Make a backup copy of the phone book|Check where contacts are stored (local/cloud)|Disable autosynchronization in account settings|Make sure important contacts are kept elsewhere-->
5. Removal of duplicate contacts
One of the most common problems on Xiaomi 12 is the duplicate contacts that appear after importing from the company. SIM-Maps, backups or syncs with multiple accounts. MIUI It has a built-in tool to combine them:
- Open the Contacts app and tap on three points (⋮) → Contact management.
- Choose Combine Duties (or Find and Combine in newer versions of MIUI).
- The system will automatically find possible duplicates, check the proposed options and confirm the combination.
- For manual pairing, select two long tap contacts and select Combine.
If the built-in tool fails, use third-party apps like Contacts Optimizer or Simpler Merge, which offer more flexible settings to find duplicates by numbers, names or mailing addresses.
| Method of removing duplicates | Advantages | Deficiencies |
|---|---|---|
| The built-in MIUI tool | No application installation, quick scanning | Not always find all the duplicates, limited settings |
| Google Contacts (web) | Working with cloud data, there is a history of change | You need to remove manually, there is no automatic association. |
| Third-party annexes | Extended filters, mass unification | Risk of data leakage, possible errors in the merger |
6. Reset contacts to factory settings
If the phone book is filled with garbage and manual cleaning takes too long, you can reset contacts via the Xiaomi 12 settings.This method will delete all local contacts, but will not affect data synced with Google or Mi Account.
Instructions:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find the contact list and tap on it.
- Select Warehouse. → Clear the data.
- Confirm the action (this will remove all local contacts and app settings).
⚠️ Warning: Once reset, the Contacts app will return to factory settings, you'll have to reconfigure the name display, sorting, and other settings. If you've used contact groups, you'll also have to manually restore them.
If you need to clean your phone book completely, including cloud data, follow these steps:
How to delete all contacts (including cloud)
7. Frequent errors and their solutions
When working with contacts on Xiaomi 12, users often face typical problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:
- 🔄 Contacts are restored after deletion because of the synchronization enabled. Turn it off in Settings. → Accounts. → Google/Mi Account → Sync contacts, delete records, and then turn on sync back.
- 📵 You can’t remove the contact: it’s probably tied to the SIM-Go to the contact line. → Settings → Imports/Exports → Remove from SIM.
- 🔍 No contact is in search: check if it is hidden in the group. → Groups and make sure the right group is displayed.
- ☁️ Cloud contacts are not synced: check your internet connection, update the Contacts app in Google Play and reboot your phone.
If none of the methods worked, try updating Xiaomi 12 firmware to the latest version.Old versions of MIUI (below 13.0) had phonebook bugs that are fixed in new updates.
💡
Before any manipulation of contacts, disable autosynchronization in your account settings, which will prevent automatic recovery of deleted records.