How to completely remove contacts Xiaomi Redmi 9: all working ways

Deleting contacts on Xiaomi Redmi 9 may seem like a simple task, but in practice users face nuances: duplicate entries, sync with Google Account, residual data in MIUI or problems after resetting. In this article, we will analyze 5 proven ways to remove – from basic manual to complete cleaning through ADB, taking into account the features of the MIUI 12/13/14 firmware.

It's important to understand that simply clicking "Delete" in the Contacts app doesn't always solve the problem, for example, if a contact is synced to Google or Mi Cloud, it can recover after a reboot. VCF-We'll analyze each method in detail, we'll specify hidden settings. MIUI We'll do deep cleaning, and we'll teach you how to restore remote contacts if something goes wrong.

1. Manual removal of contacts through the standard application

The most obvious way to do this is to use the built-in Contacts app, which is a silhouette icon with a person on a green background, which is suitable for deleting individual records, but is ineffective in mass cleaning. Here's how to do it right:

1. Open the Contacts app on Redmi 9.
2. Find the right contact through search or scroll through the list.
3. Touch the recording, then tap on three points (⋮) top-right.
4. Choose Delete and confirm the action.

If the contact is synced with Google or Mi Account, the system will prompt you to choose where to delete it:

• 📱 From this device, only the local copy will be deleted (can be restored when synchronized).
• ☁️ Isa Google/Mi Cloud – removes the record from the cloud (irreversible for all devices).
• 🔄 From all accounts – complete removal from all services.

⚠️ Note: When you delete your Google Account, contact will disappear from all devices that are signed in to that account (including tablets and computers). VCF.

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To quickly find duplicates, go to Management → Combine Contacts in the Contacts app. MIUI will automatically prompt you to merge similar records.

Mass disposal through export/import VCF-file

If you want to delete all contacts at once (for example, before selling a phone), the manual method will take hours. VCF-File is the standard format for storing contacts, and this method works even on Redmi 9 with custom firmware.

Instructions:

1. Open Contacts. → ⋮ → Management → Imports/Exports.
2. Choose Export to File and save backup to internal memory or SD-map.
3. Connect Redmi 9 to your computer and copy it. VCF-file to a secure location (e.g. on Google Drive).
4. Return to the Office → Delete all contacts and confirm the action.

After cleaning, only the necessary contacts can be imported back, editing VCF-file on a PC (for example, in Excel or Notepad)++).

3. Delete via Google Contacts (cloud)

If your contacts are synced with Google Account (and Redmi 9’s default is enabled), they can be managed via a web interface, which is convenient for removing duplicates, mass editing, or recovering accidentally deleted records.

Step-by-step:

1. Go to contacts.google.com from your computer or phone.
2. Sign in with the same account as Redmi 9.
3. Check the unneeded contacts (or select Everything through the checkbox in the hat).
4. Click on the basket icon (🗑️ Delete) and confirm.

To make changes to the phone:

• 🔄 Open the Settings. → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization.
• 📱 Turn on the Contact Switch (if disabled).
• 🔄 Click Sync Now.

⚠️ Attention: Deleted Google Contacts records go to the cart and are stored there for 30 days. To clear the cart early, go to the Recycle Bin section on the site and select Clean the cart.

4. Cleaning through MIUI Hidden Settings (hidden settings)

MIUI firmware contains hidden menus that allow for deeper data management, including contacts, which is useful if standard methods don’t work (for example, after resetting, ghost contacts are left).

Instructions for Redmi 9:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the combination: ##4636##.
2. In the menu that appears, select Phone Information (or Usage Statistics).
3. Scroll down to Reset Statistics and click Clear Data.
4. Reset the device.

If this method does not help, try an alternative way:

Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times to activate developer mode)


Settings → Additional → For developers → Cleaning of application data → Contacts

These actions will reset the cache and data of the Contacts app, but will not affect synchronized entries in Google or Mi Cloud.

Make a backup copy VCF|Disable synchronization with Google/Mi Cloud|Write down important numbers on paper|Check for duplicates-->

5. Complete removal via ADB (for power users)

If you need to erase all contacts (including system residues) with a guarantee, you can use ADB, the Android debugging tool, which requires a PC and basic command line knowledge, but produces 100% results.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Drivers (download from Android site).
• 📱 Included Debugging by USB Redmi 9 (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 taps → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 Cable USB Type-C (original to avoid connection issues).

Cleanup commands:

adb shell pm clear com.android.contacts


adb shell pm clear com.miui.contacts




adb shell content query --uri content://com.android.contacts/raw_contacts --where "deleted=0" # Checking residues

After you complete the commands, restart your phone. All contacts (including hidden and system contacts) will be deleted. If you need to clear and Google sync, then do the following:

adb shell content delete --uri content://com.android.contacts/raw_contacts --where "account_type='com.google'"

⚠️ Attention: Teams ADB If you don't back up, you can't recover the data, and after cleaning, you may need to reconfigure the Contacts app.

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Use ADB only if other methods have failed, and this method removes system-level contacts, including residual data that is not visible in the standard interface.

6. Remove contacts after resetting settings

If you've done a full reset (Settings → Additional → Reset and Reset → Reset), but the contacts still show up, the problem is cloud sync. Here's how to fix it:

Steps after discharge:

1. When you first set up Redmi 9, don’t sign in to Google Account or Mi Account.
2. Complete the setup as a new device.
3. Go to Settings → Accounts and manually add accounts by disabling contact synchronization.
4. Remove the remaining contacts through the standard app (see Section 1).

If the contacts are already synchronized automatically:

• ☁️ Go to contacts.google.com and delete them from there (see Section 3).
• 📱 On your phone, turn off sync: Settings → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization of the account → Contacts (off).

Redmi 9 with MIUI 12 and later can still have a cache of contacts in /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts. To clear it, root rights or ADB are required.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When deleting contacts on Xiaomi Redmi 9, users often face typical problems, and here are the most common ways to solve them:

If none of the methods worked, check:

• 📌 Root rights (allows you to delete system contacts).
• 🔍 Viruses (some Trojans block contact removal).
• 📱 Firmware damage (flash Redmi 9 via Mi Flash Tool).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions