Removal of all contacts from the smartphone Xiaomi Mi 9 may be necessary in a variety of situations: before selling the device, when changing SIM-But the standard way to remove contacts one by one through the Contacts app takes hours, especially if there are hundreds of them. MIUI Android has a few hidden features that let you do it in minutes.
In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to mass delete contacts on Xiaomi Mi 9, including methods through Settings. MIUI, Google Account, SIM-map and even with the help of ADB-We will focus on the risks of data loss when synchronizing with the cloud, a point that is often missed in other guides. You will also learn how to avoid common errors, such as when contacts are โreturnedโ after being deleted due to automatic synchronization.
1. Delete all contacts via MIUI settings
The easiest and safest way to do this is to use built-in MIUI tools, which is best if your contacts are stored locally on your device (not on Google or other cloud services).
- Open the Contacts app on your Xiaomi Mi 9.
- Tap it on three points (โฎ) in the upper right corner and select Contact Management.
- Go to the Import/Export section โ Delete all contacts.
- Confirm the action by entering a password or pattern lock (if requested).
โ ๏ธ Note: If you have synced with your Google Account or Mi Cloud enabled, contacts may be restored after the device is rebooted. To avoid this, pre-disable sync in your account settings.
Disable sync with Google (Settings โ Accounts โ Google โ Contact Sync)
Backup of important contacts (Export to VCF)
Check that contacts are stored locally (in Contact settings)
Close all applications that use the phone book (WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.)
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If the Remove all contacts button is missing, then your version of MIUI does not directly support this function, in which case move on to the following methods.
2. Massive deletion via Google Account
If your contacts are synced with your Google Account, they can be deleted centrally through the web interface, which is convenient because the changes apply to all devices where you use that account.
- Open the Google Contacts website on your computer or phone.
- Sign in with the same account as the Xiaomi Mi 9.
- Click on the checkbox in the top left corner to select all contacts (or use a filter if you want to remove only a part).
- Click on the basket icon (๐๏ธ) and confirm the removal.
Then sync your contacts to Mi 9:
- ๐ฑ Go to Settings. โ Accounts. โ Google โ [your account] โ Synchronization of contacts.
- ๐ Click on "Sync Nowยป.
โ ๏ธ Note: Remote contacts will remain in the Google shopping cart for 30 days. If you want to delete them permanently, go to the Recycle Cart section of the Google Contacts site and manually clean it.
Locally on the phone.|On Google Account|In Mi Cloud|Nana SIM-map|Another option-->
3. Removal of contacts with SIM-map
If your contacts are saved to SIM-cards (which is relevant for Xiaomi Mi 9 with two slots), they can be removed directly through the phone menu. SIM-The cards have a limited amount of memory (usually up to 250 contacts), so this method is not suitable for everyone.
Instructions:
- Open the Contacts app.
- Press three points (โฎ) โ Contact management โ Imports/Exports.
- Choose Remove from SIM-map (the name may vary depending on the version) MIUI).
- Confirm the removal of all contacts.
| Type of contact storage | Max, the number. | Does mass removal support | Recovered after discharge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Locally on the phone. | Unlimitedly | Yes (via MIUI) | No. |
| Google Account | Unlimitedly | Yes (via contacts.google.com) | Yes (on re-synchronization) |
| SIM-map | 200โ250 | Yes (via the Contact Menu) | No. |
| Mi Cloud | Unlimitedly | Yes (via mi.com) | Yes (on re-entry) |
โ ๏ธ Note: Removal of contacts with SIM-If you plan to use this card, it's irreversible. SIM in another phone, pre-export contacts to the.vcf file via the Import/Export menu.
4. Reset to factory settings (last resort)
If you not only need to delete contacts, but also completely clean the Xiaomi Mi 9 (for example, before selling), you can perform a factory reset.This method will delete all data from the device, including apps, photos and settings.
Instructions:
- Make a backup copy of important data (photos, messages, notes).
- Go to Settings โ About the phone โ Reset settings.
- Choose Delete all data and confirm the action.
- Wait for the process to be completed (it will take 5-10 minutes).
Once reset, the phone will be like new, with no contacts, no accounts, no personal data.
- ๐ If you log in to Google Account or Mi Cloud again, contacts can be restored automatically.
- ๐ฑ This method is not suitable if you want to delete only contacts, saving the rest of the data.
What if the contacts returned after the reset?
5. Delete contacts via ADB (for advanced)
If you're familiar with ADB (Android Debug Bridge), you can delete all contacts using the command line, which is suitable for power users and allows you to point-to-point control of data.
Instructions:
- Turn on Developer Mode on Xiaomi Mi 9: Go to Settings โ About Phone. 7 times click on the MIUI version until the notification โYou became a developerโ appears.
USB debugging
Settings โ Additional โ For Developers
Connect your phone to your computer and execute the commands:
adb shell
pm clear com.android.contacts
pm clear com.miui.contactsThese commands will clear the cache and data of Contacts and MIUI Contacts applications, which will result in the removal of all local contacts. Deleting contacts from Google Account via ADB will require additional rights (root), which is not recommended on Xiaomi Mi 9 due to the risk of disrupting MIUI.
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Before using ADB, make sure that the driver for Xiaomi Mi 9 is installed on your computer and the driver signature is enabled (for Windows).
Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
When people delete their contacts, they often face common problems, and here are the most common ones and how to solve them:
- ๐ Contacts are returned after removal โ Disable your cloud sync (Google, Mi Cloud, WhatsApp) before deleting.
- ๐ต Part of the contacts are not removed. โ Check if they are not saved on SIM-card or other account (such as Facebook or Viber).
- โ ๏ธ The phone stopped seeing SIM-map โ After mass removal from SIM Restart the device or remove/paste the card again.
- ๐ Requested a pattern lock when deleting โ It's standard protection. MIUI. Enter the current screen unlock key.
If you deleted your contacts by mistake, try to restore them:
- ๐๏ธ Google Contacts has a shopping cart where data is stored for 30 days.
- ๐ฑ V MIUI check the folder MIUI/Backup/AllBackup backups (if automatic backups are enabled).
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Before any mass deletion of contacts, be sure to disable sync with cloud services, which will prevent automatic data recovery after cleaning.