How to completely remove all contacts from Xiaomi phone: a step-by-step guide

Removal of all contacts from the Xiaomi phone may be necessary in different situations: before selling the device, when changing the phone. SIM-But many users face problems — contacts are duplicated, stay in the Mi Account cloud, or sync with Google after they are deleted. In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to completely remove contacts, including hidden nuances for different versions. MIUI (12-to-14).

It is important to understand that simply clicking "Delete All" in the Contacts app often doesn't solve the problem. Contacts can be stored in multiple locations at the same time. SIM-We will show you how to clean each of these areas, and also explain why contacts sometimes return after resetting to factory settings (this is due to automatic synchronization when you first connect to the Internet).

1. Delete contacts through the standard "Contacts" application

The most obvious way is to use the built-in Contacts app (or Contacts in global firmware), which is a good way to remove contacts from your phone alone without affecting cloud-based copies.

Open the Contacts app → click on the three dots in the top right → select Contact Management → Delete Contacts. You can select individual records or use the "Select All" option here, but there are pitfalls:

• 📱 Local Contacts: Only records that are stored in the phone’s memory (usually marked as “Device” or “Phone”) will be deleted").
• ☁️ Cloud Contacts: Records from Mi Account or Google will remain intact.
• 📶 SIM-map: Contacts to SIM They do not need to be removed, but a separate procedure is required (see Section 3).

If contacts reappear after deletion, they sync from the cloud. To avoid this, turn off sync before deleting:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Synchronization.
2. Select Mi Account (or Google) → disable the slider next to Contacts.
3. Return to the Contacts app and repeat the deletion.

Disable Mi Account Synchronization

Disable Google Syncing

Backup of important contacts

Check the contacts on SIM-map-->

Mass removal via MIUI (for firmware 12-14)

The latest versions of MIUI (starting with 12) introduced a hidden tool for mass contact management, which allows you to delete duplicates and clear the entire address book in a few steps, which works even if the contacts are tied to a Xiaomi account:

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Contacts app and select Warehouse.
3. Click Clear Data → Confirm the action.
4. Return to the Contacts app, it will reset to factory settings and all local data will be erased.

⚠️ Warning: This method only deletes the app's local data, and if the contacts are synchronized with the Mi Cloud, they will recover the next time they connect to the Internet:

⚠️ Attention: Before clearing the data of the "Contacts" application, be sure to untie the Xiaomi account in the settings or turn off the Internet. otherwise the system will automatically pull contacts from the cloud after restarting.

For complete cleanup, combine this method with deletion from Mi Cloud (see section 4). Also note that after cleaning the data, some settings (such as name/surname sorting) may reset the applications.

In the memory of the phone

On Google Account

In Mi Account (Xiaomi Cloud)

Nana SIM-map

Elsewhere.-->

Clearing the contacts on SIM-map

Many users forget that contacts can be duplicated. SIM-These records are not displayed in the main contact list, but take up space and can be restored when transferred. SIM To another phone, to delete them:

Method 1 (via the "Contact" appendix):

1. Open Contacts. → three-point → Contact management.
2. Choose Import/Export → Management SIM-contact.
3. Click on each contact → Delete (or use the mass removal option if available).

Method 2 (via SIM settings):

• 📌 Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks.
• 📌 Choose yours. SIM-map → Contacts SIM.
• 📌 You can view and delete the records here.

Limitations:

• 🚫 On some models (Redmi Note 10, POCO X3) mass-excision SIM Unavailable – you have to remove one by one.
• 🚫 SIM-Nano-SIM and eSIM cards may not support contact storage.
• 🚫 Contacts to SIM have a length limit (usually up to 20 characters per name and 20 characters per number).

4. Remove contacts from Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

If you used your Xiaomi account to sync, your contacts could be saved to Mi Cloud, and even after you delete them from your phone, they'll stay in the cloud and regrow the next time you sign in, to erase them permanently:

Steps to remove:

1. Go to i.mi.com and log in.
2. Select the Contacts (or Contacts) section.
3. Click on the gear in the upper right corner → Contact management → Delete everything.
4. Confirm the action via SMS or email (if two-factor authentication is enabled).

Important nuances:

⚠️ Warning: If you are selling a phone, it is not enough to simply delete contacts from the Mi Cloud. You need to completely untie the device from your Xiaomi account, otherwise the new owner will be able to recover your data:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi account.
2. Select the exit from the account and confirm.
3. After the exit, reset to factory settings (section 5).

5. Completely reset the phone to factory settings

If you need to not only delete contacts, but also prepare your phone for sale or fix system errors, hard reset will help. This method erases all data from the device, including contacts, messages, photos and app settings.

• 🔄 All local contacts will be deleted without the possibility of recovery.
• ☁️ Contacts from Google or Mi Cloud will be restored when you first connect to the Internet, if you do not turn off sync in advance.
• 📱 Applications and their data will be erased (except for data on the SD-map).

Step-by-step instructions for discharge:

1. Make a backup copy of important data (photos, chats, documents).
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Select Delete All Data (or Delete All Data in Global Firmware).
4. Enter a password/pattern lock if the system requests it.
5. Confirm the reset – the phone will restart and start the cleaning process (it will take 5-15 minutes).

After discharge:

• 🛑 Do not connect to Wi-Fi or mobile internet immediately after turning on unless you want your contacts to be restored from the cloud.
• 🔧 When you first set up, skip the sign-in step to Mi Account or Google Account.
• 📱 If the phone is sold, hand it over to the new owner when it is off.

💡

Before resetting, check if your Xiaomi account is linked to your phone. If so, untie it to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Delete your account. Otherwise, the new owner can restore your data through Find Device.

6. Delete contacts through Google Account

If you use Google Contacts to sync, deleting your phone-only records won’t help — they’ll recover the next update.

Method 1 (via telephone):

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Turn off the contacts sync (slider next to Contacts).
3. Go to the Google Contacts app (download from the Play Market if not installed).
4. Click on three lines in the top left corner → Contact management → Delete contacts.

Method 2 (via computer):

1. Open contacts.google.com in your browser.
2. Sign in under your account.
3. Check the top left corner (select everything) → click on the basket icon.
4. Confirm removal.

What to do if the contacts are not deleted:

• 🔄 Check if sync is enabled in another app (like Truecaller or WhatsApp).
• 🔄 Delete the cache of the Google Contacts app in your phone settings.
• 🔄 If contacts are duplicated, use the Google Contacts merge tool (Duplicates section").

💡

Deleting contacts from your Google Account does not affect entries in Mi Cloud and vice versa. These systems work independently, so you need to delete data in both to completely clean up.

7. Additional methods: ADB and third-party applications

If standard methods fail (e.g., due to system failure or firmware limitations), advanced tools can be used, and these are suitable for advanced users.

Method 1: Removal via ADB

This will require a computer with Xiaomi drivers installed and USB debugging enabled on the phone.

adb shell pm clear com.android.contacts


adb shell pm clear com.miui.contacts

These commands will reset the Contacts app to factory settings, deleting all local data.

Method 2: Third-party applications

Apps like Contact Cleaner or Duplicate Contacts allow you to massively manage records, including hidden duplicates.

⚠️ Note: Some contact cleaning apps request administrator rights or access to the app. SMS. This can be dangerous – such permissions are often used to distribute malware. Before installing, check the reviews and rating of the app in the Play Market.

Recommended Annexes (checked on MIUI 13/14):

• 📌 Simple Contacts – Easy application for managing records without unnecessary permissions.
• 📌 Contacts Backup & Restore – allows you to export/import contacts in the format VCF.
• 📌 Duplicate Contacts Remover – specializes in finding and removing duplicates.

Frequently asked questions