Changing the owner of a smartphone or preparing a device for sale often requires not just a reset, but a thorough and selective cleaning of personal data. Owners Xiaomi and Redmi face the need to delete the entire phone book so that new information does not mix with the old one or to completely depersonalize the gadget before transferring it to another user. Standard methods of deleting one number in this case are completely ineffective and take too much time.
MIUI and its newer version of HyperOS offer several built-in mechanisms for mass record management. However, due to the synchronization features with Mi Account and Google, the process can have hidden nuances. Incorrect sequence of actions can lead to remote numbers being restored automatically through cloud storage.
In this article, we will analyze in detail the algorithms for the complete cleaning of the subscriber list, working with the clipboard. SIM-You'll learn how to guarantee that you erase data without being able to recover it with standard system tools.
Preparation for mass data cleanup
Before you take active deletion action, you need to make sure your data is secure. If you plan to just clear your phone's memory but keep the numbers for yourself, backup is a must, and ignoring this step will lead to the irretrievable loss of your entire call and contact history.
Modern Xiaomi smartphones store information in several layers: locally in the device memory, on the device. SIM-To create a reliable copy, the best way to use the built-in tools of the system that automatically organize the data, this will make it easy to restore the subscriber list on the new device.
💡
Export contacts to a.vcf file before deleting and save them to a computer or external drive is the most reliable way to save data forever.
Check the sync status in your account settings. If you have automatic boot enabled, any change on the server can affect the contents of your phone. Turn off the Internet before you start the procedure if you want to be sure that you are only deleting data locally, or turn it on if the goal is to clean up the cloud.
Removing contacts through a standard application
The most direct way to clean a phone book is to use the built-in Contacts app, which allows MIUI to select groups of objects to perform operations on them, a basic method that works consistently on all models, from the old Redmi Note to the flagship Xiaomi 14.
To start, open the app and go to edit mode. This is usually done by long-term clicking on the first contact in the list. Once the allocation mode is activated, you can select all the records at once or select a specific range. The system can suggest that you highlight all the contacts on the current page or in the entire phone book.
☑️ Delete algorithm through menu
Once you have selected the entire list, a toolbar will appear on the screen, select the basket icon or the "Delete" button, and the system will request confirmation of the operation, as it is irreversible without a backup. Some firmware versions may require you to enter a screen unlock password to confirm it.
⚠️ Note: If you have Google or Mi Cloud sync enabled, deleting contacts on your phone will automatically remove them from the cloud on all connected devices.
The process of deleting a large number of records (over 1000) can take a few seconds, do not interrupt the application or turn off the screen at this point, and after the operation, the list of subscribers will become empty, which will confirm the success of the task.
Work with SIM-map and import/export
Often users forget that numbers can be stored not only in the memory of the smartphone, but also directly on the chip. SIM-To do a complete cleaning, you need to check this medium, and there's always a section in the contact settings menu to manage it. SIM-card.
Go to the app settings and find "Import/Export Contacts" and you'll see options for copying data between your phone's memory and your phone's SIM-If your goal is to delete everything, copy the numbers to your phone first, and then clear the card memory.
| Action. | Source | Appointment | The result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imports | SIM-map | Phone. | Copying numbers to memory |
| Exports | Phone. | SIM-map | Recording numbers on a map |
| Delete | SIM-map | - | Complete SIM cleanup |
| Delete | Phone. | - | Cleaning internal memory |
To remove all records from SIM-Select the option "Delete contacts from the SIM". This is especially true when selling a phone, as the new owner can retrieve the card and access your old numbers if they are left in the chip's memory.
Cleaning up cloud storage Mi Cloud and Google
Deleting your phone records doesn't always mean they're gone. Mi Cloud and Google Contacts have automatic data recovery. If you delete your phone numbers but don't clear the cloud, your next Wi-Fi connection can restore your subscriber list.
To clean up completely, you need to access the web version of the service via a browser on your computer or other device. In the case of Xiaomi, go to i.mi.com and log in to your account. Select Contacts and use the "Select All" function and then "Delete".
You can also select all the entries (using a key combination or a highlight button) and delete them, ensuring that the data does not return to the phone after resetting or synchronizing.
⚠️ Note: Deleting contacts in the cloud will affect all devices that log in to this account, including tablets and laptops.
Once the cloud storage is cleaned, it is recommended to perform forced sync on the phone so that the changes will apply definitively. Go to account settings, select the appropriate service and click "Sync" to update the local database of the device.
Using third-party cleaning applications
If standard tools don’t seem convenient enough or take too long to navigate, you can use specialized utilities from Google Play. There are many client applications that can manage duplicates and massively delete records according to various criteria.
One popular solution is the Duplicate Contacts & Merge app, which not only allows you to find duplicate records, but also highlights the entire list for removal, and the interface of these programs is often more informative and allows you to visually control the process.
Why should you be careful with third-party apps?
When installing such software, Android will request permission to access the phone book, without this right, the program will not be able to perform its function, and once the cleanup is complete, it is recommended that these permissions be immediately revoked in the privacy settings.
Some advanced snails allow you to create filters, such as removing all contacts that don't have a name, or deleting the numbers of certain operators. This can be useful for fine-tuning the phone book before completely cleaning.
Radical method: Reset to factory settings
The most reliable way to delete all contacts, call history, messages and personal files is to completely reset your device, which puts your smartphone back out of the box, ensuring that no data is left in your memory.
To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Reset. Select the option “Erase all data.” The system will warn you that all files will be destroyed. This method is ideal when selling the phone or transferring it to another user.
Path to reset: Settings → About phone → Resetting → Erase all dataIt's important to understand that after this action, the phone will require you to enter the login and password from the Google or Mi Account that was the main one on the device before the reset. This is FRP lock. Make sure you remember the login details.
⚠️ Note: Before performing Hard Reset, be sure to extract SIM-MicroSD card and memory card so as not to lose data on them and not to delete them accidentally.
The reset process takes a few minutes, after which the phone will restart and start as new. There won't be a single record in the phone book unless you restore it from the backup during the initial setup.