Recovering contacts from Google on Xiaomi smartphones: all ways

Losing contacts on Xiaomi is one of the most frustrating situations for a smartphone owner, especially if you're talking about hundreds of important numbers collected over the years. Fortunately, if you've used a Google account to sync, you can get everything back in place in a matter of clicks. But what if the sync is turned off? Or if the contacts are lost after being reset to factory settings? In this article, we'll look at all the working ways of recovery, from the standard to the little-known.

The main problem with Xiaomi users (especially the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 or Mi 11 models) is not understanding where the contacts are stored.

📱 Locally – only in the phone’s memory (risk of loss when resetting)
☁️ Google Account – synced to the cloud
🔄 V MI-Account – backup from Xiaomi (less often)
💾 In the export file – if you did backup manually

We're going to focus on the first and second options, because they cover 95 percent of the time, and if you're not sure if you're syncing, check this right now: go to Settings → Google Accounts → Account Sync → Contacts. If the switch is active, your data is safe.

1. Standard Recovery through Google Synchronization

The easiest and fastest way is to automatically sync with Google, and it works if you:

🔄 You have previously logged in to a Google account on this phone.
☁️ Contact synchronization was included (even if long ago)
📱 Device connected to the Internet (Wi-Fi or mobile data)

To restore contact:

Open the settings on your Xiaomi.
Go to Accounts and Sync (or Memory and Sync on MIUI 14+).
Select your Google account (if not, add it through Add Account).
Slip on the item Synchronization of the account.
Activate the switch opposite Contact.
Wait 5-10 minutes – contacts will appear in the Contacts app.

⚠️ Warning: If the contacts don't show up after synchronization, check if they're hidden. Go to Contacts, click three dots (⋮) → Settings → Contact management → Make sure all accounts are displayed (Google, SIM, device).

📊 How often do you back up your contacts?

Never.

Once a year.

Every month.

Just before you drop your phone.

2. Recovery after reset to factory settings

If you have performed Hard Reset (reset via Settings) → The phone. → Setting reset, contacts could disappear, but if Google syncs were enabled before reset, they can be easily returned:

Step 1 When you first set up your phone after resetting:

📱 On the Welcome screen, select Copy Data.
☁️ Enter your Google account details.
🔄 In the Data Recovery section, tick Contacts.
👉 Wait until the process is completed (it can take up to 15 minutes).

Step 2: If the phone is already set up but the contacts are not restored:

🔧 Go to Settings. → Google accounts → Synchronization.
🔄 Enable contact synchronization and wait for updates.
📲 Open the Contacts app and update the list (pull down).

☑️ Preparation for post-discharge recovery

Make sure your phone is connected to Wi-FiBattery charge >50%Know the login and password from the Google accountCheck if the synchronization of contacts is enabled

Done: 0 / 4

If the contacts never appeared, they may have been saved locally (only on the phone), and the following method will help.

3. Manual recovery from Google backup

Google automatically backs up your contacts, even if you didn't know they were, to manually restore them:

Method 1: Through the web version of Google Contacts

Open contacts.google.com on your computer or phone.
Sign in with the same account as Xiaomi.
In the left menu, select More → Cancel the changes.
Please specify the date on which you need to restore contacts (available up to 30 days ago).
Press Confirm.

Method 2: Import from a VCF file

If you have a backup in.vcf format (for example, from a previous phone):

Copy the file to Xiaomi (in any folder).
Open the Contacts app.
Press three points (⋮) → Contact management → Imports/Exports.
Select Import from the device and specify the.vcf file.

⚠️ Note: If you import contacts from the old.vcf file, they may be duplicated with existing contacts. Before importing, it is recommended to export current contacts (on the same Import / Export screen). → Export to device).

What if Google Contacts doesn’t show older versions?

If the "Cancel Changes" option is inactive, then backups are not saved. In this case, try: 1. Check other Google accounts that may have been connected to the phone. 2. Search for *.vcf files in the phone's memory or on the old one. SIM-3. Contact Google Support – sometimes they can recover data on request (unless the account has been deleted).

4. Recovery through MI-Account (for Xiaomi users)

If Google sync is disabled, but you have MI-account (Xiaomi account), the chances of returning contacts remain. Xiaomi automatically backs up data when you connect to the account.

To restore contact through MI-account:

Open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset.
Select Restore from backup.
Log in on your own. MI-account.
Select the most recent backup (check the date of creation).
Check Contacts and click Restore.

Please note:

🔄 Backup copies MI-Accounts are only kept for 30 days.
📱 If the phone has been dropped, you must first enter the MI-account-setting.
☁️ Contacts from MI-Google accounts can be duplicated – check them after you restore them.

Recovery method	Internet is required	Max: Retention period of the copy	Suitable after discharge
Synchronization of Google	✅ Yes.	✅ No restrictions.	✅ Yes.
Recovery through MI-account	✅ Yes.	❌ 30 days	✅ Yes.
Import of the VCF file	❌ No.	✅ No restrictions.	✅ Yes.
Reverse Changes to Google Contacts	✅ Yes.	❌ 30 days	✅ Yes.

Re-establishment of contacts with SIM-map or local memory

If the contacts are retained on SIM-In the local memory of the phone, they can also be returned.

S SIM-map:

Insert SIM in Xiaomi (if you didn’t have one).
Open Contacts → Settings → Contact Management.
Select Import/Export → Import from SIM-card.
Specify where to save contacts (Google or device memory).

From local memory:

If the contacts were only saved on your phone (without sync), try:

🔍 Use data recovery software (e.g. Dr.Fone or EaseUS MobiSaver).
💾 Check the folder. /storage/emulated/0/Contacts for the presence of.vcf files.
📱 If the phone doesn’t turn on, connect it to your PC in Recovery mode and copy the data.

⚠️ Note: Data recovery software (like Dr.Fone) only works if no new files are written to your phone after you delete contacts. The faster you start recovery, the better the chances of success.

💡

If you lose contacts frequently, set up automatic export to the VCF file. To do this, in the Contacts app, select Settings → Export to your device and save a copy once a month to the cloud (Google Drive, Yandex.Disk).

6. What should I do if nothing helps?

If none of these things worked, don't panic. Here are the alternatives.

If your contacts are lost from your Google account (for example, after being hacked or accidentally deleted), you can:

📧 Write in support of Google through the form: support.google.com/contacts.
🔍 Indicate the approximate date of loss of contacts.
📎 Attach screenshots (if there is evidence that contacts have been made).

Google can recover data within 1-2 weeks.

Check other devices

If you have a different phone or tablet where you logged in to the same Google account:

📱 Open your contacts on it.
🔄 Make sure the synchronization is enabled.
☁️ Export contacts to.vcf file and transfer to Xiaomi.

Use third-party services

Some services (such as My Contacts Backup) allow you to retrieve contacts by email.

Install the app on another phone.
Send backup copy to your mail.
Download the file to Xiaomi and import it.

💡

If contacts are lost after the MIUI update, try rolling back the system to the previous version via Settings → About Phone → System Update → Three Points → Service Pack selection. Sometimes this returns deleted data.

FAQ: Frequent questions about reconnecting with Xiaomi

Can I restore contacts if my phone is not turned on?

Yes, but it will require: Connect your phone to your PC in Fastboot or Recovery mode; use software like ADB or TWRP to copy data; if your phone is completely dead, contact a service center (maybe you can retrieve the data from the memory chip); the chances depend on the cause of the failure (if memory is damaged, the data can be lost forever).

Why are the contacts duplicated after the recovery?

This happens if: You have restored contacts from both Google and Google. MI-Imported an old.vcf file over existing contacts. Synced with multiple accounts. To remove duplicates: Open Google Contacts. On the left menu, select Duplicates. Click Combine all.

How to check if your contacts are synced with Google?

Do the following: Open the settings → Google accounts → Account sync. Make sure the switch opposite Contact is active. Add a test contact on your phone and check if it shows up on contacts.google.com: 🔄 Reboot the phone. 📶 Check your internet connection. 🔧 Delete and add a Google account again.

Can I restore contacts that were deleted more than a month ago?

Google's standard tools only allow you to roll back changes for 30 days. But there are workarounds: Check archived copies of Gmail: Google sometimes saves contacts in emails (search for contacts:vcard in Gmail). Contact Google for support: Point out that contacts were critical (for example, for work). Look for backups on older devices: Maybe contacts are left on the previous phone or tablet. The chances are small, but with a comprehensive approach, you can sometimes return at least some of data.

How to protect yourself from losing contacts in the future?

Never lose contact again: 🔄 Enable automatic sync with Google (Settings) → Accounts. → Synchronization). ☁️ Export contacts to the file once every 1-2 months (via Contacts) → Settings → Exports). 📱 Use two accounts to make reservations (Google) + MI-account). 🔐 Set up two-factor authentication on your Google account so it doesn’t get hacked, and it’s also helpful to install the Google One app, which automatically backs up your contacts, photos, and messages.