Xiaomi Redmi 8 – Complete Recovery Guide (2026)

Did you open a phone book on your Xiaomi Redmi 8, and instead of a contact list, a void? Or did you lose all the saved numbers after updating your MIUI, resetting or accidentally tapping? This problem is familiar to many Xiaomi smartphone users, especially on budget models like Redmi 8, where backup is often disabled by default.

There are a number of ways to restore contacts on Android, from simple (synchronize with Google) to complex (retrieve data from internal memory via ADB). The key is to act quickly: the less time has passed since the contacts disappeared, the better the chances of success. In this article, we will examine 5 proven methods, including hidden MIUI functions, working with backups and even recovering from a hard reset. And if you are not sure what caused the problem, there is a checklist at the end of the article for diagnosis.

⚠️ Important: if contacts are lost after the update MIUI beforehand 12.5+ or 13+, Check the folder first. MIUI/Backup/AllBackup through file manager – the system could automatically back up before the update.

1. Restore contacts through a Google account

The fastest and most reliable way to do this is to sync with your Google account, and if you've enabled this feature before (even by accident), all your contacts could be saved to the cloud. Here's how to return them:

1. Open the Contacts app** (an icon with a human silhouette).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (☰) in the upper left corner and select Settings → Contact management → Import/Export of contacts.
3. Select “Restore Contacts”** and log in to the same Google account that was previously linked to your phone.
4. In the backup list, select the latest one (see the creation date in the column "Last Change").

If there are multiple copies on the list, be guided by the date before your contacts disappear, for example, if the numbers disappear on May 5, choose a copy from May 3-4.

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If there are no backups on the list, check another Google account - it may have been linked to another mailbox. To do this, go to Settings → Accounts and sync and see all the profiles added.

⚠️ Attention: when you recover from Google, your contacts will replace your current phone book data, and if you add new numbers after you go missing, you will have to save them again.

2.Search for Hidden Contacts in MIUI

Sometimes contacts don't disappear, but are simply hidden due to a firmware failure or incorrect display settings. MIUI has a separate section to manage the visibility of numbers:

• 🔍 Open the "Contact»** → press three points (⋮) top-right → Display settings.

There's also a bug in Redmi 8 that hides contacts in the Archive folder to open it:

1. In the “Contacts” app**, click on the search icon (magnifying glass).
2. Enter the request: label:archived (without quotes).
3. If you have any results, select all contacts (long click → ticks) and click Restore.

3.Restore from local MIUI backup

Xiaomi Redmi 8 automatically backs up contacts (and other data) when you upgrade or schedule them, and these files are stored in the phone’s internal memory, and can be retrieved even without root permissions.

To find and restore a copy:

1. Open the standard Backup app** (cloud and arrow icon).
2. Go to the Local Backups tab.
3. Select the most recent copy (orientate yourself to the date before your contacts disappear).
4. Click Restore and tick only Contacts (so as not to erase other data).

If the Backup app** is missing (deleted or hidden), download it from AppGallery (the official source for Xiaomi).

/storage/emulated/0/MIUI/Backup/AllBackup/

Look for folders with names in format Backup_2026-05-15_12-30 (date and time of creation).

4. extract contacts from internal memory (without root)

If there are no backups, but contacts are lost after a crash (for example, after an update or crash of the application), you can try to extract them directly from the Android database.

• 📱 Xiaomi Redmi 8 phone with debugging enabled USB.

Instructions:

1. On the phone, turn on Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times until the inscription “You became a developer” appears).
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and in the command line (or Terminal) do: adb devices If the device is displayed, type: adb pull /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db
4. File. contacts2.db It's copied to your PC. Open it with the software. DB Browser for SQLite.
5. Go to the Data Review tab → table raw_contacts. All the contacts are stored here.

⚠️ Note: This method only works if:

• Contacts have not been physically deleted (e.g., via Clear Data in the app settings).
• You didn't do a full reset after you went missing.
• The phone does not include data encryption (checked in Settings → Lock and Protection → Encryption).

Debugging is on. USB|Installed drivers Xiaomi on PC|The phone is connected in file transfer mode (MTP)|Download Android SDK Platform-Tools|Created a folder for preservation contacts2.db-->

5. Recovery after resetting settings (Hard Reset)

If you've already done a hard reset, the chances of getting your contacts back are plummeting, but they're there. Here's what you can try:

Method 1: Through Mi Account (if enabled)

Xiaomi saves some of the data in the Mi Cloud even if Google sync is disabled.

1. Go to i.mi.com and log in.
2. Go to the Contacts section.
3. If you have numbers, export them to the.vcf file (Export button in the upper right corner).
4. Import the file back to your phone via Contacts → Import/Export.

Method 2: Data recovery programs

If you've recently reset within 1-2 days, you can try programs like Dr.Fone or EaseUS MobiSaver, which scan your internal memory for deleted files. Importantly, don't write new data to your phone until you recover it, which reduces your chances of success.

Method 3: Contacting a Service Center

If contacts are critical (e.g., customer work numbers) and self-recovery didn’t work, contact Xiaomi’s official service. They have tools to extract data from the memory chip (e.g., via the Chip-Off method). ₽ depending on the complexity.

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After a hard reset, never create new contacts or install apps – this overwrites the memory sectors where old data may have been stored.

Prevention: How to avoid future contact loss

To avoid missing contacts, set up automatic backup:

• 🔄 Google Sync: Open Settings → Accounts and synchronization → Google. Select your account and turn on the Contacts switch. Click More → Synchronize now.
• 📱 Local backups MIUI: Start the Backup app**. Select Settings → Automatic backup: Set a schedule (e.g. once a week) and check Contacts.

Export to the VCF file:

1. In "Contacts"** press ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports.

Also install apps for additional backup:

• Super Backup & Restore (Automatic Export to Google Drive)
• Contacts Backup (saves contacts in XML format)
• Mi Mover (the official Xiaomi application for data transfer).