Contact Filtering in Xiaomi: A Complete Guide to Sorting, Searching, and Managing

Xiaomi smartphones based on the company shell MIUI They offer flexible tools for working with the phone book, but many users still don’t know how to effectively filter contacts. Meanwhile, properly configuring filters saves minutes of daily search among hundreds of records, helps avoid duplicates, and even protects against spam calls. In this article, we will examine all the available methods, from the standard features of the Contacts app to hidden features. MIUI 14/15 and third-party solutions.

Xiaomi’s feature is that contact filtering works differently here than on pure Android, such as the system has a built-in grouping by account (Google, Mi Account, SIM-And there's a map that's missing the favorites section, which is used instead of a tag system, and the Hidden Contacts function is so deep that it's hard to find without a hint, and we're going to show you where to look for each tool and how to customize it for your own purposes.

Basic filtering in the "Contacts" app

The easiest way to sort contacts is to use built-in filters in a standard application. → ☰ (menu) → Settings → Contact mapping. There are three main parameters available:

• 📱 All contacts – displays records from all accounts and SIM-Useful if you sync data to Google and Mi Cloud at the same time.
• 🔍 Phones only – hides contacts without numbers (e.g. email addresses or notes) saves time when searching.
• 📇 By account – allows you to choose which sources to show: only Google, only Mi Account or data from the Internet. SIM-map.

Pay attention to the “Show Duplicate Contacts” switch – it is better to turn it off if your phone book has many repeating entries. MIUI It automatically glues the takes, but sometimes it makes a mistake (for example, it combines different people with the same names), in which case you will have to edit the records manually.

Another useful filter is alphabetical sorting. Xiaomi defaults to show contacts in order A.→I can, but you can change the direction to me.→It's also in the same settings. This is convenient if you often search for the last letters of the alphabet (for example, the last names on "Z" or "I").

2.Search and fast filters

Search system in MIUI Not only can you search by name, it can also filter contacts by additional criteria, so you can use advanced search:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Slip on the magnifying glass icon (🔍) top-down.
3. Enter a part of the name, number or email.
4. Click on the filter to the right of the search bar (funnel icon).

In the menu you will see the following options:

Important feature MIUI 14+: It can search for contacts from fragments of a number, even if they are written in a non-standard format, for example, if the phone book saves the number as a number. +7 912 345-67-89, And you type in the search. 9123456789 or 8-912-345 — It's still gonna be found. It works for international numbers.

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To quickly find contact on the first letter, swipe your finger on the right side panel in the Contacts app - an alphabetical index will appear.

Grouping and contact labels

Xiaomi offers two ways to structure contacts: standard groups (like Google Contacts) and unique tags (a feature). MIUI). Let's look at both options.

Groups are formed as follows:

1. Open Contacts → Groups → Create a Group
2. Please specify a name (e.g., "Work", "Friends", "Family").
3. Add the necessary contacts through the button. +.

Groups sync with Google Akkaunt, so they'll be seen on other devices, but tags are a local feature. MIUI, It only works on your smartphone, to add a tag:

1. Open the contact card.
2. Tap on three points (⋮) → Add a tag.
3. Select a color and name (e.g., "VIP", "Debt", "Relative").

Labels are displayed as colored labels next to the contact name, and their main advantage is that you can filter instantly: just tap on the tag on the contact list, and the system will show all the records with the same label, which is more convenient than groups when you need to quickly find all the "colleagues" or "clients."

Add a "VIP" label for close people|Label debtors as “Duty"|Make your work contacts green with a green label|Use a red tag for spammers-->

4.Hidden contacts and blacklist

If you need to temporarily hide some contacts (for example, from prying eyes) or completely block unwanted numbers, you can use the Internet to avoid any contact. MIUI There are two tools:

• 👤 Hidden contacts - the record remains in the phone book, but does not appear in the main list.
• 🚫 Blacklist – Numbers are blocked for calls and SMS. Contact remains visible, but any attempts to communicate with it will be ignored.

To hide contact:

1. Open the contact card.
2. Tap it on three points (⋮) → Hide contact.
3. Confirm the action (you will need to enter a password or pattern lock, if installed).

To see hidden contacts, go to Settings → Confidentiality → Hidden contacts. You can put them back on the main list here:

1. Open the phone. → ☰ (menu) → Blacklist.
2. Press. + and select the contact or enter the number manually.

An important nuance: hidden contacts remain available for applications (for example, WhatsApp or Viber can see them).If you want to completely remove the contact trace, you should use the "Delete and Clear" function in the card settings.

Filtering by accounts and SIM-map

If you use multiple accounts (Google, Mi Account) or two SIM-map, MIUI It allows you to filter contacts by source, and it's useful when you need to switch between work and personal numbers quickly.

To set up the display by accounts:

1. Go to Contacts. → ☰ (menu) → Settings → Contact display.
2. Select "Show contacts from".
3. Check the boxes for the right sources: Google, Mi Cloud, SIM 1, SIM 2 or "Phone Only" (local contacts).

For SIM-maps available additional setting: you can link specific contacts to a certain SIMIt's convenient if you have one, for example. SIM The second one is for personal calls, to connect to the SIM:

1. Open the contact card.
2. Put it on the phone number.
3. Select "Use" SIM-map and indicate SIM 1 SIM 2.

After that, when calling this number, the system will automatically use the selected number. SIM-And in the contact list next to the number, a link mark will appear (for example, Mobile Phone (SIM 1)).

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If you remove the contact associated with SIM-It will disappear from the memory of the phone. SIM Records will remain – they must be erased separately through the Contact Menu → ☰ → Management SIM-contact.

6. Third-party applications for extended filtering

If the built-in tools MIUI Not enough, you can use third-party apps, they offer more flexible filters, automatic sorting, and even analysis of contact activity.-3 solution:

• 📊 Contacts+ — It can group contacts by geolocation, call frequency, even social media.
• 🔍 Truecaller – in addition to filtering by name and number, identifies spammers and scammers in real time.
• 📇 Simpler Contacts – a minimalist application with convenient tags and color groups, supports backup.

When choosing a third-party application, pay attention to two points:

1. Synchronization: Some programs (e.g. Contacts)+) Create your own contact database that is not synced with Google or Mi Cloud.
2. Security: Apps like Truecaller require access to your phone book and upload data to their servers, and if privacy is critical, it's best to use offline solutions.

To avoid duplication, export contacts from the standard Contacts to the.vcf file before installing a third-party application (via Settings). → Export/Import: Once you have set up a new application, you can import data back.

7. Automatic Filtering and Smart Rules

MIUI It can automatically sort contacts by given rules, such as configuring only the records you've recently spoken to, or hiding numbers without names, which are hidden in the Smart Rules menu. MIUI 13+).

To enable automatic filtration:

1. Go to Contacts. → ☰ → Settings → Smart rules.
2. Activate the "Show only active contacts" switch.
3. Specify the period (e.g., "Last 3 months").

Other useful automatic filters:

• 📞 "Frequent Contacts – Only shows people you’ve called or texted in the past 30 days.
• 📌 "Fixed contacts" - allows you to fix important entries at the top of the list (analogue of "Favorites").
• 🔕 "Hide nameless ones – hides numbers without saved names (helpful against spam).

Nana MIUI 14/15 Contextual prompts: The system analyzes your calls and suggests adding tags or groups for frequently used contacts, such as if you regularly call a number during business hours, MIUI ask: "Add this contact to the 'Work' group'?".

8.Filter backup and restoration

After setting up filters, groups, and tags, remember to back up – when you reset your phone or update. MIUI All local settings can go off. Xiaomi has three ways to save contacts:

Important: tags and some filter settings are not synced with the clouds. To save them, use local export to.vcf or.xml (for example, for the cloud). MIUI). For that:

1. Go to Contacts. → ☰ → Imports/Exports → Export to file.
2. Choose the format VCF (for all devices; or XML (only MIUI).
3. Save the file to Mi Drive or memory card.

When you restore.xml, not only will your contacts return, but all tags, groups, and even your call history (if it was included in the backup), but when you import from.vcf, you will have to reconfigure the tags.

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If you plan to reset your phone to factory settings, first check if contact sync is enabled in Settings. → Without it, all unsaved data will be lost!

FAQ: Frequent questions about filtering contacts in Xiaomi