How to change the contact name on Xiaomi Redmi 9: 5 ways + solving problems with duplicates

Xiaomi Redmi 9 owners often face the need to edit names in a phone book — whether it’s a typo on the first save, changing a friend’s last name, or wanting to bring all contacts to a single format. Unlike older button phones, where editing took seconds, modern smartphones with MIUI offer several ways to change names, each of which has its own nuances.

In this article, we will not only discuss basic editing methods through the standard Contacts app, but also alternative ways: synchronizing with Google Account, working with duplicate records, as well as hidden MIUI 12/13 firmware chips that will simplify the management of the phone book, paying special attention to typical errors that may cause changes to persist, such as conflicts between local and cloud contacts.

If you’ve ever lost edited data after a device reboot or experienced changes in one app (like WhatsApp) not showing up in another, this guide will help you understand the reasons and find a solution.

1. Basic method: editing through the “Contacts” application

The most obvious and quickest method is to use the built-in Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette on a green background), which is suitable for local contacts saved directly on the device, as well as for records synchronized with Mi Account (but not with Google!).

Step instructions:

• 📱 Open the Contacts app on the home screen or in the app menu.
• 🔍 Find the right contact through the search bar or scroll through the list manually.
• ✏️ Tap the contact name to open his card, then click the Edit button (pencil in the upper right corner).
• 📝 Change the fields Name and Surname. MIUI You can also add patronymic, Prefix (for example, “Dr.”) or Suffix (Ml.»).
• 💾 Press Save (check at the top) Changes apply immediately.

An important nuance: if a contact is synced with a Google Account, editing through the standard Contacts app may not work, in which case the changes will be canceled the next time you update your data from Google servers. To avoid this, use the method in Section 3.

Are there any duplicate contacts with the same number?|Whether the country code is correct (e.g, +7 for Russia)|Sync with Mi Account enabled (if necessary)|Contact is not marked as “Spam” (check the bottom of the card)-->

2. Editing by Call or SMS

Few people know, but you can change the name of the contact directly during the call or from correspondence to the Internet. SMS/MMS. This method is convenient if you need to quickly correct a typo without opening the Contacts app.

How it works:

• 📞 During an incoming/outgoing call, click on the subscriber name at the top of the screen. → Edit.
• 💬 In the Messages app, open a dialogue with the right person, touch his name at the top. → Contact information → Edit.

Redmi 9 features: In some versions of MIUI, when editing via SMS, changes only apply to the local copy of the contact, even if it is synced with Google. To avoid discrepancies, after editing, open the full contact card and check if the edits are saved in the cloud.

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If the contact is displayed without a name (only number), but you are sure that it is saved - check the display settings in Contacts. → ⚙️ → Display contacts. Maybe you've turned on a group or account filter.

3. Change your name through Google Contacts (for synchronized entries)

If your Redmi 9 is linked to a Google Account, all contacts are saved by default to the Google cloud (unless your sync settings are changed). Editing such records directly through the Contacts app on your phone is a bad idea: the changes may conflict with the server version.

It is better to use the Google Contacts web interface:

1. Open your browser on your phone or PC and go to contacts.google.com.
2. Sign in with the same account as Redmi 9.
3. Find a contact through a search or list, click on it → Edit (pencil icon).
4. Change your name, surname or other fields, and additional options are available, such as pronunciation of the name (useful for foreign contacts).
5. Save the changes. They sync to the phone for 1-5 minutes (depending on the speed of the Internet).

Why is this more reliable? When editing through the web, you work directly with the data source, avoiding possible MIUI bugs. In addition, it is easier to manage duplicates: Google automatically offers to combine similar contacts.

Through the "Contact" app on the phone|On Google Contacts on PC|Right on the bell./SMS|I use third-party apps.-->

4. Management of duplicate contacts

One of the most common problems with the Xiaomi Redmi 9 is the appearance of duplicate entries.

• 🔄 Sync with multiple accounts (Google) + Mi Account + SIM-map).
• 📱 Import contacts from an old phone without cleaning.
• 🤖 Automatically create records by some messengers (for example, Telegram or Viber).

To combine or remove duplicates:

1. Open Contacts. → ⚙️ → Contact management → Connecting contacts.
2. The system will automatically find possible duplicates. Opposite each sentence will be a "Unite" button.
3. For manual search, use the filter by group: All contacts → ⚙️ → Display contacts and select a specific account (e.g., Google only).

⚠️ Note: When you combine contacts, data from a less complete record will be lost, for example, if one take only shows the number and the other one shows the number. + email, after the merger, only the number will remain!

5. Export and import of contacts: how to transfer changes to another phone

If you’re planning to change your phone or make a backup, it’s helpful to know how to export edited contacts. On Redmi 9, you can do this in.vcf (business card) or sync with the cloud.

Export instructions:

1. Open Contacts. → ⚙️ → Contact management → Import/Export of contacts.
2. Select Export to file and specify which contacts to keep (e.g., only from Google Account).
3. The file will be saved in the Internal Storage → MIUI → backup → Contacts folder, which can be copied to a PC or sent by email.

For import on a new phone:

• 📁 Place the.vcf file in the device memory.
• 🔄 In the same Import/Export menu, select Import from the device and specify the file.
• ⚠️ When importing, doubles are possible - after the procedure, check the contacts for repetitions.

Problems and Solutions: Why Changes Are Not Persistent

Sometimes, after editing, the contact name rolls back to the previous version, for the following reasons:

1. Synchronization conflict

If the contact is saved in both Google Account and Mi Account, changes to one source can be overwritten by another.

• 🔗 Open the Settings. → Accounts and disable contact sync for one of the accounts.
• 🔄 Or combine duplicate records (see Section 4).

2. Contacts app cache error

Sometimes the Contacts app forgets the changes made because of the cache that's damaged, and then resets it:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Contacts, open Warehouse and click Clear Cache.
3. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Warning: Don’t click Clear Data – this will delete all local contacts that aren’t synced to the cloud!

3. Limitations SIM-map

Contacts saved on SIM-If you try to type a longer name, it will be cut:

• 📲 Move the contact with SIM telephone: Contacts → ⚙️ → Imports/Exports → Import with SIM.
• 🔄 Edit the local recording already.

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If the changes don't persist even after all the manipulations, try removing the contact completely and re-create it, often with the help of "hang" entries in the database.

FAQ: Frequent questions about editing contacts on Redmi 9