Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often face the need to quickly clean the phone book of tens or hundreds of unnecessary entries, which may be due to switching to a new number, removing temporary courier contacts, or wanting to clean up a chaotic call list. The standard interface of the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS offers several hidden features that avoid manually deleting each record one at a time.
The process of mass deletion can vary significantly depending on where your data is stored: in the internal memory of the phone, on the phone, on the phone, on the phone. SIM-Incorrect actions can result in the loss of important information if no pre-synchronization or backup was performed. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at all the methods available, from standard tools to cloud services, so you can clean your contact list safely and quickly.
It's worth noting that the application interface may vary slightly depending on the version of the Android operating system and the regional firmware, but the basic principles of working with the phone book remain the same for the entire ecosystem of the Chinese manufacturer, and we will look at the nuances of working with duplicates that often occur when changing devices, and how to automatically eliminate them.
Preparation for mass deletion of data
Before embarking on radical measures to clean the caller list, it is essential to make sure your data is secure. Accidental deletion of important numbers is a common mistake that can cost you time and nerves. Backup is a must-have step that cannot be ignored, even if you are confident in your actions.
The most reliable way to save information is to use Google Contacts cloud service. Make sure your device is synced. To do this, go to your phone settings, look for Accounts and Sync, and check your Google account status. If the slider is active, your data is already stored in the cloud.
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Before mass deletion, go to contacts.google.com from your computer and make sure all important numbers are displayed there.
It is also worth checking whether important numbers are stored exclusively on the SIM-Modern smartphones allow you to copy contacts from a SIM card into your phone's memory or your Google account. SIM without prior copying, it will be extremely difficult to restore them without specialized equipment.
⚠️ Attention: Deleting contacts from your Google account on your phone will automatically remove them from the cloud and on all other devices that log in to that account.
Removing contacts through a standard application
The fastest way to clean a phone book is to use the built-in Contacts app, which is pre-installed on all Xiaomi smartphones and has the functionality to work with groups and highlight multiple entries. The interface may look different, but the logic of the actions remains similar.
Open the app and go to List View mode. At the top of the screen or in the menu (three dots or three bars), find "Select All" or "Contact Management." In some versions of MIUI, pressing any contact long enough to activate the Allocation mode is enough.
☑️ Algorithm of removal through the application
Once all the necessary entries are highlighted, click the delete button, which usually looks like a shopping cart icon. The system will request confirmation of the operation. This is protection against accidental clicks. Once confirmed, the selected contacts will be moved to the shopping cart or deleted permanently, depending on your account settings.
It's important to distinguish where the deleted records are, if you have contacts on your phone or from your phone. SIM-And from Google, the app can suggest you choose a source to filter, and removing "all" can only affect the group that you see right now.
Working with duplicate contacts on Xiaomi
One of the main reasons for the cluttered phone book is duplicates, which occur when synchronized from different devices, restored from backups or imported from VCF files. Xiaomi smartphones have a built-in tool to combine such records, which is more effective than simple deletion.
The unification feature allows you to save all information (numbers, addresses, email) in one card, removing unnecessary copies. To access this tool, open the Contacts app, click on the menu and select Settings or Contact Management.
The system will automatically analyze the list and suggest combining the records with the same names or phone numbers, so you can agree to all the sentences or view them one by one, which is especially useful when the same person is recorded under slightly different names or from different numbers.
| Cleaning method | Speed of operation | Risk of data loss | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual removal | Low. | Minimum | 1-10 contacts |
| Singling out all | Tall. | Medium. | Complete cleaning |
| Combination of takes | Medium | Low. | Cleaning up |
| Through Google (web) | Tall. | High-pitched | Mass cleaning |
Note: The risk of data loss when working through Google’s web interface is high only in the case of erroneous selection and deletion confirmation, as changes apply instantly to all devices.
Using Google Contacts for Mass Cleanup
The most powerful contact management tool is the web version of Google Contacts, which makes it much more convenient to work with large amounts of data than a small smartphone screen, and is especially effective if you want to delete several hundred records or clear the list of spam calls.
To start, open your browser on your computer or smartphone and go to contacts.google.com. Make sure you’re logged in to the same account that your Xiaomi uses. The interface here is more informative and allows you to see many lines at once.
On the left side of the screen, you'll see a list of categories. To highlight all contacts at once, click on the square at the top left of the list (above the first contact). A pop-up message will appear saying "Select all (number)" Click on this link to highlight absolutely all entries in the current view.
Action: Click on the basket icon in the top panel -> Confirm removalOnce all the records are selected, click on the cart icon. Google will ask for confirmation, warning you of the number of items to be removed. Once confirmed, the contacts will disappear from the list. However, they will not disappear permanently immediately, they will move to the cart, where they will be stored for 30 days.
⚠️ Note: Changes made through the web version of Google Contacts are synced to your smartphone when you have internet. Make sure the phone is connected to the network so that the changes show up in the device.
Clearing contacts with SIM-map
Contacts stored on SIM-The cards have limited functionality and often do not contain full names or additional fields. On modern Xiaomi smartphones, their management is placed in a separate menu of the settings of the Contacts or Phone application».
To gain access to management SIM-With a map, open the Contacts app, click three dots in the corner and select Settings. In the list, find Contacts on the SIM-map” or “Management SIM-This is a list of all the records that are physically stored on the chip.
This menu usually includes the "Delete All" function or the ability to select multiple entries to delete. SIM-They disappear without the possibility of recovery through the Google shopping cart, as it is a local storage chip.
Why contact us SIM-map may be cut off?
It is recommended not to keep the main contacts on the SIM-It is better to use the function "Import with the map". SIM-maps" to transfer them to a Google account or phone memory, and then clear the SIM card itself, which will ensure that the data is stored in case of a breakage or loss of the phone.
Recovery of remote contacts
If you accidentally delete the numbers you want in the process of mass cleaning, don't panic. Google and Mi Cloud have built-in recovery mechanisms. Google Contacts has a special "Cancel Changes" feature that allows you to roll back the state of the phone book in time.
To recover, go to Google Contacts (cog in the web version) and select Cancel Changes. You will be prompted to select a time frame: 10 minutes ago, 1 hour, yesterday or a date (up to 30 days).
In the case of Mi Cloud (Xiaomi cloud), you have to go to i.mi.com, log in and go to Contacts, and there's also a shopping cart where deleted records are stored for 30 days, and you can select the ones you want and click the restore button.
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The “Cancel Changes” feature in Google Contacts is the most reliable way to return deleted data, but it only works for 30 days from the moment of deletion.
After the recovery procedure, it is recommended to make a new backup immediately to record the “healthy” state of the phone book.