Why rename your contacts to Xiaomi and what you need to know before you start
Rename contacts on smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO It seems like a simple task – until you encounter nuances. MIUI. Unlike pure Android, Xiaomi’s firmware offers several ways to edit names, each of which behaves differently when synchronized with Google Account, Mi Cloud or Google. SIM-For example, changing a name through the standard Contacts app may not be reflected in WhatsApp or Telegram if the contact is linked to another source.
Another trap is duplicate contacts. If you edit a record that is stored simultaneously in your phone's memory and in Google, the system can create two separate contacts instead of updating an existing one, which is especially true for users who have migrated from an iPhone or other Android device where the logic of storing contacts is different. Before making changes, check which source the contact is linked to: this will save time searching for "disappeared" records after editing.
In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to rename contacts to Xiaomi in 2026, including the hidden features of MIUI 14/15, as well as solve typical problems: why changes do not persist, how to combine duplicates and what to do if the contact is stuck in the old name.
Method 1: Rename through the standard “Contacts” app
The most obvious method is to use the built-in Contacts app (an icon with a human silhouette on a green background), which works on all Xiaomi models, from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra, but there are nuances depending on the version of MIUI.
Instructions:
- 📱 Open the Contacts app (if it isn’t on the home screen, search through the swipe search down).
- 🔍 Enter the contact name in the search bar or scroll through the list manually.
- ✏️ Click on the desired contact, then tap on the pencil icon (Edit) in the upper right corner.
- 📝 Change the field Name (and surname if necessary). For Cyrillic names, use the register as in the passport, this will help avoid problems with banking applications.
- 💾 Click Save (check in the top corner).
⚠️ Note: If the old name is displayed in messengers (Viber, WhatsApp) after saving, then the contact is synchronized with another source. → Select your phone (local storage) instead of Google or Mi Cloud.
Do not disturb mode is turned off (can block synchronization)|Contact is not duplicated on another account|Name entered without unnecessary spaces or symbols|Internet connection stable (for cloud contacts)-->
Method 2: Editing through Google Contacts (for synchronized posts)
If the contact is saved in Google Account, changing the name through the standard Contacts app on Xiaomi may not work due to conflict of versions, in which case it is better to edit the record directly through Google Contacts.
How to do this:
- Open your browser on your phone or PC and go to contacts.google.com.
- Sign in with the same account that is linked to the phone.
- Find the right contact through search or manually.
- Click on the contact, then on the pencil icon (Change).
- Edit the fields Name and Surname, add transliteration if necessary (for example, for foreign trips).
- Save the changes.
Sync with the phone usually takes 1 to 5 minutes.
- 🔄 Reboot the phone.
- 📶 Check your internet connection.
- 🔧 Go to Settings. → Accounts. → Google → Synchronize and enable the contact option.
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If you edit contacts frequently, add the Google Contacts shortcut to the home screen: open the site in Chrome, click ⋮ → Add to the main screen.
Method 3: Using Mi Cloud for Xiaomi Contacts
Mi Cloud is Xiaomi’s own cloud storage, which syncs contacts across all devices with one Mi Account by default. If you use multiple Xiaomi smartphones (e.g. Redmi for work and POCO for personal), editing through Mi Cloud ensures that names are displayed the same on all gadgets.
Step-by-step:
- Open Settings → Mi Account (or Xiaomi Account in new versions of MIUI).
- Make sure that the contact sync option is enabled.
- Return to the Contacts app, find the desired entry and click Edit.
- Change the name and save. The system will automatically update the data in Mi Cloud.
⚠️ Note: If the contact is duplicated in Google and Mi Cloud, after editing through Mi Cloud, there may be a conflict:
1. Export all contacts to the VCF file (Settings → Contact Management → Export). 2. Remove duplicates via Settings → Combine and Fix. 3. Disable sync with Google (Settings → Accounts → Google → Contact Sync).
What if Mi Cloud doesn’t sync your contacts?
Method 4: Quickly rename via call menu
Few people know, but you can change the name of the contact right at the time of the call or from the call log, which is convenient if you need to urgently correct a typo or add a surname.
How it works:
- 📞 Open the phone application (pipe icon).
- 📋 Go to the Journal section and find the desired number.
- 👤 Click on the contact icon (or the number itself if the contact is not saved).
- ✏️ Slip on the pencil icon (Edit) in the top corner.
- 📝 Change your name and keep it.
✅ The advantage of this is speed, and you don't have to look for a long list of contacts, especially if you remember you called that person recently, but be careful, if the contact is linked to Google, the changes may not be saved due to a conflict of access rights. In this case, use Method 2 (editing through Google Contacts).
Problem Solving: Why Contacts Are Not Renamed
Even after following the instructions, name changes may not apply, and here are the most common reasons and solutions.
| Problem. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The name does not change in messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) | Contact synced with another source (SIM, Google, Mi Cloud) | Combine duplicates through Settings → Combine and correct or edit the entry in the account used by the messenger |
| After editing, a double contact appears | Contact is stored simultaneously in the phone’s memory and in the cloud. | Remove one of the takes by leaving the desired version. Use Settings → Export/Import for backup |
| Changes are reset after rebooting | Cache failure of the Contacts or MIUI application | Clear the cache (Settings → Apps → Contacts → Clear the cache) or update the MIUI |
| You cannot edit the contact (Save button is inactive) | Contact saved on SIM-card (it supports only number and name without additional fields) | Transfer the contact to your phone or Google memory: open the contact → More → Export to your device |
If none of these methods helped, try resetting the Contacts app settings:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find Contacts and select Warehouse.
- Click Clear Data (this will delete all local contacts, but cloud ones will remain).
- Restart your phone and try to edit the contact again.
More tips: how to avoid contact issues on Xiaomi
To avoid future duplicates, lost changes or synchronization conflicts, follow these guidelines:
- 🔗 Choose one primary storage source: Google, Mi Cloud, or local storage. Don't use all three at the same time.
- 📱 Clean up the doubles regularly: run Settings once a month → Combining and correcting.
- 🔄 Check sync: After editing the contact, open Settings → Accounts and make sure synchronization is enabled.
- 📄 Backup: Export contacts to the file VCF before mass changes (e.g., before resetting the phone).
If you travel or talk to foreigners frequently, add the name pronunciation field (available in Google Contacts) to your contacts, which will help Google Assistant (Alice) correctly name your contacts. For example, for the name "Dmitri" specify the transliteration "Dmitry".
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The most reliable way to avoid problems is to choose one source of contact storage (Google or Mi Cloud) and disable the others, which will prevent duplication and conflict when editing.