How to find and configure a contact filter in Xiaomi

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face an unpleasant situation: after updating the operating system or transferring data from another device, the address book is empty. SIM-It's not a failure, it's a feature of the shell. MIUI And the new HyperOS, which has a hard filter on the display sources by default, just hides numbers that don't match the current visibility settings.

Understanding how synchronization and filtering work in the standard Contacts app allows you to instantly solve this problem without using third-party software. In most cases, just change one parameter in the display menu to make all the records return to their places. The main reason for the disappearance of numbers - the switch "Contact filter" is set to the position "Only phone", ignoring the SIM-Google map and accounts.

Next, we’ll go through the search algorithm for this hidden menu, look at the interface differences between different versions of Android, and explain why it’s important to properly configure data sources, and this guide will help you not only return missing numbers, but also clean up the phone book by separating personal and work records.

Reasons for the disappearance of numbers in the phone book

Before you look for settings, it is important to understand the logic of the system. MIUI The contact app treats the different storages as independent databases, which can be the local memory of the device, the chip. SIM-By default, the system can prioritize one storage, hiding the rest to "simplify" the interface.

Often, the problem occurs after a reset or the first activation of the smartphone, at which point the sync may not be completed, or the priority of the display automatically switches to an empty local base. It is also worth considering that some carriers save the numbers in a format that the phone perceives as “unknown” or “hidden” if the correct display format is not set.

⚠️ Warning: If you see duplicate contacts after all sources are turned on, don't rush to remove them manually. Enable the function of combining duplicates in the settings so that the system cleans the list itself.

Another reason could be a malfunction of the aggregator app itself, in which case simply rebooting your smartphone or clearing the Contacts app cache through the app settings menu often helps to reset the erroneous filter and force the list to update.

Finding a contact filter in a standard application

The primary recording visibility control tool is built directly into the call interface. To find it, open the standard Phone or Contacts app (green or blue icon with a human silhouette). Notice the top of the screen: there are often three dots or an icon with three horizontal lines indicating a menu.

After clicking on the menu, select Display Settings or Contact Filter.The name may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI (e.g., 12, 13, 14) or the transition to HyperOS. In some builds, this item is hidden inside the general Settings menu, which is at the bottom of the drop-down list.

In the window you will see a list of all available sources: SIM-map, SIM-Map 2, Google, Phone. And here's the Contact Filter switch. If it's active, the phone only shows one group, so you either have to turn off the filter completely, or you have to manually tick all the sources you need to see them in the general list.

Setting up display through Google Contacts

Because Android is deeply integrated with Google services, contact management is often more efficient through their proprietary app, has a more flexible interface and is better at combining records from multiple sources, and can be found by using a colored handset icon or system settings.

The logic is a little different in Google Contacts. Click on the profile avatar in the top right corner and select Contact Settings. Then go to Contacts to display. Here you will be asked to choose a specific account or All Contacts option. Selecting a specific account will filter the list, leaving only the numbers associated with that email.

This method is especially useful if you have multiple Gmail accounts and want to see only work or personal numbers, but to recover missing records after buying a new Xiaomi, you should choose the mode of displaying all available data.

Management SIM-mapping and importing

Users often store numbers on SIM-It's a map, but what's forgotten is that modern smartphones don't display them by default in the general list until they've imported them, and that's for security and performance, because reading from the SIM card is slower than from the internal memory.

To transfer numbers to your phone’s memory, open the Contacts app, click on the menu (three dots) and select Import Contacts. SIM-You can use your Google account or your phone as your target, and when you complete the operation, the original SIM card can be deleted to avoid confusion.

After importing, be sure to go back to the filter menu and make sure that the tick opposite the new source (like Google) is active, only then the contact filter will stop hiding your new entries.

Solving problems with hidden and blocked numbers

Sometimes users hide numbers themselves by accidentally adding them to a blacklist or tagging them as hidden. MIUI has a separate section for blocked calls, which is often confused with a display filter. Check lock settings to make sure important subscribers are not mistakenly hit.

It is also worth checking your privacy settings. In some cases, especially when using corporate profiles or Do Not Disturb modes, the system may restrict the display of certain contact fields. Go to Settings → Applications → Contacts → Permits and make sure that all necessary data is fully accessible.

⚠️ Note: If you use third-party applications for calls (e.g. from Truecaller or Yandex), they may have their own filters. Check the settings inside these applications, as they overlap system settings.

For a deep diagnosis, use the code ##4636## in the call app. Go to Phone Information and check network status. Sometimes contact issues are caused by an unstable connection to the operator's servers when trying to download subscriber names from the network's phone book.

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Export contacts to.vcx regularly, and you can do this in the contact management menu, and the file will save all numbers even if you lose access to your account.

Synchronization and cloud services Xiaomi

Xiaomi's ecosystem offers its own Mi Cloud service, which by default tries to sync contacts if you're logged in to Mi Account. The conflict between Google sync and Mi Cloud is a common cause of filters and duplicates. The system can only show one of these databases depending on priority.

To check sync status, go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Mi Account. Make sure the Contacts switch is active. If you see a warning about space shortage or version conflict, select Download from Device or Download from the Cloud depending on where your current data is located.

It's important to understand the difference between local and cloud-based storage. Local contacts are tied to a specific physical device. If you lose your phone, you lose numbers if you don't sync. So setting up automatic sync with Google or Mi Cloud is a critical step right after you buy a smartphone.

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Use only one primary sync source (Google or Mi Cloud) to avoid conflicts and duplicate phone book entries.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions