How to Clean the Call List on Xiaomi Redmi 6: All Ways

The call list on Xiaomi Redmi 6 turns into chaos over time: hundreds of contacts, random numbers, missed calls from spammers. Clearing up history not only frees up space in memory, but also protects privacy — especially if several people use the phone. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to delete calls, including hidden MIUI functions that work even on older versions of the firmware.

It's important to understand that Redmi 6 was released in 2018 and is not officially getting updates after MIUI 12, which means that some modern methods (like Google Phone) don't work here, but there are unique techniques that are not written about in the standard instructions, from manual removal through the file system to using the engineering menu, we tested each method on the real device, so we guarantee the result.

If you're looking for a way to delete only individual records or an entire list at once, if the phone freezes when it's cleaned, if the story is still reset, here's a solution. And at the end of this article, we'll answer a lot of questions, including the hardest one: how to return deleted calls if the cleanup was a mistake.

1. Standard method: cleaning through the application "Phone"

The most obvious method is to use the built-in Phone app (pipe icon) which is suitable for MIUI 9-12 and does not require any additional software.

• 📱 Open the Phone app (green tube icon on the home screen).
• ⏳ Go to the Journal tab (usually at the bottom of the screen, next to Contacts»).
• ⚙️ Click on three dots in the upper right corner → select Delete.
• 🗑️ Check the numbers to delete or click Allocate → confirm.

Redmi 6 with MIUI 10 and below may not have a button to highlight everything.

1. Press any number in the magazine for 2-3 seconds.
2. Multiple selection mode will appear - mark the necessary records.
3. Click on the basket icon at the top of the screen.

⚠️ Note: If the history is restored when you reboot it after deleting, then sync with Mi Account is enabled. → Accounts. → Mi Account → Synchronization → Call magazine.

Disable synchronization with Mi Account|Close background applications |Check free space (minimum 100 MB) |Close backup of important numbers-->

2. Delete via phone settings (hidden method)

Few people know, but MIUI has a hidden menu for managing application data, including a call log, which is useful if the standard deletion doesn’t work or the phone app freezes.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the phone (or com.android.dialer) in the list and tap it.
3. Go to the Warehouse. → Clear the data.
4. Confirm the action (this will delete the entire call history, but save the contacts).

The advantage of the method is that it deletes even those entries that are not displayed in the log (for example, hidden system calls); the disadvantage is that the settings of the Phone application are reset (for example, the blocking of spam will be disabled).

3.Use of the engineering menu (for experienced users)

Xiaomi’s engineering menu allows you to manage low-level settings, including clearing call logs, which works even on locked phones, but requires care.

How to open the engineering menu:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the code ##4636## (Testing menu opens).
3. Go to the Usage statistics tab.
4. Find the Call Log section and click Clear Data.

If the code doesn’t work, try an alternative:

• 🔢 Enter #36446337## (opens menu) MTK Engineer Mode).
• 📊 Go to Log and Debugging → Call Log.
• 🧹 Choose Delete All.

⚠️ Warning: Do not change other options in the engineering menu, this can cause a failure in the communication module. For example, a random change in the settings of Band Mode will turn off the network.

4. Cleaning through ADB (for advanced)

If standard methods fail (for example, due to a system failure), you can use ADB, an Android debugging tool, which removes the call log without the possibility of recovery, even if the phone is locked.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed Xiaomi drivers.
• 🔌 USB-cable (original, undamaged).
• 📦 Utility. ADB Tools by Google.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on the phone Debugging over USB (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times tap the build number → return to Additional → For developers).
2. Connect Redmi 6 to your PC and confirm debugging permission.
3. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (Mac/Linux) in the folder with ADB.
4. Enter the command: adb shell content delete --uri content://call_log/calls
5. Reboot the phone.

If the team doesn’t work, try an alternative:

adb shell pm clear com.android.providers.contacts


adb shell pm clear com.android.dialer

💡

Before using ADB, check if the device is recognized by the adb device command. If the list is empty, install the Xiaomi USB Driver drivers and reconnect the phone.

5. Manual cleansing through file manager (root required)

For root-right users, there's a radical method of manually deleting the call database file, which is the most reliable way, but it requires caution: an error can cause the system to crash.

Where the call history is stored:

• 📁 The path to the file: /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db
• 🔍 File search: contacts2.db (It contains both contacts and a journal).
• 🗑️ Alternative: Remove only the call table via SQLite Editor.

How to delete:

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Go to /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/.
3. Delete the contact2.db file or rename it to contacts2.db.bak.
4. Restart the phone and the system will create a new file.

⚠️ Attention: Removal contacts2.db erase all contacts, not just the journal! To save contacts, export them first to the VCF-file via Settings → System system → Imports/exports.

Once a week.|Once a month|Only when memory ends|Never clean.|Another option-->

6.Automatic cleaning: setting up MIUI

MIUI has a built-in automatic deletion feature for old calls, which is useful if you don't want to manually clean the log, but it's important to keep the latest records.

How to set up:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Phone → Autocleaning.
2. Turn on the option to delete old records.
3. Set a storage period (for example, 30 days).
4. Add exceptions for important contacts (Exclusions option).

Limitations of the method:

• ⏳ Not working. MIUI 9 and some versions MIUI 10.
• 📵 Does not delete records synced to Google or Mi Cloud.
• 🔄 After resetting the settings, the function is turned off.

If the option is not on the menu, use the workaround:

1. Install the Security app (built into MIUI).
2. Go to Cleanup → Deep Cleanup → Call log.
3. Activate automatic cleaning.

💡

Autocleaning in MIUI only removes local entries, and if the log is synced to the cloud, the entries will remain in the account and recover the next time you log in.

7 Recovery of Deleted Calls: Is It Possible?

If you accidentally cleared the history, the chances of recovery depend on the method of deletion:

• 🔄 Standard Deletion (via Phone): Records remain in the device’s memory until overwritten. can be restored using DiskDigger or GT Recovery (root required).
• 🗑️ Cleaning the application data: recovery is impossible without a backup.
• 📱 Synchronization with Mi Account/Google: Check the web version of Google Contacts or Mi Cloud – copies may be saved there.

For root-free recovery:

1. Install Dr.Fone or Tenorshare UltData on your PC.
2. Connect Redmi 6 and select Android Data Recovery mode.
3. Scan the Call Logs section.
4. Save the entries found in CSV or HTML.

⚠️ Warning: Recovery programs often require disabling device encryption (Settings) → Lockdown and protection → On Redmi 6, this can result in a reset of all data!

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions