How to change your contact name to Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

Why Change Your Contact Name and What Mistakes to Avoid

Changing the contact name on Xiaomi smartphones seems like a simple task, but many users face unexpected problems: duplicate recordings, sync with a Google account or disappearing changes after a reboot, especially for owners of devices with MIUI 14/15, where the interface of the Contacts app has undergone significant changes.

In this article, we will not only discuss the standard way to edit through the Contacts app, but also alternative methods: modifying through Google Contacts, editing in Mi Account, and solving synchronization problems. MIUI, Enables the renaming of contacts through export/import VCF-This saves time if you need to update dozens of records.

It's important to understand that misediting can lead to data loss, for example, if you change a name in a local contact and then sync it with Google, the old version may overwrite the new one. To avoid this, always check which account the record is linked to before making edits.

Method 1: Change your name through the standard Contacts app

This is the most obvious and quickest method that works on all Xiaomi smartphones regardless of the MIUI version. Instructions are suitable for models from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra:

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette on the home screen or in the app menu).
2. Find the contact you want by searching or scrolling through the list. Click on it to open the card.
3. In the upper right corner, tap the pencil icon (✏️) or select "Edit».
4. In the name field, enter a new name: 👤 Name and surname (for example, “Ivan Petrov») 🏷️ Pseudonym (displayed in parentheses, for example, "Ivan (Work)») 📇 Prefix/suffix (Dr., Jr., etc.)

Click on “Ready” or “Save” (button at the top right).

If the Edit button is inactive, it means that the contact is synced with Google or Mi Account, in which case the changes must be made through the appropriate account (see methods 2 and 3).

Is the contact card available?|The "Name" field is available for editing?|Is the correct account (local) indicated?/Google/Mi)?|Is there an Internet connection for synchronization?-->

Method 2: Editing through Google Contacts (for synchronized posts)

If the contact is linked to your Google account, changing the name through the standard Xiaomi app may not work, in which case you need to use the web version of Google Contacts or the mobile app:

Browser:

1. Open contacts.google.com in your browser (Chrome is recommended).
2. Sign in with the same account as on your phone.
3. Find the contact through a search or list. Click on it.
4. In the upper right corner, click on the pencil icon (✏️).
5. Change the name in the appropriate fields and click "Save".

Through the Google Contacts app:

1. Install Google Contacts from Play Market if it is not installed.
2. Open it and find the right contact.
3. Tapping on the editing icon (✏️) → change name → keep.

Changes sync with the phone within 1-5 minutes. If this does not happen, check the sync settings:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Make sure the contact slider is on.
3. If necessary, click on “Sync Now”.

In the standard Xiaomi app|Through Google Contacts|In Mi Account.|Another way.-->

Method 3: Change your name through Mi Account (for Xiaomi contacts)

Some contacts on Xiaomi may be linked to Mi Account, the company's own cloud service, which is true if you use the Mi Cloud backup feature.

1. Open the Settings. → Mi Account.
2. Go to the section "Mi Cloud» → «Contacts».
3. Find the right contact and click on it.
4. Tapping on the editing icon (✏️), Change your name and keep it.

Method 4: Mass renaming through export/import VCF-file

If you need to change the names of several contacts at once (for example, add surnames or unify the format), it is more convenient to use export and import through the Internet. VCF-This method works on all versions. MIUI and does not require root rights.

Export of contacts:

1. Open Contacts. → ⋮ (menu) → Contact management → Imports/Exports.
2. Select “Export to File” → specify your account (local, Google or Mi).
3. Save the file in your phone’s memory (for example, in the Downloads folder).

File editing:

1. Connect the phone to your computer or open the file through a file manager (such as Mi File Manager).
2. Open up. VCF-file in a text editor (for example, Notepad)++ or VS Code).
3. Find the lines with FN: (full name) and N: (structured name). Example: FN: Ivan Petrov N: Petrov; Ivan;;; Change the values to the desired ones (for example, FN: Ivan Ivanovich Petrov).
4. Save the file in UTF-8 encoding.

Import back:

1. Return to Contacts → Import/Export → Import from the file.
2. Choose edited VCF-file.
3. Please specify your account for import (it is better to choose the one from which you exported).

💡

Before mass editing, back up your contacts! To do this, export them to a separate file and save them to the cloud or computer.

Method 5: Use of third-party applications (for advanced users)

If you don't like Xiaomi's built-in tools, you can use third-party contact management apps.

• 📱 Simpler Contacts – a user-friendly interface with support for mass editing.
• 🔍 Contacts+ — It allows you to combine duplicates and edit groups.
• 📊 Truecaller – Automatically updates database-based contact names (useful for business contacts).

When using third-party applications, consider:

• ⚠️ Note: Some applications (such as Truecaller) require access to your contacts and can send data to their servers.
• 🔒 Backup of contacts before mass changes is mandatory!
• 🔄 After editing in a third-party app, manual sync with Google or Mi Account may be required.

To install the app, go to Play Market, find it by name, and follow the instructions. For Simpler Contacts, for example:

1. Install and open the application.
2. Give access to contacts.
3. Select contact → click “Edit” → change the name.
4. Save the changes (they are automatically synchronized with system contacts).

💡

The app side is handy for massive changes, but always check their reputation and reviews before installing.

Problem Solving: Why aren’t the changes going on?

Sometimes, after editing, the contact name returns to the previous version, which is due to synchronization conflicts or errors in MIUI.

Synchronization conflict:

If a contact is linked to multiple accounts (e.g. Google and Mi Account), changes to one may be overwritten by others.

• 🔗 Combine duplicates in one account (see Method 3).
• 🔄 Turn off sync for one of your accounts (Settings) → Accounts. → Select an account → Disable "Contacts").

2. The cache error of the “Contacts” application:

Sometimes the app doesn't update the data because of a damaged cache, to fix:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Contacts.
2. Click on “Clear Cache” and “Clear Data» (⚠️ This will delete temporary files, but not the contacts themselves).
3. Reboot the phone.

MIUI limitations:

On some MIUI firmware (especially the Chinese versions), editing contacts is blocked without linking to Mi Account.

• 📱 Attach the device to Mi Account (Settings) → Mi Account → Come in).
• 🔓 If the problem persists, try changing the firmware region to a global one (requires unlocking the bootloader).

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing contact names on Xiaomi