How to change your name in your contacts on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Owning a Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone involves constant exchange of contacts, calls and messages, where the correct identification of the interlocutor plays a key role. Often users are faced with a situation where the number is saved as “Unknown”, “Home” or contains typos, which makes it difficult to find the right person in the list. SIM-map and cloud space.

The MIUI shell interface or the new HyperOS has different navigation features from standard Android, which can confuse the inexperienced user. In this article, we will discuss in detail the process of editing records, explain why sometimes the name is not saved, and how to properly manage contact sources for maximum efficiency.

Before you start editing your phone book, you need to know where your phone records are physically stored, and not only does it depend on renaming, but it also depends on the security of your phone when you lose your device or change your smartphone.

Modern Xiaomi smartphones by default offer synchronization with a Google account, which is the most reliable way of storing. SIM-The card is still popular among those who change phones or use push-button devices frequently, and understanding the difference between the two is key to successfully managing a phone book.

Determination of the source of data storage

The first step in the editing process is to figure out where exactly the subscriber you want is. MIUI It allows you to store contacts in three main places: SIM-Map, phone memory (locally) or Google Cloud Account.

If contact is maintained SIM-map, the possibility of editing it can be limited by the length of the field (usually up to the 10-15 While Google’s cloud contacts allow you to add photos, addresses, emails and long names without restrictions.

⚠️ Note: When you try to change the name of the contact saved to SIM-map, the system may suggest copying it to your phone memory or Google account for full editing.

To check the source, open the Contacts app, find the record you want and click on it. The top of the screen or the Three Dots menu often indicates where the record is located. If it says "SIM", it is recommended to perform a transfer for convenience.

Using cloud storage provides automatic backup. Even if you crash the screen of your Xiaomi Redmi Note smartphone or lose it, all numbers will remain secure and will be available immediately after you log in to your account on your new device.

Editing the contact in the Contacts app

The easiest and fastest way to change a subscriber’s name is to use the standard Contacts app, which is pre-installed on all Xiaomi devices, which is suitable for one-time changes and does not require an Internet connection if the data is already uploaded to memory.

To start, open an app with a phone or a human icon, find the right person in the list, and you can use the search bar on the top, enter a part of the name or phone number to speed up the process, and click on the contact card to open the full description.

In the menu that opens, find the edit button. Depending on the version of MIUI, it can be the pencil icon in the top corner or the Change button at the bottom of the screen. Once you click, the fields will become active for typing.

Type a new name into the appropriate box. You can use any register letter, numbers, and special characters here. If a contact has multiple numbers, make sure you edit the correct entry, as sometimes one person can be entered in the book twice.

After making changes, be sure to click the Save button (usually a tick in the corner). If you forget to do so, all the input will be lost when you exit the menu. The system can request confirmation if you try to change the contact synced with other devices.

Managing Contacts through Google Account

The most flexible tool for managing a phone book is the Google Contacts web interface, which is ideal if you need to rename many contacts at once, fix duplicates or recover lost data. All changes made through the browser will instantly affect your Xiaomi.

To access this method, you need to go to contacts.google.com from a computer or any other device and log into the same account that is used on your smartphone.

Find the contact you want in the list on the left or through a search. Click on your name, and the editing panel will open on the right, click on the pencil icon, or just start typing in the name field. There are extended fields available here: you can add a company, a job title, birthdays, and even the pronunciation of the name.

After changing your name on the site, pick up your Xiaomi. Make sure the device is connected to Wi-Fi or mobile internet. Open your contact settings and click Sync if no automatic update has occurred within a minute.

💡

Use the “Merge” feature in Google Contacts to glue duplicates of one person with different numbers into one full name card.

Using the cloud service also allows you to undo changes, and if you accidentally rename a contact incorrectly, you can roll back the status of the phone book 30 days in the history of Google Contacts versions, which is a powerful recovery tool.

Work with SIM-mapping and importation

Despite the development of cloud technologies, many users continue to store a database of numbers on the Internet. SIM-This is convenient when switching from a button phone to a Xiaomi smartphone, but makes it difficult to edit names due to the technical limitations of the chip.

Change the contact name to SIM-Go to the contact app, select the number you want, and click "Change." If the system gives you a copy warning, you'll agree. SIM often impossible or cut down.

It is recommended to import all data from SIM-In the contact menu (three dots or hamburger menu) select "Import/Export» → «Import with SIM-Select your target Google account.

⚠️ Note: After importing contacts with SIM-Original entries on the chip can remain unchanged or be deleted depending on the option selected.

The import process takes a few seconds for even a few hundred numbers, and once completed, you will have full access to name editing, adding avatars, and grouping contacts, which is impossible when stored on SIM.

After successful name transfer and editing, the old SIM-The card can be cleared of contacts to avoid confusion in the future, and all data will now be managed through a user-friendly smartphone interface.

Synchronization and conflict resolution

A common problem with name change is desynchronization of data. You can rename the contact on the phone, but after a while the name will return to the old version. This is due to a version conflict between the local memory Xiaomi and the server Google.

To avoid this, check your sync settings. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync (or “Users and Accounts”). Find your Google account on the list and make sure the slider opposite Contacts is active and blue.

If the problem persists, try to force the data to update. In the same sync menu, click on the Sync button or three dots in the corner of the screen, and clearing the Contacts cache through the application management menu also helps.

Sometimes a conflict arises when the same contact is saved on Google, locally, and on the Internet. SIM-The system sees three different records with the same number and can (prioritize) the old record, in which case manual deletion of duplicates will help.

💡

Always edit contacts in the source that is the primary (usually Google) so that changes are properly distributed to all devices.

For advanced users, debugging mode is available, but standard system tools are enough to solve problems with contact names. Regular checking of synchronization statuses will help avoid losing important data.

Frequent problems and their solution

Xiaomi and Redmi users sometimes experience a situation where the name field becomes unavailable for editing (grey), most often this means that the contact belongs to a system application or a secure profile, or you try to change the entry only for read.

Another common problem is showing the name in +7 instead of the name saved, which often happens after updating the MIUI firmware or resetting the network settings, and the solution lies in clearing the cache of the Phone and Contacts app.

To clean up, go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find Contacts, click Memory, and select Clear Cache (not to be confused with Clear All Data unless you want to lose local records without a backup).

⚠️ Before clearing any system application data, make sure your contacts are saved in the Google cloud, otherwise you risk losing your entire phone book without the ability to recover.

If the name doesn’t change even after all the manipulations, check if the Guest mode or the limited user profile is turned on, and in such modes, editing system data is often blocked by developers for security reasons.

In rare cases, the problem may be due to a bug in a particular version of the shell, check for system updates in the About Phone menu and install the latest version of the software if available.

Details and Questions (FAQ)