How to divide contacts into groups in Xiaomi smartphones: full instructions

Contact management on Xiaomi smartphones can be a real headache if your phone book has grown to hundreds of entries. Work colleagues are mixed with friends, relatives are with random acquaintances, and important numbers are drowned in a stream of spam contacts. Fortunately, grouping contacts in MIUI allows you to structure this chaotic database in just a few minutes. But there are nuances: not all versions of the firmware support the same functions, and synchronization with Google Contacts works differently than local groups.

In this article, we will discuss all available ways to divide contacts into groups - from standard tools. MIUI 14/15 The old models are used in the Redmi Note. 8 Pro, POCO X3). You will learn how to create groups manually, automatically sort contacts by tag, and how to avoid typical synchronization errors. VCF — This will save your settings when resetting your phone or switching to a new Xiaomi.

Why you need a contact group for Xiaomi

At first glance, contact groups seem like a no-brainer, because you can just use search, but in practice, they save time in critical situations.

• 📞 Quick access to frequently used numbers: one group for family, one for project colleagues, one for doctors.
• 🔇 Mass action: send out SMS All team members or block spammer notifications in one tap.
• 🔄 Sync with other services: Google Contacts groups will automatically connect to Gmail or Google Meet.
• 📊 Call Analytics: In Settings → Call statistics can be filtered by group (available on the MIUI 15).

Moreover, groups make it easier to back up, for example, you can only export contacts from the Work group to a.vcf file without cluttering it with personal numbers, and when you change your phone, just import this file and the whole structure will remain.

⚠️ Note: On smartphones Xiaomi with MIUI Contact groups 12 and older don't appear in the standard Phone app, only Contacts. To make calls to groups, use the Contacts widget on the home screen or third-party apps like Truecaller.

Method 1: Creating Groups in the Standard Contacts App

This is the most obvious method, but it doesn't work on all models. MIUI:

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette).
2. Slip three dots in the top right corner → select Contact Management (or Settings on MIUI 14).
3. Go to the Group section (on some devices it is hidden behind the option).
4. Click Create a Group → Enter a name (such as “Family”) → select contacts from the list or add them later.

On the POCO F5 and Redmi Note 12 with MIUI 14, the interface is simplified: groups are created directly in the main Contacts menu via the + button at the bottom of the screen. While on the Mi 11 Lite with MIUI 12.5, this section may not be available, then you will have to use Google Contacts (see the next method).

If the group creation button is inactive or absent, it means:

• 📱 Your Xiaomi model uses a stripped-down version MIUI (It is often found on the budget Redmi for the European market).
• 🔄 Contacts are not synced with Google (groups are created only for local contacts).
• 🛠️ The Contacts app is damaged (try clearing the cache in Settings). → Annexes).

Method 2: Grouping through Google Contacts (Sync)

If standard MIUI groups are not available, use Google Contacts – this method works on all Xiaomi devices, including the POCO M4 Pro and Redmi 10C. The main condition: your contacts must be linked to a Google account.

1. Open contacts.google.com in your browser (preferably on PC).
2. In the left menu, select Tags (formerly Groups).
3. Click Create a Label → Enter the name (e.g., “Customers”).
4. Add contacts to the label manually or through a filter (Contact Management button).
5. On your smartphone, update sync: Settings → Accounts → Google → Contact Synchronization.

Once synchronized, the groups will appear in the Contacts app on your Xiaomi, but there is a caveat: Google tags do not appear in the standard Phone app (Contacts only).

• 📱 Widget "Contacts" on the main screen (long press) → "Widgets" → "Contacts").
• 🔍 Tag Search: Enter the group name in the search bar (for example, the label:Family).
• 🤖 Voice Assistant: Say OK Google, Call Mom from Family Group.

⚠️ Note: If you delete the tag in Google Contacts, it will disappear on Xiaomi after the next sync. To save the group locally, export it to the.vcf file (see the backup section).

Method 3: Automatic sorting by tag (MIUI 15)

The latest versions of MIUI 15 (available on Xiaomi 13/14, POCO F5 Pro) have a feature that automatically groups by keywords, analyzes names, numbers and contact notes, then suggests creating groups.

• 👨‍👩‍👧 Contact with the words "mother", "dad", "brother" → family".
• 🏢 Numbers marked "slave," "office," "colleague" → group".
• 🏥 Contacts with clinic addresses → group".

To enable this function:

1. Open Contacts → Settings → Smart Grouping.
2. Activate the Auto-Creation Group Switch.
3. Select categories for analysis (family, work, friends).
4. Confirm the creation of groups - the process will take 1-2 minutes.

The advantage of this method is that it saves time: you don't have to add every contact manually, but automatic grouping sometimes gets it wrong, for example, it can refer to a colleague named "Andrey Papaev" as "Family."

1. Open the group → click on three dots next to the wrong contact.
2. Choose Remove from the group or Move to another group.
3. To improve accuracy, add keywords to your contact notes (e.g., “project X colleague”).

Method 4: Using Third-Party Applications

If the built-in MIUI tools don't suit you, look for third-party apps that offer advanced features like color tags, mass SMS messaging, and instant messaging integration.

To move groups from a third-party app to standard Xiaomi Contacts:

1. Export groups to the.vcf file (usually in the application settings).
2. Open the file on Xiaomi → select import in Contacts.
3. Check if the groups are still: Contacts → Management → Groups.

⚠️ Note: Apps like Truecaller may conflict with the standard Phone app on the Internet MIUI. If groups are missing after installation, clear the cache of both applications in Settings → Annexes.

💡

Before installing a third-party contact manager, back up your current groups through Contacts → Settings → Import/Export. This will protect your data when you crash.

Backup and transfer of groups to the new Xiaomi

One of the biggest problems with changing your smartphone is the loss of contact structure, and even if you sync numbers with Google, groups may not move, so to avoid that, use export/import via VCF files:

1. Open Contacts → Settings → Import / Export.
2. Select Export to File → Mark the groups you want (or all contacts).
3. Save the file to Internal Memory → Download or Google Drive.
4. On the new Xiaomi, import the file through the same section.

Important nuances:

• 📁 A.vcf file can weigh up to 100MB if there are many photos in the contacts. Uncheck the box with Export photos to save space.
• 🔄 If the groups weren’t imported, try opening a.vcf file through Google Contacts on PC and then syncing with your phone.
• 🔒 On some models (Redmi) 9A, POCO M3) Group imports blocked due to restrictions MIUI. In this case, use the workaround:

1. Install a file manager (e.g., Solid Explorer).


2. Move the.vcf file to /storage/emulated/0/Download.




3. Open it through Contacts → Import/Export → Import with SIM/memory.




4. Select the device memory and specify the path to the file.

💡

Exports of groups to VCF — The only way to keep them structured is when you switch from Android to iPhone or vice versa. SIM-card not supporting groups.

Solving problems with contact groups

Even after you set up the right groups, they can disappear or they can work incorrectly.

If none of the methods worked, try resetting the Contacts app settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Contacts → Storage → Clear the data.
3. Reboot your phone and re-synchronize your contacts.

⚠️ Attention: Clearing the Contacts app data will remove all local groups not synced with Google. pre-export them to the.vcf file!

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi contact groups