Editing contacts on Xiaomi: a complete guide with pictures and life hacks

Editing contacts on Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi models and POCO) It seems like a simple task, but many users face unexpected challenges, like, why don't you keep changing your Google Account after you sync it to your account? Or how do you recover a number that's accidentally deleted? In this article, we will discuss all the ways to work with contacts – from basic operations to hidden functions. MIUI, which are not mentioned in the official instructions.

The thing about Xiaomi phones is that they use their own Contacts app with a unique interface that is different from the standard Google Contacts, which means that the instructions for pure Android don't always work here. MIUI 14/15 (2026 year) and collected relevant data, including solutions to typical problems, from duplicates to synchronization errors.

1. Where are your contacts stored on Xiaomi: locally or in the cloud?

Before editing contacts, it's important to understand where they're physically stored. Xiaomi has three main storage locations:

• 📱 Local phone memory – contacts are only stored on the device (risk of loss when resetting).
• ☁️ Google Accounts – synced to the cloud (available on all devices with this account).
• 🔄 Mi Account – Cloud from Xiaomi (less commonly used but useful for backups).

To check where a particular contact is stored:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Click on the right contact. → Edit (pencil icon).
3. At the top of the screen will be an account (e.g., phone or Google).

An important nuance: if the contact is saved to the Phone, it will not be available after resetting or replacing the smartphone, we recommend that you transfer all important numbers to Google Account or Mi Account.

2 How to add a new contact: 3 ways

Add a contact to Xiaomi in several ways – choose the most convenient for your situation.

Method 1: Through the "Contact" application

This is a standard method that works on all Xiaomi models:

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette).
2. Press the + button in the lower right corner.
3. Select an account to save (such as Google or Phone).
4. Fill in the fields: name, phone number, additional information (mail, address, etc.).
5. Press Save.

Method 2: From the call log

If you have a new phone number and want to keep it in touch:

1. Open the phone application → tab Journal.
2. Find the right number and click on it.
3. Choose to create a contact or add to an existing one.
4. Fill in the data and save it.

Method 3: Through Google Contacts (web version)

If you don’t have access to your phone, but you have a computer:

1. Go to contacts.google.com.
2. Sign in with the same account as Xiaomi.
3. Click Create Contact → fill out the fields.
4. Contact is automatically synchronized with the phone (when the Internet is turned on).

3. Editing existing contacts: Step-by-step

To change contact details (for example, update your number or add mail), follow the following steps:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Find the right contact through search or scroll through the list.
3. Press the contact. → Icon Edit (pencil).
4. Make changes: 📞 Change the phone number (click on the existing number) → edit). ✉️ Add or change email (button Add field). 🖼️ Update the photo (click on the avatar) → Choose a new image). 🏷️ Add tags (e.g. Work, Family).

Save.

Problem: sometimes, after editing, the changes don't persist.

• 🔌 No Internet connection (for contacts) Google/Mi Account).
• 🔄 Synchronization disabled (check in Settings) → Accounts).
• 📱 Contact saved in the phone, but memory is full.

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If the contact is not edited, try exporting it to the file. VCF, Remove the original and then import it back, which often solves the problem of "hang" records.

4. Combination and separation of duplicate contacts

Duplicate contacts are a common problem on Xiaomi, especially after importing from other devices or syncing with multiple accounts.

Automatic integration

MIUI It has a built-in function of searching duplicates:

1. Open Contacts. → ⋮ (three-point) → Contact management.
2. Select Find duplicates.
3. The app will suggest combining similar contacts. Press Convert.

Manual association

If the automatic connection does not work:

1. Open the first duplicate → ⋮ → Unite.
2. Select the second contact from the list.
3. Confirm the union.

Sharing Misguided Joint Contacts

If the contacts are not connected correctly:

1. Open a joint contact → ⋮ → Split up.
2. Select the data that should be left in each contact.
3. Save the changes.

5. Contact Deletion: How Not to Lose Important Data

Deleting contacts on Xiaomi has its own nuances, for example, if you delete a contact saved in a Google Account, it will disappear from all devices connected to this account.

Removal of one contact

1. Open contact. → ⋮ → Delete.
2. Confirm the action.

Mass removal

To remove multiple contacts at the same time:

1. In the Contacts app, click and hold the first contact to select.
2. Check the other contacts with ticks.
3. Click on the basket icon (Delete).

⚠️ Attention: it is easy to make mistakes and erase important contacts in a mass removal.Be sure to back up before this operation (see section 7).

Restore Remote Contacts

If the contact was deleted by mistake:

• 🔙 For Google Contacts: Go to contacts.google.com → Cancel changes (on the left menu).
• 📱 For local contacts: use a backup (if any) or recovery software (such as Dr.Fone).

6.Moving contacts from one Xiaomi to another

When you replace a Xiaomi smartphone with a new (or after reset) contacts can be transferred in several ways, the choice of method depends on where they were stored initially.

Method 1: Sync through Google Account (recommended)

This is the most reliable method if your contacts are saved on Google:

1. On your old phone, check that sync is enabled: Settings → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization of contacts.
2. Add the same Google Account on your new phone.
3. Contacts will be automatically downloaded (may take a few minutes).

Method 2: Export/import via VCF file

If the contacts are stored locally:

1. On an old phone: Contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/exports → Exports to the vault.
2. Select contacts for export (all are possible) and save the.vcf file.
3. Transfer the file to your new phone (via Bluetooth, email, or cloud).
4. On the new phone: Contacts → ⋮ → Imports/exports → File-based import.

Method 3: Through Mi Account

If you are using the Xiaomi cloud:

1. On your old phone, enable sync with Mi Account: Settings → Mi Account. → Synchronization.
2. On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account.
3. Contacts will be automatically downloaded.

7. Backup of contacts: how not to lose data

Over 30 percent of Xiaomi users lose contacts when resetting or changing their phone, most often because they don't have a backup. To avoid this, keep copies of contacts regularly. Here are the best ways to do this:

Automatic backup through Google

If contacts are synced to a Google Account, they are automatically backed up in the cloud to make sure the feature works:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync.
2. Make sure the slider opposite Contact is on.
3. Press More. → Synchronize now.

Manual export to VCF file

For local contacts:

1. Open Contacts. → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/exports → Exports to the vault.
2. Choose all contacts or specific ones.
3. Save the.vcf file to a safe location (e.g., on Google Drive or computer).

Backup through Mi Cloud

Xiaomi offers its own cloud storage:

1. Go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Enable backup of contacts.
3. Press Sync.

⚠️ Note: If you are using two-factor authentication in your Mi Account, make sure you have backup codes.Without them, restoring access to the backup can take up to 72 hours.

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Backup contacts should be updated at least 1 time per month, especially before updating the firmware or resetting settings.

8 Hidden Contact Features on Xiaomi You Didn’t Know About

The Contacts app on Xiaomi has several hidden features that make it easier to work with numbers:

• 🔍 Quick search by T9: Enter the contact name on the digital keyboard (for example, 2-6-3-3-9 for Andrey").
• 📞 Voice dialing: Say “OK Google, call [contact name]” – works even on a locked screen.
• 👤 Contact Groups: Create groups (e.g., “Colleagues”) for mass mailings SMS: Contacts → Groups → To form a group.
• 🔕 Blacklist: Block spam numbers directly from the call log: click on the number → Lock down.
• 📌 Secure contacts: Keep important contacts at the top of the list: keep them in touch → Secure.

Business User Lifehack: If you frequently call international numbers, add them in format +[country code][number] (e.g, +Then, when calling from abroad, there will be no problem with determining the number.

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To send it quickly SMS For a few contacts, create a group, then click on it. → Write a message. This will save time when sending out invitations or notifications.

FAQ: Frequent questions about contacts on Xiaomi