The phone book on Xiaomi smartphones is not just a contact list, but a powerful communication management tool. However, many users have difficulty editing, deleting or synchronizing contacts. Unlike the iPhone, where the interface is unified, MIUI offers several ways to work with the phone book – through a standard application, Google Contacts and even third-party services.
In this article, we will discuss all possible methods of editing contacts on Xiaomi, including hidden MIUI 14/15 features, working with duplicates and recovering deleted records. Particular attention will be paid to the synchronization problems that often arise when changing an account or resetting. If you are using the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 or the flagship Xiaomi 14 series, the instruction is suitable for all models with a MIUI shell.
Before you start editing, make sure your contacts are backed up. Statistically, 30 percent of users lose important numbers because they don't have a backup, and we'll show you how to avoid that mistake.
1. Basic ways to edit contacts in MIUI
The standard Contacts app on Xiaomi lets you edit posts right in the interface. To open it, tap the icon with the person's silhouette on the home screen or in the app menu. If the icon is missing, check the Google folder - sometimes the app is hidden there due to duplicate services.
For editing:
- 📞 Find the right contact through search or scroll through the list.
- ✏️ Tap it on the record. → Choose Edit (Prince Icon).
- 📱 Change name, number or additional fields (email, address, birthday).
- 💾 Click Save in the upper right corner.
MIUI 14+ has a quick edit feature: swipe left on the contact list and select Change, which saves time if you need to correct a typo in the number or add a second name.
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If the phone field is illuminated in red when editing, check the format of the number. MIUI requires you to specify the country code (for example, +7 for Russia) for correct synchronization.
You can look at the grouping of contacts. MIUI has built-in groups (Family, Friends, Colleagues), but you can create your own.
- Open Contacts. → Groups.
- Click Create a Group.
- Set a name and add participants.
2. Contact synchronization: Google vs. Mi Account
One of the most common problems with Xiaomi is losing contacts after resetting or changing your account, which is due to a conflict between syncing through Google and Mi Account. By default, MIUI offers to save contacts to the Xiaomi cloud, but this is not always convenient, especially if you use other Android devices.
To avoid loss:
- 🔄 Go to Settings. → Accounts and synchronization.
- 📱 Choose Google. → Enable the synchronization of contacts.
- 🔒 For reliability, duplicate the backup copy in MI Cloud (if you use the Xiaomi ecosystem).
| Synchronization method | Pluses | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Google Contacts | Cross-platform integration with Gmail | Can duplicate records in case of conflict accounts |
| MI Cloud | Quick synchronization between Xiaomi devices | Closed ecosystem, difficulties in switching to another brand |
| Local storage | It doesn't depend on the Internet. | Risk of loss when a phone is dropped or broken |
Important: If you have enabled sync both through Google and Mi Account, there may be a version conflict. MIUI prioritizes the last saved version, which sometimes leads to loss of changes.
3. Removal and restoration of contacts
Deleting contacts on Xiaomi seems easy, but there are pitfalls here: If you deleted a record by mistake, it can be restored within 30 days (provided that sync with Google or MI Cloud has been enabled).
For removal:
- 🗑️ Open contact. → Click Remove (basket icon).
- 🔍 For mass removal: go to Contacts → Contact management → Delete a few.
To restore remote contact:
- For Google Contacts: Go to contacts.google.com. From the left menu, select More → Cancel Changes.
MI Cloud
- Go to Settings → Mi Account → MI Cloud → Contacts → Recycle Bin.
- Select the contact and press Restore.
If the built-in tool failed, try:
- 🔄 Export contacts to.vcf file (via Contact Management) → Exports).
- 📱 Open a file on your PC and manually delete duplicates using Excel or Google Contacts.
- 🔙 Import the cleaned file back to your phone.
⚠️ Attention: when combining duplicates MIUI It keeps priority for the fields from the last edited record. If one contact has an email and another contact has not, the email may disappear after the merger!
5. Export and import of contacts
Shifting contacts from one Xiaomi device to another or backing up before reset is a challenge that every user faces. MIUI supports several export formats:
- 📄.vcf (standard format for Android).
- 📊.csv (for work in Excel).
- 🔄 Direct synchronization through the account.