How to keep a new contact in the phone Xiaomi Redmi: all ways with pictures and life hacks

Keeping contacts on Xiaomi Redmi smartphones only seems to be a simple task – in practice, users are faced with the nuances of where the number is saved (to the phone, SIM or Google?), why contacts are duplicated, and how to transfer them when changing the device. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to add contacts on the Redmi Note 12/11/10, Redmi A2/A1 and other models running MIUI 14/13/12, including hidden firmware chips.

We'll focus on synchronization issues, which are why contacts disappear after resetting or don't show up in messengers like WhatsApp and Telegram, and we'll also show you how to get around the restriction. MIUI maintain contact SIM-card (relevant for models without a slot under microSD).

1. Save contact through the “Contacts” application (basic method)

The most obvious method is to use the standard Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette on a yellow background), which works on all Redmis, regardless of the MIUI version, and is suitable for adding both single numbers and full profiles with photos.

Algorithm of action:

• 📱 Open the Contacts app (if it is not on the home screen, search through the swipe down).
• ➕ Press the button «+» In the lower right corner (or select New Contact in the menu).
• 📝 Fill in the fields: Name and surname (required for search). Phone - specify the number type (mobile, work, etc.). In addition: email, address, birthday (this data is synchronized with Google).
• 💾 Click Save and select an account to save (more on this in the next section).

⚠️ Note: If you only see the phone option when you save, you can’t select Google or SIM, So the device is not synchronized. → Google accounts → Synchronization of contacts.

2. Where to keep contact: phone, SIM or Google?

If you keep the new number, MIUI suggests you choose a storage location, and that depends on whether the contacts will remain after the phone is reset, whether they will be available on other devices, and whether messengers can see them, and let's take a look at the pros and cons of each option:

🔹 Expert advice: If you change your smartphone frequently or use multiple devices (e.g. Redmi) + You can google your tablet, and you can use temporary numbers like delivery, and you can store them on your phone.

3. Quickly retain contact from call log

You don't have to open the Contacts app to add a new number, and if you've got a call or you've dialed someone, you can save the contact directly from the call log:

1. Open the phone application (green handset).
2. Go to the magazine tab (the icon of the clock at the bottom of the screen).
3. Find the right number and click on it.
4. In the window that opens, select Save (or Add to Contacts).
5. Edit the name and press Ready.

⚠️ Note: If the journal displays a number in format +7XXX, You want to keep it as if 8XXX, You'll have to edit it manually. MIUI It does not automatically convert formats!

💡 Lifehack: To find a magazine number quickly, use a search (the magnifying glass icon at the top) and enter not only numbers, but also keywords like "delivery" or "taxis».

4.Contact preservation via messages (SMS/MMS)

Got it. SMS from a new number and want to keep it? MIUI It's done in 2 clicks:

1. Open the Messages app (an envelope icon).
2. Find a dialogue with the right number and tap it.
3. At the top of the screen, click on ⋮ → Save contact (or to the sender's avatar if it is displayed).
4. Fill in the data and select an account to save.

📌 Important: If the message came from a service number (for example, a bank or operator), the save option may be blocked. In this case, copy the number manually and add Contacts through the application.

5. Import/export contacts to Xiaomi Redmi

If you need to move contacts from another phone or make a backup, use the built-in MIUI tools:

Export of contacts:

1. Open Contacts. → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports.
2. Select Export to Device (or Export to SIM).
3. Please indicate the contacts for export (you can choose all or only part of the product).
4. The file is saved in.vcf format in the MIUI/backup/Contacts folder.

Import of contacts:

• 📄 From.vcf: Select Import from the device and specify the file.
• 📱 S SIM-maps: Imports from SIM → Choose contacts.
• ☁️ From Google: Settings → Google accounts → Synchronization of contacts.

⚠️ Note: When importing from.vcf, duplicate contacts are not automatically combined! To avoid chaos, make a backup of current contacts before importing.

💡

If the contacts are displayed without names (numbers only) when importing, check the encoding of the.vcf file. Open it through a text editor - if instead of Cyrillic characters, save the file in UTF-8 encoding.

6.Contact issues with Xiaomi Redmi and their solutions

Redmi users often experience typical contact issues, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

Problem 1: Contacts are not synced with Google

Reasons:

• Synchronization in account settings is disabled.
• There is no internet or Google Play Services blocking.
• Error in account data (for example, after changing the password).

Decision:

1. Check settings: Settings → Google Accounts → Account Sync → Contacts (slider should be enabled).
2. Update Google Play Services to the Play Market.
3. Delete your account and add again: Settings → Google Accounts → Delete your account.

Problem 2: Duplicate contacts

Dubbs are produced when imported from different sources (SIM, Google, phone) to clean up:

1. Open Contacts. → ⋮ → Contact management → Connecting contacts.
2. Select duplicate records and click Combine.
3. For automatic cleaning, use applications like Contacts Optimizer (available in the Play Market).

Problem 3: Contacts are not displayed on WhatsApp/Telegram

Reasons:

• Contacts are saved on SIM or in an account not associated with the messenger.
• Numbers in the wrong format (for example, without a country code).
• The messenger access to contacts is disabled.

Decision:

• Move your contacts to Google (see section 2).
• Edit numbers: add +7 instead of 8.
• Check permissions: Settings → Apps → WhatsApp → Permissions → Contacts.

💡

If contacts are lost after resetting, you can only restore them if they were saved to Google or on the Internet. SIM-Local contacts (save to the phone) will be deleted irrevocably!

7 Hidden MIUI chips for working with contacts

Xiaomi has added some useful but little-known contact management features to MIUI, and here are the most interesting ones:

🔍 Quick search by T9

In the app, you can search for Contacts not only by name, but also by the numbers on the keyboard (like in old phones). For example, to find Anton, dial 26866 (corresponding to the letters A-N-T-O-N).

📞 Quick set.

Press the number on the phone keyboard (in the Phone app) to call the contact tied to that key.Settings: Contacts → ⋮ → Quick set.

👤 Contact groups

You can create groups (e.g., Work, Family) and send SMS to all participants at once:

1. Open Contacts → Groups → Create a Group
2. Add participants and save.
3. To send a group SMS, select a group → ⋮ → Send a message.

🔄 Auto-update of contacts

If your friends are changing numbers and you don’t know about it, turn on the auto-update:

Settings → Synchronization → Auto-update contacts (you need access to the Internet).

FAQ: Frequent questions about contacts on Xiaomi Redmi