How to create a contact group on a Xiaomi phone: 3 proven ways

Creating contact groups on Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi and POCO models) allows you to organize a phone book, quickly send messages to several people at once and save time when finding the right subscribers. However, the standard MIUI Contacts app does not always offer an obvious way of grouping – the feature may be hidden in the depths of the menu or completely absent in some versions of the firmware.

In this article, we will discuss three working methods for creating groups: through the built-in Xiaomi app, using Google Contacts and alternative apps from the Play Store. We will focus on the synchronization nuances that often cause groups to disappear after a system update or reset. If you use MIUI 14/15 or a newer version, the instruction is relevant for you.

Why do contact groups disappear after MIUI update?

Many Xiaomi users are faced with a problem: created groups suddenly disappear after updating the firmware or restarting the device.

• 🔄 Local groups (created without account binding) are stored only in the phone's memory, and are deleted when reset or updated.
• ☁️ Google Groups Sync to Cloud, but Require Active Google Account Connection.
• 📱 Groups MIUI They are tied to Xiaomi account, but their support depends on the firmware version (in the case of the company). MIUI 16+ function may not be present).

To avoid data loss, always create groups through your Google account or export a.vcf backup before upgrading your system, which ensures that the structure is safe even when you change your device.

⚠️ Attention: If you are using POCO Launcher or third-party shells, the standard Contacts app can be replaced by an alternative (e.g. Truecaller.

Method 1: Create a group through the standard Contacts app (MIUI)

This method works on most Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO devices with MIUI 12-15 firmware. The interface may vary slightly depending on the model, but the overall logic is maintained.

Open the Contacts app (an icon with a human silhouette) and follow the following steps:

1. Press three points (⋮) top-right → Select Contact Management.
2. Go to the Group section (in some versions it is called Tags or Categories).
3. Slip the Create a Group button (or the + icon at the bottom of the screen).
4. Enter the group name (e.g., “Work”, “Family”, “Friends from University”).
5. Click Add Participants and tick the necessary contacts.
6. Save the changes by the Ready or OK button.

On the phone is enabled synchronization with Xiaomi Account

All contacts are saved in the phone book (not only in the phone book). SIM-map)

Installed the latest version of the application "Contacts" from the MIUI App Store

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If the Group item is not on the menu, then your version of MIUI does not support this feature locally, in which case use Method 2 (via Google Contacts).

Method 2: Grouping through Google Contacts (the most reliable method)

This is universal for all Xiaomi devices, as it uses Google cloud sync, and the main advantage is that groups will be available on any device where you log in to your account.

Instructions:

1. Open contacts.google.com in your browser (Chrome is recommended).
2. In the left menu, select Labels (or Labels in English).
3. Click Create a Label → Enter a name (e.g., “Colleagues”).
4. Return to the contact list, tick the necessary and click on the label icon (🏷️) top-panel.
5. Select the created group from the drop-down list.

To show the groups on the phone:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts → Google.
2. Make sure that the synchronization of Contacts is enabled.
3. Open the Contacts app → update the list (pull the screen down).

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If the groups do not appear on your phone, clear the Contacts app cache in the settings (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Contacts → Memory → Clear the cache).

⚠️ Note: If you have previously created groups locally (through a MIUI), They don't sync with Google Contacts. To migrate them, export the contacts to a.vcf file and then import them to Google.

Method 3: Third-party applications for group management

If Xiaomi’s built-in tools don’t suit you, consider alternative apps, which offer advanced features like mass SMS, automatic geolocation groups, and instant messaging integration.

Top.-3 contact-group applications:

• 📌 Contacts+ — automatically sorts contacts into categories (e.g., “Recently added”, “No number”). Supports backup to the cloud.
• 📌 Truecaller -- in addition to grouping, it blocks spam calls and identifies unknown numbers.
• 📌 Simpler Contacts is a minimalist interface with color tags for groups. POCO and devices MIUI Lite.

To transfer existing groups to a third-party application:

1. Export contacts from the standard Contacts → Settings → Export (.vcf file).
2. Import the file to the new application via the Settings menu → Imports.
3. Create groups again (most apps don’t support importing group structure).

Warning: Some apps (like Truecaller) require access to SMS and call logs. Check permissions in Google Play before installing and disable unnecessary settings → Apps → Permissions.

How to send a message to a group on Xiaomi?

The goal of starting a group is to get in touch with all the members quickly, and there are two ways to send mass mail at MIUI:

Method 1: Through the Messages app

1. Open Messages (Icon with envelope).
2. Click on the icon of creating a new message (✉️).
3. In the “To” field, enter the group name – it will appear in the drop-down list.
4. Write a text and send it.

Method 2: Google Contacts (for SMS and email)

1. Open a group in Google Contacts.
2. Press three points (⋮) → Send an email or send it SMS.
3. Choose the service you want (Gmail, Hangouts, Android Messages).

Once a day.

Several times a week

Rarely (on holidays)

Never use.

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⚠️ Attention: When sending SMS For groups of more than 10 people, some operators (such as MTS or Beeline) can block the message as spam, in which case break the group into parts or use instant messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram).

Backup and Restore Contact Groups

To avoid losing bands when you reset your phone or change your device, backup your phone regularly. MIUI has three backup options:

• ☁️ Sync with Xiaomi Account: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Synchronization → Contacts.
• ☁️ Sync with Google: Settings → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization of contacts.
• 💾 Local Exports: Contacts → Settings → Export (saves.vcf file to your device).

For recovery:

1. Import the.vcf file through Contacts → Settings → Import.
2. Or sign in to your Google/Xiaomi Account and enable sync.

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The only way to keep the group structure when changing your phone is to sync with Google Contacts, and local MIUI groups are lost when switching to other brands (Samsung, iPhone, etc.).

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after creating groups correctly, Xiaomi users are faced with mistakes, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

Issue 1: Groups are not displayed in the Contacts app.

• 🔹 Check if the synchronization is enabled with Google/Xiaomi Account.
• 🔹 Update the Contacts app via MIUI App Store.
• 🔹 Clear the app cache (Settings) → Annexes → Contacts → Memory).

Problem 2: You can't send an SMS to a group.

• 🔹 Make sure that all members of the group have their numbers in an international format (e.g., in the same format, +79XXXXX, not 89XXXXX).
• 🔹 Check the operator's limits for mass mailings.
• 🔹 Use WhatsApp (Viber) for groups of more than 10 people.

Issue 3: Groups are duplicated.

• 🔹 This happens when you sync with Google and Xiaomi Account at the same time.
• 🔹 Remove duplicates manually through Google Contacts (Find and combine duplicates tool»).

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If the MIUI update has lost the groups, try rolling back the Contacts version of the app. To do this, download the old APK version from APKMirror and install it manually (be sure to allow installation from unknown sources in the security settings).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions