How to remove duplicate contacts on Xiaomi: from manual cleaning to automatic tools

Duplicate contacts on Xiaomi smartphones is a common problem that occurs after synchronization with multiple accounts (Google, Mi Account, SIM-card), import from backups or malfunctions MIUI. As a result, the same person can appear in the phone book 2-3 times, or even more - with different numbers, mail or empty fields.

Many users try to manually solve the problem by removing each take individually, but it takes hours and does not guarantee the result: after the next synchronization contacts can appear again. Fortunately, MIUI has built-in tools for combining and cleaning, as well as third-party applications that cope with the task in a few minutes. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways, from standard functions to hidden features, which are not written in the official instructions.

Before you start cleaning, it is important to understand the reason for the appearance of doubles.

• 🔄 Multiple syncs with different accounts (e.g. Google and Mi Cloud at the same time).
• 📱 Import contacts from an old phone via a.vcf file without first cleaning.
• 🔧 Failures in operation MIUI, Especially after updates or resets.
• 📶 Duplication with SIM-cards if the contacts are stored in the phone memory and on the card.

If you don't fix the root cause, the duplicates will reappear, for example, if you manually delete the duplicate contacts but don't turn off sync with Mi Account, they can come back in an hour.

1. Built-in Connection Function in MIUI

Xiaomi has a tool for merging duplicate records directly in the standard Contacts app. It works on all devices with MIUI 12 and later, including the Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4/X5 and the flagship Xiaomi 12/13/14 series.

1. Open the Contacts app (a icon with a person's silhouette).
2. Tap it on three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Contact Management.
3. Scroll down and click Combine Contacts.
4. The system will automatically find possible duplicates. Opposite each will be a "Connect - press" button to merge the records.
5. Confirm the action if necessary.

This method doesn't delete contacts, it just combines them into a single record, saving all numbers, mail and additional data.

• ❌ It does not work with contacts that are only saved on SIM-map.
• ❌ Can skip takes if the names are written differently (for example, "Ivan Ivanov" and "Ivan I.").
• ❌ Does not clean empty or incomplete records.

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If the duplicate list does not contain the necessary contacts, try to manually find them through a search in the Contacts app and click Edit → Combine.

2. Clearing duplicates through Google Contacts (for synchronized accounts)

If your contacts are synced to a Google account, the easiest way to clear duplicates is through the web version of the service, which is suitable for users who use Gmail or other Google services on Xiaomi, and the advantage of the method is that the changes will apply to all devices associated with this account.

Instructions:

1. Open contacts.google.com on your computer or phone and log in.
2. In the left menu, select Duplicates (or Flee and Fix in the new version of the interface).
3. The service will automatically find the duplicate entries. Click Combine all or select specific duplicates to merge.
4. Once completed, sync your contacts to Xiaomi: go to Settings → Accounts → Google → Contact Sync and turn it on.

Important: If you use multiple Google accounts on the same device, check each one — duplicates can be shared among them. Also, pay attention to contact groups (e.g., Phone, SIM, Mi Account) — sometimes repeated entries are hidden in different categories.

Manual removal of duplicates through the "Contacts" app

If automatic methods don't work, you'll have to manually clean the phone book, which is a time-consuming process, but it's guaranteed to delete all the unnecessary records.

1. Open Contacts and tap on three points (⋮) → Contact management.
2. Select Show Contacts and tick all sources: Mi Account, Google, SIM, Device, and this is to see all takes, including hidden ones.
3. Return to the main contact list and sort it by name (stick on the A-Y in the top bar).
4. Review the list and delete the repeated entries by keeping your finger in contact → Delete.

To speed up the process:

• 🔍 Use a search by name or number to quickly find all of one person's take.
• 📌 Start with contacts that only have a number without a name – they are easier to identify as duplicates.
• 📱 Check the Contact section SIM-Cards separately: often there are old records that are duplicated in the memory of the phone.

Disable sync with Mi Account and Google|Make a backup copy of contacts|Checking doubles one by one|Delete empty records without numbers-->

Warning: Manual deletion makes it easy to make mistakes and erase the contact you want. To avoid this, export your phone book to.vcf before you start cleaning through Settings → Import/Export → Export to file. This will allow you to restore contacts if something goes wrong.

4.Use of third-party cleaning applications

If embedded tools MIUI They can't do it, and third-party utilities can come to the rescue, and they can go deeper and look for duplicates by number, mail, even partial names.-3 tested applications:

How to use such applications:

1. Install the selected utility from Google Play.
2. Please provide access to your contacts (required!).
3. Run the scan - the program will show all the duplicates found.
4. Choose which records to combine or delete. Most apps offer a preview before confirmation.
5. After cleaning, restart the phone and check the result.

Note: Some applications require access to SMS or Call Log for more accurate analysis. If you are confused, use Contacts Optimizer, which only works with contacts and does not ask for unnecessary permissions.

Resetting and re-synchronization of contacts

If duplicates appear over and over again despite all efforts, a radical solution would be to completely reset contacts followed by clean synchronization, a technique that is suitable for users who believe the main copy of the phone book is stored in Google or Mi Cloud.

Step-by-step:

1. Back up your contacts: For Google: open contacts.google.com → Settings → Export. For Mi Account: go to Settings → Mi Account → iCloud → Backup.

• Open Contacts. → ⋮ → Contact management → Delete all contacts.
• Confirm the action (this will only delete the recordings from the phone without affecting the cloud).
• Turn off sync: Settings → Accounts → Google (or Mi Account) → Contact Sync (off)
• Turn on the sync back and wait for the contacts to load from the cloud.

This helps if the duplicates are due to conflicts between local and cloud data, and after the reset, the phone book will be reloaded without repeating entries.

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Before resetting, make sure that the current version of contacts is stored in the cloud (Google or Mi Cloud). If the main copy was on the phone, you will lose all data!

6 How to prevent the appearance of doubles in the future

To prevent the problem from returning, follow these rules:

• 🔗 Use one primary account to sync (e.g., only Google or only Mi Account).
• 🚫 Do not import contacts from.vcf files without cleaning.
• 📱 Check regularly SIM-Card for the presence of duplicates (through Contacts) → SIM-map).
• 🔄 Turn off automatic sync for unnecessary accounts: Settings → Accounts. → [Select an account] → Synchronization of contacts (disable)

It is also useful to set up automatic backups in Google Contacts or Mi Cloud so that in the event of a crash, a clean version of the phone book can be restored.

1. Go to Settings → Mi Account → iCloud → Backup.
2. Enable Contacts and set a schedule (e.g. once a week).

FAQ: Frequent questions about the duplicate contacts on Xiaomi