The MIUI 12 operating system, which is installed on Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones, offers users a variety of tools to manage personal data. However, sometimes the phone book accumulates a huge number of unnecessary entries, duplicates or old numbers that prevent you from navigating the call list. Effective cleaning of contacts is not just a matter of aesthetics, but also a way to optimize the operation of the device and speed up the search for the right people.
The deletion process can vary depending on where your data is stored: in the phone’s internal memory, on the phone’s internal memory. SIM-In this article, we will take a look at all possible cleanup methods, including mass deletion, duplicate management and synchronization management. Understanding these mechanisms will help you permanently clean up your contact list without risking losing important information.
Before we start radical measures like cleanup, we need to consider standard editing methods, which are the safest and allow selective deletion of records, while maintaining control over the situation. We will look at the standard MIUI 12 shell tools, which do not require the installation of additional software.
Removing single and multiple contacts through a standard application
The easiest way to get rid of unnecessary entries is to use the built-in Contacts app, which is ideal if you need to delete a few specific numbers or sample groups of people. MIUI 12 is intuitive, but has its own features that set it apart from standard Android.
To start, open the Contacts or Phone app and go to the tab with a list of all the records. Click on any record to open its card, then select the Edit option. At the bottom of the screen or in the menu (three dots in the corner), you will find the Delete button. Confirm the action, and the record will disappear from the database.
If you have to remove multiple people at once, the process will be slightly different. In the main menu of the contact list, press and hold your finger on the first entry that you need to delete to activate the selection mode. Then just touch the remaining unnecessary numbers. Once the selection is made, click on the basket icon or the Delete button at the top of the screen.
⚠️ Note: When you delete contacts from Google or Mi Cloud, they will disappear from all devices associated with that account.
It's important to know where your numbers are stored. MIUI 12 is the default save to Google account, which provides automatic synchronization. However, some users still store data on the Google account. SIM-card or internal memory of the phone, which requires a separate approach to management.
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Before mass deletion of contacts, back them up. Export the list to the.vcf file through the Contacts app settings → Import/Export → Export to storage.
Cleaning of contacts saved on SIM-map
Managing the records SIM-The card has its own limitations, which are related to the specifications of the chip itself. SIM-The card stores a limited amount of information: only the name and number, without the possibility of adding a photo, address or multiple numbers to one person, and the removal of such contacts is often required when changing the operator or switching to a new phone.
To access this data, open the Contacts app and go to settings (usually a gear or three dots). Select Import and Export Contacts, and then Contact Management. SIM-This is a complete list of all the records that are physically on the chip.
The deletion process is similar to the main memory: you can select records one by one or use the "Select All" function. After highlighting, press the deletion button. The system will request confirmation, since the action is irreversible for the given storage medium.
- 📱 Open the Contacts app and go to the settings menu.
- 🗑️ Select the item “Contact Management” SIM-map».
- ✅ Select unnecessary entries or click “Select All».
- ❌ Press the removal button and confirm the operation.
It is important to note that the removal of contacts with SIM-The cards don't affect the contacts that are stored in the phone's memory or in the cloud, and vice versa. They're independent data stores. SIM, and the other one in the phone, you need to delete them in each storage separately.
Mass removal and cleaning of duplicates in MIUI 12
The MIUI 12 shell features built-in phone book maintenance tools that allow you to quickly clean up your phone book, and one of the most common problems is the appearance of duplicates, when the same person is recorded several times with different numbers or from different sources.
To automatically search and delete duplicates, use the “Duplicate Cleanup” feature, which is located in the contact settings menu or in the “Services” section of the application, the system will analyze the database, find matches by name or phone number, and suggest combining records or removing unnecessary ones.
If the automatic cleaning doesn't work, you can use manual mass allocation mode. In the contact list, click the menu button (three dots) and select "Package removal" or similar item, which will allow you to scroll through the list and quickly mark dozens of entries to be deleted, which saves you a lot of time compared to single editing.
| Action. | Location on the menu | The result |
|---|---|---|
| Search for duplicates | Settings → Services → Cleanup of duplicates | Combining Repeated Records |
| Removal with SIM | Settings → Import / Export → SIM-card | Cleaning up the memory of the SIM chip |
| Mass excretion | Main screen → Menu → Packet removal | Choosing multiple contacts at once |
| Display filter | Settings → Contact Filter | Hiding contacts without numbers |
Using display filters also helps visualize the list, so you can configure the app to only show contacts from your phone or only from your phone. SIM-This makes navigation easier and makes the manual cleaning process more convenient.
☑️ Checking before cleaning
Managing Google and Mi Cloud Synchronization
Synchronization is key in the Xiaomi and Android ecosystem, where if your contacts are linked to a Google account, deleting your phone record will automatically remove it from the cloud and other devices (tablets, laptops, other phones), a powerful tool, but one that requires caution.
To manage contacts through the web interface, go to contacts.google.com. Here you can delete records, restore them from the shopping cart (within 30 days) and correct errors made on the phone. This is especially useful if you need to delete the contact, which constantly returns after synchronization.
Similarly, the Mi Cloud service works, and if you have Mi Account sync enabled, deleting a contact on a Redmi or Poco device will cause it to disappear from the Xiaomi cloud, and you can check this through i.mi.com.
⚠️ Note: If you delete an important contact by mistake, immediately check the Recycle Bin folder in Google Contacts or Mi Cloud.
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where remote contacts return. This happens if the sync was not completed correctly or if the recording remained in the cache of another application. In such cases, it is recommended to temporarily disable the sync, clear the cache of the Contacts application through the Settings system settings → Apps → All applications → Contacts → Clear, and only then delete.
How to completely disable contact synchronization?
Use of third-party cleaning applications
The MIUI 12 is functional, but advanced users can benefit from Google Play Store applications that offer more flexible filters, mask searches, and the ability to batch processing by complex criteria (e.g., delete all contacts starting with a certain letter).
One popular solution is the Duplicate Contacts or Clearer for Contacts app, which scans the database, finds not only duplicates, but also similar entries (such as those with different formats of +7 or 8), and allows you to safely combine or delete such entries.
When installing third-party software, be sure to pay attention to the permissions requested. The application needs access to contacts, but you should not provide access to a microphone, geolocation or SMS unless it is necessary for the declared functionality.
- 🔍 Contacts Optimizer – allows you to quickly find and delete empty records.
- 🧹 Duplicate Contacts – specializes in merging similar profiles.
- 🛡️ CCleaner – has a module for cleaning unused contacts.
- ☁️ Sync.ME – Helps identify and remove spam contacts.
Third-party tools are especially useful when you need to prepare a phone book for a new smartphone or before selling a device, and provide deeper cleaning than standard system tools.
Problem Solving: Contacts are not deleted or returned
Xiaomi users sometimes encounter bugs when a contact cannot be deleted, the button is inactive, or the record appears again some time after deleting, most often due to a synchronization conflict or damage to the local SQLite database in which the phone book is stored.
The first step in solving the problem should be to switch the contacts displayed. In the Contacts settings, select Display Contacts and only Phone. If this mode is deleting, then the problem is syncing with Google or Mi Cloud. Try to turn off the Internet, delete the contact, and then turn the network back on.
If the problem persists, you may need to clear the cache and data of the Contacts and Contact Storage app itself. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → All Apps, find Contacts, click Clear → Clear All. This action will not delete your contacts if they are saved in a Google account, but reset the display settings and app cache. After that, the phone will re-upload the list from the cloud.
⚠️ Warning: Clearing the Contacts app data on a device that is synced and contacts are only stored locally will result in the complete loss of the phone book!
In rare cases, the problem may be caused by a third-party application that has access to contacts and constantly restores them (such as messengers or applications for calling over the Internet).
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If contacts are not deleted and returned, the problem is 90% of the time it is actively synced to a cloud account that restores deleted data.