How to Remove Duplicate Contacts on Xiaomi: The Complete 2026 Guide

Duplicate contacts in the phone book Xiaomi – a problem faced by every third smartphone user MIUI. They appear after synchronization with multiple accounts (Google, Mi Account, SIM-Imports from backups or malfunctions in the Contacts app, and instead of having a neat list, you get chaos from repetitive entries with different numbers, names in the format of Ivan Ivanov (1), Ivan Ivanov (2), or no names at all — only with phone numbers.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to remove duplicates on any Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models (including Xiaomi 13/14, Redmi Note 12, POCO F5 and others). Methods are suitable for versions of MIUI 12, 13 and 14, as well as for devices with the HyperOS shell. You will learn how to automatically drain repetitive records, manually edit contacts and prevent their appearance in the future.

The reasons for the appearance of duplicate contacts on Xiaomi

Before you start cleaning, it's important to understand why the duplications occur, and this will help avoid the problem in the future.

• 🔄 Sync with multiple accounts: if you use both Google Contacts and Mi Account, and save numbers to your account SIM-map, the system creates separate records for each source.
• ☁️ Contact Import/Export: When transferring data from another phone via a.vcf file or backup, there are often repetitions.
• 📱 Update MIUI: after major updates (for example, with MIUI 13 to 14) sometimes get tied to the accounts.
• 🤖 Contacts errors: bugs in the standard phone book manager (especially in older versions) can duplicate entries when editing.
• 📞 Saving numbers from calls: If you keep incoming/outgoing numbers on the fly, the system can create new records instead of updating existing ones.

For example, if you have a “Maria” entry in Google Contacts, and SIM-The card has the same number, called Masha, and when you sync it will have two separate contacts, and similarly, if you edit the number in the Contacts app, but you don't sync the changes to the cloud, you'll see a discrepancy.

Method 1: Automatic merger of takes through "Contacts"

The easiest method is to use the built-in merging feature in the Contacts app, which is available on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 12 and later.

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. Go to the section "Merge contacts" (or "Find and merge duplicates in new versions).
4. Wait for the system to scan the phone book, and then you'll see groups of repeat contacts on the screen.
5. Click on the group of takes → select the main entry (check) → tap Plea.
6. Repeat for all duplicates found.

If you don’t have the option to drain contacts, update the Contacts app via Google Play or check your sync settings (more on this below). In some firmware, the feature is hidden – you can call it through a search in the settings (Settings → Search → enter “merge contacts”).

Check for backup (Settings → Google → Backup)

Update the Contacts app to the latest version

Disable sync with Mi Account (if not used)

Close all background applications to speed up the process-->

Method Limitation: An embedded merger doesn’t always find all the duplicates, especially if they’re saved to different accounts (e.g., one Google contact and another Google contact). SIM-This will help the way the map is done. №2.

Method 2: Manual cleaning through Google Contacts

If duplicates are due to sync with Google, the best way to clean them is through the web version of the service, which ensures that the changes apply to all devices where sync is enabled.

1. Open contacts.google.com on your computer or phone and log in with the same account as you do on Xiaomi.
2. In the left menu, select Duplicates (or Flee and Fix → Duplicates).
3. The system will show all the repeat contacts. Press Dump all or select specific groups to merge.
4. After processing, check the Other Contacts section, which may contain stumps from old records (no-name numbers).
5. Return to your smartphone, open Settings → Accounts → Google and turn on/off contact sync to make changes apply.

The advantage of this method is centralized management: all edits will be automatically applied to Xiaomi, Android tablet or other phone where you use this Google account.

💡

If you have duplicates on Xiaomi after the merger in Google Contacts, try removing your Google account from your phone settings, restarting your device and adding it again, which will force you to update your local contact database.

Method 3: Cleaning with Mi Account (for Chinese firmware)

If you use Mi Account (especially on smartphones with Chinese MIUI firmware), duplicates may appear due to a conflict between local and cloud contacts.

1. Open the Settings. → Accounts. → Mi Account.
2. Slip on your profile and select Contact Sync.
3. Turn off the synchronization (move the slider to the left).
4. Return to the Contacts app, remove all duplicates manually (hold your finger on the contact → Delete).
5. Go back to Mi Account and turn on sync, and the system will suggest that you merge local and cloud contacts, you'll agree.

⚠️ Note: If you have never used Mi Account to store contacts, don’t turn on sync after cleaning.This can bring back old duplicates from the cloud. №4).

Method 4: Complete reset of contacts (export/import)

If the previous methods didn't work, you're going to have to go to a radical solution, which is to completely reset the phone book, which is suitable for running cases where there are hundreds of duplicates and they're stored in different sources.

1. Export all contacts: Open "Contacts» → ⋮ → Contact management → Import/Export. Select Export to file and save.vcf to internal memory or Google Drive.
2. Delete all contacts: Go to Settings → Applications → App Management → Contacts. Click Storage → Clear data (this will delete all local contacts, but will not affect synced with Google or Mi Account). If you want to delete cloud contacts, do it through Settings → Accounts (disable sync and delete data for Google/Mi Account).

Import back.

• Return to Contact» → ⋮ → Imports/Exports → File-based import.
• Select the saved.vcf file. The system will suggest to merge duplicates, agree.

⚠️ Warning: Before resetting, make sure you have a backup of your contacts on Google or your computer.If you delete the data from your Mi Account, it will be impossible to restore it! Also check if contacts are linked to other services (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) to avoid losing avatars and additional information.

Method 5: Third-party applications for removing duplicates

If the built-in MIUI tools fail, third-party utilities will come to the rescue, offering more flexible merger and clean-up settings.

• 📱 Duplicate Contacts Remover (by Simpler): Automatically finds and merges duplicates, including hidden ones. Supports backup before cleaning.Free version is limited to 500 contacts.
• 🔍 Contacts Optimizer: Looks for not only duplicates, but also incomplete entries (for example, contacts without names).
• ☁️ Google Contacts (official app): A more user-friendly interface for managing duplicates than the web version. synced with the cloud in real time.

Before using third-party applications:

1. Create a backup of your contacts (via Settings → Google → Backup).
2. Check out reviews on Google Play – some utilities can remove the wrong contacts.
3. Configure permissions: Give the app access to Contacts and Warehouse.

Warning: Avoid applications that request access to SMS, calls or geolocation to “clean contacts” are unnecessary permissions that could threaten security.

💡

Third-party apps are useful for deep cleaning, but always check their reputation. Better to use official tools (Google Contacts) or proven utilities with a high rating (4.5+ on Google Play).

How to Prevent the appearance of doubles in the future

To prevent the problem from returning, follow simple rules:

• 🔗 Use one primary source: either Google Contacts, Mi Account, or local storage. Don't sync everything at the same time.
• 📲 Turn off the save on SIM-map: in the "Contacts" settings, select Settings → Maintaining contacts → Phone (or Google).
• 🔄 Check the duplicates regularly: once a month, run the built-in merger in the Contacts app».
• ☁️ Set up backup: in Settings → Google → Backup Enable Automatic Contact Saving.
• 🚫 Avoid importing from unreliable sources: Do not download.vcf files from unknown places (for example, forums).

If you’re switching from one smartphone to another frequently (like an iPhone to Xiaomi), use official data porting tools like Mi Mover or Google Drive.

Preventive tip: after buying a new Xiaomi, immediately set up sync with Google and turn off saving on the phone. SIM-This will save 90% of future problems with duplicates.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the duplicate contacts on Xiaomi