How to remove multiple contacts on Xiaomi: Effective methods

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face the need to clean up their phone book, and situations where dozens or even hundreds of records need to be removed are a regular occurrence, such as changing numbers, cleaning duplicates or preparing a device for sale, and routinely removing one contact at a time is time-consuming and nerve-wracking, becoming a monotonous and tedious process.

Fortunately, the MIUI and HyperOS shells offer built-in tools for mass data management, so you don't have to install third-party applications or have the skills of a programmer, but you just have to know where the functions are hidden in the standard interface to do the cleaning in minutes.

In this article, we will take a look at all the available methods of group removal, you will learn how to work with local phone memory, synchronized Google data and entries on the phone. SIM-We will also touch on the topic of recovering accidentally deleted information, which will be an important insurance policy before any operations begin.

Preparation for mass cleaning of the handbook

Before you take drastic action, you need to make sure your data is secure. Mass deletion is a very difficult operation to reverse without prior preparation. If you just start to allocate numbers and click "delete," there is a risk of losing important connections that cannot be rebuilt.

The most reliable way to protect yourself is to back up. In the Android ecosystem, this is done automatically, but it's better to check your sync status manually. Go to your Google account settings and make sure that the slider opposite Contacts is activated.

On modern Xiaomi smartphones, records can be stored in three places: in the internal memory of the device, in a Google account or on a Google account. SIM-It depends on which cleaning tool you need.

⚠️ Warning: Before starting the procedure, make sure you have a stable Internet connection if you are working with cloud data.

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Take a screenshot or export important contacts to a.vcf file before cleaning if you are in doubt about deleting some records.

Removal of contacts through the standard “Contacts” application

The primary tool for working with the phone book is built into the default system. The interface may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI, but the logic of actions remains the same for all models, and this is where it is easiest to select a group of objects for further processing.

Open the Contacts or Phone app and go to the subscriber tab. At the top of the screen, usually on the right or left (depending on the regional firmware), there is a control menu. Some versions of the shell have to click three dots in the corner, others have to hold your finger on the first contact.

Once the allocation mode is activated, the interface will change: checkboxes will appear next to each entry. Now you can scroll through the list and mark unnecessary numbers. To speed up the process, you can often use the "Select All" or range allocation function.

When the desired entries are tagged, click on the basket icon or the Delete button at the bottom of the screen. The system will request confirmation of action to prevent accidental loss of data. Once confirmed, the selected contacts will be permanently deleted from the current storage.

⚠️ Note: If you delete contacts synced to Google, they will disappear from all devices associated with that account, not just on your Xiaomi phone.

Working with duplicates and combining records

Often, the need for mass cleaning is due to the appearance of duplicates, which occurs when transferring data from an old phone or when synchronizing from different sources (for example, SIM and Google), HyperOS and newer versions of MIUI have smart algorithms to solve this problem.

In the Contacts app, find the settings menu or Contact Organization section, and it may have either "Joint Duplicates" or "Mingle" in it, and the system will automatically analyze the database and suggest that you combine the records with the same names or numbers.

This method not only removes the extra, but also preserves the history of calls and correspondence tied to different cards of the same person, a method that is more gentle than complete deletion, because it preserves the integrity of information.

If the automatic merger didn't work, you can use manual allocation mode, select multiple cards from one subscriber, click on the menu, and select "Combine," and then you only have one full entry with all the information available.

Cleaning of contacts saved on SIM-map

Records on SIM-These cards have their limitations and often look like "Subscriber 1", "Subscriber 2". Delete them through the standard interface of Google Contacts is sometimes difficult, because they are stored locally on the chip.

In the Contacts app, go to the display settings. Make sure you check the "Show contacts with SIM" box. After that, your old records will appear in the general list, highlight them in the way described above (long press), and delete them.

The alternative is through management. SIM-In the phone settings, find the section «SIM-Maps and mobile networks. There's often a "Contact" item. SIM-Cards" or "Contact management SIM». Once you go there, you will only have access to these records.

After cleaning. SIM-The card is recommended to copy the remaining important numbers to the phone memory or the cloud. the storage format on the SIM card is outdated and does not allow you to save additional numbers or email addresses.

⚠️ Note: When removing contacts from SIM-Maps don’t make it to Google’s shopping cart and recovery may not be possible without special readers.

Using the web version of Google Contacts for PC

If you're not comfortable deleting your phone because of the small screen, the best way to do that is to use a computer. Google Contacts provides the most powerful tools for editing large lists, and this is especially true if you have to delete a few thousand records at once.

Go to contacts.google.com from your computer and log in under the same account as on your Xiaomi smartphone. The interface will allow you to highlight contacts with your mouse, clamping the Shift key to select range or Ctrl for selective selection.

On the left of the menu, there's a "Frequently Used" or "Other Contacts" item, and it often accumulates garbage -- numbers that you've contacted before but didn't save explicitly -- that can be cleaned in bulk by selecting the appropriate menu item.

Once you have selected a group on your computer, click the basket icon. Changes are instantly synchronized with your smartphone through the air. In a few minutes, when you open the Redmi phone book, you'll see an updated and cleaned list.

Recovery of remote contacts

Accidental deletion is a common problem. Fortunately, Google provides a Cancel Change feature that works like a time machine, allowing you to roll back the state of the phone book by 30 days or even earlier.

To do this, go back to the Google Contacts web version. In the menu on the left, find the gear (Settings) and select “Cancel Changes” and you will be asked to choose a time frame: 10 minutes ago, 1 hour, yesterday or a specific date.

Once confirmed, the system will restore all deleted or altered contacts at the time of the selected time.

It's also worth checking the Recycle Bin folder in the Contacts app on the smartphone itself. In modern versions of MIUI, deleted records are stored there for 30 days before disappearing permanently. Just highlight them and click Restore.

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Regular sync with Google is the only guaranteed way to quickly restore contacts in the event of a crash or error.

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