The need to clean the phone book completely arises for Xiaomi smartphone users for various reasons: it can be preparing the device for sale, wanting to get rid of accumulated digital garbage or fixing synchronization errors that created thousands of duplicates. Standard methods, removing records one by one, this process would take hours, so it is important to know more effective ways.
Operating system MIUI HyperOS and HyperOS provide built-in tools for mass call list management, but these are often hidden in non-obvious menus or require an account connection, and there is a risk of losing important numbers if you don't make a pre-backup. In this article, we will discuss all available methods, from simple settings to use. ADB-team.
Before we start radical action, we need to understand where the data is physically stored. SIM-A mistake in the source selection will cause the deleted numbers to return after reset or synchronization, and all the work will go to waste.
Preparation and backup of data
The first and most critical step is to back up, and even if your goal is to delete everything, having a security file on your computer or in the cloud will prevent you from having to urgently need a number that has been deleted by mistake a week later, and in the Android ecosystem, this is done through standard synchronization tools.
The most reliable way is to use a Google account. Go to your phone settings, look for Accounts and Sync, and make sure that the slider opposite Contacts is activated, and then the system will create an exact copy of your phone book on the corporation's servers, which will take a few minutes depending on the number of records.
Alternatively, you can create a local file in VCF format, which is preferable if you don’t trust cloud services or plan to completely turn off the Internet on your device, and you can save the file to internal memory or immediately transfer it to your computer.
☑️ Pre-deletion check
It's important to check where new contacts are saved by default, and users often don't notice that new numbers are flying to the default location. SIM-The map, the old ones are in the phone's memory, and this separation makes it difficult to clean the whole thing, because you have to clean several sources separately.
Delete via the standard “Contacts” application
The easiest way to do this, without having to install any additional software, is built into the MIUI shell. However, the interface may vary depending on the firmware version. In Google’s classic app, which is often pre-installed on global versions of smartphones, the algorithm of actions will be slightly different than in Xiaomi’s native app.
To start, open the app and go to edit mode, usually by clicking three dots in the corner of the screen or pinching any entry, and then select the option "Select All" or "Multi-Select" from the menu that appears. After selecting the entire list, a delete button appears, often indicated by the basket icon.
If you have a Google app installed, the process looks like this:
- 📱 Open the app and click on the profile avatar in the upper right corner.
- 🗑️ Select “Configure contacts” or go to the “Contact management” menu».
- 👇 Click “Select All” and confirm removal.
- ☁️ Check the Recycle Bin folder in the web version, as deleted data can be stored there for 30 days.
⚠️ Note: When deleting through the standard app, make sure that the display settings select “All contacts.” If the filter is “Phone only”, you will delete the records only from the device memory, leaving intact those that are synchronized with the account.
In some cases, the system may request confirmation to delete a large number of records (more than 100), which is an Android security mechanism that prevents accidental data loss. Confirm the action, and the process will go faster if other resource-intensive tasks are not running at that time.
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If the Remove button is inactive or hidden, try switching the display view from Card to List in the contact app settings.
Cleaning through the Google Contacts web interface
The most effective way to ensure that records are deleted from all synchronized devices is through a browser. Google Contacts has a wider functionality for mass transactions than mobile applications, which is especially true if the phone book contains thousands of records.
To start, open your browser on your computer or in full mode on your smartphone and go to the contact site. Log in to the same account that is used on your Xiaomi. The interface allows you to select the posts in groups, which greatly speeds up the process. You can select the first contact, pinch the Shift key and click on the last one, highlighting the entire list instantly.
Once highlighted, click on the cart icon, and the system will warn you that changes will affect all devices where you log in to that account, which means that the cleanup will happen automatically on your phone as soon as it receives a signal from the server to change the data.
| Parameter | Mobile app | Web interface |
|---|---|---|
| Speed of operation | Medium (depending on the phone) | High (server processing) |
| Selection of all records | Often limited. | No restrictions. |
| Recovery | Through phone settings | The “Cancel Changes” function |
| Network dependency | Required for synchronization | I'll be sure. |
One of the unique features of the web version is the ability to roll back changes. If you delete the extra, there's an option on the menu on the left that says "Cancel Changes," which allows you to return the status of the phone book to 10 minutes, an hour or even a week ago, a powerful backup tool that not everyone knows about.
Use of third-party clearing-house applications
When the built-in tools fail or the interface seems too complex, specialized utilities from the Play Market store come to the rescue. Apps like Clean Master, Duplicate Contacts or Simple Contacts offer advanced sorting and deleting features, and are especially useful for combating duplicates that often interfere with complete cleaning.
The software is based on scanning the phone database and searching for matches by name, number or email. After analyzing the user is presented with a list of candidates for removal, the advantage of such applications is the ability to fine-tune filters: you can delete all contacts without a number, without a name or with a specific country code.
However, be careful when granting permissions. Contact applications require access to personal information; it is recommended to use only proven programs with high ratings and a large number of downloads; after completing the task, the application should be deleted or revoked from it access rights in the privacy settings.
Some cliners offer a "Burn" function, which means that contacts are permanently deleted without the possibility of recovery through the cart. Use this feature only if you are absolutely sure that data is useless.
⚠️ Note: Third-party apps may not work properly with new versions of Android due to database access restrictions. If the application says "0 found", although contacts are, it is likely not allowed access in the system settings.
Radical method: Resetting phone settings
If the software methods don't work or the phone book is damaged enough to cause the system to freeze, the only sure way is a complete reset to factory settings (Hard Reset), which removes absolutely all data from the device, returning it to the "out of the box" state.
Before starting the procedure, make sure you remember the password from your Google account, as after the reset, the system will require it to confirm ownership (protection) FRP). You'll also have to take it out. SIM-card and memory card, unless you want them to be cleaned, although usually the reset only affects the internal memory.
The sequence of actions for resetting through the menu:
- 🔧 Go to Settings. → The phone.
- 🔄 Select "Settings Reset" or "Factory Reset».
- 🗑️ Click “Erase all data” and enter the screen unlock password.
- ⏳ Wait for the reboot and initial device setup.
Once turned on, the phone will be clean. If you log in to your Google account, contacts can be pulled back up from the cloud again, so that this does not happen, either pre-clean the cloud (as described in the second section), or refuse to restore data from the backup when you initially set up.
What if the phone doesn’t turn on after resetting?
Removal of contacts with SIM-map
Special attention should be paid to the contacts stored directly on the SIM-They don't always show up in the shared list and they don't sync with Google by default. To delete them, you need to use a specific path in the settings menu of the Xiaomi phone.
Go to the Contacts app, click on the menu (three bars or dots) and select Settings. in the list, find Import and Export Contacts or Manage SIM-Here you'll see a list of numbers written on the chip. Select them all and select deletion.
It is worth noting that SIM-The card has a limited amount of memory and often does not support long names or additional fields (addresses, birthdays). SIM-It is recommended to copy important numbers to the phone or cloud memory so as not to lose them when changing the operator.
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Contacts to SIM-The card is not deleted when resetting the phone settings, they need to be cleaned separately through the control menu. SIM.