Why Xiaomi Call Records Arenโt Always Deleted the First Time
Xiaomiโs MIUI-based smartphones store call history not only in the standard Phone app, but also in synchronized services like Mi Account, Google Contacts, and even cloud backups, which means simply tapping โDeleteโ in the call log often fails to deliver the expected result: erased numbers can reappear in history over time, especially for users who are actively using contact sync or cloud redundancy.
In this article, weโll look at all the possible ways to delete your call records on Xiaomi, including hidden methods for MIUI 14/15 that arenโt described in the official documentation, how to clear your history for a single contact, how to massively delete all calls, and how to permanently erase your data from cloud services so that it doesnโt recover from a reboot or reset.
Important: the procedure differs depending on the version of MIUI and the model of the smartphone (for example, on the Redmi Note 12 and Xiaomi 13 Ultra, the path to settings may vary slightly).If your phone is running MIUI 13 or older, some menu items may be called differently - we will specify alternative options.
Method 1: Delete a separate call record through the Phone application
The most obvious method is to delete an unnecessary call directly in the log, which is suitable if you need to get rid of 1-2 entries without affecting the rest of the story.
Instructions:
- ๐ฑ Open the Phone app (the phone icon on the home screen or in the app menu).
- ๐ Go to the "Journal" tab (usually located at the bottom of the screen).
- ๐ Find the call record you want to delete and hold your finger on it. 2-3 seconds.
- ๐๏ธ In the menu that appears, select "Delete" (on some models - "Delete entry").
- โ Confirm the action by pressing "OK".
If the record is not deleted the first time, check if sync with Google Contacts or Mi Account is enabled, in which case the call may be restored after the next sync. To avoid this, go to Method 3.
โ๏ธ What to do if the record is not deleted
โ ๏ธ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO F5) If you delete the record, you may have a ghost call that's empty. MIUI, which is corrected only by a complete cleaning of the journal (see Method 2).
Method 2: Massively delete the entire call history
If you need to clear the entire call log at a time, use the built-in MIUI feature.This method does not require root rights and works on all models, including the Redmi 10, Xiaomi 12T and newer devices.
Step-by-step:
- Open the phone app.
- Go to the Journal tab.
- Press three points (โฎ) in the upper right corner and select "Settings".
- Scroll down and find the item "Clear Call Log" (or "Delete All Records" on older versions of MIUI).
- Confirm the action by pressing "OK".
If the "Clear Journal" item is missing, try an alternative path:
- ๐ง Go to Settings. โ Annexes โ Application management.
- ๐ Find the phone application and open its settings.
- ๐งน Select "Clear the data" โ "Clear cache" and "Clear all data" (this will delete the entire history of calls and SMS).
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Before mass deletion, export important numbers to the VCF file: open Contacts โ Settings โ Import / Export โ Export to the device memory.
| Xiaomi model | The Way to Cleaning the Journal | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Redmi Note 11/12 | Phone. โ Journal โ โฎ โ Clean the journal | It's working on MIUI 13/14. |
| Xiaomi 13/13 Pro | Phone. โ Journal โ โฎ โ Settings โ Clear everything. | Requires fingerprint confirmation. |
| POCO X5/F5 | Settings โ Applications โ Phone โ Storage โ Clear data | Delete SMS as well |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | Phone โ Magazine โ Long press on the record โ Delete everything | At MIUI 12.5. |
Method 3: Disable sync with Mi Account and Google
If the call records reappear in the log after deleting, the problem lies in automatic synchronization. MIUI by default reserves the call history to the Mi Account cloud and / or Google Contacts. To delete the call records, you need to disable this feature.
How to turn off synchronization:
- ๐ Go to Settings. โ Accounts and synchronization โ Mi Account.
- ๐ Turn off the slider next to "Contact Synchronization and Call Log".
- ๐ Go back and select Google (if you use it).
- ๐ Disable "Contact Synchronization" and "Call Journal".
After the synchronization is disabled:
- Remove the call records (see Method 1 or Method 2).
- Reboot your phone to make the changes take effect.
โ ๏ธ Warning: Disabling sync with Mi Account may cause you to lose contact backups. Before you do that, export them to a file or transfer them to a file. SIM-map.
Method 4: Delete via File Manager (for power users)
On Xiaomi smartphones, the history of calls is stored in the database contacts2.db, located along the way:
/data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.dbTo manually delete the records, you will need to:
- ๐ Get root rights (for example, through Magisk).
- ๐ Install a root-enabled file manager (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
- ๐ Follow the path and open the file. contacts2.db SQLite Editor (for example, SQLite Editor).
- ๐๏ธ Fulfill the request: DELETE FROM calls WHERE number='Phone number'; or for complete cleaning: DELETE FROM calls;
- ๐ Reboot the phone.
This method is guaranteed to delete records without recovery, but requires technical skills. Wrong actions can lead to the loss of all contacts!
What happens if you delete contacts2.db?
Method 5: Reset the settings of the Phone application (last resort)
If none of these things worked, the radical solution is to reset the phone app, and it will return to factory status by removing all call history, settings, and cache.
How to perform the reset:
- ๐ง Go to Settings. โ Annexes โ Application management.
- ๐ Find the Phone app (or com.android.dialer).
- ๐งน Press "Storage" โ "Clear all data".
- โ ๏ธ Confirm the action (this will delete the entire history of calls and SMS).
After discharge:
- ๐ The app "Phone" will restart with factory settings.
- ๐ฑ You may need to reconfigure number autodetection and spam blocking.
- ๐ If you used Mi Account, the history can be restored after synchronization โ pre-disable it (see Method 3).
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Resetting the Phone app is the most reliable way to delete all call records, but it also erases SMS and number autodetermination settings.
Additional tips: how to prevent the recovery of remote calls
To prevent remote call records from reappearing, follow these guidelines:
- ๐ Turn off automatic sync in Mi Account and Google (see Method 3).
- โ๏ธ Delete backups in the cloud: For Mi Account: Settings โ Mi Account โ Cloud. โ Backup copies โ Delete. For Google: Settings โ Google โ Backup โ Delete the data.
- ๐ฑ Regularly clean the cache of the application "Phone" (Settings) โ Annexes โ Phone. โ Warehouse โ Clear the cache).
- ๐ Use third-party call management apps (like Truecaller or Call Recorder) that store your history locally.
If you sell or transfer a phone to another person, itโs not enough to simply delete the call log. perform a full reset (Settings โ About Phone โ Reset) to ensure that all data is erased.