How to highlight a few contacts Xiaomi: the complete guide

Managing a phone book on Xiaomi smartphones often becomes a routine, especially when hundreds of numbers have accumulated, among which duplicates or outdated entries have been lost. The standard behavior of the MIUI interface and the new HyperOS involves alternate allocation, which takes a lot of time when you need to mass process data. Users often look for a way to speed up this process to clear the memory or transfer data to a new gadget without unnecessary headaches.

Fortunately, the manufacturer’s shell features hidden gestures and special modes that allow you to cover entire groups of records at once. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to allocate several contacts on Xiaomi using standard system tools without installing third-party software, you will learn how to use quick commands to sort a database and avoid typical errors when working with important information.

Basic principles of working with the MIUI phone book

Before we go into mass action, it's important to understand the logic of the standard Contacts or Phone application. Xiaomi's interface is built on the principle of gradual deepening: first you choose an object, then an action. However, for group operations, the system requires you to move to a special editing mode, which is not always obvious to beginners. The object allocation works differently than in file managers, where you just hold your finger and drive on the screen.

Importantly, synchronization with a Google or Mi Account account can affect the interface response rate when selecting a large number of records. If you have cloud sync enabled, every deletion or relocation action may require server confirmation, which is why for operations with hundreds of numbers, local storage or temporary sync disabling can significantly speed up the process.

⚠️ Warning: Before mass deletion or relocation, make sure you have an up-to-date backup.Recovering an accidentally deleted critical link from the cloud is harder than preventing loss.

There are several scenarios when group work is required: removing duplicates, moving numbers from the SIM-You can use maps, you can create groups to send messages, or you can just clean up a list, and understanding these scenarios will help you choose the right tool, for example, to combat duplicates in Xiaomi, there is a built-in merging feature that works more efficiently than manual allocation.

Classic method of selection through long pressing

The most common and reliable way to work on all Android versions and Xiaomi shells is to use a long tap.This method is versatile and does not depend on the firmware version, whether it is the old MIUI 11 or the latest HyperOS. To activate the Multiple Selection mode, you need to find the first contact in the list and click on its avatar or name, holding your finger for 1-2 seconds.

Once the first item is highlighted (usually in an accent color, like orange or blue), the interface changes. At the top of the screen, a counter of selected objects and a toolbar appear. From that point on, short taps of other lines in the list will add them to the already selected group, which allows you to form a sample of arbitrary contacts that do not necessarily go in a row.

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Use the “Select All” feature in the top menu after the Allocation Mode is activated to instantly cover the entire phone book if your goal is a full reset or export.

If you want to highlight the contacts that are in a row, but there are too many for easy flipping, there is a secret. Once you select the first item, scroll the list to the right place without removing the highlight, and press the Shift key (if the keyboard is connected) or just tap the last contact you need. However, on a touch screen, it is easier to use the "Select All" function and then deselect from those that do not need to be deleted.

• 📱 Press and hold your finger on the first contact until the tick appears.
• ✅ Continue to short-click on other numbers to add to the group.
• 🗑️ Use the menu below to delete or copy.
• 🔄 To cancel the allocation of a specific element, just click on it again.

Use of the “Select All” function for mass operations

When you're talking about hundreds of records, manual selection becomes inefficient, and in those cases, you can use the "Select All" feature available in the control menu to activate it, first start the "Select All" mode by long-pressing any contact, and then you can see a three-dot icon or a text button in the top or bottom corner of the screen (depending on the MIUI version).

In the menu that opens, you'll find "Select All," and the system will instantly tag all the contacts you see, which is especially useful if you want to migrate the entire database from the top of the table. SIM-But be careful, if you have system numbers or important services on the list, they'll be highlighted, and in these cases, it's best to use filtering before mass action.

Interestingly, the "Select All" function can work differently depending on where the contacts are stored. SIM-And if you're on the list, you'll be able to select all the entries from all the synchronized accounts, which is a big nuance, because deleting them from the list can affect your Google account.

Removal of duplicates and consolidation of records

One of the main reasons users want to highlight many contacts at once is to fight duplicates. At Xiaomi, this problem is solved not only by manual allocation, but also by automatic tools. The Contacts app often features a “Clean” or “Combine duplicates” feature, which scans the database, finds duplicate numbers, and suggests combining them into one card.

If the automation doesn't work, you can use a manual method. You can select the first duplicate with a long press, then find the second one and also highlight it. In the action menu, select "Combine" or "Connect" to save all the numbers and addresses in one record, removing visual debris. Contact fusion is a safer alternative to deletion, since information is not lost, but is structured.

⚠️ Warning: When manually pairing, make sure you're linking one person.A random merger of different people will lead to porridge from numbers and call history.

For advanced users, it is possible to export contacts in.vcf format, process them on a computer via a text editor or Excel and then import them back, which allows you to use powerful algorithms to sort PCs to identify exact copies that the phone may miss due to different number recording formats (for example, +7 and 8).

Transfer of contacts with SIM-maps and imports

Frequently: You bought a new Xiaomi, inserted it. SIM-You need to select all of them at once to transfer them to your phone or cloud, go to the Contacts settings, select Import/Export and specify the source «SIM-The system will offer to allocate numbers.

Use the long-press method described above and the "Select All" button. After highlighting, click "Copy" or "Move." Select the target storage - usually a "Phone" or your Google account. SIM-map and check that the numbers are displayed correctly. SIM-Cloud Cards are the Best Way to Protect Your Cards from Loss When You Change Operator or Lose a Card.

The reverse process — export to SIM-The map is also possible, but has limitations. SIM-cards have a small amount of memory and often crop long names or do not support the preservation of several numbers in the same name. Therefore, mass export to the SIM is recommended only in extreme cases when you need to move the base to a button phone.

Working with groups and selected contacts

Multiple contacts are not only necessary to delete, but also to create groups, which is convenient for setting quiet hours (so that calls from family go through the lock) or for sending a quick SMS. In the selection menu, after you have selected the right people, you can choose the option “Add to the group” or “Create a group”.

Groups in MIUI allow you to manage notifications flexibly, for example, you can create a Work group and assign it a separate notification sound, by highlighting contacts and adding them to this group, you automate the setting, and you can add dedicated contacts to Favorites so that they are always on hand on the first dial screen.

Remember, groups sync with your Google account, and if you create a group on your phone, it will also appear in the Google Contacts web interface, allowing you to edit mailing lists even from a computer, which is much more convenient for entering large text messages or adding multiple addresses.

Frequent problems and their solution

Sometimes users are faced with the fact that contacts are not allocated or menus do not appear, often this is due to the freezing of the process com.android.contacts. In this case, it helps to clean the app cache through the phone settings, and the problem may be crowded memory of the device, which slows down the rendering of the allocation interface.

Another common mistake is to try to identify contacts that are physically located in different sources (part on SIM, part on Google) from a shared list, so the system may not allow them to be allocated simultaneously for operations, in which case you first need to filter the contacts that are displayed, leaving only one source.

• 🔍 Check if the “Favorites Only” mode or the group filter is turned on.
• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone if the selection interface does not respond to touch.
• 💾 Free up memory space if the phone is slow while scrolling through the list.

If none of the methods work, the contact database file may be corrupted, in which case resetting the Contacts app to factory settings (without deleting data, only settings) or completely resetting the phone, but only after you have created a backup will help.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions