The sudden disappearance of the phone book is a stress that many owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones face. It would seem that you just unlocked the screen and there is no names, no numbers, only an empty list or old records. It is often too early to panic, since the data is not physically gone, but only stopped showing due to a synchronization failure or display settings.
Android system in the shell MIUI HyperOS is designed so that contacts can be stored in different containers: on the most SIM-If one of these sources is no longer active for display, the illusion of total data loss is created, in most cases, the problem is solved in a couple of minutes by the correct actions in the settings menu.
In this article, we’ll look at all possible scenarios for missing numbers, from the banal display filter to problems with Google servers, learn how to force synchronization, where to look for hidden lists, and how to safely import data from the SIM card if it suddenly becomes invisible to the system.
Checking display settings and list filters
The most common reason for "disappearance" is a randomly activated filter in the Contacts app, which could switch to displaying only those numbers that were saved to the contact. SIM-map, while the main entries are in your Google account. To fix this, open the Contacts app and look for the menu icon (three dots or) in the corner of the screen.
In the menu that opens, select Display Settings or Contact Filter, and you'll see a list of all available sources, make sure that you check the box against All Contacts, or that you specifically select the right accounts, such as your Gmail, if you have Contacts Only on your phone, and the numbers are in the cloud, the list will be blank.
⚠️ Note: After the firmware update MIUI display settings may reset by default. Always check this item first before attempting to make complex data import or recovery.
It's also worth checking if the "Favorites Only" mode or any specific label is on, sometimes users accidentally create groups and hide the rest, thinking the data is missing, and go back to the standard list view to make sure all the entries are available.
- 🔍 Open the Contacts app and click on the three dots in the upper right corner.
- 📂 Select "Display Settings" (or "Contact Filter").
- ✅ Make sure that the “All Contacts” option is activated or that the Google account is selected.
- 🔄 Reboot the application by swiping it from the menu of running programs.
Problems with syncing Google account
If the filters are set up correctly but no contacts are available, it is likely that the sync with Google servers is disrupted, often after a password change, a long absence of the Internet, or a failure of Google Play services, in which case the phone simply cannot download the current list of names from the cloud.
To check, go to Settings → Accounts and Sync. Find your Google account in the list and click on it. Make sure the switch opposite Contacts is active. If it's already on, try turning it off and turning it on again to force the update process.
Sometimes, cleaning the sync cache helps. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, search the list for Contacts and Contact Sync (or Google Contacts Sync). For both applications, do Clear Data and Clear Cache. This will not remove numbers from the cloud, but will force the phone to download them again.
What to do if the synchronization is suspended?
It’s also worth checking the status of Google’s servers, as sometimes the issues are global and do not depend on your device.If the servers are not available, the contacts will not be downloaded until Google engineers fix the problems on their side.
Recovering Remote Contacts through Google Contacts
If you accidentally delete important numbers or they disappear after resetting, you have a great chance to restore them through the built-in Recycle Bin or Change History feature in Google Contacts, which stores backup copies of changes for up to 30 days.
To do this, you can use your computer or browser in full mode. Go to contacts.google.com and log in to your account. On the menu on the left, find the "Basket" item, which can contain manually deleted contacts.
A more powerful tool is Cancel Changes. In the settings menu, select this item, and you'll be asked to choose a time point: 10 minutes ago, 1 hour, yesterday or week, and the system will roll back the state of the phone book to the selected moment.
| Action. | Where to find out. | Storage period | Risk of data loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basket | contacts.google.com → basket | 30 days | Low. |
| Repeal the changes | Settings → Cancel changes | Up to 30 days. | Medium (will roll back all changes) |
| File-based import | Import → Select file.csv | Depends on the backup. | Low. |
| Recovery with SIM | Phone settings → Import | Indefinite (on the map) | Low. |
After you roll back the changes on the site, be sure to return to the phone and force the sync update, as described in the previous section, only then the restored numbers will appear in the device.
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The “Cancel Changes” feature in Google Contacts is the most reliable way to restore the number database after accidental deletion or sync failure.
Import of contacts with SIM-maps and internal memory
Often times, the contact is physically present. SIM-It's a card, but the phone doesn't see them because they're not copied to the memory of the device, which is typical of old phones or when you switch from button models.
Go to the Contacts app, click on the menu and select Settings. Find Import/Export Contacts. Select Import with SIM-The system will suggest you to choose an account where to save the numbers – choose your Google account so that in the future they will not disappear.
☑️ Checklist of import contacts
If there are many contacts, the process can take a few minutes. Don't interrupt it or turn off the screen to avoid recording errors. Once completed, check the list - all numbers should be displayed if the display filter is removed.
The reverse scenario is also possible: contacts are in the phone’s memory, but are not displayed, because the application “reads” only. SIM-In this case, in the import/export menu, select Export to Memory of the Device or Export to Google Account to move them to the visible area.
Work with Mi Cloud and Local Backups
Xiaomi device owners often use the Mi Cloud cloud service, which can duplicate or even replace Google sync. If you used this service, contacts could be saved there. Check the sync status in Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
If sync has been enabled, you can restore contacts via the i.mi.com web interface. Go to the site, log in and go to Contacts. There is a retrieval feature for the last 30-60 days, similar to Google.
In addition to the cloud, Xiaomi phones have a local backup feature. It creates a backup file in internal memory. You can find it by following the MIUI → backup → AllBackup → contact. If such a file exists (with a date before contacts disappear), it can be restored through the Settings menu → About Phone → Backup and Restore → Recovery.
⚠️ Attention: Local backups can be deleted when your phone is completely reset (Hard Reset).If you have done a reset, you should only rely on Google cloud services or Mi Cloud.
It is recommended to set up automatic backup in Mi Cloud if you are actively using the Xiaomi ecosystem, which will create an additional layer of protection for your data in case of problems with your Google account.
Hidden contacts and spam blocking
MIUI has built-in spam protection features that can hide contacts that are labeled “suspicious” or blacklisted, and sometimes the numbers that are needed are also included because of a definition error.
Check the Security app (green shield). Go to Antispam → Blacklist. See if any important subscribers are there. There is also a Hide Contacts option in the phone book settings that can filter numbers without names or with certain signs.
Another nuance is duplication of records. The system can combine multiple records about one person into one card, and if the data in them conflict, the display may not work correctly. In the contact menu, select "Joint duplicates" or check the list for strange associations.
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Use third-party contact management apps if the standard MIUI app doesn’t work properly, such as Google Contacts from the Play Store, which is often more stable and has a more user-friendly interface for finding missing records.
Third-party applications and synchronization conflicts
Sometimes, third-party applications for calling or managing contacts that you have previously established can cause problems, and they can intercept access to the database and mishandle it by hiding some of the records.
Try removing newly installed telephony apps or disabling their permissions in Settings → Apps → Rights → Contacts. Only allow the Contacts system drive and possibly instant messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp if necessary.
If nothing works, you can try to clean the Contacts app itself, which won't delete the numbers if they're synced to the cloud, but it will reset all display settings and the app's cache to factory status, and then the phone will re-upload the list from the account.