The sudden disappearance of the Redmi 9 Pro phone book can be a serious problem, especially if the list contains work numbers or important personal data. Users often face a situation where after a system update or accidental failure, the list of subscribers becomes empty. It is important not to panic, since in the Android operating system data is rarely permanently deleted immediately.
There are several proven ways to recover lost information, from simple synchronization to backups, and in this article, we’ll take a closer look at recovery methods for your device using Xiaomi’s built-in tools and Google services.
Before you start taking action, make sure your device is connected to a stable internet connection. Most methods require a connection to cloud storage to check the history of changes or download previously stored data.
Checking the display and synchronization settings
Often, contacts are not lost, but simply stopped showing because of the filters in the Contacts app that were lost. SIM-maps, ignoring the entries stored in your phone's memory or account. To fix this, open the app and find the settings menu, usually hidden under three dots or stripes.
You need to select “Display Settings” or “Contact Filter” from the menu, and make sure that you check the box against “All Contacts” or that you specifically select your Google account. If the filter is installed on “Phone Only” or “SIM”, you will not see any records stored in the cloud.
⚠️ Note: If you recently changed your Google account password, sync may have stopped. check the connection status in the Accounts section in your phone settings.
Once you change your settings, reboot your device, and this action will force you to update the phonebook app cache and apply new filtering options, and in most cases, this simple action will return access to lost numbers without using sophisticated tools.
Make sure that the account settings activate the sync slider specifically for the Contacts section. If it is turned off, the phone will not receive updates from the cloud, even if the Internet is working properly.
Restore through Google Contacts (Web-interface)
The most reliable way to return data if it was linked to a Google account is to use the rollback feature, which automatically backs up and stores the history of changes for 30 days, allowing you to restore the state of the phone book at any time in the past.
To do this, go to contacts.google.com from your computer or directly from your smartphone browser. Log in to the same account used on your Redmi 9 Pro. In the upper right corner, find the gear icon (Settings) and select “Cancel Changes”.
The system will tell you to choose a time frame: 10 minutes ago, an hour, yesterday or a specific date. Choose a time when the contacts were exactly there. Once confirmed, the system will create an archive of the current version and restore the old one.
⚠️ Warning: The recovery process can take up to 24 hours to fully sync across all devices.
Once you start the procedure on the website, pick up your phone and go to Settings → Accounts → Google. Click on your account name and make sure sync is enabled. You can manually click on Sync to speed up the process.
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Use Incognito mode in your browser to log in to Google Contacts if you do not want to disrupt the current session on your main device.
Using Mi Cloud Cloud Storage
Xiaomi device owners have access to their own Mi Cloud service, which often duplicates data independently of Google services. If you previously logged in to Mi Account and allowed synchronization, your numbers may be there.
Go to i.mi.com and log in to your Mi ID. In the cloud storage interface, select the Contacts icon. Here you will see a list of all the saved numbers. If the list is complete, then there is a backup.
To recover on your phone, go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud. Find Contacts and enable sync. If the data doesn't show up automatically, try temporarily disabling and turning on the switch again.
| Parameter | Google Contacts | Mi Cloud | Local storage. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storage period for history | 30 days | Depends on the tariff. | Indefinite (as long as there is a file) |
| Demands the Internet. | Yes. | Yes. | No. |
| Automatic backup | Yes. | Yeah (when setting up) | No (export needed) |
| Difficulty in recovery | Low. | Medium | Tall. |
The advantage of the Mi Cloud is deep integration with the MIUI shell. Recovered numbers will immediately be distributed across the correct fields, including photos and additional numbers, if they were saved in the Xiaomi ecosystem.
Import and export via VCF file
If cloud methods don’t work, check for local backups in.vcf format. Users often export manually or the system automatically when creating a backup settings. Files can be in the MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder or in the root of internal memory.
Open the Contacts app, click on the menu and select Import from a file. The system will prompt you to select the source: device memory, SIM-Select the memory of the device and find a file with the extension.vcf or.vcard.
☑️ Verification of backup copies
Once you have selected the file, the phone will suggest you select an account to which the numbers will be saved, and you should choose your primary Google account so that future syncs can be automatic, and the import process can take several minutes depending on the number of records.
If the file is found on the computer, it can be transferred to the phone through the USB-Connect Redmi 9 Pro to your PC, select File Transfer mode and copy.vcf to a convenient folder, then import via the phone menu.
⚠️ Note: Duplicate may be created when importing from the file. After the procedure, use the "Combine Duplicates" function in the contact settings.
Recovery of deleted numbers from SIM-map
Keeping contacts on SIM-The map is considered an outdated method due to the limited number of characters and the lack of backup, but many users still use it. If the contacts that were stored on the SIM are lost, it is difficult to restore them, but it is possible to restore them.
Modern Xiaomi smartphones have an integrated import feature. Go to the Contacts app, open the settings and select Import Contacts «SIM-map».
The system counts all the records available on the chip and suggests that you save them to your phone or account memory. SIM-cards by software, restore them with standard means of the phone will not work - you will need specialized equipment.
To prevent future loss, it is recommended to export to a file immediately after import or enable synchronization with Google. SIM-The card does not have protection against accidental formatting when resetting phone settings.
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SIM-The card does not have the function of "Basket", so import actions should be carried out carefully and immediately create a digital copy.
Professional tools and data recovery
In cases where standard methods are powerless and backups are not available, you can use third-party data recovery software, and programs like Dr.Fone, Tenorshare UltData, or DiskDigger scan the phone’s internal memory for residual files.
The effectiveness of these programs depends on the time since the deletion, the less you have done on your phone after the data loss (install applications, take photos), the greater the chance of success, new data can overwrite the memory sectors where the remote contacts were stored.
Most programs require USB debugging to work. This is done in the Settings menu → About Phone → (7 times click on the build number) → Advanced Settings → For developers → Debugging by USB.
adb devices
adb pull /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts.dbThe above command is an example for advanced users working with ADB. It allows you to try to pull out the contact database directly if you have Root rights. Without superuser rights, access to system databases is closed for Android security purposes.