Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face the need to clean the phone book completely, which may involve selling the device, transferring the gadget to another user, or simply wanting to get rid of accumulated digital debris. Standard methods of removing one or group of records take too long, especially if there are hundreds or thousands of entries on the list.
The MIUI or HyperOS operating system offers several built-in mechanisms for mass data management, but the effectiveness of each method depends on where your records are stored: in the SIM card memory, locally on the device or in the cloud account.
In this article, we will take a look at all the quick cleanup options available, including cloud services and hidden system functions, how to ensure that data is deleted and prevented from being accidentally recovered, and carefully study each step to find the best option for your situation.
Preparing for removal: backup and synchronization
Before you start taking drastic measures, it's critical to make sure you have an up-to-date copy of all numbers. Backup is the only way to protect yourself from accidental data loss. Even if you're planning to sell a phone, keeping a contact archive will allow you to quickly restore them to a new device.
The most reliable way to save data is to use a Google account, and if your contacts are synchronized, they are tied to your inbox, not your smartphone's physical memory, and you can check this by going to your settings and finding the account section.
Make sure the sync switch is active, and if you see the sync status, all your records are stored on the corporation's servers, otherwise you need to start forced sync right now.
⚠️ Note: If you delete contacts that were not synced to the cloud or exported to the file, it will be almost impossible to restore them without using specialized data recovery software.
To create a local copy, you can use the built-in Mi Mover tool or the standard export to the.vcf file. This file can then be sent to yourself by email or saved to the cloud, which ensures that even if your Google account crashes, you will still have a physical storage medium.
☑️ Checking before cleaning
Removal via Google Contacts web interface
The fastest and most efficient way to delete all contacts at once is to use the web version of Google Contacts, which allows you to manage records from a computer, which is much more convenient than thaodating with a smartphone screen. All changes made to the web interface will automatically apply to your Xiaomi if synchronization is enabled.
To start, open your browser on your computer or in full-site mode on your phone and go to the contact site. Log in to the same account that you use on your Redmi or POCO device. You will see a complete list of all saved numbers.
On the left side of the screen, look for a checkbox next to the name or contact header, and clicking on it will highlight all the visible entries on the current page. However, to delete all the entries, you need to select the All Contacts option in the menu that appears, which will cover even those entries that are not displayed on the screen.
Once all the records have been highlighted, click on the basket icon or select Delete from the top menu, the system will ask you to confirm the action, as it is irreversible for the current state of the database, and once confirmed, the process will take only a few seconds, regardless of the number of records.
What to do if the contacts are not deleted?
It is important to understand that after uninstalling through the web interface, changes will start to sync on the phone when you have an Internet connection. Auto sync can take some time, so do not panic if the numbers do not disappear instantly.
Mass removal through the Contacts app on Xiaomi
If you can't use a computer, you can clean it directly through the standard Contacts app on a Xiaomi smartphone. The interface may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI, but the logic of the action remains the same.
Open the app and find the menu button, which is usually represented by three dots or vertical bars. In the drop-down list, select "Tag All" or "Select All." On some firmware versions, this feature is hidden in the editing submenu.
Once all the records are highlighted (usually highlighted in blue), an action bar will appear on the screen, click on the basket icon or select Delete. The system can alert you that a large number of records will be deleted.
- 📱 Open the Contacts app on the home screen.
- 📋 Click on the control menu (three dots) and select “Select all».
- 🗑️ Press the delete button and confirm the operation in the dialog window.
- ✅ Wait for the database cleanup process to be completed.
Note that this method only removes contacts that are displayed in the current view. If you have a SIM-only contact display set up, then Google account entries will not be affected. So check the filtering settings in the app menu before you start.
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Use the Favorites feature with caution: in case of mass removal, contacts from your favorites will also be deleted if they are included in the general list.
Cleaning of contacts saved on SIM-map
Many users still keep numbers on the SIM-The contacts on the SIM have limited functionality and often do not support long names or additional fields. You cannot delete them through the standard Google Contacts interface, since they are physically on the card chip.
To manage entries on the SIM card, you need to use the settings of the contact application itself or the control menu SIM-The process can vary depending on your Xiaomi model.
Go to the Contacts app settings and find the Import and Export or Contact Management section. SIM-If you select this card, you'll see a list of all the numbers that are saved directly on the chip.
Next, the algorithm is similar to normal contacts: call a menu, select "Select all" and click "Delete." If the option is not available for mass allocation, you will have to delete the records one by one, which can take time with a large amount of data.
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Contacts to SIM-The map has a character limit and does not support photos, so it is recommended to always transfer them to the memory of the phone or the Google cloud.
After cleaning the SIM card, it is recommended to restart the device so that the system correctly updates the cache of the phone book, which is especially important if you plan to move the SIM card to another phone.
Comparison of removal methods and their features
The choice of removal method depends on your final goals and the current state of the data. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages that must be considered. Below is a table that helps determine the best option.
| Method | Speed. | Security of data | Source coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Contacts (Web) | Tall. | Tall (there's a basket) | Only a Google account. |
| Annex Contacts | Medium | Medium | Locally and Google. |
| Resetting settings | Tall. | Low (complete removal) | All phone data. |
| Removal with SIM | Low. | Low. | Only SIM-map |
As the table shows, Google's web interface provides the best balance of speed and security thanks to its remote recovery feature.The reset method is the most radical and only suitable for completely cleaning the device before selling.
Local removal through the application is convenient for quick editing, but less reliable when working with thousands of records. SIM-The card is a highly specialized operation, necessary only in cases of.
Resetting settings as an extreme cleanup measure
If your goal is to prepare your phone for sale or transfer to another person, simply removing contacts may not be enough, in which case it is recommended to perform a full reset (Hard Reset), which will delete not only the contacts, but also all applications, photos, messages and settings of the system.
Before you reset, make sure you log out of all accounts, especially Mi Account and Google. Otherwise, theft protection may work and the new owner will not be able to activate the device.
Go to Settings → About Phone → Reset. Select “Erase All Data” and the system will alert you to the consequences and ask you to enter the unlock password.
⚠️ Note: After resetting, it will be impossible to restore data without a pre-created backup. Make sure all important files are copied to an external medium.
This method ensures that no trace of your activity will remain on the device.The phone will return to the "out of the box" state, like the day of purchase.It is the most reliable way to delete all contacts with Xiaomi along with the rest of your personal information.
Recovery of remote contacts and work with the basket
Often users delete contacts accidentally or realize they have cleared the extra. Fortunately, Google and Xiaomi have recovery mechanisms in place. Google Contacts has a special Recycle Bin where deleted records are stored for 30 days.
To return contacts, go to Google Contacts, click on the menu (three bars on the left) and select Recycle Bin, where you will see a list of deleted records, you can restore them individually or select the Recover All option.
If you've used Mi Cloud sync, a similar feature is available on Xiaomi's cloud service. Go to i.mi.com, log in and go to the contacts section. There's also the option of rolling back changes or recovering from backup.
- ♻️ Go to the web version of Google Contacts or Mi Cloud.
- 🗑️ Find the “Basket” or “Remote” section».
- 📂 Select the required records or select “Restore everything».
- 🔄 Wait for data synchronization on your smartphone.
After 30 days, the data is permanently deleted, so if you notice any important numbers missing, act immediately.