How to delete all contacts on Xiaomi: safe ways and warnings

Modern Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi models and other models) POCO) Store contacts in multiple locations at the same time: local device memory, Google account, MI Cloud and even SIM-This distributed system protects data from accidental loss, but makes it difficult to delete it completely. Whether you want to clear your phone book before selling your device, reset duplicates, or just start with a clean slate, it’s important to understand that simply clicking “Delete Everything” in the Contacts app often doesn’t work properly.

Many users experience a situation where contacts return after a mass deletion after a few hours or days, this is due to automatic synchronization with cloud services. In this article, we will discuss 5 reliable ways to erase contacts irrevocably, including methods for devices with MIUI 12/13/14 and older versions.

Before you start cleaning, ask yourself: Do you need backups? If so, export your contacts to.vcf via the Contacts menu → Settings → Import/Export. This will take less than a minute, but save you hours to recover important numbers in case of an error.

1. Delete contacts through the standard "Contacts" application

The most obvious, but not always effective, way to do this is to use the built-in Contacts app, which is a method that is suitable for removing local contacts that are not tied to cloud accounts.

Open the Contacts app (a human icon on the home screen or in the app menu). Tap three dots in the top right corner and select Settings. Next, go to Contact Management → Delete Contacts. The system will suggest you choose an account from which to erase data. Here, it is critical to pay attention to the Local Phone Contacts item, which is responsible for the numbers stored directly in the device memory.

Once you select an account, tick all contacts (or use the "Secret All" option) and click Delete. Confirm action in the pop-up window. Note that this method does not affect contacts synced with Google or MI Cloud. They will have to be deleted separately (for this in the following sections).

Check backups in Google Drive

Turn off automatic synchronization in account settings

Make sure that SIM-The card does not contain important contacts.

Close all background apps (Telegram, WhatsApp, etc.)

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⚠️ Note: If after removal, contacts reappear through 10-15 So, if you're just minutes away, you're in cloud sync. → Accounts and syncs and temporarily disable sync for Google and Mi Account.

2. Clean up through Google Contacts (for synchronized records)

Most Xiaomi users are unaware that their contacts are automatically backed up in a Google account, which means that even after a phone is completely reset, numbers can be restored the next time you log in to the profile, and you will need access to the web version of Google Contacts to erase them permanently.

Click on contacts.google.com from your computer or phone (better use your browser in desktop mode). Sign in with the same account that is linked to your smartphone. On the left menu, select Other Contacts, which displays all saved numbers, including those that were deleted from the device but remained in the cloud.

For mass removal:

1. Check the first contact on the list.
2. Press the Shift key on the keyboard (or hold your finger on your mobile device) and mark the last contact – so you highlight all the entries.
3. Click on the basket icon in the top panel.
4. Confirm the action in the pop-up window.

Important: Remote contacts are placed in a basket that is stored for 30 days before final erasure. To speed up the process, go to the Recycle Bin section (on the left-hand menu) and click Clean the Recycle Bin.

3. Reset contacts via MI Cloud (for Xiaomi devices)

MI Cloud is Xiaomi's proprietary cloud storage that syncs contacts, notes and other data by default, and if you've never turned it off, chances are all your numbers are duplicated here to erase them:

Open the MI Cloud app on your phone (or go to Settings → Mi Account → MI Cloud). Sign in if you need it. In the main menu, find the Contacts section and tap it. Here you will see the full list of synchronized entries. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Delete all contacts. The system will request confirmation — enter the password from Mi Account to complete the operation.

⚠️ Attention: Removal of contacts from MI Cloud is irreversible and has no recovery feature (unlike Google, which has a shopping cart).If you plan to sell a phone but want to save numbers, export them to a.vcf file first through the same menu. MI Cloud.

After clearing the cloud, go back to the sync settings (Settings → Accounts & Sync → MI Cloud) and turn off the switch next to Contact Point, which will prevent you from re-copying your data the next time you log in.

4. Complete reset of the phone (nuclear version)

If you're preparing a device to be sold or transferred to another person, the most reliable way is to reset to factory settings, which deletes all data, including contacts, messages, photos and installed applications. It's important to understand that once you reset, the phone will become "clean" as after you buy it, all the settings will have to configure again.

Instructions for Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select to erase all data (reset to factory).
3. If necessary, enter a pattern lock or PIN-code.
4. Confirm the action by pressing Erase Everything.

It takes 5-15 minutes depending on the model, and when you reboot, the device will suggest you set it up as new, and at this point, don't sign in to your old accounts (Google or Mi) unless you want your contacts to be restored automatically.

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Remove before resetting SIM-card and memory card (if any) this will speed up the process and prevent the external drive from being randomly formatted.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro) POCO X3 Pro) after the reset, you may remain tied to the Mi Account. To completely untie the device, before selling, exit the account in the Settings menu → Mi Account → Get out.

5. Removal of contacts with SIM-map

Many people forget that SIM-The card can also store contacts, usually limited in number. 200-250 These numbers don't show up in the main phone book, but they can be duplicated or interfered with when you move the data:

Open the Contacts app and go to Settings section → Contact management → Imports/Exports → SIM-Here you will see a list of the numbers saved on the map. Select all the records (or selectively) and click Delete. Confirm the action.

If you're on the menu SIM-The card is missing, so your card does not support the storage of contacts (relevant to modern nano-SIM). SIM to another phone or by contacting the operator.

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Contacts to SIM-The card is not synced to the clouds, but it can be duplicated in the local memory of the phone. SIM before mass cleaning to avoid "ghost" recordings.

6. Automation: scripts and third-party applications

For advanced users who need to clean contacts regularly (e.g., when testing devices), there are automated solutions. ADB-Android Debug Bridge, which requires you to connect your phone to your computer and enable the developer mode.

Algorithm of action:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on your phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times).
2. Activate Debugging by USB in the Settings menu → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell content delete --uri content://com.android.contacts/raw_contacts

This command removes all contacts without the possibility of recovery. To work with ADB, you will need the installed utility Platform Tools from Google.

Alternatively, apps like Contact Remover or Cleaner for Contacts (available on Google Play) allow you to massively remove duplicates or unnecessary entries according to specified criteria (such as contacts without names), but beware: some utilities require access to personal data and can pose a security risk.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even experienced users sometimes have problems cleaning contacts, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to prevent them:

• 🔄 Autorecovery after removal: due to sync enabled. Solution: disable sync for Google and MI Cloud before cleaning up.
• 📱 Not all contacts are deleted: probably some numbers are stored on the SIM-Solution: Check all possible sources (see table in section 3).
• ⏳ Long-term removal in Google Contacts: In a mass cleanup, the service can block action. Solution: break the process down into pieces 100-200 contact.
• 🔒 Reset confirmation requests: Some Xiaomi models require you to enter a Mi Account password even after you reset.Solution: untie your account in advance.

If after all the manipulations contacts continue to appear, check:

1. Setting up apps like Truecaller or WhatsApp – they can create their own phone books.
2. Backup to Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset – sometimes it restores data automatically.
3. The presence of a second user on the device (relevant for Xiaomi Pad tablets).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions