How to Clean Xiaomi Call Log Completely: From Manual Deletion to Hidden MIUI Features

The call log on Xiaomi smartphones is not just a list of incoming and outgoing calls. In modern versions of MIUI 12-14, it is integrated with cloud services, syncs with the Mi Account, and can store data for years, taking up space in the memory of the device. Many users face the problem: even after manually deleting individual records, they continue to appear in the search or recover after a reboot. In this article, we will analyze all the working methods of cleaning, from basic to hidden, including methods for devices with a locked bootloader.

Xiaomi is very cloud-based, which means that simply clicking "Clear the log" in the Phone app often fails: data can remain in the system cache or synchronized with Mi Cloud servers. We tested all methods on Redmi Note 12 Pro+, POCO F5 and Xiaomi 13 Ultra models, the results are summarized in a comparison table below. If you need to not only delete records, but also guarantee to prevent their recovery, pay attention to the sections on reset through recovery and disabling synchronization.

1. Standard cleaning through the application "Phone"

The most obvious way is to use the built-in MIUI features, which is suitable for most users, but has limitations: it only deletes local records and does not affect data in the cloud.

1. Open the Phone app (the tube icon on the home screen).
2. Slip on the three dots in the top right corner and select Call Log.
3. Click on the basket icon (or “Manage” → “Clear Journal” in older versions of MIUI).
4. Confirm the action in the dialog window.

⚠️ Attention: This method only deletes the records stored on the device. If you have Mi Cloud sync enabled, calls can be restored after rebooting or connecting to the Internet. To avoid this, pre-disable sync in your account settings.

Disable Mi Cloud Sync in Settings → Accounts

Remove backups to Settings → Additional → Backup

Check the space in memory (minimum 500 MB)

Close all background applications-->

On some models (e.g. POCO X5 Pro), the application cache may remain after cleaning.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the phone in the list and select Warehouse.
3. Tap Clear the cache and Clear the data (Warning: this will reset all the settings of the app!).

2. Remove via MIUI settings (hidden section)

MIUI 13/14 has a hidden partition for managing call data that is not visible in the standard interface, which allows you to delete records that are not available through the Phone application, including duplicates and system logs.

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 5 times on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode (if not already activated).
3. Return to the main settings menu and select Additional → Special Options → Special Options permissions.
4. Activate Call Management (can be called a Call Log depending on the firmware).
5. Now in Settings → Applications, a new Call Log item will appear – open it and select Clear All Data.

This method removes all trace call data, including meta-information for MIUI analytics. Once cleaned, it is recommended to restart the device, as some system processes may continue to use old logs.

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If the log still displays old calls after cleaning, check the /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases folder through the root-righted file manager, which can store database backups.

3. Disable synchronization with Mi Cloud

The main reason that calls are returned after deletion is cloud sync. Xiaomi defaults to save the call log in Mi Cloud, and when you first connect to the Internet, the data is restored.

1. Go to Settings → Accounts → Mi Cloud.
2. Select Sync and turn off the slider opposite the Call Log.
3. Slick down and click Delete Data from the Cloud (this will remove all call backups from Xiaomi servers).

⚠️ Warning: Disabling sync stops backing up not only calls, but contacts as well. If you want to keep contacts in the cloud, export them to a file before you shut down. VCF via Contact → Settings → Imports/Exports.

• 🔄 Automatic Recovery: If you have previously made a backup through Settings → Additionally. → Backup, call log can be restored when you recover from the backup. Before cleaning, delete all local backups.
• 📱 Multi-devices: On smartphones with MIUI+ (for example, Xiaomi 13T) The log syncs between devices. Clean it on all gadgets tied to one account.
• ⏳ Synchronization delay: Once the cloud is shut down, the data can recover within 24 hours, which is normal.

4. Recovery Mode Reset (for power users)

If standard methods don't work, you can use the recovery mode, which deletes all system logs, including the call log, but requires caution: incorrect actions can lead to the device resetting to factory settings.

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press the Power + Volume buttons up until the Mi logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select Wipe & Reset (manage by volume buttons, confirmation by power button).
4. Select Wipe Cache Partition and confirm the action.
5. After cleaning, restart the device (Reboot).

This method deletes all temporary files of the system, including the phone app cache and call logs. However, it does not affect user data (photos, messages) and does not reset settings. For a complete reset, choose Wipe All Data, but remember: this will delete all the contents of the device!

Standard cleaning through the application "Phone"

Cleaning through MIUI settings

Disable synchronization with Mi Cloud

Reset via Recovery Mode

Use it. ADB/root-method

I'm not cleaning the magazine.-->

5. Advanced methods: ADB and root access

For users with unlocked bootloader or root rights, deeper cleanup methods are available, which allow you to delete system files that are not available through the standard interface.

Method 1: ADB-teams (without root)

Connect your smartphone to your PC and perform at the terminal:

adb shell pm clear com.android.contacts


adb shell pm clear com.android.dialer

These commands reset the Contacts and Phone application data, including the call log. Once completed, restart the device.

Method 2: Manual file deletion (requires root)

Use a root-access file manager (such as Root Explorer) and delete the following files:

• /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db is the main contact and call database.
• /data/data/com.android.dialer/databases/calllog.db is a call log (on some firmware).
• /data/data/com.miui.yellowpage/databases/ is a folder with Mi Contacts data.

⚠️ Attention: Deleting system files manually can cause applications to crash or lose contacts. Create a backup folder before executing /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/.

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ADB-The methods work even on locked devices if debugging is enabled USB. However, they don’t delete data from the Mi Cloud – for this, be sure to turn off sync in advance.

6. Cleaning on dual SIM devices

On Xiaomi smartphones with two SIM-cards (for example, Redmi Note 12 Pro) 5G) The call log is stored separately for each card, and the standard cleaning through the Phone application may not affect the second card's records. SIM. To remove everything:

1. Open the phone. → Journal.
2. Slip on the filter icon (top right) and select All SIM-map.
3. Press three points. → Clean the journal.
4. If you have any records, repeat the procedure for each SIM separately (select SIM 1 or SIM 2 in the filter).

On some firmware (e.g. MIUI 14 Global), the second SIM log can be stored in a separate database to verify this:

1. Install the SQLite Editor app from Google Play.
2. Open the base. contacts2.db (The path is specified in section 5).
3. Check the call tables and sim_calls — If they have records, delete them manually.

7 How to Prevent Recovery of Deleted Calls

Even after a complete cleanup, the journal may recover due to:

• 🔄 Automatic backup: MIUI Creates local backups once a week. Turn them off in Settings. → Additionally. → Backup → Autobackup.
• 📱 Google syncs: If you use a Google account, the log can sync through Google Contacts. disable this in Settings → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization.
• 🔍 Spy Apps: Some parental control software (such as Mi Child Space) maintains its own call log.

To ensure that recovery is avoided:

1. Turn off all synchronization (Mi Cloud, Google, third-party services).
2. Remove all backups to Settings → Memory → Backups.
3. After cleaning the log, do not restore data from backups.
4. If you use TWRP, clear /TWRP/BACKUPS/—which can store copies of the data partition.

8. Frequent errors and their solutions

When cleaning a log, users often encounter problems, and here are the most common ways to solve them:

• ❌ "Log is not cleared": Check if sync is enabled with Mi Cloud. Delete the cache of the phone app in settings. Reboot the device - sometimes system processes block changes.
• ❌ "Calls are returned after rebooting": This means data is recovered from the cloud. disable Mi Cloud and delete backups. check if backup apps (e.g. Titanium Backup) are installed).
• ❌ "No item "Clean the journal": On some firmware (for example, MIUI For Europe, this item is hidden. ADB-Teams from Section 5. Update the Phone app via Google Play.

If none of these methods worked, you might have custom firmware installed on your device with a modified Phone app.

1. Install the original Google Phone app from the Play Market.
2. Use alternative dialers like Truecaller or Drupe, which have their own call logs.

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On devices with MIUI China (e.g. Xiaomi 13 for the Chinese market), the call log can be integrated with Mi Pay, in which case you need to disable Mi Pay in your account settings to completely clean up.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions