How to open locked numbers on Xiaomi phone: all working methods

Hidden or locked numbers on Xiaomi smartphones are a common problem that users face after updating MIUI, resetting settings or activating Hidden Space. Unlike the standard blacklist where contacts are simply ignored, this is about numbers that disappear completely from the phone book, call log or even system logs. The reasons can be different from accidental transfer to hidden storage to synchronization failures with Mi Account.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to return access to locked numbers, from basic MIUI settings to advanced methods using ADB and restore backups. Particular attention will be paid to the nuances for different models (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13T) and firmware versions. If you are not sure which method will suit your situation, click through to the section with the diagnosis of the problem - there you will find a checklist to determine the cause of the lock.

Why numbers get blocked: 7 main reasons

Before you start unlocking, it is important to understand why the contacts disappeared. MIUI has several mechanisms that can hide the numbers from the user:

• 🔒 Hidden Space Activation is an embedded feature MIUI that creates a parallel space with individual contacts, messages and applications. Numbers from this space are not displayed in the main profile.
• 📱 Resets without detachment Mi Account – after resetting to factory settings, some contacts may remain tied to the old account and not sync.
• 🔄 Sync conflict – if you used multiple accounts (Google, Mi Account, SIM- card), contacts could be duplicated and blocked by the system as “junk.”
• 🛡️ Antivirus or Security MIUI — The built-in Security App sometimes labels numbers as “fraudulent” and hides them without notice.
• 📲 Error firmware updates – after major updates (e.g., from MIUI 13 to MIUI 14) data from system applications may disappear.
• 🔧 Manual editing of the contact database – if you manually edited contacts.db files via Root or ADB, visibility tags could be damaged.
• 🚫 Operator locking is rare, but it happens that a mobile operator (e.g., MTS or Beeline) locks numbers at the SIM- card level.

Important: if the numbers disappeared after upgrading to MIUI 14+ on Xiaomi 13/14 models, first check the "Sync" section in Mi Account - there could work a bug with duplicate contacts, which is corrected only through the reset of the cache of the "Contacts" application.

Diagnosis: How to determine the cause of the blockage

Before you use radical methods (like resetting your phone), make a simple diagnosis that will help narrow down the possible causes and save time.

Check the Hidden Contacts folder in the Contacts app (swipe left in the main menu)

Open Settings → Memory → Contacts and see how much space is occupied (if 0 KB – contacts are deleted)

Go to Settings → Accounts → Mi Account → Synchronize and turn on / off contact sync

Try calling a “disappeared” number from another phone – is it defined as locked?

Check out Hidden Space (double swipe on the lock screen down)

-->

If you find at the diagnostic stage that:

• 📱 Contacts are displayed in Hidden Space → go to the hidden space section.
• 🔄 Sync with Mi Account disabled or suspended → Use the recovery method through your account.
• 🗑️ The Contacts folder in your phone memory is empty → try recovering from a backup.
• 🔧 None of the points helped → remain advanced methods with ADB.

⚠️ Warning: If you use Xiaomi EU ROM (castom firmware), some system features like Hidden Space may not work properly, in which case you should try to reflash the phone to the official global version MIUI first.

Method 1: Unlocking through Hidden Space

Hidden Space is a secure area in MIUI where users can move contacts, messages and apps to hide them from prying eyes, and if you or someone else activated this feature, numbers could move there without your knowledge.

To check and return contacts:

1. Unlock your phone and swipe down the lock screen twice (the gesture works on MIUI 12 and later).
2. Enter the password from Hidden Space (if you don’t remember – see the section about password reset).
3. Open the Contacts app in hidden space.
4. Select the desired numbers (long-press → ticks) and click Export or Move to the main space.

If you can’t log in to Hidden Space because of a forgotten password, there’s a workaround through Settings → Passwords & Security → Hidden Space → Forgot the password. The system will suggest resetting it via Mi Account, but this will remove all data from the hidden space!

💡

If you have a Redmi Note 11 or older, try an alternative way to log in to Hidden Space: open Settings → About the phone and 5 times click on the version MIUI. In the menu that appears, select Additional settings → Hidden Space.

Method 2: Recovery with Mi Account (if contacts are synchronized)

If your contacts were linked to Mi Account and synced to the cloud, they can be returned even after a phone is reset.

• 🔄 Synchronization was activated before the numbers were lost.
• 📱 You use the same Mi Account as before.
• 🗃️ There is a backup in the cloud (checked at i.mi.com).

Instructions for remediation:

1. Open the Settings. → Accounts. → Mi Account.
2. Make sure that the contact sync slider is on, and if not, turn on and wait 5-10 minutes.
3. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Restore from Backup.
4. Select the latest backup (note the date!) and click Restore Contacts.

If the cloud doesn’t have a copy, try an alternative way:

1. Visit i.mi.com from your computer.
2. Sign in with your Mi Account.
3. Go to the Devices section → [Your phone] → Backup copies.
4. Download the archive with contacts (.vcf format) and import it to your phone via Contacts → Import / Export.

⚠️ Warning: On some models (Redmi 9A, POCO M3), the cloud reconnection function may be disabled by the manufacturer, in which case use the ADB method or contact Xiaomi with proof of account ownership (purchase check, IMEI).

Method 3: Recovery from Local Backup

If sync with Mi Account has been disabled but you have made local backups, chances of numbers being returned remain.MIUI automatically creates contact backups once a week and saves them to /MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder.

To recover the data:

1. Connect your phone to your computer via USB (file transfer mode).
2. Go to the Internal Memory folder → MIUI → Backup → AllBackup.
3. Find the file with the.bak extension and the latest date (e.g., the file with the file file file file file file file file file, contacts_20260515.bak).
4. Copy it to your desktop and rename it to contacts.vcf.
5. Send the file back to your phone and import through Contacts → Import/Export → Import from your device.

If the AllBackup folder is not available or empty, try to find backups elsewhere:

• 📁 /sdcard/MIUI/backup/ — for older versions MIUI (up to 12-th).
• 📁 /data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/ – This is where the contact database (contacts2.db) is stored, but access to the folder requires Root.
• 📁 /sdcard/Download/ - Sometimes backups are saved here manually.

Method 4: Unlocking through ADB (for advanced users)

If the standard methods don’t work, the most radical (but effective) method is working with Android Debug Bridge (ADB).

• 🔧 Contacts are not displayed either in the main or in the hidden space.
• 📱 Synchronization and backups don't help.
• 🛠️ You are ready to manually manipulate system files.

First, prepare your phone and computer:

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times).
2. Activate USB Debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Download ADB Tools to your computer and unpack it into the C:\adb folder.
4. Connect your phone to your PC via USB (select File Transfer Mode).

Now run commands in Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux):

cd C:\adb


adb devices




adb shell




su




cd /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases




ls -l

You should see the contacts2.db file, which is the contact database. To export all numbers (including hidden numbers), do:

sqlite3 contacts2.db ".headers on" ".mode csv" "select * from raw_contacts;" > /sdcard/contacts_dump.csv


exit




exit




adb pull /sdcard/contacts_dump.csv C:\

The contacts_dump.csv file will be saved to your computer. Open it in Excel or Google Sheets and find the phone number column (data1). Copy them and import them back to your phone via Contacts → Import.

⚠️ Attention: Su commands require Root rights. If your Xiaomi isn't rooted, use an alternative method: adb backup -f C:\contacts.ab -noapk com.android.providers.contacts This will back up contacts in the contacts.ab file, which can be converted to.vcf using tools like Android Backup Extractor.

💡

If contacts are duplicated or displayed in hieroglyphics after working with ADB, clear the Contacts cache (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Contacts → Clear the cache).

Method 5: Reset the Hidden Space Password (if you forgot access)

If you’re sure the numbers are hidden in Hidden Space but don’t remember the password, there are two official ways to reset it:

1. Through Mi Account (without data loss): Go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Hidden Space → Forgot password. Select Reset password via Mi Account. Enter username and password from Xiaomi account. Confirm reset (SMS or email code will come). Important: This method only works if Mi Account was tied to the phone before creating Hidden Space.
2. Through Phone Reset (with Data Loss): Go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset. Choose Delete All Data. Once rebooted, Hidden Space will be deactivated, but all data will be deleted irrevocably.

If both methods fail, an informal workaround remains (requires Root):

1. Install a file manager with Root support (such as Root Explorer).
2. Go to /data/system/users/0/.
3. Find the hidden_space.xml file and delete it.
4. Restart the phone and Hidden Space will be reset.

💡

On Xiaomi 12T and later, the hidden_space.xml file may be called secure_space_config. Also check the /data/system/secure_space/ folder.

How to Avoid Re-Blocking Numbers: 5 Rules

To avoid the problem of hidden contacts, follow these recommendations:

• 🔄 Export your contacts regularly: back up.vcf once a month via Contacts → Import/Export and save the file to the cloud (Google Drive, Mi Cloud).
• 🔒 Don’t use Hidden Space for important contacts: If you need to hide numbers, you’d better move them to a separate group in Google Contacts and turn it off.
• 📱 Check sync: After updating MIUI, go to Settings → Accounts and make sure that contact sync is enabled for Mi Account and Google.
• 🛡️ Turn off automatic lock: in Settings → Security → Lock numbers, check if your contacts are added to the blacklist by mistake.
• 🔧 Do not edit system files manually: Changing contacts.db or other databases without a backup often results in lost contacts.

If you often experience sync issues, consider using third-party contact apps, such as:

• Simple Contacts is a lightweight application with export to the cloud.
• Contapps – Supports groups and backups.
• Google Contacts is the most reliable option for syncing between devices.

Frequent Questions (FAQ)