How to unlock a contact on a Xiaomi phone: all the ways from MIUI 12 to MIUI 15

A blocked contact on a Xiaomi smartphone can be a real problem if you accidentally blacklist an important person or encounter a system bug. Unlike the iPhone, where unlocking is done via iCloud, on Xiaomi Android devices (including Redmi, POCO and Black Shark), the process depends on the version of MIUI and the sync services used. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods, from standard settings to hidden ADB functions.

Xiaomi’s feature is that the contact lock can work on two levels: through the built-in MIUI function (locally) or through Google Contacts (if synchronization is enabled), while in newer versions of the firmware (starting with MIUI 14), the menu interface has changed, and some older methods have stopped working. We tested all methods on Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12 and POCO F5 models – instructions are relevant for 2026.

1 Unlocking through standard MIUI settings

The easiest way is to use the built-in lock menu. This is suitable if the contact has been blocked through Settings → Apps → Contacts or directly from the Phone app. Importantly, this method only works for locally blocked numbers (without syncing with Google).

Instructions:

• 📱 Open the Phone app (the tube icon on the home screen).
• 🔍 Click on three dots in the upper right corner → Select Settings.
• 🚫 Go to the section "Block numbers" (in some versions) MIUI It's called a blacklist).
• ✅ Find the blocked contact in the list and swipe it left or click on the basket icon.

If the number lock section is not available, some models (e.g. POCO X5) have a different path: Settings → System and Device → Additional → Call lock. Also check if the section behind the system settings (relevant to MIUI 15) is hidden.

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If the lock list is empty but calls from the contact don’t go through, check Google Contacts (Section 3 of this article).

2. Unlock through the Contacts app (MIUI 14+)

In the latest firmware versions, Xiaomi has moved lock management to the Contacts app, which works even if the number has been blocked via SMS or Messaging. Importantly, if the contact is synchronized with Google Account, it will have to be unlocked separately (see section 3).

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Contacts app (the icon with the man).
2. Click on the three horizontal lines in the top left corner → select Contact Management.
3. Go to the Blocked Contacts (or Blacklist).
4. Slip on the right contact → press Unlock.

On some models (e.g. Redmi Note 11), instead of Contact Management, there may be Settings → Lock. If the contact does not appear in the list, try updating the Contacts app via Google Play – older versions had bugs showing locked numbers.

Check the version of MIUI in Settings → About the phone

Update the Phone and Contact apps in Google Play

Make sure the contact is not synced with Google (if so, see Section 3)

Restart your phone if the lock is not removed.-->

3. Unblock through Google Contacts (if sync is enabled)

If your Xiaomi has enabled sync with Google Account, the blocked contacts can be duplicated in the cloud, in which case they must be unlocked through the Google Contacts web interface, otherwise, after resetting the settings or reinstalling the firmware, the lock will return.

How to check the synchronization:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Synchronization.
2. Select your Google Account.
3. Make sure the contact switch is on.

Instructions for unlocking:

• 🌐 Open in the browser contacts.google.com (automate under the same account as on your phone).
• 🔍 On the left menu, select More → Blocked.
• ✅ Find a contact. → press three points → Unlock.
• 🔄 Update your phone contacts: Contacts → Settings → Update.

Note: If a contact is blocked in both MIUI and Google, it must be unlocked in both locations, otherwise calls may not be made due to conflicting rules.

Through MIUI settings

Through Google Contacts

Through the phone app.

I remember.

Another option-->

4. Unlock through ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don’t work (for example, after resetting settings or updating firmware), you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which is suitable for all Xiaomi models, but requires a connection to a computer and enable developer mode.

Warning: Incorrect ADB commands can disrupt the system, and use this method only if other options have not worked.

Instructions:

1. Enable Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. 7 times click on MIUI Version. Return to Settings → Additional → Developer. Activate Debugging over USB.

Command line.

Terminal

ADB

adb devices

(Your device should be displayed)

adb shell content query --uri content://call_log/calls

(Call log check)

adb shell content delete --uri content://call_log/calls --where "number='PhPhPhN number'"

(replace the number telelephone with a real number, for example, +79123456789)

To unlock through MIUI Blocklist, use:

adb shell pm clear com.android.contacts

Attention:

Contacts

5. Unlock after resetting settings or firmware

If you have done a hard reset or reflashed your phone, the blocked contacts can be saved to a backup of MI Cloud, in which case they must be removed from the cloud, otherwise they will be restored automatically.

How to clean the lock in MI Cloud:

• 🌐 Go to i.mi.com and log in.
• 📱 Select your phone in the list of devices.
• 🔄 Go to Backups → Contacts.
• 🗑️ Click Delete Backup (this will delete all stored data, including locks).
• 🔙 Return to your phone and manually sync contacts again (Settings) → Accounts. → Mi Account → Synchronization).

⚠️ Note: If you are using duality SIM-Xiaomi cards, the lock can be tied to a specific SIMCheck the lock settings for each card separately in the Settings menu. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Locking down calls.

6. Problems and errors in unlocking

Sometimes even after unlocking, the contact is not available, and let's look at the typical errors and their solutions:

If none of the methods worked, check:

• 📵 Is not activated mode Do not disturb for this contact (Settings) → Sound. → Don't disturb. → Exceptions).
• 📞 Is there a third-party application installed to block calls (for example, Truecaller or Call Blocker).
• 🔧 Has the operator’s settings changed (some operators block network-level numbers).

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If the contact is blocked at the operator level (for example, MegaFon or Beeline), it can be unlocked only through the personal account of the mobile operator or a call in support.

FAQ: Frequent questions about unlocking contacts on Xiaomi