How to completely remove all contacts with Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro: safe ways

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro is one of the most popular mid-range smartphones, but even its users are periodically faced with the need to massively remove contacts. The reasons can be different: selling a phone, wanting to clean the memory of outdated numbers, or the consequences of synchronizing with multiple accounts when the phone book accumulates chaos of duplicates. Unlike iPhones, where contacts are tied to Apple ID, on Android devices they can be stored in several places at the same time – this complicates the process of their complete removal.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to erase all contacts with the Redmi Note 9 Pro without risking losing important data or disrupting the system. We will pay special attention to the nuances of MIUI 12/13/14, Xiaomi’s proprietary shell, which often behaves outside the box when working with a phone book.

Method 1: Remove contacts through the standard Contacts app

The most obvious method is to use the built-in Contacts app (or Phone in international firmware), which is suitable if all numbers are stored locally on the device, not in the cloud. Importantly, this method will not delete contacts from the Google account or MI Cloud, so after synchronization they can return.

Instructions:

• 📱 Open the Contacts app (a sign with a person’s silhouette on a green background).
• 🔍 Click on three dots in the upper right corner → Choose Contact Management (or Manage Contacts).
• 🗑️ Tap to remove contacts → Check all numbers (or click Allocate all numbers).
• ✅ Confirm removal by pressing OK in the pop-up window.

If you don't have the option to delete contacts, your version of MIUI is hiding it.

1. Press your finger any contact in the list → the selection mode will appear.
2. Mark all numbers → at the bottom of the screen will appear button Remove (basket).

⚠️ Note: If your contacts are back after a few minutes, they are synced with your Google account or MI Cloud. To avoid this, disable sync in your account settings before deleting.

Disable sync with Google (Settings → Accounts → Google → Contact Sync)

Disable MI Cloud (Settings → Xiaomi Account → MI Cloud → Contacts)

Backup of important numbers (export to VCF)

Check if the contacts are connected to SIM-map

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Method 2: Delete via Google Account (if contacts are synchronized)

If your contacts are linked to a Google account, deleting them via your phone may not work — they will simply regenerate the next time you connect to the Internet, in which case you need to erase the numbers directly in Google Contacts.

How to do this:

1. Open your browser on your PC or phone and go to: contacts.google.com.
2. Sign in with the same account as the Redmi Note 9 Pro.
3. Click on the square to the left of the first contact → in the upper menu will appear the option to highlight everything.
4. After highlighting, click on the basket icon (Delete) in the top panel.
5. Confirm the action in the pop-up window.

To make changes to the phone:

• 🔄 Go to Settings. → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization of the account.
• 🔗 Turn on/off Contacts slider to start re-synchronization.

⚠️ Note: If you use multiple Google accounts on your phone, delete the contacts from each individually.

On the phone (locally)

On Google account

At MI Cloud (Xiaomi)

Nana SIM-map

In another cloud (iCloud, Yandex, etc.)-->

Method 3: Clear contacts via MI Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

MI Cloud is Xiaomi’s proprietary cloud storage that automatically backs up contacts if you have the option enabled. If you’ve previously synced a phone book with MI Cloud, you need to clean it separately.

Step-by-step:

1. Open Settings → Xiaomi Account → MI Cloud
2. Scroll down to Sync and click Contacts.
3. Turn off the synchronization (move the slider to the left).
4. Go back to the main MI Cloud menu and select Data Management.
5. Find the Contacts block → click Delete Data.
6. Confirm the action with a password from the Xiaomi account.

After that:

• 📱 Reboot the Redmi Note 9 Pro.
• 🔄 Turn on sync again (if necessary) to make sure contacts are not restored.

If you are selling a phone, be sure to log out of your Xiaomi account in the settings (Settings → Xiaomi Account → Sign out). Otherwise, the new owner will be able to restore your contacts through MI Cloud.

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Before mass deletion, export contacts to a VCF file: open the Contacts app → Settings → Import / Export → Export to file. This reserve will come in handy if you accidentally delete the desired numbers.

Method 4: Reset to factory settings (complete cleaning)

If you not only need to delete contacts, but also completely clean your phone (for example, before selling), do a factory reset, which erases all data, including apps, photos and settings, so use it only as a last resort.

How to Reset the Redmi Note 9 Pro:

1. Make a backup copy of important data (photos, chats, documents).
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Select to erase all data (factory recovery).
4. Enter. PIN-code or pattern lock, if requested.
5. Confirm the reset by clicking Delete Everything.

The phone will reboot and return to the "out of the box" state.

• 🚫 Do not restore data from a backup if the purpose is to delete contacts.
• 🔧 When you first set up, skip the step of logging into Google and Xiaomi accounts.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI After the reset, you may still be linked to your Xiaomi account (anti-theft protection).To allow the new owner to use the phone, be sure to log out before the reset or remove the device from the trusted list at i.mi.com.

Method 5: Recovery Mode Contact Deletion (for power users)

If the phone is not turned on or locked and contacts need to be erased bypassing the system, you can use Recovery Mode. This method requires caution, since improper actions can lead to loss of all data or damage to the firmware.

Instructions:

1. Turn off the Redmi Note 9 Pro.
2. Press the Power + Volume buttons up at the same time and hold for 10-15 seconds until the MI logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select the language (if you have an option).
4. Use volume buttons for navigation and power button for confirmation.
5. Select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data (or similar).
6. Confirm the action by selecting Confirm.
7. Once completed, select Reboot to reboot.

Warnings:

• 🔴 This method deletes all data, including photos, messages and apps.
• 🔴 If the phone is encrypted, after resetting via Recovery, you may need to enter an old password.
• 🔴 On some firmware, Wipe Data does not erase data from internal memory (photos, music). For complete cleaning, choose Wipe Cache and Format Data.

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Recovery Mode is an extreme method that should only be used if the phone is unresponsive to other methods, and the first three methods are sufficient for normal contact removal.

How to Recover Accidentally Deleted Contacts

If you erase important numbers, you can try to get them back, and success depends on where the contacts were stored and how long ago they were deleted.

Recovery methods:

• 🔄 Google Contacts: For 30 days after deleting contacts are stored in the shopping cart.Google Contacts → Basket → give out the numbers you need → Restore.
• ☁️ MI Cloud: If sync has been enabled, check backups in Settings → Xiaomi account → MI Cloud → Data recovery.
• 📱 Local Recovery: Use applications like Undeleter or DiskDigger (root rights required.
• 💾 Backup: If you exported contacts to a.vcf file, import it back through Settings → Contacts → Imports/Exports.

The important thing is that the faster you start recovering, the better the chances are, because once you delete the data, it doesn't disappear immediately, it's marked as free space and it's gradually overwritten with new files.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When you delete your contacts, you often have typical problems, and here's how to prevent them:

Additional advice:

• 🔐 If you are selling a phone, be sure to log out of all accounts (Google, Xiaomi, social networks) and untie the device from services like Find My Device.
• 📡 Before mass removal, turn off mobile internet and Wi-Fi to prevent automatic synchronization.
• 📋 Export your contacts regularly to VCF — This will save you from data loss in crashes.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions