How to Remove All Phone Numbers From Xiaomi: From Manual To Hard Reset

Removing all contacts from Xiaomi’s smartphone is a task that may be needed when selling the device, transferring it to another person, or simply cleaning up personal data. However, many users are faced with the fact that even after the visible deletion of the numbers continue to appear in calls, messages or Mi Account. MIUI and synchronize with the cloud.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 working methods for erasing contacts irrevocably, from simple manual deletion to complete resetting. We’ll focus on hidden MIUI caches that are often overlooked, and explain why standard deletion through the Contacts app doesn’t always work. If you need to ensure that you clean your device before selling or just get rid of unnecessary numbers, read on.

1. Standard removal through the “Contacts” application

The most obvious way is to use the built-in Contacts app (or Google Contacts if you use a Google account), but there are pitfalls to this method: it doesn’t always remove numbers from the system’s cache and cloud copies.

To delete contacts through the standard application:

• 📱 Open the Contacts app on your Xiaomi.
• 🔍 Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Contact Management → Delete contacts.
• ✅ Check all numbers (or select Allocate all numbers).
• 🗑️ Click Remove and confirm the action.

⚠️ Note: If you have Mi Account or Google sync enabled, the numbers will remain in the cloud and return the next time you log in. To avoid this, turn off sync before deleting (more on this in the next section).

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Before mass deletion, export contacts to the VCF file via Settings → Import/Export – this will help restore them if something goes wrong.

2. disabling synchronization before removal

If you don’t turn off sync, remote contacts can return in a few minutes or after rebooting, because MIUI automatically pulls data from Mi Cloud or Google Contacts.

How to turn off synchronization:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Synchronization.
2. Choose Mi Account (or Google if you use it).
3. Turn off the slider near Contacts.
4. Return to the Contacts app and re-delete (see Section 1).

After you turn off sync, wait 5-10 minutes — sometimes the system continues background sync.

3. Remove via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

If the contacts are synced to Mi Cloud, they must be deleted from there, otherwise they will return the next time you log in to your Xiaomi account on any device.

Instructions:

• 🌐 Go to i.mi.com and log in.
• 📁 Select the Contacts section on the left menu.
• 🔄 Press Control. → Highlight everything → Delete.
• 🗑️ Confirm the deletion (numbers will be in the basket for 30 days).

⚠️ Warning: Remote contacts stay in the Mi Cloud Recycle Bin for 30 days, so to erase them permanently, go to the Recycle Bin and click Clean the Recycle Bin, otherwise they may automatically recover in a month.

4. Cleaning the cache and data of the “Contacts” application

Even after the contacts are deleted, traces of them can remain in the app cache and system databases, which leads to numbers continuing to appear in call history or offers when dialing.

To completely clear the residual data:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Contacts/People app (or Contacts/People on Global ROM firmware).
3. Click Warehouse → Clear the cache and Clear the data.
4. Reset the device.

After this procedure:

• ✅ Number offers will disappear when dialing.
• ✅ The history of interactions in the phone application will be cleared.
• ❌ But: If contacts have been synced to the cloud, they can return after logging in again.

5. Hard Reset (Hard Reset)

If you need to erase all data (for example, before selling your phone), the only reliable way is to completely reset your settings.

• 📞 All contacts (including hidden caches).
• 📱 Annexes and their data.
• 🔒 System settings.
• 📁 Files in internal memory (photos, videos, documents).

⚠️ Warning: After reset, the phone will return to factory settings. All data will be lost without recovery (if there was no backup:

• Important files (photos, videos, documents) are saved.
• Mi Account binding is disabled (if the phone is locked).
• Extracted. SIM-Memory card and card (unless you want to format them).

How to make a Hard Reset:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select Delete all data (reset to factory data).
3. Enter a password (if required) and confirm the action.
4. Wait for the process to be completed (5-10 minutes).

If the phone is not turned on or locked, the reset can be done through Recovery mode:

1. Turn off the device.


2. Press the Power + Volume buttons up until the Mi logo appears.




3. From the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data.




4. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.

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Hard reset is the only way to guarantee that all data, including hidden MIUI caches, will be deleted, but after that the phone will be clean, as if it were purchased.

6. Additional measures: removal from messengers and social networks

Contacts can be stored not only in the phone book, but also in:

• 💬 Messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber).
• 📘 Social media (Facebook, VK, Instagram).
• 📧 Mail (Gmail, Mi Mail).

To get rid of all the numbers:

• 📱 On WhatsApp: Settings → chat → Chat history → Export chat (if you need to save correspondence), then delete chats with unnecessary contacts.
• 📱 In Telegram: contacts pull up from the phone book – after cleaning it, they will disappear here.
• 🌐 In Gmail: Go to contacts.google.com and delete numbers manually.

⚠️ Note: In some instant messengers (for example, Viber), contacts are stored on the company's servers and can be restored when you re-install the application. To avoid this, delete the account in the messenger settings before uninstallation.

FAQ: Frequent questions about deleting contacts on Xiaomi