Losing contacts on a Xiaomi smartphone is one of the most frustrating situations users face. Fortunately, if you previously synced a phone book with a Google account, you can return all numbers in a few minutes.This guide will explain in detail how to restore contacts on Redmi, POCO or Mi devices through Google services, even if the phone was reset to factory settings or contacts were deleted accidentally.
We'll look at all possible scenarios, from simple synchronization to recovery from archival copies. This is relevant for MIUI 14/15 and Android 13/14, but it will also work for older versions. Importantly, this method only works if sync with Google was previously enabled - if not, you will have to use other methods (we'll mention them at the end of this article).
Why Contacts Are Losing on Xiaomi and How to Avoid It
The reasons for losing contacts on Xiaomi fall into two categories: software failures and user actions.
- 🔄 Reset to factory settings without prior backup;
- 🗑️ Manually remove contacts (e.g., when cleaning memory);
- 🤖 Synchronization errors between MIUI Google;
- 📱 Updates to the firmware, after which the contacts fly";
- 🔋 Battery discharge during synchronization.
To minimize risks, always enable automatic sync with Google. Go to Settings → Google Accounts → Account Sync and activate the switch next to Contacts. Also, we recommend periodically creating local backups through Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset.
A critical mistake many users make: they only store contacts in their phone’s memory (SIM-The card or internal storage without syncing it to the cloud, in which case it will be impossible to restore the numbers when the device is reset or broken.
Preparation for recovery: checking synchronization
Before you try to return contacts, make sure they are actually saved in your Google account.
- Open on your computer or other device the website contacts.google.com;
- Sign in with the same account used on Xiaomi.
- Check the contact list – if they are displayed, they can be restored.
If there are no contacts on the site, but you are sure that sync has been enabled, try:
- 🔍 Check the cart in Google Contacts (stored for 30 days);
- 📅 Look into the archived versions (available in Google Contacts settings);
- 📱 Make sure that Xiaomi has the right account (sometimes users confuse several Google profiles).
Log in to the correct Google account |
Check for contacts at contacts.google.com|
Make sure that synchronization is enabled before data loss |
Check the cart and archive in Google Contacts-->
⚠️ Attention: If you are using MIUI 12 and below, the path to sync settings may be different.Look for Accounts and Sync in the main settings menu.
Method 1: Automatic synchronization of contacts with Google
The easiest method is to enable sync on your phone, which is suitable if your contacts are missing due to a crash but have not been deleted from your Google account.
Instructions:
- Open Settings on Xiaomi;
- Go to Google Accounts (or Passwords and Accounts → Google)
- Select your account;
- Click on account synchronization;
- Activate the slider next to Contacts;
- Wait 5-10 minutes – contacts should appear in the phone book.
If the synchronization is not started:
- 🔄 Reboot the phone;
- 📶 Check your internet connection (better to use Wi-Fi);
- 🔒 Make sure your account doesn’t have two-factor authentication that blocks synchronization;
- 📱 Update the Contacts app via Google Play.
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If contacts are duplicated after synchronization, open the Contacts app, click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Connect Contacts.
Method 2: Manual recovery through Google Contacts
If automatic synchronization doesn’t work, try manually restoring contacts through the web version of the service, which will also help if you want to return only a portion of the numbers.
Step-by-step:
- Open contacts.google.com on PC;
- In the left menu, select More → Cancel changes;
- Specify the time range (for example, "last 7 days");
- Click Confirm – all remote contacts will return.
If you need to re-establish a specific contact:
- In the left menu, select the basket;
- Find the right contact and click on it.
- Choose Restore.
| Action. | Storage period | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Cancellation of changes | Up to 30 days. | Restores all contacts deleted during the period |
| Recovery from the basket | 30 days | Allows you to return individual contacts |
| Imports from backup | Unlimitedly. | Requires a pre-created backup in.vcf format |
| Archival versions | Depends on your account settings | Available in Google One Paid Tariffs |
⚠️ Attention: If you are using MIUI 13 and above with App Cloning, make sure that sync is enabled for the main profile, not for the clone. Otherwise, contacts may be duplicated or not synced at all.
Method 3: Import contacts from backup
If you have a local contact backup (a file with a.vcf or.csv extension), it can be imported back into the phone book, which is suitable if sync with Google is disabled or contacts are only stored on the device.
How to import:
- Download a backup to your phone (for example, through Google Drive or Mi Cloud);
- Open the Contacts app;
- Click on three points in the upper right corner → Contact management
- Select Import/Export Contacts → Import from the file
- Specify the path to the.vcf file and confirm the import.
If the file is.csv, convert it to.vcf first through online services (e.g. ConvertCSV).
What to do if the backup file is corrupted?
On Xiaomi with MIUI 14/15, the path to import may be different: Contacts → Profile → Settings → Contact Management → Import / Export.
What to do if contacts are not restored
If none of the methods worked, the problem may lie in the following:
- 🚫 Sync disabled at Google level (check account settings at myaccount.google.com);
- 🔒 Two-factor authentication blocks access to contacts;
- 📵 Corporate account restrictions (if the phone is linked to work mail);
- 🛠️ Damage to system files on Xiaomi (will help reset to factory settings).
Alternative solutions:
- 🔄 Try another Google account that you may have connected to earlier;
- 📱 Use Mi Cloud (if sync with Xiaomi services is enabled);
- 💾 Restore contacts from local backup MIUI (Path: Settings → The phone. → Backup and reset → Local backups);
- 📞 Contact Google Support via the feedback form (available at support.google.com).
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If the contacts were tied to SIM-The card, rather than the Google account, cannot be restored through the cloud, in which case only a backup copy or contacting the carrier will help (some save the history of changes). SIM-contact).
How to avoid losing contacts in the future
To avoid having to deal with missing contacts, follow these guidelines:
- ☁️ Enable automatic sync with Google and Mi Cloud;
- 📅 Create backups once a month (via Settings) → System and device → Backup);
- 📱 Keep your contacts in the cloud, not on the cloud. SIM-card or phone memory;
- 🔄 Check synchronization after firmware update;
- 📌 Use backup apps (such as Super Backup & Restore).
Xiaomi has a new feature called Cloud Backup, which automatically saves contacts, messages and even system settings, with MIUI 15, to activate it:
- Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset;
- Select Backup in Mi Cloud;
- Turn on the switch and specify what data to save;
- Click Create a backup copy.
Important: Even if you use Google to sync your contacts, periodically export them to a.vcf file and save it to an external drive or to the cloud, which will protect you from data loss when you block a Google account.