Previous articleMissing contacts on Xiaomi: the reasons and 7 proven ways to return them

You opened a phone book on your Xiaomi, and instead of a contact list, it's a void? This is a problem that many owners of Redmi, POCO or Mi smartphones are familiar with, and its causes can range from accidental deletion to account sync failure, the main thing is not to panic: in 90% of cases, contacts can be restored if you act quickly and correctly.

In this article, we’ll look at all possible contact disappearance scenarios, from the banal (like a hidden filter in the app) to the serious (damage to system files), learn how to return numbers through Google Account, Mi Cloud, backups, or even using the SIM- card, and if the problem is a system failure, find instructions for restoring without losing data.

Important: the earlier you start, the better the chances of success. Some methods (such as recovery from the basket) work only in the first 30 days after removal. So don't delay - choose the appropriate method from our guide and follow the steps.

Why Xiaomi contacts are missing: 5 main reasons

Before you start to recover, you need to understand why the contacts disappeared, and that will help you choose the most effective method and avoid the problem recurring.

• 🔄 Sync failure with Google or Mi Cloud (often occurs after an update to MIUI or password change).
• 🗑️ Accidental deletion — for example, when cleaning memory or resetting settings.
• 📱 Error in the Contacts app (interface glitch when numbers are hidden by a filter).
• 🔋 Problems with SIM- card (if contacts were stored on it rather than in the phone's memory)
• 🛠️ System failure after firmware, virus attack, or physical memory damage.

If contacts are lost after the MIUI update, it is likely to be the fault of the sync failure, in which case reconnecting your Google or Mi Cloud account will help. And if you recently cleared memory through Settings → Memory, check the basket in the Contacts app - there may be deleted numbers.

Pay attention to the location of the contacts:

If they were linked to a Google Account, it is easiest to restore them through the web version of Gmail.

If you have stored it on a SIM- card, try removing it and pasting it into another phone.

If you synced with Mi Cloud, check your Xiaomi account settings.

Method 1: Checking filters and hidden contacts in the application

Sometimes contacts don't disappear, but are simply filtered in a standard Xiaomi app. This is a common problem after MIUI updates when display settings are reset.

1. Open the Contacts app (a icon with a person's silhouette).
2. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Settings.
3. Go to the Contact Management section → Display contacts.
4. Make sure all sources are selected: Google, Mi Cloud, SIM- Map and Device.

If you only check the boxes against one source (e.g., SIM- map), turn on the map of the others.

Also check the cart in the app:

Go to Settings → Contact Management → Recycle Bin.

Remote contacts are stored here for 30 days (they are deleted forever).

- Select the numbers you need and press Restore.

⚠️ Warning: If you have manually cleaned the bin or used memory cleaners (such as Clean Master), you can’t restore contacts through it.

Method 2: Recovery through Google Account (the most reliable method)

If your contacts have been synced to your Google Account, you can return them in minutes, and this works even after you completely reset your phone or replace your device.

1. Open the Google Contacts website on your computer or other phone.
2. Sign in with the same account that was linked to Xiaomi.
3. If contacts are displayed on the site but are not on your phone, perform forced sync: Settings → Accounts and sync → Google → [your account] → Sync contacts
4. If there are no contacts on the site, check the Recycle Bin (on the left of the menu) - they are stored there for 30 days.

If the synchronization is not started, try:

- Reboot the phone.

Delete and re-add Google Account in the settings.

Update the Google Contacts app through the Play Market.

💡

If the Google Contacts site displays an older version of the list, try clicking “Cancel Changes” in the left menu, and the system will show you the edit history of the last 30 days.

Method 3: Recovery via Mi Cloud (for Xiaomi account holders)

If you use a Mi Account (Xiaomi cloud), contacts could be saved there, and this method is especially useful if you didn't link a Google Account or store numbers only in your phone's memory.

1. Go to the Mi Cloud website and log in.
2. Select the Contacts section (if not, synchronization has been disabled).
3. If contacts are displayed, export them to the.vcf file (Export button in the upper right corner).
4. Import the file back to your phone via Settings → System → Import/Export → Import from the file.

If you don’t have any contacts in Mi Cloud, check:

— Was synchronization enabled: Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization → Contacts.

Have you changed your Mi Account password, it may reset your sync settings.

⚠️ Warning: Mi Cloud only stores contacts 90 days after the last sync, and if you haven't used your phone in a long time, the data may have been deleted.

Method 4: Extracting contacts with SIM- cards

If you have stored numbers on a SIM- card, they can be easily transferred back to the phone memory.This method is suitable for older Xiaomi models (for example, Redmi 4A or Mi A1), where the default contacts were saved on SIM.

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Click on three points (⋮) → Settings → Import/Export → Import from SIM- card.
3. Choose where to save contacts: in Google Account, Mi Account or Memory phone.
4. Confirm the import and wait for the process to end.

If the contacts are not displayed at import:

Check if the SIM- card is inserted correctly (sometimes the contacts are tied to the SIM1 slot, not the SIM2 slot).

Try inserting the card into another phone and exporting contacts from there.

Note that on modern SIM- cards (nano-SIM) contacts are often not saved due to limited memory, in which case the method will not work.

Method 5: Restore from MIUI backup

If you have ever backed up through the standard Xiaomi app (Settings → Additional → Backup), contacts can be restored from there. This method is suitable if not only the numbers, but other data (messages, notes) are lost.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backups.

2. Select the most recent copy (see the date of creation).

3. Click Restore and tick Contacts.

4. Confirm the recovery and wait for completion.

Important:

Do not create a new backup after the contacts are lost – this will overwrite the old one, and it will be impossible to restore the data.

If a copy was saved to Mi Cloud, check it through the web version (Subsection Backups).

💡

Local MIUI backups are stored in the MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder on internal memory. Do not delete them if you are planning to restore them!

Method 6: Using third-party software (if nothing worked)

If the standard methods didn't work, you can try specialized data recovery software that scans your phone's memory and finds deleted files, including contacts.

• 📱 Dr.Fone (Wondershare) — supports contact recovery, messages and photos. There is a free trial.
• 🔍 EaseUS MobiSaver scans internal memory and SD- card, recovers data after reset.
• 🛠️ Tenorshare UltData works even on locked phones (root access required).

Instructions for Dr.Fone:

1. Install the program on your computer and connect Xiaomi over USB (enable Debugging over USB in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version → 7 times click on the version).

2. Select Android Data Recovery mode.

3. Mark Contacts and click Next.

4. After scanning, select the numbers you want and save them to a.vcf file.

⚠️ Warning: Data recovery software requires root permissions for deep scanning, which can void warranty and damage the system, and only use them if other methods have failed.

If the phone is not turned on or locked, try to remove the SIM- card and scan it with the SIM Card Recovery program (for example, Wondershare’s SIM Card Data Recovery).

Method 7: Contact Xiaomi Support

If you’ve exhausted all options but never made contact, you’ll need to call Xiaomi’s official support, which makes sense if:

The contact loss occurred after the MIUI update or repair at the service center.

You suspect a virus attack or account hack.

The phone is under warranty and you are afraid to damage the system by your own actions.

How to contact support:

1. through the official website (section Contact Us).

2. by telephone hotline (for Russia: 8 800 700 01 25).

3. via chat in the Mi Community app (available from the Play Market).

Please indicate when applying:

A phone model (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro)

- The MIUI version (you can find it in Settings → About the phone).

Date and circumstances of the contact loss.

Recovery efforts that you have already made.

If the problem is massive (for example, after a global update), Xiaomi can release a patch.

FAQ: Frequent questions about missing contacts on Xiaomi