Where to find a blacklist on Xiaomi Redmi phone: a complete guide to blocking contacts

What is a blacklist on Xiaomi Redmi and why you need it?

Blacklist on Xiaomi Redmi smartphones is an integrated feature of the operating system MIUI, This allows you to block unwanted calls and SMS-Unlike standard Android tools, Xiaomi’s solution offers advanced settings, from spam filtering to creating whitelists for important contacts. The feature is especially relevant for users who encounter intrusive advertising, fraudulent calls or just want to limit communication with certain people.

It’s important to understand that Redmi’s blacklist works at the system level, not on an individual application, which means that blocked numbers won’t be able to reach you even through messengers like WhatsApp or Telegram if they use a standard call through a standard call. SIM-The feature is integrated with the Mi Cloud service, which allows you to synchronize the lock list between Xiaomi devices under one account.

In the latest versions MIUI (starting MIUI 12 and later), the blocking algorithms have become β€œsmarter”: the system automatically detects spam calls based on Xiaomi’s database and user communities, but manually managing the blacklist remains the most reliable way to control them. Next, let’s look at where this list is stored in different Redmi models and how to use it.

Where is the blacklist in the standard "Phone" app

The most obvious way to find a blacklist is through the native Phone app (green tube icon).The interface may vary slightly depending on the version. MIUI, But the general pattern is the same. Here's the step-by-step instruction for the latest firmware:

  1. Open the phone app on the main screen.
  2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner (menu).
  3. Select Settings (or Call Options in some versions).
  4. Scroll down to the section Blocking Numbers or Blacklist.
  5. You will see all the blocked numbers and add new ones.

On the Redmi Note models 12/13 redmi 10/11 s MIUI 14+ The path might look like this: The phone. β†’ Journal β†’ βš™οΈ Settings β†’ Lockdown and identification β†’ If you have an older version of the firmware (MIUI 11 or below), look for the Blocked Numbers section directly in the Phone menu".

Application opens"|Found a menu with three points|Selected section β€œSettings"|Checked item "Blocking numbers"|List of blocked contacts found-->

Please note that if you don't find this section, it's possible that the lock function is disabled in the system settings. To activate it, go to Settings. β†’ Annexes β†’ Application management β†’ Phone. β†’ Permissions and make sure the app has access to contacts and call logs.

Alternative ways to access the blacklist

Beyond the standard phone app, you can find a blacklist in other ways, which is useful if the interface is a good one. MIUI has been modified after the update or you are using custom firmware:

1. Through the "Contacts" appendix

In some versions MIUI The blacklist is duplicated in the Contacts app:

  • πŸ“± Open Contacts (Icon with a Human Silhouette).
  • πŸ” Slip on three horizontal lines (menu) in the upper left corner.
  • πŸ“‹ Select Contact Management β†’ Blacklist.
  • πŸ”„ You can view and edit blocked numbers here.

2. Through security settings

On devices with MIUI 13+ The blacklist is partially integrated into the security section:

  • πŸ›‘οΈ Go to Settings. β†’ PapaSSWORD & SECURITY (security).
  • πŸ“΅ Choose Call Blocking or Spam Protection.
  • πŸ“± Not only manual locks are displayed here, but also automatically blocked spam numbers.

3. Through system settings

For advanced users, there is a way through the general system settings:

  • βš™οΈ Open the Settings. β†’ Annexes.
  • πŸ” Find and select the phone in the list of applications.
  • πŸ“‹ Go to the Warehouse. β†’ Data management.
  • πŸ—ƒοΈ Here in the System Data section, information about blockings can be displayed.

Through the Phone app"|Through "Contacts"|Through security settings|Another option-->

If none of these methods worked, you may have your device disabled the firmware-level lock function, which may occur after you reset your settings or install unofficial versions. MIUI. In this case, resetting the settings of the application "Phone" or flashing the device will help.

How to add a number to the blacklist on Xiaomi Redmi

Adding a number to the blacklist on Xiaomi Redmi takes no more than a minute, but there are a few nuances to consider: consider all possible scenarios, from locking an unfamiliar number to adding a contact from the phone book.

Method 1: Blocking from the call log

The fastest method is directly from the history of calls:

  1. Open the Phone app and go to the Journal tab.
  2. Find the number you want to block and tap it.
  3. In the contact card that opens, click on the three dots in the upper right corner.
  4. Choose Add to the blacklist (or Block the number).
  5. Confirm the action in the window that appears.

Method 2: Manual number entry

If you want to block a number that is not in the log:

  1. Go to the blacklist through any of the methods described above.
  2. Click on the + (add) icon in the upper right corner.
  3. Enter the number manually or select from the contacts.
  4. Specify the type of lock: Calls, SMS or.
  5. Save the changes.

Method 3: Blocking through a message

If spam came in the form SMS:

  1. Open the Messages app.
  2. Find it. SMS from the unwanted number and hold it with your finger.
  3. In the menu that appears, select Block or Add to the blacklist.
  4. Confirm the lock for calls and messages.

πŸ’‘

If you block a fraudster’s number, we recommend that you mark it as β€œSpam” in the call log, which will help other Xiaomi users avoid calling from that number thanks to the cloud database. MIUI.

Important: the lock only works for standard calls and SMS. If an unwanted contact is texting you via messengers (WhatsApp, Viber, etc.), it should be blocked separately in each application. Also remember that blocked numbers are not notified of blocking - they simply will not be able to reach you.

How to Manage a Blacklist: Editing and Deleting Numbers

Managing the blacklist on Xiaomi Redmi involves not only adding but also editing existing records. You can temporarily disable the lock, change its type or completely remove numbers from the list.

Editing the blocking parameters

For each number in the blacklist, you can configure individual parameters:

  1. Open the blacklist through the β€œPhone” or β€œContact” app.
  2. Slip on the number you want to edit.
  3. In the window you will see three switches: πŸ“ž Blocking calls – prohibits incoming and outgoing calls. πŸ’¬ Blocking messages – filtering SMS from this number. πŸ”” Notifications – allows you to receive notifications about blocked calls (default disabled).

Set up the settings as you wish and save the changes.

Temporary shutdown of the lock

If you need to temporarily unlock a number (for example, for an important call) without removing it from the list:

  • πŸ”„ Find the number in the blacklist and tap it.
  • πŸ”• Turn off the switches to Block calls and Block messages.
  • ⏳ After the conversation, do not forget to turn on the lock again.

Complete removal of the number from the blacklist

To permanently remove the number from the lock:

  1. Open the blacklist and find the number you want.
  2. Swipe left on the record or click on the basket in the upper right corner.
  3. Confirm the deletion in the dialog window that appears.
What happens when you remove a number from the blacklist?
When you remove a number from the blacklist, all lock settings for that contact are reset. However, the history of calls and messages from it is stored in the log. If the number was marked as "Spam" in the Xiaomi cloud database, this tag may remain and affect the filtering of calls on other devices with the same Mi Account.

It is worth noting that when you reset your phone to factory settings, the blacklist is cleared. If you want to save the locks, pre-export them to the file or sync with Mi Cloud. β†’ Xiaomi account β†’ Mi Cloud β†’ Sync and make sure that the Contacts and Calls option is enabled.

What to do if the blacklist doesn’t work

Sometimes users of Xiaomi Redmi are faced with a situation when the blacklist ceases to function: blocked numbers continue to call, or the function disappears from the menu. The reasons can be different from a failure in the firmware to conflict with third-party applications.

1. Verification of the permissions of the "Phone" application

Most often, a non-working blacklist is associated with the lack of necessary permits:

  • πŸ”§ Go to Settings β†’ Applications β†’ Application Management β†’ Phone.
  • πŸ“‹ Open the Permissions section and make sure it is included: πŸ“ž Contacts (to access the phone book). πŸ“΅ Call log (to block calls). πŸ’¬ SMS (message-filter). πŸ“ Storage (to keep the block list).
  • πŸ”„ If permissions are disabled, turn them on and restart the device.

Resetting the settings of the "Phone" application

If the permissions are fine but the feature still doesn’t work, try resetting the settings:

  1. πŸ”§ Go to Settings. β†’ Annexes β†’ Phone. β†’ Warehouse.
  2. 🧹 Click Clear Data and Clear Cache.
  3. πŸ”„ Reboot the phone.
  4. πŸ“‹ After the reboot, check if the blacklist appears on the menu.

πŸ’‘

Resetting the Phone app will delete your call history, but will not affect contacts saved to your Google or Mi Cloud account.

3. Firmware update

In some versions MIUI (especially in beta firmware, the blacklist may not work properly due to bugs:

  • πŸ”„ Check for updates: Settings β†’ The phone. β†’ Updating the system.
  • πŸ“₯ If an update is available, install it.
  • πŸ”§ After the update, reset the settings of the Phone application as described above.

4. Verification of conflicting applications

Third-party call blocking apps (e.g. Truecaller, Call Blocker) may conflict with Xiaomi's built-in blacklist.To check this out:

  • πŸ›‘οΈ Temporarily disable or remove third-party blockers.
  • πŸ”„ Reset the device.
  • πŸ“‹ Check the standard blacklist.

If none of these methods worked, it may be that the problem is that you can damage the system files, and only reset the phone completely to factory settings (be sure to back up the data) or flash it through Fastboot.

Where is the blacklist file stored in your phone’s memory?

For power users who want to manually edit or reserve a blacklist, it’s helpful to know where exactly the lock data is stored. At Xiaomi Redmi, this information is recorded in a system database, but it can be exported for backup.

The blacklist file is located along the following path in the device memory:

/data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db

This database stores a blacklist table that contains all the locked numbers, but it's not possible to access it without root permissions, and for root users, you can use apps like SQLite Editor or Root Explorer to view or edit the list.

An alternative way to back up is through Mi Cloud:

  • πŸŒ₯️ Go to Settings. β†’ Xiaomi account β†’ Mi Cloud.
  • πŸ”„ Make sure that the synchronization of Contacts and Call Log is enabled.
  • πŸ“± Once synced, the blacklist will be available on all devices linked to your Mi Account.

πŸ’‘

If you need to transfer the blacklist to another Xiaomi phone, just log in under the same Mi Account and enable sync. All locks will automatically be downloaded to the new device.

Important: Manual editing of system files without root rights can cause the Phone application to crash or data loss. We recommend using only official backup methods through Mi Cloud or third-party applications with appropriate permissions.

Backup methodRoot is required.DifficultyReliability
Synchronization with Mi Cloud❌ No.⭐ Low.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tall.
Exports via the β€œContact” appendix❌ No.⭐⭐ Medium⭐⭐⭐ Medium
Manual file export contacts2.dbβœ… Yes.⭐⭐⭐ Tall.⭐⭐⭐⭐ High (if performed correctly)
Third-party applications (such as Super Backup)❌ No.⭐⭐ Medium⭐⭐⭐ Medium

Frequent questions about the blacklist on Xiaomi Redmi

Can I block the number so that he doesn’t know?
Yes, when blocked through the standard blacklist Xiaomi subscriber does not receive any notifications. for him your number will simply be unavailable - calls will be dropped after one beep, and SMS However, some carriers may send a subscriber a notification such as "Subscriber temporarily unavailable", which indirectly indicates a lockdown.
How to block all unknown numbers on Xiaomi Redmi?
V MIUI There is no direct lock function for all unknown numbers, but you can use a workaround: Install the Truecaller or Call Blocker app from Google Play. In the app settings, activate the "Block Unknown Numbers" option. Set up exceptions for important contacts. Alternatively, you can manually add unknown numbers to the blacklist after each call.
What to do if you update after the update MIUI blacklist?
This is a common problem when you upgrade to new firmware versions. Try the following steps: Check if the Blacklist section is hidden in the settings. Sometimes it moves to Settings. β†’ PapaSSWORD & SECURITY β†’ Lock calls. Clear the phone app cache and data in the settings. If the list is empty but there were numbers before, try to restore them via Mi Cloud (if sync was enabled). In extreme cases, reset your phone settings (with a pre-backup data).
Can you block numbers with a specific prefix (for example, all numbers with a specific prefix)? +375)?
Xiaomi’s standard blacklist does not support locking by mask or prefix. However, you can use third-party applications: Call Blocker – allows you to create lock rules by templates. Blacklist Plus – supports regular expressions for filtering numbers. Truecaller Premium – has advanced lock settings by region and country codes. For corporate users, Xiaomi offers the Mi Enterprise Blocklist solution, but it requires a special license.
How do I know if I have been blocked by Xiaomi Redmi?
There is no direct way to check this, but there are indirect signs: Your calls are immediately reset after one beep. SMS In messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) messages are sent but not read (one tick). For accurate verification, you can call from another number or ask mutual contact (a common friend) to check the status of your number in his phone.

⚠️ Note: If you use two of these SIM-cards on Xiaomi Redmi, the blacklist is separate for each number. SIM, Add it to the blacklist twice – for each card separately.

⚠️ Note: When using locking features via Mi Cloud, make sure that your device is enabled with mobile network or Wi-Fi sync. Without internet, changes to the blacklist may not be saved between devices.