How to find a list of blocked numbers on Xiaomi: hidden menus and life hacks

You accidentally blocked an important number on Xiaomi and now you can't find a place to look at the list of banned contacts? Or you want to check if someone close to you has been blacklisted? In MIUI (the Xiaomi brand shell), the number lock function is hidden in an unobvious way - its location depends on the firmware version and smartphone model. In this article, we will analyze all possible ways to access the blocked numbers, including hidden settings and alternative methods for older versions of MIUI.

It’s important to understand that a blacklist on Xiaomi can be stored in three places: in the standard Phone app, in the security menu or in the Mi Account cloud service, we will show you how to check each of them, and also tell you what to do if the list suddenly disappears after a system update. We will pay special attention to the Redmi Note models. 10/11/12, POCO F3/F4/F5 and Mi flagships 11 Ultra/12 Pro where the interface may be different.

1. Standard method: through the application "Phone"

The easiest method is to use the built-in Phone app (green handset) that works on most devices with MIUI 12 and later, including the Redmi 9, POCO X3 and Mi 10T. Here is a step-by-step instruction:

1. Open the phone app on the main screen.
2. Press three points (⋮) top-right.
3. Select Settings (or Call Options on some models).
4. Scroll down to the Blocking Numbers section or the Blocked List.

If you have MIUI 13/14, the menu may look different: instead of three dots, you will have a profile icon in the upper right corner. Click on it, then go to Settings → Lock and Identity → List of blocked numbers. On some firmware (for example, on the POCO F4 GT), this path may be called Protection and Lock.

Update the Phone app in Google Play

Check for MIUI updates in Settings → About the phone

Restart your smartphone (sometimes the menu doesn’t show up due to a crash)

Try alternative methods from the following sections-->

Note that if you previously synced contacts with Mi Account, blocked numbers can be duplicated in the cloud, and we will explain this in detail in the section on cloud blacklisting.

2.An alternative path: through the "Security settings"

On devices with MIUI 11 and older (such as the Redmi Note 8 Pro or Mi 9T), the list of locked numbers is sometimes hidden in the security menu, which is also relevant if you have a third-party launcher (such as Nova Launcher) installed that can hide icons of standard applications.

Instructions:

1. Open the phone settings (cog on the home screen).
2. Go to the Apps (or All Apps) section.
3. Find and select Security (Shield icon).
4. Open the tab Blocking or Spam Protection.
5. Slip on the blocked number list.

On some firmware (e.g., Xiaomi 12 Lite with MIUI 13.5), the path might look like this: Settings → Passwords & security → Blocklist. If you have English firmware, look for Security → Blocked numbers.

MIUI 12

MIUI 13

MIUI 14

MIUI 15 (HyperOS)

I don't know.-->

⚠️ Note: If there is no lock section in the Security menu, this may mean that the function is disabled by the device administrator (for example, on corporate phones) or removed by custom firmware.

3. View through call log (hidden method)

Few people know, but on Xiaomi, locked numbers can be found directly in the call log — they are displayed in gray with a ban icon. This method works even if the main lock menu is not available.

How to check:

1. Open the Phone app and go to the Journal tab.
2. Scroll down the list – the blocked numbers will be highlighted in gray with the tube crossed out.
3. Slip on this number to see the unlock options.

This method is especially useful for POCO M3/M4 owners, where the interface is simplified and the standard lock settings can be hidden. Note: the log only shows the numbers that tried to call you after the lock, and if the contact did not ring, it will not be visible.

4. Cloud blacklist: how to check with Mi Account

If you logged into your Mi Account and enabled contact sync, locked numbers can be duplicated in the cloud, which is true for users who frequently change Xiaomi smartphones or reset them to factory settings, to check the cloud blacklist:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Synchronization.
2. Select Mi Account and make sure that your contacts sync is enabled.
3. Go to account.xiaomi.com from your computer or phone.
4. Log in and open the Device Management → Synchronized Data section.
5. Find the Blocking tab (may be called Spam Blocklist in English).

Important: the cloud listing may not match the local listing, for example, if you lock a number on the Redmi Note 10 Pro and then log in to the same account on POCO X5, the lock will be transferred automatically, but some numbers (for example, blocked through third-party apps) do not enter the cloud.

⚠️ Note: If you delete a number from the cloud blacklist, it will be unlocked on all devices associated with this Mi Account.This can be inconvenient if you have blocked the number specifically for one phone (for example, a work phone).

5. Reset settings? How to restore the list of blocked numbers

If you reset your phone to a factory setting or refashion the device, the local blacklist will be deleted, but it can be restored if:

• 🔄 You enabled sync with Mi Account before resetting.
• 📱 You have a backup in your settings → Additionally. → Backup.
• 📧 You exported the list through third-party apps (e.g. Truecaller).

Instructions for recovery through Mi Account:

1. After the reset, log in to the same Mi Account.
2. Enable contact synchronization in Settings → Accounts.
3. Wait 5-10 minutes – the list of blocked numbers should appear automatically.
4. If that doesn’t happen, manually update the data: Settings → About Phone → Update MIUI → Check for updates (sometimes this triggers sync).

To recover from local backup:

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Backup → Restore.
2. Select the last backup (make sure it has a tick opposite Contact or Phone Settings).
3. Confirm the recovery and restart the phone.

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If you regularly drop your phone (for example, for sale), export the list of locked numbers manually. Use the Contacts+ or Truecaller app to do this, which allows you to save the blacklist to a CSV file.

6.Problems and Errors: Why the List of Blocked Numbers Is Not Showing

Sometimes users find that the lock menu is missing or the list is empty, despite the fact that the numbers were definitely blocked.

If none of the methods helped, try resetting the phone app settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the phone and open its settings.
3. Click Warehouse → Clear the data (do not delete the cache!).
4. Restart your phone – the lock menu should appear.

⚠️ Warning: Clearing the data from the Phone app will delete all call history, but will not affect contacts and messages. If you care about history, export it pre-settings. → Annexes → Phone. → Export of call history (not available on all models).

7 Third-party applications for blacklist management

If the standard methods don’t work or you need advanced features (like blocking keywords in SMS), you can use third-party apps, and we tested several options on Xiaomi and selected the most reliable ones:

• 📞 Truecaller blocks spam calls and reveals the names of unknown numbers.
• 🚫 Blacklist Plus allows you to create lock rules by time (for example, at night.
• 🔒 Should I Answer? analyzes real-time numbers and warns of fraud. MIUI.
• 📊 Call Control – Supports cloud-based blacklist synchronization between devices.

To set up a lock through Truecaller:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Register and allow access to contacts.
3. Go to Settings → Lock → Manual addition.
4. Enter the number or select from the contacts, then click Block.

Important: Some applications (e.g. GetContact) may conflict with the built-in MIUI lock. If the standard list stopped working after installing the third-party blocker, delete it or disable auto-update in Settings → Apps → Truecaller → Auto-Update.

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Third-party apps can't unlock numbers locked at the MIUI level. They create a parallel blacklist that runs on top of the system. To completely remove the lock, use the phone's standard settings.

FAQ: Frequent questions about locking numbers on Xiaomi