Where in Xiaomi are stored locked numbers: full instructions for working with the blacklist

Locked numbers on Xiaomi smartphones are not just a spam protection feature, but also an important contact management tool. However, many users face the problem: where exactly this blacklist is stored, how to find it in the MIUI settings, and can you recover data after a phone reset? In this article, we will discuss all the ways to access locked numbers on different versions of the firmware (from MIUI 12 to MIUI 15), including hidden system folders and backups.

Xiaomi’s feature is that the manufacturer regularly changes the layout of options in the menu, and some features (such as exporting a blacklist) may not be available in the standard interface.We will show not only the obvious paths through Settings → Apps, but also alternative methods – from using ADB to analyzing backup files. If you ever lost locks after updating or flashing, this guide will help you regain control over unwanted calls.

The official way: where to look for blocked numbers in MIUI

The easiest way to blacklist is through the standard Phone app, but the interface may vary depending on the MIUI version and regional firmware, and most devices (e.g. Redmi Note 12 or Xiaomi 13) use the following algorithm:

1. Open the Phone app (the phone icon on the home screen).
2. Swipe on the three dots in the upper right corner (or swipe left on some models).
3. Select "Settings" (or ⚙️).
4. Go to the "Blocking Numbers" section (or "Black List" in older versions).

Here you will see the full list of blocked contacts, as well as the history of blocking (if the function is enabled).Please note that on some devices (for example, POCO X5) this section may be called “Spam and Lock” and located in the submenu “Additional”.

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If your phone doesn’t have “Block Numbers” in the Phone app settings, try updating MIUI to the latest version or installing an alternative dialer (like Google Phone) through Settings → Apps → Default Apps.

The following options are available in this section:

• 📵 Adding numbers manually or from the call log.
• 🔍 Viewing your blocked call history (if not disabled in privacy settings).
• 🗑️ Removal of numbers from the list (with confirmation).
• ⚙️ Additional settings: blocking hidden numbers, redirecting spam to a separate folder.

Alternative path: through system settings

If for some reason, no access is available through the Phone app (for example, after a reset or on custom firmware), you can use the system settings. This method works on all Xiaomi devices, including Redmi and POCO, regardless of the version of MIUI:

1. Open the "Settings" (cog icon on the main screen).
2. Go to the "Applications" section → "Applications Management".
3. In the search bar, enter "Phone" and select the system application.
4. Slip on "Permissions" → "Additionally".
5. Find the "Blocking Numbers" or "Black List".

This is especially useful if you have a third-party dialer installed (like Truecaller), but locking is done at the system level, and you can check which applications have access to blacklist management, which is important for security, since some programs can secretly add numbers to the lock.

Where the locked numbers are physically stored in the phone memory

For power users who want to manually manage lock files or restore them after a reset, it is important to know where exactly MIUI stores this data.

1. Phone Application Database: File is on the Way: /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db. This database has a table. blocked_numbers, where all locked numbers are stored, this file can only be accessed with root rights or through the ADB.
2. Backup copies MIUI: When creating a backup through Settings → The phone. → Backup blacklist is stored in the file com.android.providers.contacts.bak inside the backup archive. SQL-editorial.

If you have root access, you can export the block table using the command:

adb shell su -c "sqlite3 /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db '.dump blocked_numbers'" > blocked_numbers.sql

Important: without root rights or unlocked bootloader, you can't change this file. Attempts to edit through standard file managers result in a reset of access rights and data loss.

How to export and import blocked numbers

Unfortunately, MIUI does not provide a built-in blacklist export function in.csv or.vcf format.

Method 1: Google Contacts (for synchronized numbers)

• 🔄 Open Google Contacts on your phone or browser.
• 📋 Go to the section "Tag management".
• 🏷️ Create a new label (e.g., “Block”) and add all the blocked numbers to it.
• 📤 Export the tag to the.csv file via Settings → Exports".

Method 2: Use of ADB (for power users)

With ADB, you can extract the block list in a readable format:

adb shell content query --uri content://call_log/blocked_numbers

This command will display all locked numbers to the console. To save them to a file, use:

adb shell content query --uri content://call_log/blocked_numbers > blocked_numbers.txt

Install. ADB computer|Put the debugging on. USB developer-setting|Connect your phone to your PC and allow debugging|Create a backup of data in case of error-->

To import, you will have to use the reverse method: either manually add numbers through the MIUI interface, or (if there is root) edit the database contacts2.db.

Restoration of blocked numbers after resetting or updating

One of the most common problems is losing a blacklist after a hard reset or a MIUI update.

1. From MIUI backup: If you created a backup through Settings → About Phone → Backup, restore it completely or extract the com.android.providers.contacts.bak file from the archive (use a 7-Zip archiver).
2. Through Google Account: If contact sync has been enabled, blocked numbers can be saved in Google Contacts under a special label.
3. Using third-party utilities: Programs like Mi PC Suite or Dr.Fone can scan a phone's memory for lost data, including locks, but their effectiveness depends on whether the data has been overwritten.

Important: After recovering from the backup, check the relevance of the numbers on the blacklist. Some spammer numbers may have changed, and the old locks will be useless.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Working with locked numbers on Xiaomi is not always smooth, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to fix them:

• 📞 The numbers are blocked, but the calls still pass: Check if there is a third-party dialer (like Truecaller) that conflicts with the system lock. Disable it in Settings → Annexes → By default.
• 🔄 Blacklist resets after update: This is a known issue MIUI 13-14. Before updating, export the list through ADB or sync with Google Contacts.
• 🔍 You can not add a number to the lock: Make sure that the Phone application has permission to read and change contacts (Settings) → Annexes → Permits).
• 📵 Hidden numbers are not blocked: Enable the option to "Block Hidden Numbers" in the lock settings (not available on all firmware).

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If the locked numbers are missing after resetting the phone, first check the /MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder on internal memory – automatic system backups can be stored there.

On some devices (e.g. Xiaomi 12T), number locking may conflict with Mi Security’s Spam Protection feature. If you notice numbers being blocked arbitrarily, turn off automatic filtering in Settings → Applications → Security → Spam Protection.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions