How to merge contacts on Xiaomi: 5 proven methods (including hidden MIUI functions)

Duplicate contacts on a smartphone Xiaomi is a problem that every third user faces. They appear after importing from different sources: SIM cards, Google Account, social networks or backup copies. As a result, the phone book turns into chaos, where the same person may appear 3-4 times with different numbers or emails. This is especially annoying when making calls, when you have to choose from several identical names.

Fortunately, MIUI offers several ways to combine contacts - from standard tools to hidden functions. In this article we will analyze all current methods (including those that are not described in the official documentation), and also tell you how to avoid duplicates from appearing again. Important: some functions may differ depending on the firmware version and model (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 14 etc.), but the general logic remains the same.

If you have already tried to merge contacts through the standard menu, but nothing worked, do not rush to reset the settings. You may have missed one of the key steps, which we will cover below.

1. Merging contacts through the standard Contacts application

The most obvious way is to use the built-in tools MIUI. It is suitable for most models Xiaomi, including Redmi and POCO, but only works with contacts saved in phone or Google Account. Contacts from SIM cards you will have to first import into the device memory.

To get started:

1. Open application Contact (icon with a silhouette of a person).
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Manage contacts.
3. Tap on Merge contacts.

The system will automatically find possible duplicates and offer to combine them. There is a nuance here: MIUI it does not always correctly identify matches by name, especially if the contacts are written in different formats (for example, “Ivan Ivanov” and “Ivanov I.”). In this case, you will have to do this manually.

Import contacts from the SIM card into the phone memory

Make sure that all contacts are linked to one account (Google or MI)

Check the names are correct (correct typos)

Do backup copy of the phone book-->

If the system does not find duplicates automatically, try the following:

1. Open the contact card that you want to merge.
2. Click on the three dots at the top and select Merge with....
3. Manually select the second contact from the list.

⚠️ Attention: If you have synchronization enabled with Google Contacts, the changes will be applied there too. Before merging, check whether contacts are linked to different accounts - this may lead to data loss.

2. Using Google Contacts to merge

If you use Google Account, the easiest way to merge contacts is through the web version contacts.google.com. This method works even if custom firmware or a modified version is installed on the phone MIUI.

Instructions:

1. Open the browser on your computer or phone and go to contacts.google.com.
2. Login using the same account as on Xiaomi.
3. In the left menu, select Double —the system will show all possible matches.
4. Click Merge next to each take or select Merge everything.

The advantage of this method is the changes will apply to all devices linked to this Google Account, including tablets and other smartphones. However, there is a minus: if contacts were imported from Viber, WhatsApp or Telegram, they may not appear in contacts.google.com.

Through the Contacts application on the phone

I use Google Contacts in the browser

I prefer third-party applications (Truecaller, Sync.ME)

I don’t keep track of duplicates - they don’t bother me-->

After merging, do not forget to synchronize contacts on Xiaomi:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and synchronization → Google.
2. Make sure the switch opposite Contact is active.
3. Click Sync.

⚠️ Attention: If you use multiple Google Accounts, make sure synchronization is enabled for the correct profile. Otherwise, the changes may not be applied.

3. Hidden function of MIUI: merging through “System Settings”

Few people know, but MIUI there is a hidden tool for working with contacts, which is accessible through System Settings. It is useful if the standard Contacts application does not find duplicates or does not work correctly.

How to use it:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Manage applications.
2. Find in the list Contact and tap on it.
3. Select Storage, then Data management.
4. Click Clear duplicate contacts (this item may be called differently depending on the version MIUI).

This method only works with local contacts (saved in the phone memory). If your contacts are linked to Google or MI Account, first export them to a file .vcf, and then import them back into the phone book.

What to do if the "Clear duplicates" item is not in the settings?

If your version of MIUI does not have this item, try:

1. Update the firmware to the latest version (via Settings → About phone → System update).

2. Use an alternative application for contacts (for example, Simple Contacts or Contacts+).

3. Reset the Contacts application settings (in Settings → Applications → Contacts → Storage → Clear data), but this will delete all unsynced contacts!

4. Merging contacts using third-party applications

If the built-in tools Xiaomi cannot cope, third-party utilities will come to the rescue. They offer advanced functions, such as searching for duplicates by phone numbers, email, or even partial name matches.

Top 3 applications for merging contacts:

• 🔹 Simpler Merge - automatically finds and merges duplicates, supports backup.
• 🔹 Contacts Optimizer - can correct the format of names (for example, make it look like “Last Name First Name”) and remove empty fields.
• 🔹 Dedup Contacts - specializes in finding hidden duplicates that skips MIUI.

Before using such applications, be sure to back up your contacts:

1. Open Contacts → Settings → Import/Export.
2. Select Export to file and save .vcf to a memory card or to the cloud.

Many applications require access to contacts and storage. Be careful: install only proven utilities from Google Play with a high rating (4.5+). can send your data to third-party servers.

5. Manual merging via export/import (for experienced users)

This method is suitable if you have hundreds of contacts with a chaotic structure, and automatic tools cannot cope. The essence of the method: export all contacts to a file .vcf, edit it manually (or using Excel), and then import back.

Step-by-step guide:

1. Export: Go to Contacts → Settings → Import/Export → Export to file. Save the file to the memory card.
2. Editing:
   • 📄 Open file .vcf in a text editor (for example, Notepad++).
   • 🔍 Find duplicate entries by phone numbers or email (use search by TEL: or EMAIL:).
   • ✂️ Remove or merge duplicate blocks BEGIN:VCARD...END:VCARD.

Import: Return to Contacts → Import/Export → Import from memory card and select the edited file.

For convenience, you can convert .vcf in .csv (for example, through https://vcf-to-csv.com), and then open it in Excel or Google Tables. It is easier to sort the data and search for duplicates by columns.

Format	Advantages	Disadvantages
.vcf	Saves the entire structure of contacts (photos, notes, categories)	Difficult to edit manually
.csv	Conveniently sort and filter in Excel	May not save photos and some fields
.xml (for Android)	Supports extended labels (for example, number type: “work”, “home”)	Not all applications can import

⚠️ Attention: When editing manually .vcf it is easy to make a mistake in the syntax, which will lead to the loss of some contacts. Before importing, check the file for validity using online validators (for example, https://icalendar.org/validator.html).

6. How to avoid occurrence of duplicates in the future

Merging contacts is half the battle. It is much more important to configure the system so that duplicates do not appear again. Here are the key rules:

• 📱 Disable automatic import from SIM cards: Go to Contacts → Settings → Import from SIM and deactivate the option.
• 🔄 Synchronize with only one account: Select either Googleor MI Account to store contacts Simultaneous synchronization with several services often leads to duplicates.
• 🚫 Do not use “Quick Add” from calls: When you save a number directly from the call log, MIUI may create a new contact instead of updating an existing one.
• 🔄 Regularly clear the cache of the Contacts application: Once a month, go to Settings → Applications → Contacts → Storage → Clear cache.

If you often you receive contacts through WhatsApp, Telegram or Viber, configure these applications to display contacts only from the phone book, and not from chats. For example, in WhatsApp this is done like this:

1. Open Settings → Account → Privacy.
2. Disable the option Show contacts from chats.

7. Common mistakes and how to fix them

Even following the instructions, users often encounter problems. Here are the most common errors and their solutions:

• 🔴 "Can't merge contacts": Check whether they are linked to different accounts. For example, one contact is saved in Google, and the other is saved. in MI Account. Solution: transfer both contacts to one account.
• 🔴 "After merging, the numbers disappeared": You probably merged contacts with different types of numbers (for example, “mobile” and “work”). by merging, check which fields will be saved.
• 🔴 "Duplicates appear again after. synchronization": This happens if there are unsynchronized contacts on another device (for example, an old phone). Solution: clear the contacts on all devices linked to the account and do a clean import.

If after all the manipulations duplicates still remain, try resetting the Contacts application:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Contacts → Storage.
2. Click Clear data and Clear cache.
3. Restart your phone and re-import contacts from the backup.

⚠️ Attention: Clear application data “Contacts” will delete all local contacts (not synchronized with Google or MI Account). Make sure you have a backup copy!

FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions

Is it possible to merge contacts from different SIM cards?

Yes, but first you need to import them into your phone's memory or Google Account. To do this:

1. Insert the first SIM card.
2. Go to Contacts → Settings → Import/Export → Import from SIM.
3. Repeat for the second SIM card.
4. Now you can merge imported contacts through the standard menu.

Why are there empty contacts after merging?

This happens if the system saves empty fields during merging (for example, a contact without a phone number, but with an email). delete them:

1. Open Google Contacts in a browser.
2. In the search bar, enter no phone - this will show contacts without numbers.
3. Select unnecessary ones and click Delete.

How to merge contacts if they are saved in different accounts (Google and MI)?

First transfer all contacts to one account:

1. Export contacts from MI Account to file .vcf.
2. Import them into Google Account via contacts.google.com.
3. Now all contacts are in one place, and they can be combined.

Alternative: use the application Copy My Data to transfer contacts between accounts.

Will merging contacts on Xiaomi affect other devices (for example, iPhone or tablet)?

Depends on where they are stored contacts:

• If they are synchronized with Google Account, the changes will be applied on all devices where synchronization is enabled.
• If contacts are saved only in MI Account, they will only be updated on devices Xiaomi.
• Local contacts (saved in the phone memory) will not affect other gadgets.

Is it possible to cancel merging contacts?

If you merged contacts by mistake, you can only restore them from backup copy. To do this:

1. Delete all contacts (via Settings → Contacts → Delete all).
2. Import the backup copy (.vcf file) created before the merge.

If there is no backup, try checking Trash in Google Contacts (contacts are stored there for 30 days).