How to Fix Xiaomi Contacts App Not Syncing with Google Account

Xiaomi HyperOS syncs contacts with Google Account through Android's background sync adapter framework. When this sync breaks, contacts added on the phone never reach Gmail or other devices, and new contacts saved in Google do not appear on the Xiaomi phone. The most common causes are an expired Google authentication token, HyperOS battery optimization blocking the sync adapter process, a conflict between Mi Cloud and Google contacts sync running simultaneously, or a corrupted Google account cache. The steps below address all of these systematically.

Steps

1. Force a manual sync from Google Account settings.

   Go to Settings → Accounts & sync → Google. Tap your Google account, then tap Contacts and select Sync now. Watch the sync icon at the top of the screen. If it spins briefly and stops without error, sync is working and just needed a manual trigger. If an error appears, continue to the next step.

2. Clear Google Contacts Sync and Google Play Services cache.

   Go to Settings → Apps → Manage apps. Find Contacts Sync (search if not visible) and tap Clear cache. Then find Google Play Services and tap Clear cache (do not clear data on Play Services). Retry the manual sync from Step 1.

3. Re-authenticate the Google Account on the device.

   Go to Settings → Accounts & sync → Google, select the account, and tap Remove account. After removal, go back and tap Add account → Google, sign in again with your credentials. This generates a fresh OAuth token for the sync adapter and resolves most persistent sync failures.

4. Disable HyperOS battery optimization for Google and Contacts apps.

   Go to Settings → Battery → Battery saver → No restrictions. Add Google, Google Contacts, Contacts Sync, and Google Play Services to the unrestricted list. Also go to Security → Manage apps → Permissions → Autostart and enable autostart for the Google services group.

5. Resolve Mi Cloud and Google sync conflict.

   Running both Mi Cloud contacts sync and Google contacts sync simultaneously can cause duplicate entries and sync locks. Choose one as the primary contacts source. To use Google only, go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud and disable Contacts sync. Then re-enable Google contacts sync and trigger a manual sync.

Common Issues and Fixes

• Sync icon spins indefinitely without completing — likely cause: weak network or Google server timeout — fix: switch from mobile data to Wi-Fi, disable VPN if active, and retry the sync on a stable connection.
• Contacts sync shows an error message with a red icon — likely cause: expired authentication token or Google account security flag — fix: remove and re-add the Google Account as described in Step 3.
• Contacts sync fine but duplicates keep appearing — likely cause: both Mi Cloud and Google sync are active and merging the same contacts — fix: disable one sync source and use the Contacts app's built-in Merge duplicate contacts tool under Manage contacts.
• New contacts saved on phone do not appear on other devices — likely cause: contacts saved to Phone storage instead of Google Account — fix: go to Contacts → Settings → Default account for new contacts and set it to your Google Account.
• Sync works but stops after a few days — likely cause: HyperOS background process manager killing Google sync adapter — fix: re-add Google and Google Play Services to the No restrictions battery list and enable autostart permanently.

Quick Tips

• Set Google as default contact storage: In the Contacts app, go to Settings → Default account and select Google. Any new contact saved goes directly into Google sync and will not get stuck in phone-only storage.
• Check sync interval: HyperOS may set background sync to a longer interval to save battery. Under Settings → Accounts & sync, enable Auto sync data and verify it is toggled on globally.
• Export a vCard backup before making changes: Before removing and re-adding your Google Account, export contacts as a .vcf file from the Contacts app menu as a safety backup.
• Use Google One for conflict-free cloud backup: Google One's contact backup runs independently of the device sync adapter and can restore contacts even if the sync adapter is broken.

Why do Xiaomi contacts sync with Google on some devices but not others?

The discrepancy usually comes from HyperOS background process restrictions varying per device model and region. Budget Xiaomi models with stricter battery optimization kill the Google sync adapter more aggressively than flagship models with more lenient process management. Whitelisting Google services in battery settings consistently resolves the difference.

Will removing and re-adding the Google Account delete my contacts?

No, as long as your contacts are already stored in Google — not in phone-only storage. Contacts saved to the Google Account are stored in the cloud and return automatically the next time you sign back in. Only contacts saved to Phone storage are at local-only risk; export those as a vCard file before removing the account as a precaution.