Xiaomi: Sort Contacts by First or Last Name

Xiaomi phones save every contact with a separate first name and last name field, and MIUI uses one stored rule to decide how the Contacts list gets alphabetized. By default this rule sorts by first name, which is why an entry like John Smith shows up under J instead of S.

This setting only affects the display order inside the Contacts list. It does not rename, split, or merge any entries, and it has no direct effect on how the Contacts app itself stores the data.

Where to change the sort order

Open Tap on Contacts ➔ Open the Menu ➔ Tap on Settings ➔ Tap on Sort by ➔ Choose First name or Last name.

Switching to last-name sorting helps when you manage business contacts and expect a surname-based directory. If many of your contacts only have a first name saved, last-name sorting will group those entries together at one end of the list, since MIUI treats the empty last name field as blank.

If the list still looks unsorted after changing this setting, check individual entries for names typed into the wrong field. A first name entered into the last name field will keep throwing off the sort order even after the setting itself is correct.