How to add a photo to the contact in Xiaomi Redmi 8 Pro: 5 proven ways

Adding a photo to a contact in Xiaomi Redmi 8 Pro is a simple but useful feature that helps you quickly identify subscribers in the call or message list. However, many users face difficulties: menus do not open, photos are not saved, sync with Google does not work correctly. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to install an avatar, including standard MIUI tools and workarounds for complex cases.

The Redmi 8 Pro (codenamed begonia) features a customized MIUI shell that may differ from pure Android. For example, there are duplicate contact apps (Google Phone and Contacts), which sometimes causes confusion. We will explain in detail which one is better to edit photos so that changes can apply to all Xiaomi services, from calls to SMS.

Important: If you've previously moved contacts from another phone or restored them from a backup, some avatars may have "flyed off." At the end of the article, there's a section on how to recover photos of contacts after resetting or updating MIUI.

1. Standard method: through the "Contacts" appendix

The most obvious method is to use the built-in Contacts app (an icon with a human silhouette on a green background), which works on all versions of MIUI for the Redmi 8 Pro, including the latest updates from 2026.

1. Open the Contacts app (if it is not on the desktop, search through the swipe search down).
2. Find the contact you need in the list and tap it to open the card.
3. In the upper right corner, click on the icon. ⋮ (three-point) → select Edit.
4. Slip on the round camera icon next to the contact name.
5. Select the source of the photo: 📷 Take a picture - immediately opens the camera of the phone (48 MP resolution on the main module of Redmi 8 Pro will make a high-quality avatar). 🖼️ Gallery - a choice of existing photos (we recommend cutting the image to square in advance in any editor). 🎨 Avatar - a proposal to generate a stylized image from the first letters of the name (available in the form of a new image). MIUI 12+).

Cut the photo in a circle (the interface allows you to zoom and move the image).

Ready.

Save.

⚠️ Note: If the photo is not displayed in the contact list or when an incoming call is saved, check your sync settings. → Accounts. → Google → Contact sync and enable option. Sometimes forced updates are required: swipe down the contact list to update the data.

Photo has a resolution of at least 300×300 pixels

The contact is saved in the phone book, not on the phone. SIM-map

Google sync enabled (if necessary)

Contacts app updated to the latest version in Play Market

-->

2. Through Google Contacts: Sync with your account

If you use Google Contacts as your primary storage (recommended for backup), adding a photo via a web version or mobile app ensures it shows up on all devices, including Redmi 8 Pro. This method is especially useful if you change phones frequently or reset settings.

Instructions for Google Contacts mobile app (set separately from Play Market if removed):

• 📱 Open the Google Contacts app (an icon with a colorful mug on a white background).
• 🔍 Find a contact through search or scroll through the list.
• 🖊️ Put it on the line. → Click Change (pencil in upper right corner).
• 📸 Click on the camera icon next to the name → Select the source of the photo (as in the standard method).
• ✅ Save the changes. Photo syncs with Google servers within 1-2 minutes.

For the web version:

1. Go to contacts.google.com and log in.
2. Select contact → click on the camera icon in the card.
3. Upload the photo from your computer (maximum size – 25 MB, recommended format – JPEG or PNG).

⚠️ Note: If you add a photo via Google, it doesn’t appear in the standard Contacts app on Redmi 8 Pro, check if the sync for that account is disabled. → Accounts. → Google → [your email] → Sync contacts and enable it. Also make sure that the Contacts app settings select All Contacts, not just Phone Contacts.

In the standard annex “Contacts”

Through Google Contacts (mobile application)

At contacts.google.com

In another annex (specify in the comments)

-->

Use of the "Phone" application (calls)

In MIUI, the Phone app duplicates some of the Contacts features, but with a focus on call history, and you can edit avatars here, and the interface is a little different, which is convenient if you make frequent calls and want to quickly assign a photo to your contact directly from the log.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Go to the Contacts tab (bottom of the screen).
3. Find the right contact and tap it.
4. In the card that opens, click on the camera icon next to the name (if it is not, tap on the photo dummy itself).
5. Select the source: Camera, Gallery or Delete photo (if you need to reset).
6. Cut the image and save it.

🔹 Feature: If the contact is saved SIM-You can't edit a photo of it through the Phone app - you need to first transfer it to the device's memory or to a Google account. → Edit → More. Three dots) → Export to the device.

4 Third-party applications: Truecaller and other

If you don't like the built-in MIUI tools, you can use third-party apps, the most popular one is Truecaller, which not only adds photos to contacts, but also automatically pulls avatars from its database (for example, for business numbers or social networks).

• 🔍 Truecaller scans your phone book and uploads data to its servers (privacy issues).
• 📥 Photos added via Truecaller may not appear in standard apps MIUI.
• 🔄 For synchronization requires a constant connection to the Internet.

How to add a photo via Truecaller:

1. Install the app from the Play Market and register (phone number confirmation will be required).
2. Allow access to contacts and calls (required!).
3. Find a contact in Truecaller → tap on it → Edit.
4. Click on the camera icon → select the source of the photo.
5. Save the changes. The photo will only be visible in Truecaller, but when you call it in, it can also be pulled up into the standard MIUI interface (depending on the firmware version).

⚠️ Note: If you delete Truecaller, all photos added through it will disappear from the system. To avoid this, export the contacts from the photo to Google account: Settings Truecaller → Exports → Google Contacts.

5. Problem Solving: Photo is not saved or displayed

If after all the manipulations, the photo contact does not appear or disappears after the reboot, check the following points:

🔧 Technical reasons

• 📵 Contact saved on SIM-Map: transfer it to your phone or Google account.
• 🔄 Sync Disabled: Check your Google account settings (see Section 2).
• 🗑️ Damaged cache: Clear the Contacts and Contact Warehouse app cache in the settings.
• 📱 An outdated version MIUI: Update the firmware through Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.

🖼️ Problems with the photo itself

• The file format is not supported (use JPEG or PNG).
• The resolution is too large (optimally 500×500 pixels).
• Photo saved in the cloud (Google Photos, Yandex.Disk) without a local copy.

Critical information for Redmi 8 Pro: If your contact photos are missing after upgrading MIUI to version 12.5+, it is due to a change in the data storage structure, and you can only restore them through a backup of Google Contacts or manually re-add.

-->

6.Alternative methods: through file manager and ADB

For advanced users who want to massively edit photos of contacts or restore them after resetting, there are two non-obvious ways:

📁 File Manager (for local contacts)

Photos of contacts stored in the phone’s memory (not in Google!) are stored in the folder:

/data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/files/photos/

To edit them:

1. Install a file manager with access to root folders (such as FX Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Provide root access (if the phone is not rooted, this method will not work).
3. Go down the specified path and find files with the extension.jpg (names are numerical ID contacts).
4. Replace your files with your images, keeping your original names in mind.
5. Reboot the phone.

💻 Through ADB (power-user)

If you have experience with ADB, you can massively update your contact photos through the team:

adb shell content insert --uri content://com.android.contacts/raw_contacts --bind entity:1 --bind mimetype:vnd.android.cursor.item/photo --bind data15:"/path/to/photo.jpg"

Where entity:1 — ID Contact (you can find out through adb shell content query) --uri content://com.android.contacts/raw_contacts).

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB or editing system folders without root can cause data loss or phone malfunctions:

adb backup -f contacts.ab -apk com.android.contacts

7. How to recover contact photos after resetting or updating

If you reset the Redmi 8 Pro to factory settings or upgraded MIUI, photos of contacts could disappear.

• 🔄 Sync with Google: If you previously enabled sync, the photos will return automatically after you log in. → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization of contacts.
• 📥 Import from backup: if you did backup through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset, recover data from there.
• 💾 Recovery from VCF-File: If you have an exported contact file (.vcf), import it through Contacts → Settings → Imports/Exports → File-based import.
• 📧 Export from old phone: If the photo was on your previous device, export the contacts from the photo via Google Contacts or send yourself a photo. VCF-email.

🔹 Tip: To avoid losing photos in the future, set up automatic sync with Google and periodically export contacts to the file:

1. Open Contacts → Settings → Export / Import.
2. Select Export to file and save VCF to Google Drive or to your phone’s memory.

-->

FAQ: Frequent questions about contact photos in Redmi 8 Pro