How to change photos on Xiaomi phone: 5 ways to do different things

Replacing photos on Xiaomi smartphones is a task that every user faces. Whether you want to update the contact avatar, change the wallpaper on the lock screen or edit photos in the gallery, the process may differ depending on the version. MIUI In this article, we will discuss all the relevant ways, from basic actions in the standard Gallery application to working with cloud services and third-party editors.

Features of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO — Deep integration with the ecosystem MIUI, It offers unique functions like AI-Retouches or Dynamic Wallpapers, however, even experienced users are sometimes lost when it comes to replacing photos in the system menus (for example, in Settings). → Wallpaper) or sync with Mi Cloud. We've put together proven instructions for all scenarios, from simply removing duplicates to transferring images from Google Photos.

Important: If you are working with models on MIUI 14+ (Post-2023, some menu paths may be different, we'll list alternatives, and in this article you'll find tips for optimizing photo storage to avoid the "Insufficient Memory" error when replacing wallpaper or importing new shots.

1. Replace photo in the Xiaomi gallery: editing and deleting

The standard Gallery app on Xiaomi allows you not only to view the images, but also to edit them, replace duplicates or move them to other albums.

To replace the photo with an edited version:

1. Open the gallery and select the desired photo.
2. Click Edit (the pencil icon at the bottom of the screen).
3. Apply filters, crop the image, or use tools AI-Retouches (available on models with MIUI 13+).
4. Click Save as a copy or Replace the original (depending on version) MIUI).

If you need to remove the old photo and replace it with a new one:

1. Hold your finger on an unnecessary picture to make the menu appear.
2. Choose Remove (or move to the Recycle Bin if you want to be able to recover).
3. Upload a new photo through the Camera or transfer it from the cloud (Mi Cloud, Google Photos).

• 🔍 Where do I look for deleted photos? → Basket (stored for 30 days).
• 📁 How do you make a new album? Click on it. + → New album in the upper right corner of the gallery.
• 🔄 Sync with Mi Cloud: Enable in Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery.

2 How to change a contact photo on Xiaomi

Replacing the contact avatar in the Xiaomi phone book may be required when updating the information about the interlocutor or if the old photo is of poor quality. The process differs depending on whether the contact is stored in local memory or synchronized with the user. Google/Mi Account.

Instructions for local contacts:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Find the right contact and click on it.
3. Slip on the current photo (or camera icon if there is no avatar).
4. Choose to take a photo (via camera) or select from the gallery.
5. Cut the photo from the template and save it.

For contacts synced with Google:

1. Open the contact and click Edit (pencil icon).
2. Slip it on the avatar. → Select the source (gallery or camera).
3. After replacement, wait for synchronization (cloud icon in the upper right corner).

⚠️ Note: If the contact is linked to Mi Account, the avatar changes may not appear in other applications (for example, WhatsApp or Telegram.

Make sure that contact is not duplicated

Check the synchronization source (Google/Mi Account/Locally)

Download a new photo to the gallery in advance

Disable photo optimization in MIUI (if you want high quality)-->

3. Replace wallpaper on the lock screen and the main screen

Changing wallpaper to Xiaomi is one of the most frequent operations, but not everyone knows that the company is a big fan. MIUI 14 new options, for example, Dynamic Wallpaper or Super Wallpaper (for models with a AMOLED-All the options are available:

Method 1: Through System Settings

1. Go to Settings → Wallpaper.
2. Select the Lock Screen or the Main Screen.
3. Scroll down to the My Wallpaper section and click Add.
4. Select a photo from the gallery or take a new photo.
5. Customize and save.

Method 2: Quick replacement through the gallery

1. Open the photo at the Gallery.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Set as.
3. Select Lock Screen Wallpaper, Home Screen Wallpaper, or Both Screens.

⚠️ Attention: On models with MIUI 14 and 120 Hz screens (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Pro) live wallpaper can increase battery consumption by 10-15%. To turn off animation, go to Settings → Display. → Screen refresh rate and select 60 Hz.

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If the wallpaper looks blurry, check the resolution of the original photo. HD+ screens (e.g. Redmi Note) 11) maximum — 1080×2400 pixel.

4. Transfer and replace photos via Mi Cloud and Google Photos

If you want to replace your photos on your Xiaomi phone by transferring them from another device or from the cloud, you have two main options: Mi Cloud (built-in solution from Xiaomi) and Google Photos. Let’s consider both methods with the nuances of synchronization.

Replacement via Mi Cloud:

1. Activate synchronization: Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery.
2. On another device (or via i.mi.com) upload new photos to the cloud.
3. On the phone, open the gallery. → Albums. → Mi Cloud and wait for new images to appear.
4. Remove old photos (if necessary) and use new ones.

Replacement via Google Photos:

1. Install the Google Photos app from the Play Market.
2. Turn on autoload: Open Google Photos → Profile → Settings → Backup and synchronization.
3. On another device, upload a photo to Google Photos.
4. On Xiaomi phone, open Google Photos, find the right pictures and save them to the local gallery (Save to the device).

• ☁️ Mi Cloud Advantage: Free 5GB, Deep Integration with the Internet MIUI (Automatically create albums by date).
• 📸 The advantage of Google Photos: unlimited storage in compressed quality, easy search by object.
• ⚠️ Limitation: When moving through the cloud, photos can be compressed. Use a cable for original quality. USB-C.

5. Replace photo via PC: step-by-step instructions

If you need to replace a large number of photos (for example, transfer the archive of pictures from the computer), it is more convenient to use the connection to the computer. USB or wireless protocols like FTP Or Mi Drop. Let's take a look at the most reliable way, through the cable.

Step 1: Connecting your phone to your PC

1. Connect your phone and computer with a cable USB-C (Micro-USB for older models).
2. On the phone, select the data transfer mode: in the notification curtain tap on the Charging option through USB → File transfer (MTP).
3. On PC, open This computer – the phone will appear as a removable drive (e.g. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10).

Step 2: Replace the photo

1. Go to the Internal Storage folder → DCIM → Camera (for camera photos) or Pictures (for uploaded images).
2. Delete old photos or move them to another folder (e.g. Old Photos).
3. Copy new photos from the PC in the desired directory.
4. Securely remove the device (Sign) USB tremble → Extract).

Alternative methods:

• 📲 Mi Drop: Wireless transfer via the Mi Drop app (available in Play Market).
• 🌐 FTP-server: Use applications like FX File Explorer to create locally FTP-server.
• ☁️ Cloud Services: Upload photos to Yandex Drive or Dropbox, then download them to your phone.

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When connecting through USB select mode MTP, not PTP — The last one is only for transferring photos and does not show all folders.

6. Optimization of photo storage on Xiaomi: how to free up space

Before replacing a photo, you should check whether there is enough space on the phone for new photos. MIUI It offers a few tools for cleaning, but they're not always effective:

Method 1: Removal of duplicates

1. Open the gallery. → Albums. → Duplicates (available on MIUI 12+).
2. Select unnecessary copies and click Delete.

Method 2: Cleaning the cache of the gallery

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Gallery.
2. Click Clear cache and Clear data (Warning: this will delete temporary files, but not the photos themselves).

Method 3: Transfer the photo to SD-Card (for models with MicroSD support):

1. Insert the memory card in the slot (on Redmi models) 9A, POCO M3 etc.).
2. Open Files → Categories → Images.
3. Select the photo → Move it → SD-map.

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi models with 128 GB of memory (for example, Xiaomi) 12T) The system can reserve up to 10 GB for updates. If the place ends, check the Settings section. → Memory. → Standby vault.

7. Problems with photo replacement and their solutions

When you're using a photo on Xiaomi, you often encounter errors like "Can't save a photo" or "Calleries don't respond." Here are the most common problems and ways to fix them:

Problem 1: Photos are not saved to the gallery

• 🔹 Check the permissions for the Camera or Gallery app in Settings → Annexes → Permits.
• 🔹 Clean the gallery cache (see Section 6).
• 🔹 Reboot your phone – sometimes helps with crashes MIUI.

Problem 2: Wallpaper doesn't change

• 🔹 Make sure the photo is in line with the screen resolution (e.g, 2400×1080 For the Redmi Note 11 Pro).
• 🔹 Try installing wallpaper through a third-party app (e.g. Wallpaper Craft).
• 🔹 Check if the energy saving mode is enabled (Settings) → Battery → Power saving mode, which can block wallpaper changes.

Problem 3: Photos in Mi Cloud are not updated

• 🔹 Check if the 5GB limit is exceeded (see i.mi.com).
• 🔹 Turn it off. VPN — It can block synchronization.
• 🔹 Update the Mi Cloud app in the Play Market.

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If the gallery is loading photos for a long time, try to disable the function AI-It analyzes images for automatic sorting, but can slow down on weak models (for example, Redmi). 8A).

FAQ: Frequent questions about replacing photos on Xiaomi