How to put a photo on the contact Xiaomi Redmi Note: 5 working ways

You want to personalize your contacts on your Xiaomi Redmi Note phone, but you can’t figure out how to add a photo to your subscriber? This problem is familiar to many MIUI users — the standard interface sometimes hides obvious features behind illogical gestures or optional menus. In this article, we’ll look at all the possible ways to install an avatar, from the basic method through the Contacts app to bypassing restrictions through a Google account and third-party apps.

The Redmi Note (including the Note 8/9/10/11/12 and Pro) feature is the use of MIUI, which periodically updates the logic of working with contacts. For example, in MIUI 14 the algorithm differs from MIUI 12, and in some regional firmware, the photo editing function can be turned off altogether. We took into account all the nuances and prepared a universal guide that will work even if you do not have a button “Change photo” in the contact card.

Important: If you’re trying to put a photo for a contact that’s synced through Google or Mi Account, some methods may not work due to conflicting versions, and then alternative methods from the last sections of the article will come in handy.

1. Standard method: through the "Contacts" application

The most obvious method is to edit the contact card directly, which works on most Redmi Note models (including the Note 7/8 Pro/9T/10 Pro/11 Pro+), but may vary depending on the version of MIUI.

1. Open the Contacts app** (an icon with a person’s silhouette, usually on the home screen or in a Google folder).

2. Find the right contact in the list and tap it to open the card.

3. In the upper right corner, click on the Edit icon** (pencil or three dots → Change).

4.Tap the round camera icon next to the contact name (or the Add photo label).

5. Select the source:

“Photo” is activated by the front camera.

“Select from the Gallery”** – the File Explorer will open.

6. Cut the photo in a circle (if necessary) and save the changes.

Find a contact on the list|Open the subscriber card|Press “Edit»|Stick on the camera icon|Select the source of the photo-->

⚠️ Note: If the photo is not displayed in the calls or SMS, Check your sync settings. Go to Settings. → Accounts. → Google/Mi Account → Synchronize contacts and enable the option.

2. Google Contacts (if the photo is not saved in MIUI)

Sometimes photos added through the standard Xiaomi app will “fly” after a reboot or system update, due to a conflict between local contacts and cloud services.

1. Open your browser on your phone or PC and go to contacts.google.com.

2. log in to the same Google account that is linked to your Redmi Note.

3. Find the contact you need in the list and click on it.

4. Click on the camera icon in the upper left corner of the card (or the inscription Add a photo).

5. Download the image from the device or make a new one through the webcam.

6.Save the changes and wait for the synchronization (usually takes 1-5 minutes).

The photo will then appear in the Xiaomi phone book, unless the changes apply:

• 🔄 Check the Internet connection (synchronization only works with active Wi-Fi or mobile data).
• 📱 Reboot your smartphone – sometimes MIUI «Forgetting to update the contact cache.
• 🔧 In Google Account Settings, turn off and enable Contact Sync again.

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If a photo in Google Contacts is displayed but does not appear in Xiaomi, try removing the contact from your phone’s local memory and leaving only the cloud version. Open your contact card → “More” → “Delete from your device.”

3. Use of the Truecaller app (if there is no button "Change photo")

On some Redmi Note firmware (especially in regional versions for India or China), the photo editing function of the contact can be disabled, in which case the third-party Truecaller app will help, which not only adds avatars, but also automatically pulls up photos from social networks (if the contact is registered in VK, Facebook or Instagram).

Instructions:

1. Install Truecaller from Google Play.
2. Register (phone number required) and provide access to contacts.
3. Find the contact you need in the Truecaller list and tap it.
4. Click on the camera icon next to the name and select the source of the photo.
5. Save the changes – the photo is automatically synchronized with the system contacts.

⚠️ Attention: Truecaller collects your contacts to form a number database. If it is critical to you, use the alternative app Contacts.+»** (com.contapps.android which does not require registration.

Through the standard Contacts app | Through Google Contacts | Through Truecaller |In another way-->

4. Manual photo addition via file manager (for experienced users)

If none of the above methods worked, you can manually replace the photo of the contact through the system folders, which requires root rights or access to hidden directories through ADB, but it works even on custom firmware.

Instructions for users with root:

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Go to /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db
3. Copy the database to your computer and open it through SQLite Browser.
4. Find the table. raw_contacts and remember the id of the right contact.
5. In the data table, find the record with mimetype_id=15 (this photo) raw_contact_id.
6. Replace the value in the data15 field with the path to a new photo (e.g. /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Camera/photo.jpg).
7. Save the database and return it to the folder, replacing the original.

For users without root:

• 🖥️ Connect your phone to your PC through ADB And then you run the command: adb pull. /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db
• 📝 Edit the database as described above and return it back: adb push contacts2.db /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/
• 🔄 Reboot the phone.

5 Problems and Errors: Why the Photo Doesn't Save or Disappear

Even after successfully adding a photo to a contact, Redmi Note users face typical problems, and we've collected the most common cases and ways to solve them:

If none of the solutions worked, try resetting the Contacts app settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Contacts app** (or com.android.contacts).

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Before resetting the Contacts app, make sure all subscribers are synced to Google or Mi Account. Otherwise, they will be deleted from the device!

6. Alternative methods: widgets and third-party launchers

If you need to not just add a photo to the contact, but make it visually accessible on the home screen, consider the following options:

• 📱 Featured Contacts Widget: Long tap on the home screen → «Find the Contact Widget (or Direct Dial) and drag it to the screen and select the contact with the photo.
• 🎨 Avatar-enabled launchers: Install an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher or Action Launcher) that lets you display contact photos directly on Quick Call icons.
• 🔄 Social Media Sync: Apps like Sync.ME automatically pull photos from the site VK, Facebook or WhatsApp and link them to your contacts.