How to attach a photo to a contact on Xiaomi Redmi 8 Pro: 5 proven ways

Adding a photo to a contact on Xiaomi Redmi 8 Pro seems to be an easy task, but many users face nuances: the photo is not saved after synchronization, then the resolution is lost, then disappears altogether after the MIUI update. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to attach an avatar to a contact - from standard MIUI tools to bypassing restrictions through Google Account.

The Redmi 8 Pro (codename begonia) is based on MIUI 11/12 with a shell over Android 9/10, where the logic of storing contacts is different from that of “pure” Android. For example, if you add a photo through the standard Contacts app, it may not show up on WhatsApp or Telegram because of the difference in data sources.

1. Method: through the standard application "Contacts" MIUI

The most obvious method is to use the built-in Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette on a green background), which is suitable for local contacts that are not synced with Google or other services.

Open the app and find the contact you want, click on it, then tap the camera icon in the upper right corner (or on the gray circle with initials if you don't have a photo already).

• 📷 Take a photo – directly from the camera of the phone (resolution will be automatically optimized for the avatar).
• 🖼️ Select from the gallery - any image from the device memory (recommended size - from the device's 300×300 px).
• 🎨 Delete the photo if the avatar is already there, but you want to reset it.

Once you select a photo, you can crop it (the tool will appear automatically) and save it. Importantly, if the contact is synced with Google, the modified photo may not appear in other apps (e.g., Gmail) until the next sync is done, which is a feature of MIUI.

The correct contact (not a double) is selected

The photo has a square format (optimum 1:1)

Contact is not linked to multiple accounts (Google + MI)

Image resolution not lower 300×300 px-->

2. Method: via Google Contacts (for synchronized records)

If your contact is linked to a Google account, it is best to edit it through the web version of Google Contacts, which ensures that the photo will appear in all Google services (Gmail, Hangouts, Google Meet) and most instant messengers.

Instructions:

1. Open contacts.google.com in your browser (preferably on PC, but the mobile version will also work).
2. Find the right contact and click on it.
3. Click on the camera icon in the upper right corner (near the name).
4. Download a photo from the device or make a new one through the webcam.
5. Save the changes – sync with the phone will take up to 5 minutes.

On Redmi 8 Pro, the photo may not appear immediately in the Contact app after this.

1. Open Settings → Accounts → Google.
2. Tap on your account and enable Contact Sync (if it is disabled).
3. Manually update the data by pulling the screen down in the contact list.

💡

If the photo is not synced, try removing the cache of the Contacts app in Settings → Applications → Application Management → Contacts → Memory → Clear the cache.

Method: via the "Phone" application (calls)

In MIUI, the Phone app (for calls) duplicates some of the Contacts features, including editing avatars, which is useful if you make frequent calls and want to quickly add a photo directly from the magazine.

How to do this:

• 📞 Open the phone application (pipe icon).
• 🔍 Find contact through search or in the latest call list.
• 📝 Click on the contact name to open his card.
• 🖼️ Slip on the camera icon next to the name (or on a gray circle with a letter).
• 📱 Select the source of the photo (camera or gallery) and save it.

Please note: if the contact is duplicated (for example, there is both in the phone and in the phone). SIM-The photo can only be saved in one of the records. To avoid confusion, combine the duplicates:

1. Open Contacts. → ⋮ (menu) → Contact management → Connecting contacts.
2. Select duplicate records and confirm the association.

In the annex Contacts

Through Google Contacts on PC

Right on the bell.

In messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram)

Don't add a photo.-->

4. Method: through messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber)

Many users don’t know that a contact photo added to the messenger can automatically pull up to the phone book — but only under certain conditions. For example, WhatsApp syncs avatars with Android contacts if:

• 🔄 WhatsApp Settings Enables Show Contacts (⋮ → Settings → Account. → Confidentiality → Contacts).
• 📱 Contact saved in the phone book with the same number as WhatsApp.
• 🔄 In the settings MIUI Allowed synchronization with messengers (Settings) → Annexes → Special rights → Auto-Start for WhatsApp).

To manually update the photo from the messenger in the phone book:

1. Open the chat with the contact on WhatsApp/Telegram.
2. Put it on his avatar at the top of the screen.
3. On WhatsApp, click ⋮ → Update (if the photo has changed).
4. Return to Contacts on your phone and pull the screen down for an update.

5. Method: through the file manager (for experienced users)

This method is suitable if you want to massively add photos to your contacts or recover avatars after a phone reset, it requires access to system folders and is suitable for users familiar with ADB or Root.

Photos of MIUI contacts are stored along the way:

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

Each image has a unique name (e.g., a unique name, contact_photo_12345.jpg), related ID The contact in the database, to manually replace the photo:

1. With ADB or a root-access file manager (such as Root Explorer), copy the desired photo to the image folder.
2. Rename the file according to the format (the contact ID can be found through the Contact Editor application from the Play Market).
3. Restart your phone or clear the Contacts app cache.

💡

For most users, the best option is to use Google Contacts, which ensures that photos are synchronized between devices and messengers, and also protects data from loss when resetting the phone.

Solving common problems

Even after the successful addition of photos, Redmi 8 Pro users face typical errors.

⚠️ Note: If after adding a photo to Contacts it disappears after rebooting, check if the option of Cache Cleanup when turned off in Settings is enabled → Battery and productivity → Power management. Turn it off for the Contact app.

Problem 1: Photos are not displayed on WhatsApp/Telegram.

• 🔄 Make sure that the contact is saved in the same format as in the messenger (for example, with the country code: +7 XXX XXX XX XX).
• 📱 Check the messenger’s access rights to contacts (Settings) → Annexes → WhatsApp → Rights).
• 🔄 Manually update the contact in the messenger (in WhatsApp: open chat) → tap on → Update).

Problem 2: Low resolution or stretched photos.

• 🖼️ Use the original photo with a resolution of at least 500×500 px.
• 📏 In the editorial trimming MIUI Choose the area 1:1 (square).
• 🔄 If the photo has already been added, delete it and upload it again with the correct resolution.

⚠️ Attention: Redmi 8 Pro with MIUI 12+ There is a bug: if the contact is linked to multiple accounts (e.g. Google) + SIM), The solution is to combine duplicate contacts or leave only one source (Google recommends).

FAQ: Frequent questions about contact photos on Redmi 8 Pro