How to add a photo to a contact in the phone Xiaomi: 5 ways + problem solving

You want to make a call that's coming in and Xiaomi's screen displays a subscriber's photo instead of a boring icon? Adding photos to contacts makes the phonebook visually more convenient -- you know who's calling without even looking at the name. In MIUI (Redmi, POCO, Mi) you can do this in a number of ways: through the standard Contacts app, sync with Google Account, or even through hidden system features.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods for adding photos to contacts, including solutions for cases when the Add Photo button is inactive or the image does not appear when you call, and you will learn how to circumvent the MIUI limit on the size of the photo you download (maximum 5 MB) and why sometimes photos of contacts disappear after updating the system.

1. Method: through the standard "Contacts" application (fastest)

This is the basic method that works on all Xiaomi smartphones regardless of model – be it Redmi Note 12 or the other. POCO X5 Pro. Main condition: contact must be stored in the phone memory or in the Mi Account (not in the account). SIM-map!).

Instructions:

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette).
2. Find the right contact in the list and tap it.
3. At the top of the screen, click on the camera icon (or a plus circle if the photo isn’t already).
4. Select the source: 📸 Take a photo - immediately take a picture of the subscriber through the camera of the phone. 🖼️ Gallery – upload an existing image from the device’s memory. 🎨 Avatars – choose from standard icons MIUI (If you do not want to use a personal photo).

Ready.

Now, when you call in or SMS This user will display your chosen photo, and please note that if the contact is synced with Google, the changes can take up to 5 minutes.

Contact not saved on SIM-map|Photo weighs less 5 MB|Contact is not duplicated in the phone book|Synchronization with Mi enabled Account/Google (if necessary)

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If the “Add Photo” button is inactive, try to open a contact through the Phone app (Contacts tab) – sometimes there are additional options available.

2. Method: through Google Contacts (cloud sync)

If you use a Google Account to store contacts, the added photo will automatically show up on all devices that log in to that account (including tablets and computers), which is convenient if you change your smartphones often or want to save photos of contacts in the cloud.

How to add photos through Google Contacts:

1. Open your browser on your phone or computer and go to: contacts.google.com.
2. Sign in to your Google Account (the same as your phone).
3. Find the contact you need in the list and click on it.
4. Click on the camera icon in the upper right corner (near the name).
5. Download a photo from the device or make a new one through the webcam (on PC).
6. Save the changes.

In the memory of the phone|On Google Account|In Mi Account.|Nana SIM-map|Another option-->

Method: via the “Phone” application (alternative method)

In some versions of MIUI (such as the Xiaomi 13T or Redmi K60), the photo-add-on feature is available directly from the Phone app, which is handy if you don’t want to open a separate Contacts app.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the phone application (pipe icon).
2. Go to the Contacts tab (bottom of the screen).
3. Find the contact you want and hold your finger on it for 2 seconds (or tap once to open the card).
4. In the upper right corner, press three dots (⋮) → Edit.
5. Slip the photo icon (or the plus in the mug) and select the source of the image.
6. Save the changes.

This method is especially useful if you have duplicate contacts – in the “Phone” application it is easier to find the desired number among the repeated entries.

Method: through editing VCF-file (for advanced ones)

If you like to “dig” in the settings or want to massively add a photo to contacts (for example, when transferring from another phone), you can use the device. VCF-Files are the standard format for exporting/importing contacts, and this is a little bit more effort, but it gives you complete control over the data.

How to add a photo via VCF:

1. Export contacts from your phone: Open Contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Exports/imports → Export to file: Select contacts to export (or all) and save the.vcf file to your phone's memory.

.vcf

Notepad++

VS Code

BEGIN:VCARD

END:VCARD

PHOTO;ENCODING=BASE64;JPEG:[there will be a long string of encoded images]

To get this line, encode the photo through an online service (for example, base64-image.de).

Contacts → Imports

⚠️ Attention: When editing VCF-It is easy to make a manual error that will lead to data loss!

5. Method: via Truecaller (for unknown numbers)

If you want to add a photo to an unknown number (such as spam or business contact), you can use Truecaller, which automatically pulls up profile photos from your database and allows you to add your own.

How it works:

1. Install Truecaller from Google Play.
2. Register (a telephone number will be required).
3. When a call comes from an unknown number, Truecaller will show his profile (if the number is in the database).
4. To add a photo: Open the Truecaller app. Find a number in history or search. Tap a pencil icon. Add a photo through a gallery or camera.

⚠️ Note: Truecaller collects call data and may share it with other users.If you care about privacy, use this method only for business contacts or spam.

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Truecaller is good for adding photos to numbers that aren’t in your phone book, but remember: the app requires access to your call history and contacts.

Solving problems: Photos are not added or displayed

Xiaomi users sometimes find that a photo of the contact is not saved or shown when calling, and here are the most common reasons and ways to eliminate them:

Problem 1: Add a photo button is inactive

Possible causes and solutions:

• 📱 Contact saved on SIM-map → Transfer it to your phone memory or account Google/Mi.
• 🔒 Limitations MIUI work-profile → If the phone is used in a corporate environment, the administrator could disable the editing of contacts.
• 🗑️ Damaged cache of the Contacts app»** → Clear the cache through Settings → Annexes → Contacts → Memory. → Clear the cache.

Problem 2: Photos are displayed blurred or cropped

MIUI automatically crops the photos of the contacts into a circle and compresses them to avoid loss of quality.

• 🖼️ Use square photos with a resolution of at least 500×500 pixel.
• 🔍 Before being saved in the editor MIUI Increase the pruning area as much as possible so that the face occupies most of the circle.
• 📁 If the photo is still blurry, try uploading it via Google Contacts (there is less compression).

Problem 3: Photos missing after MIUI update

After major updates (e.g., from MIUI 13 to MIUI 14), photos of contacts are sometimes reset to restore them:

1. Check if sync with Google Account or Mi Account is enabled.
2. If the photos were saved locally, try importing a backup of contacts (if any).
3. Use data recovery applications such as Dr.Fone or EaseUS MobiSaver.

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If you often experience a photo loss after updates, set up automatic contacts export to Google Drive. To do this, select Settings → Export → Auto export.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photos of contacts in Xiaomi