You want your Xiaomi screen to show a beautiful picture, not a tiny photo, on the screen when you call in? It's possible -- but not as obvious as it seems. By default, MIUI cuts the contact avatars down to thumbnails, but with hidden settings and small tricks, you can stretch the image to the entire screen. In this article, we'll look at everything from standard tools to workarounds for different versions of firmware.
The problem is that the manufacturer doesn't advertise this feature. There's no direct "stretch full-screen" option on the phone menu, it needs to be activated indirectly. We've tested the methods on the Redmi Note 11, POCO X5 and Xiaomi 13 with MIUI 13/14, so the instruction is relevant for most modern models. If you have an older version of the firmware, some points may differ, we'll talk about that too.
Why Xiaomi doesn’t show full-screen photos by default?
It's about optimizing the interface. MIUI was originally designed to display as much information as possible when an incoming call is made: contact name, response/deflection buttons, additional options (like recording a conversation), a full-screen photo could hide these elements, so the developers limited the size of the avatar.
And then there are technical limitations: the resolution of the screen and the proportions of the photo are often not the same. If you just stretch the image 1:1 on the display 20:9, it will either distort or cut at the edges. So Xiaomi uses a cropping algorithm that keeps the person's face in the center, but sacrifices the background.
But users have found workarounds, one of which is using a special image format with empty margins around the edges that MIUI automatically trims, leaving only the center part, and the other is changing system settings through the developer.
Method 1: Proper preparation of the photo (without root)
The most reliable method that works on all versions of MIUI is to pre-prepared the photo so that the system itself crops it correctly. You do not need root rights or complex manipulations, only any graphic editor (even a standard Google Photos will do).
The secret is to create an image with a central area of interest (like a face) and wide margins around the edges, so when Xiaomi cuts it to a circle or a square, those fields disappear, and most importantly stay in the center.
- 📏 Permission: minimum 1080×1920 pixels (for Full pixels) HD-Better, more, for example, 1440×2560 for AMOLED-display.
- 🎨 Format: PNG (free of loss of quality; or JPEG top-quality.
- 👤 Composition: the face or main object should be strictly in the center, and at the edges - a monochromatic background or blurred details.
- 🔄 Orientation: vertical (portrait), as the smartphone screen is usually used in this mode.
Example: if you want to have only a face on the screen, take a picture where the head occupies the central 60% of the frame and the sides are empty space, and when the system trims the image to a circle, that 60% will remain intact.
Take a picture in vertical orientation
Place the main object strictly in the center
Add wide margins around the edges (minimum 20% of width)
Save in PNG format with a resolution of 1080×1920 or higher
Cut off unnecessary details in the editor before downloading
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Method 2: Change the call settings in MIUI
Some firmware versions (starting with MIUI 12.5) have a hidden option to increase the image area that you see, which doesn’t make the image really full-screen, but it does make it much larger than the standard view.
Instructions:
- Open the Contacts app.
- Select the contact you want and click Edit (pencil icon).
- Touch the current avatar and select Change Photos → Gallery.
- Select a pre-prepared image (see Method 1).
- At the pruning stage, don't touch the frame - just press Ready.
- Return to the main contact menu, click ⋮ → Settings → Contact display.
- Activate the option Big Photos (or Enlarged Avatars depending on version).
After that, when you call in, you'll take up to 70 percent of the screen instead of the standard 30 percent, and it doesn't stretch to the edges of the display, but it's much better visually.
What if the "Big Photos" option is not available?
Method 3: Edit system parameters via ADB (for advanced)
This method requires connecting your smartphone to your computer and using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which is suitable for those who are willing to dig a little deeper into the settings. Warning: incorrect commands can disrupt the system, so follow the instructions carefully.
Steps:
- Turn on Developer Mode on your phone: go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and press 7 times on this item.
- Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate Debugging over USB.
- Connect your phone to your PC, install Xiaomi drivers, and download ADB Tools.
- Open the command line in the adb.exe folder and type: adb devices Make sure your phone appears in the list.
- Adb shell settings put global settings incoming_call_photo_scale 1.5 This will increase the scale of the photo when the incoming call in 1.5 once.
- To apply the changes, restart your phone: adb reboot
If the effect is too strong or the photo is cut curved, return the standard value with the command:
adb shell settings put global incoming_call_photo_scale 1.0⚠️ Note: On some models (POCO F3, Redmi K40) This parameter may be reset after the update. MIUI. It also doesn’t work on devices with MIUI for Russia (more on this below).
Features for MIUI Russia and global firmware
Xiaomi users in Russia often find that some of the features available in the global version of MIUI are not in localized firmware, as well as the display of photo contacts.
| Parameter | MIUI Global | MIUI Russia |
|---|---|---|
| The "Big Photos" option | ✅ Available. | ❌ Absent. |
| Support ADB-scale-up | ✅ It's working. | ⚠️ Partially (requires superuser rights) |
| Automatic cropping photo | ✅ Flexible algorithms | ❌ Hard trimming down the middle |
| Permission of downloadable avatars | Do 2048×2048 | Limited to 1024×1024 |
If you have MIUI Russia, the most reliable way is to use third-party calling apps (like Truecaller or Google Phone) that ignore the system’s limitations, allowing you to customize the display of photo contacts regardless of the firmware.
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Before installing a third-party call app, back up your contacts via Settings → Google → Backup. Some programs (like Truecaller) may conflict with Xiaomi’s system contacts.
Frequent problems and their solutions
Even after all the manipulations, the image on the screen may not be displayed correctly. Let's look at typical situations and how to correct them:
- 🔍 Photo clipped curve (center shifted): Problem with pruning algorithm MIUI, If your avatar is not a portrait, but a landscape or a logo, the system may misidentify the center. Solution: manually trim the photo to a 1:1 square before uploading.
- 📵 Photos not displayed at all: Check if the contact is saved in your Google Account, not just your phone’s memory. MIUI Sometimes ignores local contacts when incoming calls. Move the contact to your Google account through Contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports.
- 🔄 After updating MIUI The problem is that it is a typical problem for POCO And Redmi. Solution: Reapply. ADB-command (see Method 3) or use the Mi Drop app to back up your settings before upgrading.
⚠️ Note: If you are using a dark topic in the MIUI, Some contact photos may appear too dark due to the overlay of a translucent overlay. To avoid this, increase the brightness of the original image on the surface of the image. 20-30% graphical.
Alternative solutions: third-party applications
If none of these methods worked, there is an option to install an alternative calling app.
- 📞 Google Phone: Google's official app with flexible contact display settings, allows you to stretch your photos to the full screen, but requires a default setting in Settings → Annexes → By default. → Phone.
- 🔍 Truecaller: Popular app with spam database, has built-in avatar editor where you can manually customize cropping.
- 🎨 Contacts+: Advanced contact manager with support for themes and customization of call screens, allows you to upload photos in high resolution and customize their display.
Before installing, check the app’s compatibility with your Xiaomi model. Some programs (such as Samsung Contacts) may not work correctly on MIUI devices due to conflicts with system services.
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Third-party calling apps are the most reliable way to get a full-screen photo of a contact, but they can conflict with Xiaomi’s system features, such as recording conversations or spam filtering.