How to put your picture on the phone Xiaomi: 5 working ways

You want to personalize your address book on your Xiaomi, but you don't know how to add a photo to your contact? This simple setup makes calls easier -- you can see who's calling without even looking at the name. There are several ways to assign an avatar to MIUI, and we'll take a look at everything from standard methods to workarounds for older firmware.

In this article you will find:

• 📱 Step-by-step instructions for MIUI 14 Android 13/14 (Relevant to the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13T etc.)
• 🔍 How to Contact a Photo When the Option is Inactive (a Common Problem)
• 🖼️ Where to get quality avatars and how to trim them to size
• ⚙️ Configure the display of photos in calls and messages

Important: the procedure may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI and the phone model. If your Xiaomi runs on a "pure" Android One (such as the Mi A3), use the method for standard Android.

1. Standard method: through the "Contacts" application

The easiest method is to edit the contact directly in the standard Contacts app (aka People in some firmware).

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette on the home screen or in the app menu).
2. Find the contact you want in the list and click on it to open the card.
3. Slip on the pencil icon (✏️) In the upper right corner is the edit button.
4. Touch the round camera icon (📷) near-name.
5. Select the source of the photo: 📸 Take a picture – immediately take a picture of a person through the camera of the phone. 🖼️ Gallery – select an existing photo from the device’s memory. 🎨 Avatar – Use a standard icon from the collection MIUI.

Ready.

Save.

Note: If the edit button (✏️) Inactive, so the contact is synced to your Google or Mi Account account. To unlock editing, turn off sync for that contact in your account settings.

The contact is stored in the phone book (not only in the phone book). SIM-map)

Photo is in the phone gallery (not in the cloud)

The Contacts app has access to storage (check in Settings → Permissions)

Synchronization with Google/Mi Account disabled (if you need to edit a synchronized contact)-->

2. How to put a photo on the phone (during a call)

You can assign an avatar right during an incoming or outgoing call, which is useful if you often call the same person and want to quickly add a photo of them:

1. Start or receive a call from the contact you want to set the photo for.
2. When calling, click on the Contact button (usually at the bottom of the screen).
3. Contact card will open – tap on the camera icon (📷) near-name.
4. Select the source of the photo (as in the previous method) and crop it.
5. Save the changes. The photo will appear as soon as the call is complete.

This method does not work on all versions of MIUI. If there is no Contact button during the call, use the standard method through the Contacts app.

3. Add a photo via Google Contacts (for synchronized contacts)

If your contacts are synced with your Google account, you can change their avatars through the web version of Google Contacts, which is convenient if you use multiple devices (for example, Xiaomi and Android tablet):

1. Open your browser on your phone or computer and go to contacts.google.com.
2. Sign in with the same Google account that is linked to your Xiaomi.
3. Find the contact you need in the list and click on it.
4. Click on the camera icon (📷) at the top left corner of the contact card.
5. Download a photo from the device or make a new one through the webcam (on PC).
6. Cut the image and save the changes.

Then sync your contacts to Xiaomi:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Turn on the Contact Slider (if it is turned off).
3. Wait until the synchronization is complete (usually takes 1-2 minutes).

Important: if the contact is duplicated (you can find it in Google and in your phone’s memory), the photo may not show up. In this case, combine the duplicates in the Contacts app (click on the contact). → ⋮ → "Unite").

4.Use of third-party apps for avatars

If the standard methods don’t work (for example, on older Redmi 4X or Mi A1) models, you can use third-party applications.

To post a photo via Truecaller:

1. Install and open the application, allow access to contacts.
2. Find the right contact in the list and tap on it.
3. Click Edit → Change the photo.
4. Select the source (gallery, camera or search in social networks).
5. Save the changes – the photo is automatically updated in the standard Contacts app.

If none of the methods helped, try resetting the settings of the Contacts app:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Contacts → Storage.
2. Click Reset Settings (not to be confused with Clear Data – this will delete all contacts!).
3. Reboot your phone and try again.

💡

If you change contacts avatars frequently, create a separate folder in the gallery (like "Avatars") and save cropped round photos in advance, so you don't have to cut them by hand each time.

6. Optimal sizes and formats of photos for contacts

To ensure that the avatar is clearly displayed and not stretched, use images with the right parameters:

• 📏 Size: minimum permit — 200×200 pixels, optimal — 512×512 pixel.
• 🔄 Format: JPEG or PNG (transparently). MIUI automatically compresses the photo to 96×96 pixels to save space, but it is better to load the source in high quality.
• 🎨 Background: for better visibility, choose contrasting photos (for example, a portrait on a light background). Avoid complex patterns - they will be indistinct in miniature.
• 🔍 Pruning: MIUI It always crops the photo in a circle, so if you want to save important details (like your face), place them in the center.

To quickly prepare the photo:

1. Open it in the standard Gallery app.
2. Click Edit → Pruning.
3. Select the 1:1 format (square) and trim along the border of the face.
4. Save it as a new copy (so you don't lose the original).

For mass editing, use applications like PhotoGrid or PicsArt – they allow you to quickly crop several photos squared and even add frames.

- Call history (magazine)

Messages (SMS and Mi Messages)

- Lock screen (if enabled in settings)

- Quick notifications of missed calls-->

7.Setting up the display of photos in calls

By default, MIUI shows contact avatars during calls, but you can customize their display to your preferences:

1. Open the phone application (pipe icon).
2. Tap on three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Settings.
3. Go to the Incoming Calls section.
4. Turn on or off options: Show contact photos — displaying an avatar on the incoming call screen. Full screen — photo will occupy the entire screen (does not work on all models); The color of the call theme — you can choose the background color for the avatar (for example, dark for better visibility).

If you want a photo of the contact to appear on the lock screen:

1. Go to Settings → Lock screen.
2. Select Notifications.
3. Turn on the option to show notifications about calls.
4. Activate Showing Contact Information.

Check each item and restart the phone.