How to change the contact photo on the Xiaomi phone: all the ways

Changing a photo of a contact on a Xiaomi smartphone seems like a simple task, but users often face nuances: for some reason, a new image is not saved, the avatar is reset after synchronization or there is no editing option at all. The thing is that the way you change your photo depends on the type of contact – it can be a record in Google Account, a local contact on your phone or a number with a phone. SIM-It's also an interface. MIUI It is regularly updated, and the paths to settings may vary depending on the shell version (e.g., in the MIUI 14 and MIUI 15 menus organized differently).

In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to change your contact avatar to Xiaomi, including solutions for cases where standard methods don’t work. You’ll learn how to add photos for contacts from different sources, why an image may disappear after a system update, and how to restore avatars after resetting. And if you use Dual Apps, we’ll show you how to synchronize contacts between the main and duplicate profiles so that photos are displayed correctly.

Preparation: Check the contact type and version of MIUI

Before you change a photo, it's important to determine which source the contact is linked to, and that depends on whether the avatar will survive after rebooting or synchronizing.

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a human silhouette).
2. Find the right contact and tap it.
3. At the top of the screen, the name will indicate the account to which the contact is linked (e.g. Google, Phone, or name). SIM-map).

Also check out MIUI: Settings → About Phone → MIUI. In MIUI 14 and later, the Contacts interface has been updated, some menu items have moved. If you have an older version (e.g. MIUI 12.5), the instructions below will still work, but the paths to settings may vary slightly.

⚠️ Note: If the contact is tied to SIM-You can't save the photo directly to the card, you have to transfer it to your phone or Google Account first. SIM-contact.

Method 1: Change your Google Contact Photos

If the contact is synced with a Google Account, its avatar will be displayed on all devices where you are logged in (for example, on a tablet or in Gmail on your computer).

1. Open the Contacts app (not to be confused with Phone!).
2. Find the right contact and tap it.
3. In the upper right corner, click on the pencil icon ("Edit"**).
4. Slip on the current photo (or the camera icon if it is not).
5. Select the source: 📷 Take a photo – take a picture right through the camera. 🖼️ Gallery – Select an existing image. 🎨 Avatar – create a stylized image (not available on all models).

"Save."

Changes sync with Google within minutes. If the photo is not updated on other devices, check your Internet connection or force your contacts to update in Settings → Accounts → Google → Sync.

Check your internet connection

Update the Contacts app on Google Play

Reboot the phone.

Remove the Contacts cache (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Contacts → Clear cache)

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Method 2: Replace the avatar for local contacts (save on the phone)

Local contacts are stored only in the phone's memory and are not synced to the cloud.

1. Open the “Contacts”** → find the desired entry.
2. Click on the editing icon (pencil).
3. Slip on the current photo (or on an empty mug with a camera).
4. Select “Gallery” and find the right image.
5. Cut the photo and save the changes.

⚠️ Attention: Local contacts may be lost when you reset your phone to factory settings. To avoid data loss, export them to a file. VCF: Contacts → ⋮ (menu) → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Export to file.

Method 3: Adding photos to contact with SIM-card

Contacts saved on SIM-They have limited editing capabilities, and in particular, you can't directly add a photo to that contact, you have to transfer it to your phone's memory or your Google Account first:

1. At the top of the screen, click on the account name (such as SIM 1) and select “Phone” or “Google”.

If you want to keep in touch with SIM-map, but still add a photo, use the workaround:

• 📇 Create a duplicate contact in your phone or Google memory by adding a photo.
• 🔗 Link two contacts (original with) SIM and duplicate: open the duplicate → ⋮ (menu) → Link up. → Choose the original.

On Google Account

In the memory of the phone

Nana SIM-map

In another cloud service (iCloud, Yandex, etc.)

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Solving the problem: why a photo of the contact is not saved or lost

Sometimes users find that the contact avatar doesn’t update or disappears after a reboot, and here are the main reasons and ways to fix them:

If the problem persists, try resetting the Contacts app settings**:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Contacts.
2. Click on Storage → Clear Data (Warning: This will delete all unsynchronized contacts!).

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If you change your contacts frequently, create a separate folder in the gallery (like Avatars) and store pre-cut square images there, which will save you time editing.

How to massively change your contact photos (for advanced users)

If you need to update avatars for dozens of contacts, it's not easy to do it manually. MIUI doesn't have a built-in mass editing feature, but you can use workarounds:

Method 1: Google Contacts on your computer

This is the fastest method for contacts synced with Google:

1. Open contacts.google.com on your computer and log in.
2. Select the contacts you want by ticking (or click Ctrl+A to select them all).
3. Click on the camera icon in the top panel and upload the photo.
4. Sync contacts on your phone: Settings → Accounts → Google → Sync.

Method 2: Through Contact Manager Applications

Google Play has third-party apps that allow you to massively edit contacts, such as:

Before using such applications, make a backup of contacts!

⚠️ Attention: Some mass editing apps require access to contacts and storage.Install them only from trusted sources (official Google Play) and read reviews.

How to Recover Contact Photos After Resetting Your Phone

If you reset Xiaomi to factory settings or lost data, you can restore contact avatars in several ways:

• 🔄 Sync with Google: If contacts were linked to a Google Account, photos will be automatically restored after logging in and syncing enabled.
• 📄 Import from backup: If you exported contacts to a.vcf file, import them back: Contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports → File-based import.
• 🖥️ Recovery through MI Cloud: If you have made a backup copy of the MI Cloud, restore data through Settings → The phone. → Backup and reset → Restore with MI Cloud.

If the photos are not restored, check:

• Internet connection (for sync with Google or MI Cloud)
• Account settings: Settings → Accounts → Google → Contact Sync (should be enabled).
• Duplicate contacts (they can block the correct display of avatars).

FAQ: Frequent questions about photos of contacts on Xiaomi

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If you often experience problems displaying photo contacts, try using Google Contacts as your primary storage source, which will ensure synchronization between devices and minimize the risk of avatar loss.