How to put an avatar on a call to Xiaomi: all the ways for MIUI 14/15

When an incoming call is on your Xiaomi screen, the first thing you notice is the subscriber's avatar. The standard initials icon looks boring, but the personalized photo makes the interface more convenient and helps you identify the caller faster. But not everyone knows how to properly install or change the contact avatar in MIUI, the branded shell of Redmi, POCO and Xiaomi smartphones.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to add photos to contacts, including synchronization with a Google account, manual installation through the Contacts app and even solving problems when the avatar does not appear on the call screen. MIUI 14 and MIUI 15, where the menu interface may differ from older firmware.

Why doesn’t Xiaomi display an avatar when calling?

Before you get to the setup, it's important to understand why a photo of the contact might not show.

• 📱 An outdated version MIUI: In the firmware older MIUI 12 display of avatars on the call screen worked unstable.
• 🔄 No synchronization: If the contact is only stored in the SIM-map or locally, the avatar may not be loaded.
• 🛠️ Phone app crashes: Cache or app data may be damaged.
• 🖼️ Incorrect format of photo: MIUI Supports only images in the JPEG, PNG or WEBP prior 720×720 pixel.

If you’ve tried to install an avatar but it doesn’t appear on the incoming call screen, first check if the contact is saved in your Google or Mi Account. Local contacts (those that are only stored on your phone) often don’t have this feature.

Method 1: Install an avatar through the “Contacts” application

The simplest and most versatile method is to add a photo directly to your contact card, which works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models, regardless of the MIUI version.

1. Open the Contacts app** (an icon with a human 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 round icon with initials).
4. Choose one of the options: 📸 Take a photo if you want to take a picture of someone right now. 🖼️ Select from the gallery - to upload the finished image. 🎨 Create an avatar – generation of a stylized image (available in the MIUI 14+).

"Save."

Once saved, the avatar should appear not only in the contact card, but also on the incoming call screen. If that does not happen, move on to the next section.

Method 2: Synchronize avatars through a Google account

If you use Google Contacts, avatars can be synced automatically, which is especially useful if you have multiple Android devices and you want your contact photos to show the same everywhere.

For this:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Synchronization.
2. Select your Google account.
3. Make sure the Contact Switch is on.
4. Open the web version of Google Contacts on your computer or phone.
5. Find the right contact, click on the camera icon and upload the photo.
6. Wait for synchronization (usually takes 1-5 minutes).

Important: If a contact is duplicated (both on Google and Mi-accounts), MIUI can prioritize the local version without an avatar, in which case delete the duplicate or combine the contacts.

Method 3: Using a Mi Account for Avatars

Xiaomi users often forget that the brand has its own cloud service, Mi Cloud. If you are logged in to a Mi Account, avatars can be synced through it. This is useful if you are not using Google services.

Instructions:

• 🔧 Go to Settings. → Mi Account. → Mi Cloud.
• Turn on the synchronization of "Contacts"**.
• Open the Contacts app** → Choose a Contact → Click on the camera icon.
• Upload the photo (it will automatically be saved to the Mi Cloud).

The advantage of this method is that the avatars will be available even after resetting the phone to the factory settings - it will be enough to log back into the Mi-account.

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If the avatar doesn’t sync, try manually updating the data: open Contacts → More (three dots) → Update.

What if the avatar doesn’t appear on the call screen?

Sometimes the photo is successfully installed in the contact card, but not shown when the call is in.

If none of the methods helped, try resetting the settings of the phone application:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Phone → Storage → Resetting settings

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On Xiaomi models with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi) 13/14) Avatars on calls can be displayed in black and white mode - this is a feature of energy saving, not a failure.

How to install an avatar for unknown numbers?

MIUI allows you to assign photos even to numbers that are not saved in contacts, which is convenient if you often get calls from the same unknown number (for example, a delivery service or a colleague).

For this:

1. After a missed call, open a call log.
2. Slip on an unknown number → “Create contact” or “Add to an existing one”.

Now, the next call from this number will display your avatar, and if the number is temporary (for example, a one-time one), it is better not to save it to the main contacts, but to use the Blacklist function to block.

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To quickly add a photo to an unknown number, take a screenshot of the call screen (Loud down + Power buttons), then cut it and use it as an avatar.

Additional settings for displaying avatars in MIUI

Recent versions of MIUI have expanded options for personalizing the call screen, such as:

• 🎨 Change the shape of the avatar: circle, square or rounded rectangle (c Settings) → Lock screen → Avatar style).
• 🌈 Add a coloured background: in MIUI 15 avatars on calls can be displayed with a gradient substrate.
• 🔍 Increase the size of the photo: in the themes of design there are scaling options.

Also in the phone settings (Socials and vibration → Incoming call screen) you can enable the display of additional information next to the avatar, for example, the last message from the chat.

⚠️ Note: On some models POCO (for example, POCO X5 Pro) displaying avatars on calls can be disabled by default to optimize performance. To enable it, go to Settings → Additionally. → Optimization of the system → Disable optimization for the “Phone” application».

FAQ: Frequent questions about avatars on Xiaomi