How to put a photo on the phone Xiaomi: all the ways

Personal photos on contacts are not just a decoration, but a convenient way to quickly identify a subscriber. On Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi, POCO and Mi), this feature is implemented flexibly, but it is not always obvious where to look, especially if you switch from an iPhone or another Android device where the logic of working with contacts is different.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can add photos to your Xiaomi contacts, from standard MIUI tools to Google Contacts and third-party apps, why photos sometimes don’t show up in calls, how to sync them between devices, and what to do if the system doesn’t save the changes, and hidden chips that aren’t written about in the official instructions.

If you use Xiaomi on MIUI 14/15 or later, some of the features may have moved to other menu sections, and we have taken these changes into account and adapted the instructions to the current versions of the software. For owners of older models (for example, Redmi Note 8 Pro or Mi 9T), we will give alternative paths – they also work, but may require additional steps.

Method 1: Add a photo through the standard “Contacts” app

The most direct method is to use the built-in Contacts app (aka Contacts or Mi Contacts depending on the regional firmware), which works on all Xiaomi smartphones, but there are nuances with synchronization, which we will discuss below.

To attach a photo:

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette on a green or blue background).
2. Find the contact you want in the list or search at the top of the screen.
3. Slip on the contact to open his card.
4. Click on the camera icon (or plus in the mug) next to the current avatar (if not, in the upper left corner).
5. Select the source of the photo: 📷 Take a picture – activates the camera for a new photo. 🖼️ Gallery – allows you to select an existing image. 🎨 Emoji - in some versions MIUI You can use emoji instead of a photo.

Cut the photo in a circle (if required) and save the changes.

⚠️ Note: If the contact is synced with a Google Account, the changes may not be saved due to a conflict of rights.In this case, use Method 2 (via Google Contacts).

Once saved, the photo will appear in the contact card, and will also be displayed when incoming calls and messages (if the appropriate setting is enabled). However, MIUI 14+ has a bug: sometimes avatars disappear after the system update, the solution is to reupload the photo or clear the cache of the Contacts application.

Contact is not duplicated in the phone book

Photo has a resolution of at least 300×300 pixels

Sync with Mi Cloud or Google (if necessary)

The "Contact" app is updated to the latest version-->

Method 2: Change photos through Google Contacts

If you use Google Contacts as your primary phonebook source, photos are better edited via the web version or Google Contacts app, which ensures that the avatar will be displayed on all devices connected to your account.

Instructions for the web version:

1. Open your browser and go to contacts.google.com.
2. Sign in with the same account as on your phone.
3. Find the contact you need in the list and click on it.
4. Click on the camera icon in the top left corner of the contact card.
5. Download a photo from your computer or select from Google Photos.
6. Save the changes – sync with the phone will happen automatically (can take up to 5 minutes).

For the Google Contacts mobile app:

1. Install the app from Google Play if you don’t have one.
2. Open the contact and tap the camera icon.
3. Select the source of the photo (gallery or camera).
4. Cut the image and save it.

⚠️ Note: If Xiaomi phone is enabled, show contacts only with SIM-Maps (in the Contacts app settings), photos from Google will not show!

The advantage of this is cross-platform, and you can see it not only on Xiaomi, but also on an iPhone, tablet or other Android device with the same Google account.

In the standard annex Contacts

Through Google Contacts

In messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram)

Don't add a photo.-->

Method 3: Using the Truecaller app for avatars

Truecaller is a popular call identification app that automatically uploads photos of subscribers from its database, and if you don't want to manually add photos to all contacts, it can be an alternative.

How to set up:

1. Install Truecaller from Google Play and register.
2. Allow access to contacts and calls (required for work!).
3. In the application settings, enable the option to Show photos of contacts.
4. To manually add a photo: Open the contact in Truecaller. Tap the camera icon next to the name. Select a photo from the gallery or make a new one.

The pros of Truecaller:

• 🔍 Automatically finds photos for business contacts (banks, delivery services).
• 🛡️ Filtering spam calls.
• 🌍 Internationally (useful for contacts from other countries).

Cons:

• ⚠️ It requires access to personal data (not everyone likes it).
• 📶 Sometimes uploads irrelevant photos (for example, the company logo instead of a personal photo).

Important: Truecaller may conflict with Xiaomi’s built-in phone book. If standard avatars no longer appear after installation, clear the Contacts app cache.

Why is the contact photo not displayed when you call?

A common problem on Xiaomi is that the avatar is on the contact card, but it doesn't show up when you call in.

Another possible cause is an application conflict, where if you have multiple phone books installed (e.g. standard + Google Contacts + Truecaller), the system can get confused about which photo to show.

1. Open Settings → Applications → By default.
2. Select Phone and install the standard Calls app from Xiaomi.
3. Reboot the phone.

💡

If the contact photo is blurred, try uploading it in higher resolution (e.g. 500×500 pixels) and cropping it right in the contact editor, not in the gallery.

How to sync photos of contacts between Xiaomi devices

To have contact photos displayed on all your gadgets (like Xiaomi smartphone and tablet), use cloud sync. Xiaomi has two options: via Mi Cloud or Google Account.

Synced with Mi Cloud:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Mi Account.
2. Make sure the contact sync switch is on.
3. Tap on Contacts and check that the Sync photo option is active.
4. Wait until the synchronization is complete (may take a few minutes).

Synced through Google:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Select your account and enable Contact Sync.
3. Make sure that the Google Contacts (web version) settings have enabled the option to Show photos.

⚠️ Note: If you use both sync methods at the same time, you may experience a conflict of contact versions, and we recommend choosing one source (either Mi Cloud or Google) and disabling the second one.

To check the synchronization:

1. Add a photo to the contact on one device.
2. Wait 2-5 minutes.
3. Open the contact on another device – the photo should appear automatically.

💡

If the photos are not synced, try to manually update the data: open the Contacts app, swipe down for updates or click More → Sync.

Additional chips: emoji instead of photos, animated avatars

Xiaomi not only allows you to set up standard photos, but also use emojis or even animated avatars (in some models).

Emoji instead of photo:

1. Open the contact in the standard Contacts app.
2. Slip on the camera icon to add a photo.
3. In some versions of MIUI, the Emoji tab will appear - select your favorite emoji.
4. Save the changes.

This method is useful if you do not have a photo of the contact, but you want to visually highlight it (for example, assign a photo of the contact). 🏠 for home telephone or 💼 work).

Animated avatars (MIUI 14+):

New Xiaomi smartphones (such as Xiaomi 13T or Redmi Note 12 Pro+) have support for dynamic photos (Live Photos).

1. Take Live Photo in the standard Camera app (the icon of the circle with the rays at the top of the screen).
2. Open the contact and select this photo as an avatar.
3. When you call in, hold your finger on the screen and the animation will play.

⚠️ Note: Animated avatars work only on devices with AMOLED-screens and latest versions MIUI. In the models with IPS-displays (e.g., Redmi) 10A) function may be disabled.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When working with photos of contacts on Xiaomi, users often encounter common mistakes.

Error 1: Photos are not saved after editing

Reason: Contact duplicated (there are copies in Google, Mi Cloud and on the Internet) SIM-map).

Decision:

• Combine duplicates: open contact → More → Combine.
• Remove the extra copies by leaving only one (preferably in Google or Mi Cloud).

Error 2: Photos are displayed blurred or pixelated

Reason: The original image is low resolution or compressed by the system.

Decision:

• Use a photo with a resolution of at least 500×500 pixels.
• Before uploading, crop the image in a square format (e.g. in Google Photos).

Error 3: Photo disappears after resetting settings

The reason: Contacts were only saved in the phone’s memory, not in the cloud.

Decision:

• Before resetting, export contacts: Contacts → More → Contact Management → Export / Import.
• Save a backup in.vcf format to Google Drive or Mi Cloud.

Error 4: WhatsApp/Telegram does not display a photo of the contact

Reason: Messengers use their own contact databases.

Decision:

• On WhatsApp: Open chat → tap by contact name → tap on the camera icon next to the photo.
• In Telegram: A photo of the contact is pulled up from the phone book, but sometimes you need to restart the application.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions