Personalization of a smartphone is not just a matter of aesthetics, but also a way to instantly identify the interlocutor at the time of an incoming call. AMOLED-The quality of the images is particularly bright and intense, but the standard shell settings are very bright. MIUI They often hide some nuances that can confuse the user when trying to replace the standard gray stub with a personal photo.
In this article, we will take a look at all the available methods for installing avatars, from the classic method through the phone book to the hidden functions of the gallery, you will learn how to correlate the image to a round format and why sometimes the picture is not displayed by the caller. Note, some steps may differ depending on the version of the installed firmware MIUI.
Before making any changes, make sure the original image is stored in the device’s memory and has sufficient resolution. Using blurry or too small images on the Mi 8 Pro display will look sloppy. We’ll look at how to avoid loss of quality when compressed by the system and which file formats are supported without errors.
Preparation of the image for installation
The first step is to choose the right photo. The Android system on which MIUI is based has certain requirements for graphics files used as avatars. Although modern smartphones are capable of processing high-resolution images, it is better to use files weighing up to 2-3 megabytes to optimize interface performance.
It is important to consider the proportions. Since the contact interface in the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro involves a round or square display of thumbnails, the central part of the photo should be informative. If there is a lot of extra space around the edges, it is better to pre-crypt it.
- 📸 Choose a photo with a clear face close-up for better recognition.
- ✂️ Cut the extra edges by leaving your face in the center of the frame.
- 💾 Keep a copy of the original in case the system compression spoils the quality.
The most universal and supported standard is JPEG. Formats like HEIC (often used in Apple devices) or WEBP may not be handled properly by older versions of the phone book, resulting in a black square instead of a photo.
⚠️ Note: If you use photos downloaded from instant messengers, make sure the file is saved to the device's memory, rather than being displayed as a cache preview.Working with temporary files can cause the avatar to disappear after rebooting.
Once you've prepared the image, you can go directly to the process of assigning it to a particular subscriber, and there are several ways to do this, each of which has its own advantages depending on where your contact list is stored.
Installation of photos through the application “Contacts”
The most traditional and reliable way is to use a built-in call app, often referred to as simply Contacts or Phone in the MIUI shell, which ensures that the image is tied to the phone book entry, not just the call history.
Open the app and find the right subscriber in the list or search. Click on the contact name to open their card. At the top of the screen, where the standard name icon usually sits, there should be an edit button or a camera icon. If you can't see these elements, click on the three dots in the corner of the screen or the "More" button.
In the menu that opens, select "Change" or "Edit." Scroll down to the box where the current photo (or lack thereof) is displayed. Click on the camera icon or the "Add Photo" button. The system will suggest you choose the source: take a picture right now or choose from the gallery.
☑️ Pre-conservation checks
Once you select a file from the gallery, you'll see a framing editor, and you'll need to set your viewing area correctly, and a round frame will show you what the avatar will look like when you call in, and move and zoom in the image so that your face gets into that area.
The final step is to save the changes. Click "Done" or the tick icon. The system can warn you that the image quality will be improved or changed - agree, as this optimizes the file for quick display.
Adding an avatar through the Gallery
Many Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro users don’t know that it’s easier to contact a photo without skipping the phone book menu, a method that’s convenient when you’re looking at a photo album and see a suitable portrait that you want to assign to an avatar.
Open the Gallery app and find the image you want. Click on it to open the full screen. At the bottom of the interface or in the "More" menu (three dots), find the "Appoint" or "Install as" button. From the list of options that appears, select "Contact Photo."
Then the system will ask you to choose which contact to assign this image to. Start typing the subscriber's name in the search box. After selecting the contact, an editing window will open where you can adjust the framing area, as described in the previous section.
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Use the Assign feature in the gallery to quickly set the photo to multiple contacts in a row if you have a series of similar shots.
The advantage of this method is that you can see the original image quality immediately, but if the contact is synced with multiple accounts (e.g., Google and Google). SIM-map, the system can ask where to save the changes. It is recommended to choose a Google account to ensure synchronization.
Working with group contact images
Modern versions of MIUI have a convenient feature called group avatars, which allows you to assign the same image to multiple contacts, such as colleagues or family members, eliminating the need to manually edit each recording.
To create a group, go to the Contacts app and find the Group or Tag tab. Create a new group by giving it a name (like Family) and then add the contacts you want from your phone book to that group.
Once you create a list, click on the group name. The group management menu that opens should have the option "Group Photo" or "Change Photo." Once you select an image, you will set it for all group members. However, it is worth noting that on some firmware versions, this photo will only appear inside the group interface, and not as an individual avatar when you call.
| Type of installation | Where it's displayed | Synchronization |
|---|---|---|
| Individual photo | When calling, in messages, in contacts | Complete (Google/iCloud) |
| Photos of the group | Only in the contact group list | Local or Google |
| Photo from social media | Depends on the privacy settings | Automatic. |
| Photo from SIM | Only on this device. | Absent. |
If your goal is to see a shared photo for the entire company when any of your employees call, this method may not work as expected, and then you'd better use third-party number-finding apps that pull data from shared databases.
Configure the display and contact sources
Often, users are faced with a situation where the photo is installed but not displayed. This may be due to display filters. In the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro, privacy settings and contact sources play a key role.
Go to the Contacts app settings. Find the Contacts Display or Contact Filter section. Make sure that the Contacts All tick. If you select Phone Only and the photo is linked to your Google account, you won't see it.
Also worth checking is sync settings. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google. Make sure the Contacts switch is active. Sometimes forced sync helps: click three dots in the corner and select Sync.
⚠️ Note: When transferring contacts with SIM-Old low-quality photos can be erased by new cards on the phone HD-It is recommended to keep contacts only in cloud accounts.
Another important aspect is the permission to access: Contacts and Phone must have permission to access the storage (memory) without this right, the system will not be physically able to read the image file. You can check this in Settings → Applications → All Applications → Contacts → Permissions.
Solving problems with displaying photos
Despite the simplicity of the procedure, there are sometimes crashes, such as a photo in the contact card, but when the call comes in, the standard gray icon comes back, which is a common problem of caching in the MIUI shell.
The first solution is to clear the cache. You don't have to delete the data, just clear the cache of the Contacts and Phone app. This won't delete your numbers, but will force the system to reload the graphics elements. To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All applications, find the desired application and click Clear → Clear cache.
The second option is the name format. If you have two contacts with the same number (duplicates), the system can get confused about which photo to show. Combine duplicates or delete unnecessary entries. Xiaomi has a built-in "Combine duplicates" feature in the contact menu.
MIUI's Hidden Bug
If the problem persists, check if the phone is in “energy saving mode.” In energy saving mode, the system can turn off the download of images for contacts to keep the Mi 8 Pro battery powered.
Use of third-party applications and synchronization
For those who want more control over avatars, there are specialty apps like Contacts+ or Truecaller that allow you to upload photos from social networks automatically if you have an account on the corresponding network.
But using these apps, you have to be willing to give them access to your entire phone book, and that's a privacy issue, and Xiaomi's built-in tools are more secure, because they don't leave your device unnecessarily.
Syncing with Google Contacts is the best way to save your time, and if you lose your phone or switch to another model, all beautifully designed contacts with photos will be restored automatically after you enter your Google login.
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Sync with Google account is the only guaranteed way not to lose the set avatars when changing your smartphone or resetting your settings.
In conclusion, personalizing contacts on the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro is a simple process, but requires attention to data storage details. Choosing the right contact source and image format will save you most of the display problems.