Personalizing a call list is not just a matter of aesthetics, but also an important feature that allows you to instantly recognize the caller. Owners of Xiaomi smartphones and the Redmi Note 9 series often face the need to quickly identify the subscriber, especially when the phone is lying down screen or in the bag. Installing an avatar solves the problem of confusion, especially if the subscriber has several numbers or similar names in the notebook.
Shell interface MIUI, The operating system on which the smartphone is based offers several ways to accomplish this task, and you can use the standard Contacts app, the system Gallery, or even third-party messengers if they are integrated with the system. It is important to understand that the process of synchronizing the image may depend on where the record is stored: in the phone memory, on the phone. SIM-Map or Google Cloud Account.
In this article, we will take a look at all the available ways to upload photos, look at the nuances of working with different data sources and answer frequent questions that users have. You will learn not only to put static images, but also to manage the access rights of applications so that avatars are displayed correctly in all scenarios of using the device.
Image Preparation and Format Requirements
Before you start installing the avatar directly, you need to make sure that the source file meets the technical requirements of the system. While modern Android algorithms can automatically crop and compress images, using an initially inappropriate file can lead to poor display quality or save errors. JPG or PNG.
The resolution of the original image also plays a role. For good display on the lock screen and in the call list, it is recommended to use images with a resolution of at least 500×500 pixels. If the photo is too small, the system will stretch it, which will lead to "grain" and blurring of the contours of the face.
⚠️ Warning: Avoid using photos with complex backgrounds or small details. When trimmed to a round format, important parts of the image may be outside the visible area.
If you plan to use a photo taken with the camera of the smartphone itself, make sure the lens is clean and the lighting is good enough. Bad light will add digital noises, which will become especially noticeable when the avatar size in the caller interface is reduced.
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For the best quality, choose square images or photos where the subject is located strictly in the center of the frame - this minimizes losses when automatic cropping system.
Installation of photos through the standard Contacts app
The most common and reliable way to add an avatar is to use the built-in Contacts app, which ensures that the image is attached to the exact record you are editing, regardless of the source of the data. The algorithm is simple, but requires careful consideration when choosing the source of the photo.
Open the app and find the right subscriber in the list, or use the search bar at the top of the screen. After opening the contact card, look at the top of the screen, where a gray silhouette image or an existing photo is usually located, and click on it or on the edit button, often indicated by the pencil icon.
In the editor menu that opens, you'll see the option to add or change a photo. The system will suggest you choose the source: take a picture with the camera or select from the gallery. Select from the gallery will open the file manager or system gallery, where you can specify the path to the desired file.
☑️ Installation algorithm through Contacts
Once you've selected an image, the system will suggest you framing it, and a special round selection tool will help you leave only the face in the frame, move the frame and zoom in to get the perfect compositional solution, then press the save button.
Downloading an avatar through the System Gallery
An alternative method that is often more convenient for existing photos is the Gallery app, which allows you to process an image first, apply filters or crops, and then tie it to a contact, which is especially true if the photo requires pre-preparation.
Open the image in the gallery. At the bottom of the screen or in the "More" menu (often indicated by three dots), find the option "Appoint contact" or "Install as." In some versions of MIUI, this feature can be hidden in the submenu "Details" or "File Information".
Once you select the function, the system will request permission to access contacts if you haven't previously. Confirm the action, and you'll see a list of subscribers. Select the right person from the list. The standard cropping and saving procedure will follow.
| Method | Advantages | Deficiencies |
|---|---|---|
| Through Contacts | Direct binding, minimum of action | Limited photo editing capabilities |
| Through the Gallery | Possibility of pre-treatment | Long way through the menu |
| Through Google. | Synchronization across devices | Requires Internet and account |
Using a gallery is also convenient because you can immediately see what the photo looks like in full size before assigning it as an avatar, which helps to avoid situations where the contact looks good in thumbnail, and when the image is skewed on the incoming call.
Synchronization with Google account and social networks
Today’s Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 smartphones are closely integrated with the Google ecosystem. If you store contacts in the cloud, installing an avatar through the Google Contacts interface will ensure that the image is synchronized across all your devices, which means that the photo will appear not only on your phone, but also on your tablet or when you call from another gadget that uses the same account.
To do this, open the Google Contacts app (or log in via your browser). Find a subscriber, click Edit, and select the photo option. The changes made here will automatically pull up to your phone book when you have a network connection.
Why isn't the photo synced?
Social networks like Viber, WhatsApp, or Telegram are all self-driving, and they don't replace the system avatar in the phone book, but they can display their images during an incoming call through their interface, but if you want to keep your photos visible all the time, even when you call through a regular SIM card, you'd better duplicate the image from the messenger into the system phone book manually.
⚠️ Note: When synced with Google, the photo can be uploaded in reduced quality to save traffic.
Working with contacts on SIM-map
One of the common problems users Redmi Note 9 is the inability to add a photo to the contact saved on the device. SIM-The storage architecture on SIM cards is limited and often does not support storage of graphic files, only text (name and number).
If you are trying to add a photo and the system gives an error or the button is inactive, check where the number is saved. To fully use the functions of the smartphone, including installing avatars, ringtones and additional fields (address, email), you need to transfer contacts to the internal memory of the phone or to the Google account.
The transfer process is simple: go to the contact settings, select "Import/Export" or "Copy Contacts." Specify the source "SIM-Map" and destination "Phone" or "Google" Once the operation is complete, old SIM entries can be deleted to avoid duplication.
After the transfer, the record will receive a unique identifier in the smartphone file system, which will allow the MIUI system to correctly link a graphic file of any supported format to it.
Display settings and troubleshooting
Sometimes, a photo is installed but not displayed when an incoming call or lock screen is displayed, which may be due to the theme settings or app access rights. In Xiaomi, third-party themes can change the call interface, ignoring system avatars.
Check the theme settings: go back to the standard theme or choose another that supports the display of photo contacts, also make sure that the Contacts and Phone app have permission to access the storage (photos and media), without this right, the application will not physically be able to read the image file.
Another reason could be the app's cache. If a photo is "missing" or is displayed incorrectly, try clearing the contact app cache. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Contacts → Memory → Clear cache. It's important not to confuse it with data cleaning so as not to lose the numbers themselves, although when synchronized with Google, they will recover.
⚠️ Warning: Clearing the Contacts app data without first syncing with Google could result in the total loss of all the records stored in the phone's memory.
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If the photo is not visible after all the manipulations, try to restart the smartphone – this often solves problems with updating thumbnails in the Android system.
Also, you can set multiple numbers for some subscribers, and the photo is tied to the contact card as a whole, not to a particular number, so it will appear the same for all the numbers of that person.