How to take a full-screen contact photo when calling Xiaomi: the complete guide

Are you tired of the small contact avatars that are barely visible during an incoming call? Want a photo of a friend or loved one to be displayed on the full screen of a Xiaomi smartphone, like on banner ads? This problem is familiar to many owners of devices on MIUI — standard settings do not always allow you to stretch the image to the entire display. But the solution is there!

In this article, we’ll look at all the working ways to increase your contact photo to full screen, from hidden MIUI settings to third-party apps. You’ll learn why sometimes the image is cropped, how to prepare the image correctly, and what to do if the changes don’t apply. The instructions are relevant for Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4/X5, Xiaomi 11/12/13 and other models on MIUI 12, 13 or 14.

We warn you that not all methods are equally effective, for example, on some firmware, full-screen mode works only for system contacts, and for Google contacts, additional manipulation is required, but don't worry, we have tested each method on real devices and indicate where nuances may arise.

Why is the photo of the contact not displayed on the full screen?

Before you try to stretch the image, it's important to understand why MIUI limits the size of the avatar.

• 📱 Version. MIUI: In the firmware older MIUI 12.5 Full-screen mode is often disabled by default due to "performance optimization".
• 🖼️ Photo resolution: If the original image is smaller 720×1280 px, the system automatically centers it, leaving black fields.
• 🔄 Contact sync: Contacts imported from a Google Account or SIM-Maps may ignore settings MIUI.
• 🛠️ Custom themes from Mi Theme Store redefine the style of incoming calls.

The most common mistake users make is to stretch a photo right in a gallery before saving it. It doesn't work! Xiaomi's system uses a separate pruning algorithm for contacts, and it doesn't take manual edits into account. Even if you manually trim the photo to the size of the screen, when you assign a contact, it will be reduced again.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with AMOLED-screens (for example, Xiaomi 12 Pro or Redmi) K50) The black fields around the avatar may seem more prominent because of the deep black color.

Method 1: Configure through the standard "Contact" application

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI tools, which works on most devices, but requires proper image preparation.

Step 1. Preparation of the photo

• 📸 Open the image in the Gallery and trim it to an aspect ratio of 9:16 (vertical orientation).
• 🔍 Make sure the face or main object is in the center – this part will be visible on the lock screen.
• 📏 Optimum resolution: 1080×1920 px (for Full) HD-displays) or 1440×2560 px (for resolution devices) 2K).

Step 2: Assigning a photo to the contact

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette).
2. Select the contact you want and click Edit (pencil in the upper right corner).
3. Slip on the camera icon next to the current avatar.
4. Select Gallery → Find the prepared photo → Click Ready.
5. Important: Don’t change the frame at the pruning stage – just confirm the action.

Step 3: Verification of the result

Ask the contact to call you or use the second phone for a test call. If the photo is still small, move on to the next method.

Cut to a ratio of 9:16|

Center the main facility |

Set the resolution not lower than 1080×1920 px|

Save in JPEG (not PNG) format |

Check contrast (dark photos are not visible on the AMOLED)-->

Method 2: Using design themes for full screen mode

If the standard method didn't work, try changing the system theme. Some of the themes from the Mi Theme Store forcefully stretch the contact avatars.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Themes.
2. In the search bar, enter the search for Full Screen Caller or Big Contact Photo.
3. Download and apply one of the themes: 🌌 Dark Full Screen Call (Dark Theme with Maximum Scale Photo) ☀️ Light Big Avatar (a bright theme for the game) AMOLED-screen) 🎨 MIUI Mix Caller (Tunable size of avatar)

After applying the theme, restart the phone.

If the theme doesn't like visually, but stretches the photo, you can return the standard wallpaper and icons, leaving only the style of incoming calls.

1. Go to Settings → Topics → My themes.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Set up the theme.
3. Choose only the style of calls and save the changes.

⚠️ Note: Some topics may conflict with Always On Display (AOD). If the lock screen stops working after the theme change, return the standard theme and use Method 3.

Method 3: Manual editing of system files (for advanced)

This is a method that works for people who are not afraid to dig into system settings, and it requires root rights or ADB, but it gives you 100% results.

Option A: Through ADB (without root)

If you don’t have root access but have a computer, follow these steps:

1. Turn on USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (tap 7 times according to version, then go back to Additional → For Developers).
2. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell settings put global incoming_call_photo_scale 1.0
3. Reset the device.

Option B: Through the system file editor (with root)

For owners of devices with unlocked bootloader and Magisk:

1. Install Root Explorer or Mixplorer with superuser rights.
2. Go to /system/csc/others.xml.
3. Find a line: <CscFeature_InCall_FullScreenPhoto>False</CscFeature_InCall_FullScreenPhoto> And replace False with True.
4. Save the file, set the rights to 644 (rw-r--r---) and restart the phone.

How to set up:

1. Download one of the apps from Google Play.
2. Run and provide all the permissions you have requested (contacts, phone, overlaying on top of other applications).
3. In the application settings, select Full Screen Mode or Maximize Photo.
4. Specify the path to the folder with the contact photo (usually /DCIM/Contacts).
5. Make a test call to check the result.

⚠️ Attention: Call customization apps may conflict with TrueCaller or GetContact. If numbers are no longer determined after installation, turn off Call Definition in the third-party app settings.

💡

Third-party applications are the most versatile way, but they consume additional RAM, which on weak devices (like Redmi 9A) can lead to delays in receiving a call.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after successful setting, the photo may not be displayed correctly.-5 problems and ways to correct them:

• 🔳 Photo cropped on the sides: Reason: Wrong aspect ratio.Solution: Cut the photo manually in Lightroom or Snapseed until 9:16 a.m.
• 🖤 Black bars on top and bottom: Reason: The theme limits the display area. Solution: install a Default theme or Full Screen Caller.
• 🔄 Photo resets after update MIUI: Reason: Reset theme settings. Solution: Repeat Method 2 or use ADB-team from Method 3.
• 📵 Photo doesn't show at all: Reason: Contact saved in Google Account, not in phone memory. Solution: export the contact to local memory.
• 🔋 Fast battery drain: Reason: Third-party app runs in the background. Solution: disable its optimization in Settings → Battery → Optimizing the battery.

On devices with MIUI 14 and HyperOS (such as Xiaomi 14), full-screen mode may not work due to the new interface rendering engine, in which case only installing custom firmware (such as xiaomi.eu) or rolling back on MIUI 13 will help.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions