How to Put Your Photo on Xiaomi Call Screen: 5 Ways to Use MIUI 12-14

When your Xiaomi receives an incoming call, the screen displays the standard contact avatar — a gray silhouette or an app icon. But what if you want to see a personal photo of the subscriber or even your own image when calling? In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to customize photos on calls for Redmi, POCO and Xiaomi smartphones based on MIUI 12-14, including hidden functions and circumventing system limitations.

It is important to understand that the possibilities of customizing the call screen depend on the firmware version and device model. For example, on the Xiaomi 13 Pro with MIUI 14, advanced settings are available, while on the budget Redmi Note 10, some of the functions can be reduced. We will consider universal methods, and also discuss the nuances for different versions of MIUI separately.

Why is Xiaomi not showing a photo when calling?

Before we move on to settings, let’s look at the typical reasons why a photo of a contact may not show:

• 📱 Photo is not linked to a contact – there is no image in the phone book or it is saved only in a Google account.
• 🔄 Sync is disabled – if the contact is saved in the cloud (Google, Mi Account), but the sync is turned off, the photo will not be downloaded.
• 📵 Limitations MIUI — In some versions of the firmware, only avatars from the system gallery are displayed, not from instant messengers.
• 🔒 Privacy settings – in the parameters of the “Contacts” application, there may be a ban on access to media files.
• 🛠️ Cache failure – damaged data from the Phone or Contacts app block the uploading of images.

If you’ve tried to add a photo but it never appeared on the call screen, check these points. 80% of the time, the problem is solved by linking the image directly to the contact in the system application, rather than through messengers like WhatsApp or Telegram.

Method 1: Adding photos through system “Contacts”

The most reliable method is to attach the image directly to the Contacts app, which works on all versions of MIUI and ensures that the avatar is displayed when the call is in.

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s 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 gray silhouette if the photo is missing).
4. Choose one of the options: 📸 Take a photo - immediately take a picture of the subscriber through the smartphone camera. 🖼️ Select from the gallery - upload an existing image. 🎨 Create an Avatar – Use a Tool MIUI to generate a stylized image (available on the MIUI 13+).

Edit the photo (short, zoom in) and save the changes.

After that, when an incoming call from a given subscriber is displayed on the screen, the image you selected will be displayed. If the photo does not appear immediately, restart the smartphone - sometimes you need to update the cache of the system.

Selected image with a resolution of at least 300×300 pixels|

The contact is stored in the phone book, not just in the phone book. SIM-map|

Contact sync enabled (Settings → Accounts → Mi Account/Google)|

Contacts app allows access to storage (Settings) → Annexes → Permits)-->

Method 2: Using Google Contacts to sync

If you use Google, you can link photos through Google Contacts, a method that automatically syncs images between devices (e.g. if you also have a tablet or a second smartphone).

1. Open your browser on your PC or smartphone and go to contacts.google.com.
2. Sign in with the same Google account that is linked to your Xiaomi.
3. Find the right contact and click on it.
4. Click on the camera icon in the top left corner (near the contact name).
5. Download a photo from your computer or select from Google Photos.
6. Save the changes and wait for the synchronization (usually takes 1-2 minutes).

On a Xiaomi smartphone, check that sync is enabled: Settings → Accounts → Google → Contact Sync.

⚠️ Warning: If the photo doesn't show up after syncing, try removing the contact from the Xiaomi phone book and re-importing it from Google. Sometimes local copies of contacts override cloud data.

Method 3: Install photo via Truecaller (for unknown numbers)

Truecaller not only identifies unfamiliar numbers, but also allows you to assign your own photos to any contacts — even those that are not saved in the phone book — which is useful if you get frequent calls from work or temporary numbers.

1. Install Truecaller from Google Play.
2. Register and allow access to contacts.
3. Open the call history in Truecaller or find the number you want through a search.
4. Slip on the contact and select Edit.
5. Click on the camera icon next to the name and upload the photo.
6. Save the changes.

Truecaller can display its avatars on top of the system, but only if the application is set as the default call (Settings → Applications → Default → Phone). Otherwise, the photo will only be visible inside Truecaller, but not on the standard call screen.

Method 4: Hidden MIUI settings for customizing the call screen

MIUI has hidden options in its firmware that allow you to change the style of incoming calls, including the size and position of the avatar, which are undocumented, but work on most devices.

1. Open the phone application (green handset).
2. Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Settings.
3. Go to Inbound Calls (or Call Screen on some models).
4. Activate the option to Show a photo of the contact (if it is disabled).
5. For advanced settings, enter the call screen request in the search for settings - this will open the hidden parameters of the call screen.

If none of these methods worked, check if your device has regional restrictions, such as some Chinese models (Xiaomi for the domestic market) that have the call screen customization disabled at the firmware level, in which case only flashing to the global version of MIUI will help.

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To make the photo on the call look clear, use images with a 1:1 aspect ratio (square) and a minimum resolution of 512×512 pixels. Avoid complex backgrounds - on a small screen they will not read well.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions

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The most reliable way is to link photos directly to Xiaomi’s system contacts, and cloud services (Google, Truecaller) can conflict with MIUI, especially after updates.