How to put your picture on a call on Xiaomi: all the ways

When a phone caller’s photo is lit up on your Xiaomi screen, it not only makes it easier to identify the contact, it also adds personalization. However, standard phone book avatars often look boring, and the system doesn’t always automatically pull up photos from social networks. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to install any picture on the screen of an incoming call - from standard tools. MIUI detouring to unusual situations.

It is important to understand that the process differs depending on the firmware version (MIUI 12/13/14/15), Smartphone model (Redmi Note) 12 Pro+, Poco F5, Xiaomi 13T And so, and even if it's a phone book or an unknown number rings, we tested all of these methods on the right devices. 2023–2026 In the years ahead, the instructions will work on new models like Xiaomi. 14 Ultra.

If you’ve tried to change a photo on a call before, but it didn’t work out, chances are the problem lies in one of three things: the wrong image format, the limitations. MIUI We've taken these nuances into account and we've prepared solutions for each situation.

1. Standard method: through the "Contacts" application

The most obvious and reliable method is to edit the contact directly in the standard Contacts app (or Phone in global firmware), which works on all Xiaomi smartphones, including budget Redmi and flagship phones. Xiaomi/Mix, If you don’t have alternative calls like Truecaller or Google Phone installed.

Algorithm of action:

• 📱 Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette on the home screen or in the app menu).
• 🔍 Find the contact you want through the search or scroll through the list manually.
• ✏️ In the upper right corner, tap the pencil icon (Edit»).
• 🖼️ Click on the current contact avatar (or on an empty field if it is not available).
• 📷 Select the source of the image: Take a photo – if you want to take a picture of the person right now; Gallery – to select the finished picture from the memory of the phone; Download – if the photo is stored in the cloud (Google Photos, Mi Cloud, etc.).
• ✅ Confirm the changes by clicking Ready or Save.

The next call from that subscriber will display the picture you have selected on the screen, and please note that if the contact is synced with your Google Account, the changes can take up to 5 minutes to apply across all devices.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI (Especially in Chinese), the photo editing option can be hidden behind a long tap on the avatar. If one tap fails, hold your finger on the image for 2-3 seconds.

Image format — JPG/PNG (not RAW or WEBP)

Resolution of at least 300×300 pixels

Contact saved in the phone book (not in the phone book) SIM-map)

No corporate account restrictions (for work phones)

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2.Why is the photo not displayed on the incoming call?

Even after you successfully keep an avatar in contact, it may not appear during the call, and the reasons fall into three categories: technical constraints, firmware settings, and application conflicts.

1. Inappropriate image format or size. MIUI optimized for square avatars with resolution from 300×300 before 1000×1000 If you download the pixels:

• 🖼️ Rectangular photo (e.g, 1920×1080) — The system will cut it in the center, which may look ugly;
• 📏 Too small picture (less than that) 200×200) — It will be stretched and pixelated;
• 🎨 Image in format WEBP or GIF — MIUI ignore him.

2. Contact saved on SIM-The phone book on the map. SIM It has a limitation: it does not support storing photos. If a contact is added there, transfer it to your phone memory or Google Account:

1. Open contact. → Edit;
2. Press the three dots at the top. → Exports/imports;
3. Choose Copy to the device.

3. Power saving mode is on. Ultra mode or Super-energy saving. MIUI Turns off avatars on calls to save resources. Check the battery settings in Settings → Battery.

MIUI Global

MIUI China

MIUI Europe (castomic)

Another custom firmware

I don't know.

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3. How to put a photo on a call from an unknown number

By default. MIUI It doesn't allow you to assign avatars to numbers that aren't in the phone book, but there's a workaround using the Blacklist and the Truecaller app (or its analogues), which works even for spam calls.

Method 1: through the “Black List” (without third-party applications)

1. Open the Settings. → Annexes → Blacklist;
2. Add an unknown number to the blacklist (temporarily).
3. Return to Contacts, find this number in the blocked list;
4. Edit the contact and add a photo;
5. Remove the number from the blacklist in the settings.

Now, when you call from this number, your picture will be displayed, although the contact is not officially saved.

Method 2: Through Truecaller

• 📲 Install Truecaller from Google Play;
• 🔍 Wait for the app to identify an unknown number (or add it manually);
• 🖼️ In the room card in Truecaller, click Edit and upload a photo;
• 🔄 Turn on the Truecaller option to Show avatars on calls.

⚠️ Note: When using Truecaller, your contacts and call data will be transmitted to the application servers. If privacy is more important than avatars on unknown numbers, use the first method.

4. How to change the photo on the call for a specific messenger

If the call is not coming from a standard call, but from WhatsApp, Telegram or Viber, the avatar is taken from the subscriber profile in this messenger, and you need to edit the contact directly in the application to change it:

For WhatsApp:

• 💬 Open a chat with a contact on WhatsApp;
• 🔍 Slip the name of the interlocutor at the top of the screen;
• 🖼️ Click on the current avatar → Change;
• 📷 Select a new photo from the gallery or take a picture.

For Telegram:

• 📱 Open a contact profile in Telegram;
• 🖼️ Click on the avatar. → Change the photo;
• ✂️ Cut the image (if necessary) and save it.

Importantly, on Telegram, the avatar you changed will only be visible to you, and in order for it to be displayed to the person you are talking to, they must update it from their side.

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If you want the contact photo in the messenger to match the photo in the phone book, sync contacts through Google Account. → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization of contacts.

5. Alternative methods: third-party calls and launchers

If the standard methods don't work, like you want animated avatars or advanced settings, you can use third-party apps, and we tested three of the most reliable options:

1. ExDialer (or Drupe)

• 📲 Set up a call from Google Play;
• 🔧 In the application settings, select Contact Import;
• 🖼️ For each contact, you can upload not only a static photo, but also GIF;
• 🎨 Call screen design templates are available.

2. Nova Launcher + Contacts+

The combination of custom launcher and alternative phone book allows:

• 🔄 Change the display style of avatars (round, square, with frames);
• 🎨 Set up animations when an incoming call is made;
• 📂 Group contacts into categories with unique icons.

3. MiXplorer (for manual replacement of system files)

For advanced users: you can manually replace the avatars in the system folder /data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db. However, this method requires root rights and can cause the phone book to crash.

6. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

Even experienced Xiaomi users sometimes have trouble configuring avatars on calls, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

Error 1: Photo is saved but not displayed when you call.

• 🔄 Reason: Contacts or Phone app cache is damaged.
• 🛠 Solution: Go to Settings → Annexes → Application management → Contacts → Storage and press Clear cache. Reboot phone.

Error 2: Avatar resets after update MIUI.

• 🔄 Reason: Update resets storage access rights.
• 🛠 Solution: Go to Settings → Annexes → Permits → Storage and make sure that the Contacts app has access to files.

Mistake 3: You can't put it GIF caller.

• 🔄 Reason: Standard caller MIUI It only supports static images.
• 🛠 Solution: Use third-party calls like ExDialer or Yaata that support animated avatars.

Error 4: The photo is only displayed in the contacts, not on the call screen.

• 🔄 Reason: In the settings of the calls disabled display of avatars.
• 🛠 Solution: Go to Settings → Annexes → Phone. → Settings for incoming calls and enable the option to Show contact photos.

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If none of these methods worked, check if your Xiaomi has custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience) that can change the system settings for displaying contacts.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions