How to increase the photo of a contact to the full screen when calling on Xiaomi Redmi 9T: a detailed guide

Why a contact photo doesn’t show up on the full screen and how to fix it

Are you tired of seeing a tiny photo of a subscriber in the left corner of the screen when you get a call on the Xiaomi Redmi 9T? Want a photo of a contact to occupy the entire display, like on commercials? This problem is familiar to many owners of Xiaomi smartphones - standard MIUI settings often hide full-screen display mode. The reason lies in the policy of energy saving and interface optimization, but the solution is there!

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can enable full-screen photo displays when you make an incoming call, from standard MIUI settings to hidden features and workarounds. You’ll learn how to make your smartphone show your contacts photos as large as possible, even if your firmware version doesn’t support this out-of-the-box option. And we’ll also explain why photos sometimes stay small and how to fix them.

It’s important to understand that on the Redmi 9T (M2010J19SG), this option depends on the version of MIUI. In some builds, the full-screen display feature is available by default, in others it needs to be activated manually. If you recently updated the firmware and noticed that the photo of the caller has become smaller, do not rush to blame the manufacturer: most likely, the settings have simply gone wrong.

Checking the current call display settings

Before making changes, make sure the problem is not in the basic parameters. On Xiaomi Redmi 9T, the phone system app (not to be confused with Google Phone!) is responsible for the appearance of incoming calls.

1. Open the phone application (the icon with the handset).
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Settings.
3. Go to Incoming Calls or Call Display (the name may vary depending on the version of MIUI).
4. Check the settings of the incoming call style and the background of the call screen.

If this menu doesn’t have an option to resize your photo, don’t worry. On most MIUI versions for Redmi 9T (including MIUI 12.5 and 13), this option is hidden in the developer’s additional settings or requires activation through the thematic engine, which we will discuss in the following sections.

⚠️ Note: If you use a third-party call app (such as Truecaller or Google Phone), the full-screen display settings may conflict with system settings. Before setting up, make sure that the default is the standard Phone app from Xiaomi.

Method 1: Activate full-screen mode through phone settings

The easiest method is to enable full-screen display through standard MIUI settings, which works on most firmware versions for Redmi 9T, but may require developer mode pre-activation.

Step 1: Enable Developer Mode (if not already activated)

For this:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Find the MIUI version and click on it 7 times in a row until the notification “You became a developer!” appears.
3. Return to the main settings menu – there will be a new section Additional → For developers.

Step 2: Configure the display of incoming calls

Now, do the following:

Enable Developer Mode (if not activated)

Open the settings → Additional → For developers

Find the option "Full screen incoming call" or "Full screen incoming call"

Activate the switch and restart the phone

Check the photo display during the test call-->

1. Go to Settings. → Additionally. → For developers.
2. Scroll down to the Drawing or Interface section.
3. Find Full Screen Call Mode (also known as Full Screen Incoming Call or Force Full-screen Call).
4. Activate the switch and restart the phone.

After the reboot, make a test call (e.g. from another phone) If the photo of the contact still doesn't take up the entire screen, move on to the next method.

⚠️ Note: Some custom firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.EU or PixelExperience) may not have this option.

Method 2: Using design themes to change the size of the photo

If the standard settings didn't work, try changing the MIUI theme. Many themes have their own styles for incoming call screens, including full-screen photo displays. Here's how to do this:

Step 1: Installation of an alternative theme

MIUI allows you to install themes from the official store, some of which are optimized to display large photos of contacts:

1. Open the "Themes" app (icon with brush).
2. Go to the Online Topics section and search for the "full screen call" or "big photo call".
3. Select your favorite theme (such as “Pure Black” or “MIUI Mix”) and click Apply.

Recommended themes for full screen display:

• 🎨 Pure Black – Minimalist design with a big photo in the center of the screen.
• 🌌 Dark Sky – Dark Theme with Increased Contact Display.
• 🔴 Red Velvet – a bright theme with an emphasis on subscriber photos.

Step 2: Set up the current theme

If you don’t want to change the topic completely, you can edit the current one:

1. In the "Themes" app, go to My Themes.
2. Choose an active theme and click Setup.
3. Find the Call Screen section and select the style with the maximum photo size.

💡

If the photo is still small after changing the subject, try resetting the Phone app. Go to Settings → Apps → App Management → Phone → Storage → Clear the data. This won’t delete your contacts, but will reset the display settings.

Method 3: Manually modifying system files (for advanced users)

If previous methods failed, you can manually edit the system files that display incoming calls, which requires root rights or ADB, but yields 100% results.

⚠️ Warning: Changing system files can cause your phone to run unstable or reset.Before you start, make a full backup through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

Step 1: Getting root rights (optional)

The easiest way to edit system files is to use Magisk:

1. Download the latest version of Magisk from the official website.
2. Install it via TWRP (if you have a bootloader unlocked).
3. After installation, open the Magisk app and check the root status.

If you don’t want to get root, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to change settings without deep intervention.

Step. 2: File editing call_ui_config.xml

Open any root-enabled file manager (such as Root Explorer or Mixplorer) and follow the path:

/system/priv-app/Contacts/Contacts.apk/res/xml/call_ui_config.xml

Find the line:

<bool name="fullscreen_photo_enabled">false</bool>

And replace false with true. Save the file and reboot the phone.

Step 3: Alternatives – ADB teams

If root is not available, try running the command via ADB:

adb shell settings put global incoming_call_fullscreen_photo 1

After completing the command, restart the phone and check the result.

Method 4: Using Third-Party Applications

If you don't want to dig into the settings, you can install a third-party call app that supports full-screen photo display. 9T:

• 📞 Truecaller – has a customizable incoming call interface with photo zoom option.
• 🔄 ExDialer – lightweight dialer with support for themes and large contact images.
• 🎨 Contacts+ — Allows you to customize the call screen, including photo size.

How to set up a full-screen photo in Truecaller:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open the Settings → Call screen.
3. Select Call Screen Style → Full-screen.
4. Activate the option to show a large photo of the contact.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party dialers, disable the Phone system application to avoid conflicts. → Annexes → Application management → Phone. → Shut down.

💡

The side dialers may consume more battery than the standard application. If you notice an accelerated discharge, go back to the system Phone and configure it through themes or ADB.

Problem Solving: Why the photo doesn't show up on the full screen

Even after all the settings, the photo of the contact may remain small, and consider common causes and ways to eliminate them:

Problem 1: Incorrect size of the original photo

MIUI automatically trims contact photos to 720×720 pixels, and if the original photo is smaller or in the wrong proportions, it won’t stretch to the entire screen.

Decision:

• 📏 Cut the photo of the contact into a square (1:1) permittably 1080×1080 px.
• 🖼️ Use apps like SquarePic or Photo Editor to adjust.

Problem 2: Conflict with energy-saving regimes

The Ultra-Economic Mode or Battery Optimization function may limit the display of graphics during calls.

Decision:

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance.
2. Turn off the ultra-economic mode.
3. Add the Phone app to the Battery Optimization Exclusions list.

Problem 3: Resetting settings after MIUI update

After updating the firmware on Redmi 9T to MIUI 13+, the full-screen image settings can be reset to standard, due to a change in the structure of the system files.

Solution: Re-apply one of the methods described above (editing through ADB or changing the topic works best).

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions