Modern Xiaomi smartphones, which are based on MIUI shells or the new HyperOS, offer users a wide range of personalization options. However, standard settings often limit the display of contact when an incoming call is made, showing only a small round image in the corner of the screen, especially on devices with large displays, where the rest of the space is occupied by a blurred background or just color.
Many users are wondering how to fix this situation and make the photo of the caller occupy the entire available screen area, a feature that not only improves visual perception, but also allows you to instantly recognize the caller, even if the phone is on the table with a screen up or in the bag when extracted, and this requires understanding the operation of the system application Phone and Contacts.
In this guide, we will look at all the available ways to expand the display area of the avatar. We will look at the standard methods that work out of the box, and also touch on more advanced customization options available through the engineering menu or third-party utilities. The key is the version of the installed shell and the type of application used for calls.
Why a photo doesn’t take up the entire screen by default
Xiaomi’s standard Android skin behavior is designed to keep important information out of the way. The top of the screen usually has call control buttons (complete, volume, speaker) and the bottom features additional options like recording a conversation or adding members. The system automatically scales the image so that it doesn’t override those controls.
There is also the problem of aspect ratio: gallery photos are often 4:3 or 16:9, while smartphone screens are getting more elongated (20:9 or higher); when you try to stretch a normal photo to the full screen without pre-processing, you get black stripes or a strong distortion of facial proportions. The framing algorithms in a standard application often work aggressively, cutting the excess at the edges.
⚠️ Note: Some system themes may force you to change the style of the call screen, ignoring your display settings. If standard methods don't work, try switching to Classic or Standard».
Also, in the latest versions of MIUI and HyperOS, the company is implementing a single design ecosystem that prioritizes minimalism, so the full-screen feature is sometimes hidden or only available when certain conditions are met, such as when using a specific contact type or data source.
Basic setting of contact in the phone application
The first and most obvious step is to properly install the image in the contact card. Often users download thumbnails that lose quality when zooming in. To achieve the best result, use the original high-resolution image. Open the Contacts app or Phone and find the desired record.
Click on the edit button (usually a pencil icon). In the avatar box, select the option to add or replace a photo. Here, it is important to select an image from a gallery that has a vertical orientation or a square format. The system will suggest cropping the photo, and this step is critical for visualization when calling.
☑️ Checklist for photo preparation
When framing, try to position your face so that it occupies the center of the frame, leaving a little space on the top and bottom, which will help the system algorithms correctly display the picture, even if the call interface shifts slightly due to the bangs or cutout in the screen. After saving the changes, be sure to check the result by making a test call from another number.
- 📸 Use the original photos, not sent via messengers, as they are compressed.
- ✂️ When pruning, leave a small margin around your face for better scaling.
- 💾 Save the changes and restart the contact app to apply the settings.
Use of design themes for full-screen mode
The most effective way to change the look of the call screen on Xiaomi without obtaining superuser rights is to use themes. Themes’ official store has thousands of designs that completely replace the standard call interface. Such themes often include support for Full Screen Caller ID.
To find the right theme, open the Themes app and search for queries like “Full screen,” “Big photo,” or “Caller screen.” The themes often list the features supported. Once you install the theme and apply it to the system, the incoming call interface will change globally for all contacts.
⚠️ Note: Third-party themes may contain advertisements or require additional permissions. Install designs only from the official Xiaomi Themes store, avoiding third-party ones APK-Files from unverified sources.
Some themes allow you to customize your display style individually, so you can choose whether the photo is static, whether animated effects will appear around the avatar, or whether the background will change depending on the time of day, and this allows you to create a unique style of communication that will please the eye with each call.
How to remove the topic if you don’t like it?
Comparison of Calling Apps on Xiaomi
Xiaomi users often face a dilemma: whether to use the standard Google Phone app or the native MIUI Dialer app. Each has its own features of displaying contacts and customizing the interface. Understanding the differences will help you choose the best option for your needs.
Google’s standard app, which is often pre-installed on global firmware, is minimalist, and follows Material Design’s guidelines, where a contact photo is typically presented as a circle or a rounded square that occupies no more than 30-40% of the screen, and cannot be stretched to the full screen with regular means in this app.
The native MIUI Dialer app (often found on Chinese versions and some global builds) is more flexible, allowing themes to be embedded deeper into the interface, and sometimes hidden options can be found in the application’s settings, depending on the version of the system framework.
| Characteristics | Google Phone | MIUI Dialer | Third-party analogues |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-screen photo | No (only through topics) | Partially (depending on the topic) | Yes (specialized applications) |
| Stability of work | Tall. | Tall. | Medium |
| Integration with contacts | Complete (Google Sync) | Full (MI Cloud/Google) | Requires permits |
| Support for topics | Limited. | Expanded | No. |
If your main goal is visual and full-screen, switching to a dedicated caller app may be the only working solution, but it will require you to install the application by default, which can affect some system functions, such as recording a conversation or determining a number.
Third-party applications for Caller ID
There is a category of apps in the Google Play store that are designed specifically to replace the standard call screen, and the leaders in this segment are apps like Calls - Caller ID & Screen or Truecaller (theme mode), which intercept incoming calls and display their own window on top of the system.
To run these programs, you have to give them a wide range of permissions, which is access to contacts, microphone, phone, and most importantly, the right to display on top of other applications, and without this critical permission, the application will not be able to show its window at the time of the call.
💡
Before installing a third-party call, back up your contacts. Although modern applications work reliably, there is always a risk of data loss or system synchronization conflict.
The advantage of these apps is that they have a huge amount of customization, and you can adjust not only the size of the photo, but also the background, fonts, response buttons, and even the animation of the appearance, and some of them allow you to create different display profiles for different contact groups, which is a unique customization feature.
- 📲 Download the app to replace the call screen from a verified source.
- 🔐 Provide all the permissions requested, especially "Over other windows».
- ⚙️ Customize the appearance in the application menu by uploading the desired photos.
- 🧪 Test your work by calling your number from another phone.
Solving problems with display and quality
Even after you set it up correctly, you may find that the photo is not displayed correctly, such as blurred or side-shifted, often due to the cache of Contacts and Phone, and clearing the cache of these services helps the system to re-index media files and display them in the correct resolution.
To clean up, go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find Contacts and Phone. From each app's menu, select Memory and click Clear Cache. Don't confuse it with Clear All, as this may result in deleting your call history or Quick Dial settings.
⚠️ Note: If contact names are missing after cleaning the cache, check sync with your Google or Mi Account account. Usually, names are restored automatically after you connect to the network, but the process can take several minutes.
Another reason for the poor quality could be the image format itself, which may not properly process files in the HEIC (standard for iPhone) or WebP format. Convert such images to a universal JPEG before installing them on the contact, which ensures compatibility with all versions of Android and Xiaomi shells.
💡
The quality of the image display is 90% dependent on the original image resolution and file format. Use JPEG 1080p for the best result.