Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a situation where a call incoming only displays a small circle or a standard icon in the corner of the screen instead of the expected portrait of the interlocutor. This is especially annoying when you want to quickly find out who is calling you without looking at the thumbnail. The problem is relevant for both older versions of the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS, since the logic of the contacts and the phone book periodically changes developers.
There are several ways to fix this situation, from simple avatar replacement to more complex manipulation of system applications. In some cases, standard system tools block the display of the image to the full screen due to the features of the launcher or access rights. Below we will discuss all the working methods that will help you personalize the call screen.
Before we get to the tricky part, make sure the image itself is saved correctly. Often users simply copy the picture into their phone's memory, but don't tie it to a specific number in the phone book. System standard requires that the photo be uploaded to a contact card, rather than just lying in a gallery.
Basic setting of contact in the phone book
The first and most obvious step that is often ignored is to check how you add an image, so if you just picked a photo from a gallery when you make a contact, the system could compress it beyond recognition or save it in low resolution, and you need to use a built-in editor to fully display it to the full screen.
Open the Contacts or Phone app and find the entry you want. Click the edit button (usually a pencil or three dots in the corner). In the menu that opens, select the option to add or change a photo. It's important not just to select a file, but to use the framing function to make your face as large as possible.
Note the format of the image you're saving. Some versions of the MIUI shell work better with certain proportions. If you still look small after saving the photo, try resizing it in the gallery to square before you upload it to contact.
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Use high-resolution photos (at least 1080x1080 pixels) so that when stretched to the full screen, the image does not turn into a “porridge” of pixels.
It is important to understand that if a contact is synced with a Google account, the changes can be delayed, in which case local storage in the phone’s memory (not in a Google account) often solves the problem faster, since the data is read directly from the device without accessing the cloud during the call.
Using the theme of registration for calls
One of the main reasons why a caller’s photo doesn’t take up the entire screen is because of the active theme. Xiaomi’s standard themes often have a rigidly defined call screen design, with only a small space for the picture, and changing the theme is the most effective way to change the visual style of the call.
To do this, go to the Themes app. Search for "Full screen call" or "Full screen call." You'll find a lot of free options that change the incoming call interface. Once you install the theme, be sure to restart your smartphone to apply the changes.
It’s worth noting that not all themes support this feature equally well across models. For example, on the Redmi Note series, some themes may work differently than on Xiaomi Mi flagships. Experiment with different authors to find the perfect balance between beauty and functionality.
If you have a theme installed but still not on the full screen, check the theme settings. In some cases, there are additional switches inside the theme that allow you to turn on or off full screen contact mode, a hidden feature that not all users know about.
⚠️ Warning: Be careful when installing themes from third-party sources or unofficial themes stores. Some modified themes may contain advertising modules or unstable code that affects the operation of the system.
Resetting the settings of the “Contacts” and “Phone” application
If changing the theme and re-additioning photos didn’t help, there may have been a software failure in the system applications, and the Contacts, Phone and System Launcher cache can store outdated display data that blocks the new settings from working properly.
To perform the reset, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. Find the Contacts app in the list. Click on it and select Clean (or Storage → Clean) and repeat the same procedure for the Dialer and System Launcher apps.
☑️ Checklist of application resets
Important: Clearing the Contacts app data won’t delete your numbers if they’re synced to your Google or Mi Account account.However, if you only store contacts in your phone’s memory, make a backup before reset to avoid data loss.
Once you do this, the phone can run a little slower in the first few minutes, as the system re-indexes the contacts and reloads the avatars, which is normal behavior that will pass quickly.
Specifics of work in HyperOS and MIUI 14
With the release of HyperOS and the upgrade to MIUI 14, the algorithms for multimedia calls have changed, and now the system more often uses video screensavers or dynamic effects that can overlap a static photo of the contact, which is made for visual diversity, but interferes with those who are accustomed to the classic look.
Newer versions of the software have introduced the "Video Recording for Contact" feature, which, if activated, may not show the static photo on the full screen, giving way to video or animation, and you can turn it off in telephony settings, but the path to this option is often hidden.
Try to find the item in your phone settings that says "Video Calls" or "Contact Animation." If that's active, the system will prioritize video content. If it's not, it can use a standard template to ignore your photo.
Hidden codes for diagnosis
Also in the newer versions, the call interface has become more minimalist, with developers deliberately reducing the area allocated to the photo to emphasize the call control buttons (loudspeaker, keyboard), a design solution that is difficult to get around without installing third-party launchers.
Third-party applications for call management
When standard tools are exhausted, Google Play apps come to the rescue. There are many replacement programs for the standard “caller” that allow you to flexibly customize the appearance of an incoming call. Popular options include Truecaller, Call Screen and various “Dialer” applications.
Once you install this app, you'll need to designate it as your primary caller, and you'll often have a Design or Call Theme section in the settings of these programs, where you can select Full Screen Photo mode, which will stretch the image across the entire display matrix.
However, using third-party apps has its downsides: They can consume more battery power as they constantly hang in the background.Aside from that, some of them require access to your contacts and call history that raises questions about data privacy.
| Annex | Full screen mode | Memory consumption | Advertising |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truecaller | Got it (in Pro) | High. | Yes. |
| Call Contacts Photo | Yes. | Low. | No. |
| Full Screen Caller ID | Yes. | Average. | Yes. |
| Standard MIUI Dialer | Depends on the topic. | Low. | No. |
When choosing an app, pay attention to reviews and the date of the last update. Older versions of programs may not work correctly on Android 13 and 14, causing crashes or screen freezes when you call.
Solving Permits and Access Issues
Android systems are becoming more stringent every year in terms of security, and the Phone app may not be allowed to (read) certain folders with images if you have not manually given permission.
Go to Settings → Applications → Phone → Access rights. Make sure that access to Contacts, Phone, and, importantly, Files and Media Content (or Memory) is allowed. Without access to memory, the app will not be able to download high resolution photos.
Also check your energy saving settings. If the Phone app has a severe background restriction, the system can block the loading of "heavy" contact images during an incoming call to save charge. Set "No Limits" mode for that application.
⚠️ Note: Do not grant file system access to questionable caller apps. standard Xiaomi or Google application is necessary, but third-party software can use this to collect personal information.
Sometimes it helps to just restart the media service, and you can use a third-party file manager to find the contact cache folder and clean it up, but that requires caution. The safer way is to reset the application settings, as described above.
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A comprehensive approach: the combination of the right theme, cleaned cache and correct access rights gives 99% of the guarantee of success in setting up a photo on the full screen.