Xiaomi smartphone owners often find that when a call is made, the contact photo is too small or absent from the lock screen, which is uncomfortable, especially if you use customized images for important subscribers, and is a problem for all models, from the budget Redmi Note to the flagship Xiaomi 13 Ultra, regardless of the version of MIUI or Android.
Fortunately, there are several ways to do this: through standard phone settings, through third-party apps, or even by editing system files (for advanced users), and in this article, weโll take a look at all the working methods, including hidden MIUI features that arenโt written about in the official documentation, and youโll also learn why sometimes photos donโt show up at all and how to fix them.
Important: Some methods require root rights or additional software installation, and we will mark these points separately so that you can choose the best option without risk to the system.
Why is the photo not displayed on the full screen?
Before you change your settings, you need to understand the cause of the problem. In MIUI, the logic of displaying photos when you call depends on several factors:
1. Firmware version. In MIUI 12 and later, the call screen rendering algorithm has been changed, so that the default system now trims images into a round or square area, rather than stretching them, and this is done for aesthetics, but often interferes with users.
Photo resolution: If the contact image is low resolution (e.g., 200ร200 px), the system automatically centers it without stretching it to the entire screen, the optimal size is 1080ร1920 px (for vertical orientation).
3. Phone app settings. In some MIUI builds (especially on POCO and global versions), the photo zoom option is hidden in the depth of the menu or disabled by default.
4. Subject conflict. If you use custom themes from Theme โ My themes, they can override the standard display of the call screen. For example, the theme "Minimalism" often crops the photo to a circle.
5. Cache errors: Sometimes the system caches images of contacts incorrectly, causing them to appear distorted or not at all.
To determine the exact cause, check:
- ๐ฑ Version MIUI: Go to Settings. โ The phone. โ Version. MIUI. If you MIUI 13/14, The problem is most likely in the settings of the application "Phone".
- ๐ผ๏ธ Photo Contact Resolution: Open Contact โ click on the photo โ See the file properties.
- ๐จ Active topic: Settings โ Topics โ My themes. Try switching to the default theme".
Method 1: Configure using the application "Phone" (without root)
The easiest and safest method is to use the hidden settings of the standard Phone app, which works on most Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO devices with MIUI 12-14 and does not require superuser rights.
Instructions:
- Open the Phone app (the phone icon on the home screen).
- Press three points (โฎ) top-right โ Select Settings.
- Scroll down and find the Call Screen section (on some models it may be called Inbound Calls).
- Activate Full Screen Photo or Spread the photo to the full screen (the wording depends on the version of MIUI).
- If you donโt have this option, tap 5 times on the Version item (bottom of the settings screen) and this will open a hidden developer menu where an additional switch may appear.
What if there is no option?
- ๐ Update the Phone app via Google Play (if you have global firmware).
- ๐ฒ Install an alternative dialer (see Method 3).
- ๐ ๏ธ Reset the application settings: Settings โ Annexes โ Phone. โ Warehouse โ Drop it.
Make sure that the MIUI version is at least 12.
Check the resolution of photo contacts (minimum 500ร500 px)
Turn off custom themes
Backup your contacts (via Google Account)
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โ ๏ธ Note: Some models (e.g. Redmi) 9A or POCO M3) When full screen is activated, the call response button may disappear, in which case, return the settings back or use gestures (swipe up to answer).
Method 2: Editing system files (for advanced)
If standard settings don't work, you can manually change the settings for displaying photos in system files, which requires root rights or access to ADB, but gives you 100% results.
Step 1: Getting root rights
You need Magisk or some other root tool to edit system files, and if you don't already have superuser rights, you can use this.
- Unlock the bootloader via fastboot oem unlock (instructions for your model are available on the official Xiaomi website).
- Install Magisk through Custom Recovery (TWRP).
- Check the rights using the Root Checker app.
Step. 2: File editing call_ui_config.xml
Open any root-enabled file manager (such as Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer) and follow the path:
/system/priv-app/Contacts/Contacts.res/apk/res/xml/call_ui_config.xmlFind the line:
<bool name="fullscreen_photo_enabled">false</bool>And replace false with true. Save the file and reboot the phone.
Alternatives without root (via ADB):
If root cannot be obtained, you can try changing the settings via ADB:
adb shell settings put global fullscreen_photo_enabled 1Then restart the device.
What if the photo does not appear after editing?
โ ๏ธ Warning: Incorrect editing of system files can lead to bootloop ( looped boot).Before changes, back up the partition /system through TWRP Or OrangeFox Recovery.
Method 3: Using third-party dialers
If you don't want to dig into settings or get root, you can install an alternative call app, and many of them support full-screen photo display by default.
Top.-3 dialer:
| Annex | Pluses | Cons | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truecaller | Automatic stretching of photos, blocking spam, identification of numbers | Advertising in the free version, collects data | Google Play |
| Drupe | Castomy themes for call screen, gestures, widgets | Paid functions, sometimes slow down | Google Play |
| ExDialer | Lightweight, T9 support, photo size setting | Outdated interface, no Russian language | Google Play |
How to set up a full-screen photo in Truecaller:
- Install and open Truecaller.
- Go to Settings โ Call screen.
- Activate the option Full screen photo.
- Choose the display style: Stretching or Filling.
- Make Truecaller the default dialer in Android settings.
โ ๏ธ Note: When using third-party dialers, functions are disabled MIUI, such as:
- Integration with Mi Account (calling synchronization)
- Lock screen gestures for response/deflection.
- System recording of conversations (if it was configured).
Standard (MIUI)
Truecaller
Drupe
ExDialer
The other (I'll write in the comments)
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Method 4: Configure with ADB (without root)
If you donโt have root, but you do have a computer, you can try changing your settings via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that works on most Xiaomi devices with Android 10+.
What you need:
- ๐ฅ๏ธ Computer with Windows/Linux/macOS.
- ๐ฑ USB-cable (preferably original).
- ๐ง Utility. ADB and Fastboot.
- ๐ Included debugging by USB phone-on.
Step-by-step:
- Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings โ About Phone โ MIUI version and tap it 7 times.
- Activate USB Debugging: Settings โ Additional โ For Developers โ Debugging by USB.
- Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the trusted device.
- Open the command prompt (or Terminal) and type: Adb devices Make sure your device appears in the list.
- Use the command to include full screen photos: adb shell settings put global fullscreen_photo_enabled 1
- Reboot your phone: adb reboot
If the team doesnโt work, try an alternative:
adb shell am start -n com.android.contacts/.settings.DisplayPhotoSettingsActivityThis will open a hidden menu of photo settings, where you can manually enable full-screen mode.
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After changing your settings through ADB, check if they reset after the reboot. If so, repeat the command or use the task in Tasker to automatically apply each time you turn on your phone.
Method 5: Manually modifying contact photos
Sometimes the problem is not with the phone settings, but with the images themselves, and if the contact photo is in the wrong resolution or format, MIUI may not display it correctly.
Photography requirements:
- ๐ Permission: minimum 720ร1280 px, optimally โ 1080ร1920 px.
- ๐จ Format: JPEG or PNG (transparently).
- ๐ณ Aspect ratio: 9:16 (vertical).
- ๐ผ๏ธ Color gamut: Avoid dark backgrounds โ they merge with the call interface.
How to properly crop the photo:
- Open the image in any editor (e.g. Google Photos or Lightroom).
- Cut it to a ratio of 9:16 (or 1080ร1920 px).
- Save it in JPEG format with 80-90% quality.
- Assign a photo to your contact via the Contacts app (not Google Contacts!).
Example of correct and incorrect photos:
If after replacing the photo it still does not appear on the entire screen, clear the cache of the application "Contacts" and "Phone" through Settings โ Applications.
Problem Solving: Photos are not displayed at all
If the contact photo doesnโt show even after all the settings, check the following points:
1. Contact synchronization
Make sure that the contact is saved in your local phone book, not just your Google Account or your phone book. SIM-For this purpose:
- Open the Contacts app.
- Find the right contact and click Edit.
- Check that the account field has selected a phone, not Google.
2. Clearing the cache
Sometimes the system caches images incorrectly to reset the cache:
Settings โ Applications โ Application Management โ Contacts โ Storage โ Clear cache
Settings โ Applications โ Application Management โ Phone โ Storage โ Clear cache3. Permit verification
Make sure that the Contacts and Phone apps have access to the storage:
- Go to Settings โ Privacy โ Application permissions.
- Find Contacts and Phone.
- Activate Warehouse Permits and Contacts.
Resetting the settings of the Phone application
If nothing helps, reset the dialer settings:
Settings โ Applications โ Phone โ Additional โ Reset settings๐ก
If the photo is not displayed only for some contacts, the problem is most likely in the images themselves. Try assigning them new photos with the correct resolution (1080ร1920 px).