Personalizing the smartphone interface is not just a matter of aesthetics, but a way to instantly visually identify the caller. Owners of the popular Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 model often face a situation where only a standard gray stub is displayed on an incoming call instead of the person’s face, which causes irritation and makes you spend extra time searching for the right name in the contact list during a conversation.
The problem of not having avatars can be in the system nuances of the MIUI shell or the peculiarities of data synchronization. Sometimes the user simply does not know where the desired editing function is hiding, since the logic of the menu may differ from standard Android. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the ways of installing images, from basic methods to solving specific display errors.
You will learn how to frame the image correctly so that it fits perfectly into the round or square shape of the call widget. We will also touch on the issue of synchronization with your Google account, which will allow you to save your settings even after changing your device or resetting the system. Follow the instructions to make your Redmi Note 10 look as personal as possible.
Basic method of installation through the Contacts application
The most obvious and frequently used method is to use the regular Contacts app, which is preinstalled on each Xiaomi device. First, you need to open the appropriate shortcut on your desktop or app menu. Find the right subscriber in the list and click on their name to go to the detailed card.
In the menu that opens, you'll see a round icon with letters or a standard silhouette. Click on this area or look for the Change button (often indicated by a pencil) located at the top or bottom of the screen, and the system will suggest you choose the source of the image: take a picture with the camera or choose from the gallery.
Once you select the file, you'll see an editor where you can shift the framing area. It's important to consider that the lock screen and the call time are cropped in a circle, so center your face or important object carefully. Once the changes are confirmed, the picture should immediately appear in the profile.
⚠️ Note: If you don’t see the edit button, it’s possible that the contact is not stored in your phone’s memory or Google account, but on your phone. SIM-Contacts on the SIM have limited functionality and often do not support the addition of graphic files.
For mass-updating avatars, this method may seem time-consuming, but it provides maximum control over each image. You can individually approach the choice of photos for each person, avoiding random or low-quality shots.
Installation of photo through the phone book menu
An alternative way is through the standard Phone app (green handset), which is convenient because it allows you to edit the subscriber card directly from the call history, which saves time when dealing with recent calls.
Open the call log and find the number you want in the list. Click on the arrow next to the number or the line itself to open the additional menu. In the option list that appears, select Information or Information. Then the algorithm is the same as the previous one: click on the icon and select a new photo from the gallery.
Sometimes the MIUI interface on the Redmi Note 10 can hide the photo upload button behind an additional three-dot menu. If you don't see the obvious avatar change button, look for the option to Add a photo in the drop-down action list.
- 📸 Open the call log and find the number you need.
- ✏️ Click on the number line to reveal details.
- 🖼️ Select the avatar editing option and upload the image.
- 💾 Save the changes by pressing the confirmation button.
This method is especially useful if you just received a call from an unfamiliar number, decided to save it and immediately assign a photo without going to a separate contact app, speed of the operation is a key advantage here.
Sync with Google Account and Cloud
One of the main reasons why installed photos don’t show up or disappear after a reset is the lack of sync.The Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 is tightly integrated with Google’s ecosystem, and using this feature properly will save you a lot of problems in the future.
When you add a photo to a contact that is linked to a Google account, the image is uploaded to the company’s servers, which means that if you lose your phone or buy a new one, just log in to your account and all the avatars will automatically be downloaded from the cloud.
☑️ Verification of synchronization
To check sync status, go to Settings -> Accounts and Sync. Make sure the switch opposite your Google account is active and the details are ticked against Contacts. If sync is disabled, photos will only be stored locally on the device.
In addition, sync via Mi Cloud is available, and while it is popular in China and some other regions, it is more important for users in the CIS and Europe to use Google Contacts as it provides better compatibility with other Android devices.
⚠️ Note: When switching between accounts or clearing app data, contacts may disappear from the screen if they were not saved to the cloud.Always check sync status before resetting your phone settings.
Image editing and cropping
The quality of the photo displayed during the call depends on how correctly you framed it. Redmi Note 10 screens are high resolution, and stretched or blurred pictures will look unnatural.
The built-in MIUI editor allows you to crop the image before saving. The system will offer you a square highlight area. Move the frame so that the face of the interlocutor occupies the center part, leaving a minimum amount of background on the sides.
If you don’t have enough of the standard framing functionality, you can use third-party photo editing apps before uploading, but Xiaomi’s built-in tools are proving to be quite good at optimizing the image for a round avatar.
Why does the photo look blurry?
Note the file format. The most compatible formats are JPG and PNG. If you try to upload an image in a rare or heavy format, the system can automatically compress it, resulting in loss of quality, or even refuse to download the file.
Table: Comparison of photo installation methods
For ease of perception of information, we have prepared a summary table that will help you choose the best way to install an avatar depending on your current situation and goals.
| Method | Difficulty | Synchronization | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Through the Contacts app | Low. | Automatic (if enabled) | For single installation |
| Through the Call Journal | Low. | Automatic. | For new rooms |
| Mass editing (PC) | Medium | It takes time. | To fill out the whole book |
| Social networks (Viber, WhatsApp) | Tall. | Depends on the app. | Not recommended for the system |
As you can see from the table, standard methods through Xiaomi system applications are the most reliable. Using third-party messengers to install photos in the phone book often leads to conflicts when one application overwrites the data of another.
Mass editing through your computer makes sense if you start a new phone and want to fill out a hundred contacts at once, and you can use Google Contacts in your browser, uploading photos in a batch, after which they are synced with the Redmi Note 10.
Why the photo is not displayed: solving problems
Often, users are faced with a situation where the photo seems to be installed, but when an incoming call again shows a gray stub, this can be due to the cache of the Phone or Contacts application, in which case you need to clear the cache of these applications through the settings menu.
Another common reason is duplicate contacts, where if you have the same number twice (e.g., one in your phone’s memory, one in Google’s), the system may be confused about which card to display, in which case you need to combine duplicates.
- 🧹 Clear the cache of the phone and contacts applications.
- 🔗 Check for duplicates and combine them.
- 🔄 Perform re-synchronization of Google account.
- 📱 Make sure that the contact is kept in the right account.
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If the photo is missing after the MIUI update, try to delete the problem contact and save it again, pre-exporting the number to the.vcf file so as not to lose data.
Also worth checking is the app permissions. Make sure the Contacts app has access to storage (photos) without that permission, it won't be able to physically download the image from your device.
Additional display settings in MIUI
The MIUI shell offers various design themes that can change the look of the incoming call screen. Some themes have their own avatar display styles, ignoring system settings. If you're using a third-party theme, try switching to a standard one.
You can find options in the theme settings that are linked to lock screen and call, sometimes with a "Hide photo contact" checkmark or a similar privacy feature that hides faces until you answer a call.
Developer mode is available for advanced users, but it is rarely useful in the context of contacting a photo, and the basic settings are in the user interface, and deep screeching in system files is not necessary.
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Using a standard design theme is the most reliable way to ensure that your contacts’ photos are displayed correctly on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10.
Remember that the software is constantly updated, and the location of some items may change slightly with the release of new versions of Android and MIUI. However, the basic logic of working with contacts remains unchanged over the years.