Smartphone personalization is not just a way to stand out, but it’s also an opportunity to instantly recognize the caller without even looking at the screen. Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi devices often find that the standard gallery doesn’t offer an obvious button to install an avatar when an incoming call comes, due to the features of the MIUI and HyperOS shell, where features are scattered across different menus.
In this article, we will discuss all the ways to customize the visual support of calls, you will learn how to install images for the entire phone book as a whole, and for specific subscribers, and also learn how to make the photo occupy the entire screen, hiding the standard response buttons.
The process may vary depending on the operating system version and regional firmware, but the basic principles of contact and design themes remain the same on most modern models.
Basic configuration through the Contacts app
The easiest and most reliable method that doesn't require third-party software is to use the built-in phone book functionality, which is where you store your image to your phone number. To start, open the standard Contacts or Phone app and go to the subscriber list tab.
Find the right person in the list or search. After opening the contact card, look at the top of the screen, where the gray stub or current photo is usually located. Click on the pencil icon or the Edit button to go into data change mode.
In the editing menu, you'll see a camera icon or gallery icon right on the avatar, and if you click on it, the system will tell you to choose the source of the image: take a picture or choose from the gallery. After selecting a photo, the system will suggest framing the image so that the face gets into a round area.
⚠️ Attention: The standard contact method often only sets a photo in a small circle during a call. To make the image occupy the entire screen, additional steps are required, described below.
After saving the changes, the photo will be displayed when an incoming call from this subscriber.
☑️ Pre-installing check
Using themes for full-screen photos
If your goal is to have a photo of the caller occupy 100% of the screen, overlapping the standard interface, you'll need to change the theme. Standard MIUI themes often have static backgrounds or blurs, but the Themes store has specialized solutions.
Open the Themes app and search for queries like "Full screen caller," "Photo caller," or "Big photo of the call." You'll need themes that support for full screen photo. Download and apply the theme.
Once you have applied the theme, go back to the Contacts app and re-install the photos for the right subscribers, and the new theme will pick up those images and stretch them across the entire display during the incoming call, ignoring the standard interface constraints.
- 📱 Find a topic marked "HD Photo or Full Screen in the store.
- 🎨 Make sure the theme is compatible with your Android version.
- 💾 After installing the theme, it may be necessary to restart the device.
Not all themes work well with newer versions of HyperOS. If the photo is still small after the change, try a different theme from another developer. Often free themes work more stable than paid ones in this aspect.
Why is the photo cut off?
Setup for individual subscribers and groups
The convenience of the smartphone is that you can set up a unique photo for your boss, and share it with the whole family. To work with groups, go to the Contacts app and find the Group tab or create a new one through the menu.
When you create a group (like Work or Friends), you can add multiple numbers to it. Unfortunately, in Xiaomi’s stock shell, installing a single photo on the entire group is often not directly available without third-party apps. However, you can quickly edit contacts in bundles if they are synced with a Google account.
To set a personal photo on a particular person, the process is similar to the basic setup, and the main advantage of customization is the ability to quickly understand who is calling, even in pocket mode or when the phone is down (if Always On Display is supported).
| Type of setup | Where to change | View of display | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single contact | Annex Contacts | Round or full screen (with theme) | Low. |
| Contact group | Google Contacts (web) | Depends on the topic. | Medium |
| Unknown number. | Settings of the topic | Standard stub. | Low. |
| Hidden number. | Not tuned in. | Gray silhouette | - |
Use this table as a cheat sheet if you are confused about the types of display. For most users, the best option is to manually install a photo on each important number through the editing menu.
Display problems and their solution
Often users are faced with a situation where the photo is installed, but during the call, a gray silhouette is displayed. The first reason may be the cache of the Phone application. Accumulated temporary files can prevent the correct updating of the interface.
To fix this, go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find Phone and Contacts. For each, select Clear → Clear Cache. Don't confuse "Clean All" with "Clean All" or you'll lose your call history.
The second common problem is image format. The system works best with square photos or portraits. If you put a panoramic photo, it can be heavily cropped or stretched. Use the built-in editor to crop before installation.
⚠️ Note: If you use third-party launchers or call apps (such as Truecaller), the standard theme settings may not apply.
Also make sure that the Contacts app has permission to access the storage, and without that, it can't physically download the image from the gallery to be displayed on the lock screen or during a call.
Third-party call apps
If Xiaomi’s standard methods don’t satisfy you, the Google Play market offers a variety of alternatives, with apps like Truecaller, Call Screen, or Hiya taking over the incoming call display function, providing enhanced personalization capabilities.
These programs allow you to set video calls, change the background for all subscribers at once and use huge databases of number detectors, but they require wide permissions and constant access to the network, which can affect the autonomy of the device.
Installing a third-party caller requires that it be assigned by the default application, and then the standard MIUI interface is replaced by the interface of the program you choose, which gives you more freedom, but changes the way you dial.
- 🚀 Extended functionality of interface design.
- 🛡️ Built-in protection against spam and unknown numbers.
- 🔋 Possible increase in battery consumption by background processes.
Choose apps that are highly rated and have a lot of reviews. Avoid questionable programs that request access to SMS and microphone without obvious need, as this is a matter of security of your personal data.
💡
Use high-quality photos: For the best effect, choose images with a resolution of at least 1080x1920 pixels, so that the picture does not look blurry on screens with high DPI.
Features of work in HyperOS
With the release of the HyperOS shell, Xiaomi has changed the visual style of many elements, including the call screen, animations have become smoother and fonts are larger. The installation process of the photo remains the same, but the requirements for formats can be stricter.
The new system has improved integration with Google services, and if your contacts are synced to your Google account, photos installed through the contacts.google.com web interest will automatically reach your phone, the fastest way to set up a photo gallery of calls immediately after you buy a new device.
Note the Contact Widgets feature. HyperOS allows you to display photos of frequent callers directly to your desktop, click on the Widget initiates call, which speeds up communication with loved ones, and then press your finger on the blank space of the screen, select "Widgets" and find the Contacts section.
💡
Syncing with a Google account is the most reliable way to save photos of contacts when changing your phone or resetting your settings to factory ones.
Don’t forget to update the Contacts app periodically through GetApps or Play Market. Developers regularly release patches that fix graphics bugs and improve compatibility with new image formats.