How to set a photo for contact in Xiaomi Redmi Note 9: 5 proven ways

Installing a photo on a contact in Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 seems like a simple task, but users often face nuances: images do not save after synchronization, are cropped incorrectly or do not appear at all in some messengers. In this article, we will analyze all working methods, from standard MIUI tools to bypassing restrictions through third-party services.

The Redmi Note 9 (M2003J15SC/M2003J15SS) is a customized MIUI that differs from pure Android. For example, photos added through Google Contacts may not show up in the standard Contacts app from Xiaomi, and vice versa. We tested all methods on the latest MIUI (14.0.5 and later) and highlighted those that work.

Important: If you are using doubles SIM-Cards or accounts of different manufacturers (Xiaomi) + Google, photos can be duplicated or lost when you change profiles. There's a section in this article that deals with this particular issue.

1. Standard method: via the “Contacts” app from Xiaomi

The most obvious method is to use the built-in Contacts app (a green background icon with a white human silhouette), which is suitable for photos that will only appear in the Redmi Note 9 phone book and standard calls.

Algorithm of action:

📱 Open the Contact App (not to be confused with Phone!).
🔍 Find the right contact in the list or use the search at the top.
✏️ Click on the contact, then tap on the pencil icon (edit) in the upper right corner.
🖼️ Tap the camera icon next to the name (or standard avatar).
📸 Select the source: Take a photo, activate the camera. Gallery, allows you to select an existing image. Avatars, offer standard images from Xiaomi.
✅ Confirm the changes by clicking Save.

⚠️ Note: If a contact is linked to a Google account, the photo may not be saved to the cloud. To avoid this, switch the contact type to the Device before editing (see Section 3).

The correct contact (not duplicate) is selected

The photo is in resolution (500×500 px is recommended)

Contact is not linked to a Google account (if local storage is required)

Sync is disabled (Settings → Accounts → Contact Sync)

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2. Add a photo via Google Contacts (for synchronization)

If you use Google Contacts to back up, photos can be added via the web version or mobile app, which ensures that the image is available on all devices where sync is enabled.

Instructions for the web version:

Open your browser on your PC or phone and go to contacts.google.com.
Sign in with the same account as the Redmi Note 9.
Find the right contact and click on it.
Click on the camera icon in the upper left corner of the contact card.
Download the image from the device or make a new one through the webcam.
Save the changes.

For synchronization on the phone:

🔄 Go to Settings. → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization of the account.
📥 Enable Contacts option (if disabled).
⏳ Wait 5-10 minutes – photos are automatically downloaded.

⚠️ Note: If after sync, the photo does not appear in the standard Contacts app from Xiaomi, this is due to a database conflict.The solution is to use the Google Contacts app (download to the Play Store) or manually combine duplicates (section 4).

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To speed up sync, turn on mobile internet (Wi-Fi is sometimes slower) and restart your phone after saving a photo in Google Contacts.

3. How to change the contact type (Device vs Google)

One of the common reasons why photos are lost or not saved is the wrong type of contact. In the Redmi Note 9, the contact can be stored:

📱 On the device - only in the memory of the phone (not synchronized).
☁️ Google syncs with the cloud, but can conflict with the cloud MIUI.
🔗 V SIM-The card does not support photos.

To change the type:

Open the contact in the Contacts app.
Press Edit (pencil).
Slip the contact type field (usually under the name).
Select Device (for local storage) or Google (for cloud).
Save the changes.

Type of contact	Supports the photo	Synchronization	Represented in
The device	✅ Yes.	❌ No.	Only on this phone.
Google	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.	On all devices with this account
SIM-map	❌ No.	❌ No.	Only in SIM-menu
Xiaomi Cloud	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes, only for Xiaomi devices)	On all Xiaomi smartphones with this account

A critical nuance for the Redmi Note 9 is that if a contact was originally created through Google and you're trying to add a photo as "Device," the system will create a duplicate. To avoid this, export the contact to the VCF file first, delete the original, and then import back with the desired type.

4. Combination of duplicate contacts (if the photo is not displayed)

If a photo is added but not shown in calls or messengers, the problem may be duplicate contacts. MIUI automatically creates copies when synchronized with different accounts (Google, Xiaomi Cloud, SIM).

How to combine duplicates:

Open Contacts. → ⋮ (menu) → Contact management → Connecting contacts.
The system will show you a list of possible duplicates. Push the pair to combine.
Choose which information to keep (priority is given to contact with the photo).
Confirm the merger.

If the automatic connection does not work:

🔍 Manually find duplicates by name.
🗑️ Remove unnecessary contact (leaving the one where the photo is).
🔄 Restart your phone – sometimes the cache interferes with the display.

Why are contacts duplicated?

Duplicates appear when the same contact is saved on different accounts (e.g. Google and on the device). MIUI does not always correctly sync photos between them, so when editing one contact, the changes may not apply to another.

5. Alternative methods: third-party applications

If the standard methods don't work, you can use third-party applications, and they're useful when you need them:

🎨 Implement effects on the photo before saving.
🔄 Add a photo to several contacts.
📲 Synchronize with other services (VK, Telegram, WhatsApp).

Top.-3 tested applications:

Annex	Advantages	Deficiencies
Sync.ME	Automatically adds photos from social networks, blocks spam	Requires access to contacts and social networks
Contacts+	Convenient photo editor, backup	Advertising in the free version
Truecaller	Photo database for business contacts, number determinant	Collects user data

Instructions for Contacts+:

Download the app from the Play Store.
Give access to contacts.
Find the right contact and tap on it.
Click Edit → Change the photo.
Select the source (gallery, camera, social networks).
Save the changes – the photo is synchronized with the standard Contacts app.

⚠️ Note: Apps like Truecaller can replace standard photos with their own (open source) to avoid this, turn off the option Auto Update Photos in the app settings.

Standard annex “Contacts”

Google Contacts

Part of the appendix (Sync.ME, Contacts+)

Don't add a photo.

Another way.

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6 Why the photo is not displayed on WhatsApp/Telegram and how to fix it

Even if a photo is successfully added to the contact, it may not show up in messengers, which is because WhatsApp, Telegram and other apps use their own contact databases, which are not always synchronized with the system.

Solutions for popular messengers:

WhatsApp: 🔄 Update the contact in the phone book, then restart WhatsApp. 📥 In WhatsApp settings, turn off and turn back the option to Show Contacts. 🗑️ Remove WhatsApp cache in Settings → Annexes → WhatsApp → Memory. → Clear the cache.
Telegram: 🔍 Find a contact in Telegram, tap on it → Edit → Update photo. ☁️ If the contact is synced with Google, check that the photo is in Google Contacts.
Viber: 📞 Get in touch with the chat room. → Information → Update the avatar. 🔄 Restart your phone – Viber can update your data for a long time.

Unique Redmi Note 9 bug: In some versions of MIUI (12.5–13.0), WhatsApp does not update photos of contacts if they are tied to Xiaomi Cloud.

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If the photo doesn't show up in messengers, check it first in Google Contacts (contacts.google.com). Most apps pull data from there, not from the local phone book.

7. Optimal photo settings for contacts

In order for the photo to be correctly displayed in all applications, it must meet the technical requirements:

📏 Permission: 500×500 pixels (optimally), maximum 1000×1000.
🎨 Format: JPEG or PNG (GIF unsupported).
🔲 Aspect ratio: 1:1 (square).
📌 File size: up to 200 KB (otherwise it may be cut off).

How to prepare a photo:

Use cropping apps like Photo Editor or PicsArt.
Cut the image to square by centering the face.
Compress the file via TinyJPG if it is too heavy.

⚠️ Attention: MIUI It automatically crops photos in a circle in the contact interface, but in messengers they can be shown square.

FAQ: Frequent questions about installing photos on contacts

Can I put a GIF instead of a photo on the contact?

No, Redmi Note 9 does not support animated avatars (GIF) for contacts. Maximum is a static image in JPEG/PNG format. In some custom firmware (for example, Pixel Experience), this feature may appear, but on standard MIUI it is missing.

Why did all the contact photos disappear after resetting?

When you reset to factory settings (Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset), all data, including locally stored contacts, is deleted. If the photos were tied to a Device type, they will disappear. Solution: Restore contacts from the backup (if it was created in Settings → Additional → Backup). Use Google Contacts to automatically sync in the future.

How to make a photo of the contact appear when the call is incoming?

If the photo is in contact but not shown when you call: Check that the contact is saved with the correct number (without unnecessary characters like "+" or "8"). Open Settings → Applications → Phone → Notifications → Incoming calls and turn on the option to Show photos. Make sure the photo meets the requirements (500×500 px resolution, JPEG format).

Can I add a photo to all my contacts?

Standard instruments MIUI They do not support mass photo addition, but you can do it through: Google Contacts on PC: download CSV-file with links to the photo, then import. Contacts app+: There's a batch editing feature (paid). Excel. + VCF: Create a table with contact data and photos, then convert to VCF via online services.

Why did the contact photo become blurry?

Blurrance occurs for three reasons: Low source resolution is the minimum quality for clear display: 300×300 Automatic compression MIUI — Solution: Use third-party applications (e.g. Sync.ME) and Cache of the Contacts app, clear it to Settings. → Annexes → Contacts → Memory. → Clear the cache.