How to put your picture on a call in Xiaomi: 5 ways with photos and videos

You want your Xiaomi phone to display a picture of a caller on the screen, not a boring avatar? Not only does it make the interface personalized, it helps to quickly identify the caller. MIUI (branded shell Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO) has several ways to set the picture on the call, from standard settings to hidden features. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods for MIUI 14/15, including bypassing the system constraints.

Many users have a problem: upload a photo to a contact, and the call screen still displays a standard icon, because of the features of MIUI optimization, which caches images, we will show you how to update the cache, change the display settings, and even use third-party applications if standard methods do not work.

Important: The instruction is suitable for most Xiaomi models (including Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 13), but some Android Go or custom firmware devices may have limitations. If your model is older than 2019, check the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone – for older versions (below MIUI 12), some features may not be available.

1. Standard method: through contact editing

The most obvious method is to add a photo directly to the contact card, but there are nuances: MIUI may not update the image on the call screen if it was added long ago or has an inappropriate format.

To avoid problems, follow the exact instructions:

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a human silhouette).
2. Find the right contact and tap it.
3. Click on "Edit" (the pencil icon in the upper right corner).
4. Slip on the standard avatar (or plus-plus if the photo is missing).
5. Select the source: 📷 Take a photo if you want to take a picture of the subscriber right now. 🖼️ Gallery - to select the finished image. 🎨 Avatars – standard icons from Xiaomi.

Cut the photo in a circle (if necessary) and save the changes.

Once saved, be sure to restart your phone to reset the contact cache, which solves the problem 80% of the time when the photo doesn't appear on the call screen.

⚠️ Note: If the contact is synced with Google Account, the changes may not apply immediately. → Accounts. → Google → Sync contacts, save the photo and then turn it back on.

Photo in JPG/PNG format (not WEBP or GIF)

Resolution of at least 300×300 pixels

Contact is not duplicated in the phone book

The "Contact" app cache is cleared (Settings) → Annexes → Contacts → Warehouse → Clear the cache)-->

2.Why is the photo not displayed on the call screen?

Even if you put the image in contact correctly, it may not appear when you call it in, and here are the main reasons and solutions:

Reason 1: Xiaomi's MIUI cache aggressively caches contact images to save resources.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find “Contacts” and select “Storage”.
3. Click on “Clear Cache” (not data!).
4. Reboot the phone.

Reason 2: Duplicate contacts

If you have two identical contacts (e.g., one in your phone's memory, the other in Google), the system can show a photo from the wrong record.

1. Open the "Contact» → «Control” (three points above).
2. Select "Contacts to be combined".
3. Follow the system's clues.

Reason 3: Limitations of the subject of design

Some MIUI themes (especially dark or minimalist ones) may hide a photo on the call screen.

1. Go to Settings. → Registration.
2. Select the standard theme “MIUI” or “Ocean”.
3. Reset the device.

Redmi Note 10/11/12

POCO X3/X4/X5

Mi 11/12/13

Another Xiaomi model

I'm not Xiaomi.-->

Alternative method: via the “Phone” app

If editing the contact didn't work, try installing the photo directly through the call log, which works even on older versions of MIUI:

Instructions:

1. Open the phone application (green handset).
2. Go to the Journal and find the number for which you want to set the photo.
3. Slip on the number, then press the "i" (information) next to the name.
4. Select “Edit Contact”.
5. Add or change the photo (as in the first method).
6. Save the changes and call from another phone right away to check the display.

How to set up:

1. Install Truecaller from Google Play.
2. Register (you can use Google Account).
3. Open the contact in Truecaller and click "Edit".
4. Add a photo and save it.

2. Sync.ME

Alternative to Truecaller with a stricter privacy policy:

• 🔒 Do not collect data without permission.
• 🌍 Supports synchronization with LinkedIn and Twitter.
• 📱 There is a function of “Cloud backup” contacts.

3. Zedge

Application for customization with avatars and wallpaper base:

• 🎨 More than 100,000 ready-made contact avatars.
• 🔄 Automatic image updates.
• 📥 Supports uploading of your photos.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party apps, disable battery optimization for them in Settings → Battery → Optimize the battery, otherwise they may not work in the background.

5. Manual editing of system files (for advanced)

If you're willing to take drastic measures, you can manually replace the contact photo in the system files, which requires root rights and is only suitable for advanced users.

Step-by-step:

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db
3. Back up the contacts2.db file (copy it to your computer).
4. Open the file with the help SQL-editor (e.g., editor, DB Browser for SQLite).
5. Find the table. raw_contacts and a record with the right contact.
6. In the data table, find the line with mimetype ='vnd.android.cursor.item/photo' and replace the data15 value with the path to the new photo (uploading it to /sdcard/Pictures/Contacts/).
7. Save the changes and restart the phone.

This is guaranteed to work, but it's risky: if you make a mistake, you can lose all contacts. Use it only if other methods have not worked.

6. Features for different Xiaomi models

Depending on the model Xiaomi and the version of MIUI, the process of installing a photo on a call may differ.

Redmi Note 10/11/12 and POCO X3/X4/X5

These models with MIUI 13/14 often have a problem with displaying photos due to aggressive optimization.

• Turn off “Background Process Minimization” for the Contacts app in Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization.
• Use the theme "Classic", as in dark themes photos may not show.

Mi 11/12/13 and flagship models

On the flagships with AMOLED-The photo on the call may be dim due to adaptive brightness:

1. Go to Settings → Display → Adaptive brightness.
2. Turn off the option or add the Phone app to the exceptions.

Android One (Mi A1/A2/A3)

These models use a “pure” Android, so:

• 📱 Photos on the call are installed through the standard Google Contacts app».
• 🔄 After changing the photo, it may take up to 5 minutes to sync.
• 🚫 The manual editing method does not work contacts2.db (There are other ways).

💡

On devices with MIUI 15 (2026), the Dynamic Avatars feature appeared - photos of contacts can be animated when an incoming call is made. To enable: Settings → Design → Animation of avatars

7. Video instructions: how to install a photo on a call Xiaomi

If you can see the information visually, watch our step-by-step video (relevant to MIUI 14/15):

Video content:

• 🕒 0:00 – Introduction and review of problems.
• 🕒 0:45 – Standard method through “Contacts».
• 🕒 2:10 - Solving the cache problem.
• 🕒 3:30 – Configure via the application “Phone».
• 🕒 5:00 AM - Use of Truecaller.

📌 Video: [How to put a photo on a call Xiaomi (MIUI 14/15)](https://youtu.be/reference)

If the video is not available, check if YouTube is blocked by your operator or if you are not able to access it. VPN. You can also download the instructions in the format PDF by this link: [Download] PDF-guide](https://erf/xiaomi_call_photo_guide.pdf).

FAQ: Frequent questions about setting up a photo on a call