How to put a photo on the contact in Xiaomi Redmi 8T: 5 proven ways

Set photos to your contacts in Xiaomi Redmi 8T is a simple but not always obvious task. Many users are faced with the fact that the standard Contacts app does not offer the option to add an image when you create a new number, and in some MIUI firmwares this feature is hidden in unexpected sections. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways, from basic to alternative, including synchronization through Google Contacts and third-party applications.

The peculiarity of Redmi 8T (codename willow) is that depending on the version of MIUI (global, Chinese, custom) the interface of the application "Contacts" may differ. For example, in MIUI 12 and later, the feature of adding photos is put in a separate menu, whereas in MIUI 11 it was available directly when editing the contact. We took into account all the nuances and prepared universal instructions that will work regardless of the firmware version.

Important: If you are using doubles SIM-Maps or sync contacts with multiple accounts (Mi Account, Google, WhatsApp), the process may be slightly different.

Method 1: Through the standard Contacts application (MIUI)

The most obvious method is to use Xiaomi’s built-in Contacts app, but there are pitfalls: in some versions of MIUI, the option to add photos is hidden or disabled by default.

1. Open the Contacts app (a icon with a person’s silhouette on a green background).
2. Find the contact you want in the list and click on it to open the card.
3. In the upper right corner, tap the icon. ⋮ (three-point) → select Edit.
4. In the edit menu that opens, find the camera icon (📷) If you don't have one, see the problem-solving section.
5. Click on the camera icon and select one of the options: 📸 Take a photo – activated smartphone camera to take a new picture. 🖼️ Select from the gallery - access to saved images is opened. 🎨 Create an avatar (available in the MIUI 14+) — logo-drawer.

Ready.

Save.

If after saving the photo is not displayed in the contact list, check the display settings: go to Contacts → ⋮ → Settings → Display contacts and make sure that the item Show photos is included.

Method 2: Through Google Contacts (Sync)

If you use a Google account to sync your contacts, you can add a photo via the web version of Google Contacts, which is convenient because the changes are automatically applied to all devices associated with the account.

1. Open your browser on your PC or phone and go to contacts.google.com.
2. Sign in with the same Google account that is linked to Redmi 8T.
3. Find the contact you need in the list and click on it.
4. In the card that opens, click on the camera icon (📷) top-left.
5. Upload a photo from your device or take a new picture (if you use the mobile version of the site).
6. Save the changes – the photo syncs with the phone for 1-2 minutes.

If the photo doesn’t appear on Redmi 8T, check the sync settings:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Make sure the switch opposite the Contact is active.
3. If necessary, click Sync now.

💡

If a photo in Google Contacts is displayed but does not appear on your phone, try clearing the Contacts app cache (Settings → Apps → Contacts → Storage → Clear cache).

Method 3: Use of the Truecaller application

Truecaller not only detects incoming calls, but also allows you to add photos to your contacts even if they are not in the standard phone book, which is suitable if you have an old version of MIUI installed or the photo add-on feature is disabled.

1. Download and install Truecaller from Play Market.
2. Open the app and allow access to contacts.
3. Find the right contact in the list and tap on it.
4. In the card that opens, click on the camera icon (📷) near-name.
5. Select the source of the photo (gallery or camera) and save the changes.

Important: Truecaller replaces standard contact photos only within its app, and to make changes to the system phone book, you need to export the contacts from Truecaller back to the phone book.

⚠️ Warning: Truecaller collects your contacts for the numbering service. If privacy is more important than convenience, use other methods.

Method 4: Through the Gallery App (MIUI)

MIUI 12 and later adds a quick assign to contacts directly from the Gallery app, which is convenient if you want to use an existing image.

1. Open the Gallery app and find the photo you want to assign to the contact.
2. Slip on the photo to open it in full screen mode.
3. Click on the icon. ⋮ (three points) in lower right corner → Choose Assign Contact.
4. In the list that appears, select the contact to which you want to attach the photo.
5. If necessary, cut the image and press Ready.
6. Copy the file on your PC or use a file manager on your phone (such as Mi File Manager).
7. Open the.vcf file in a text editor (e.g. Notepad++ or Block Notes).
8. Find a line. PHOTO; And then add a path to the photo in the format. base64 Or a reference to an image: PHOTO;ENCODING=b;TYPE=JPEG:[base64-Image code: To obtain base64-code, use online converters (e.g., online converters, base64-image.de).
9. Save the changes and import the edited file back to the phone book: Open Contacts → ⋮ → Imports/Exports → Import from a file. Select the edited.vcf file.

⚠️ Warning: Incorrect editing of the.vcf file may result in loss of contact data. make a backup before changing.

Problem Solving: Why is the photo not displayed?

If you have added a photo but it doesn’t appear in your contact list or when you call, check out the following:

If the problem is not solved, try resetting the Contacts app settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Contacts → Storage.
2. Click Clear Data (all contacts will be deleted, make a backup copy first!).
3. Restart your phone and restore contacts from backup.

You can use apps like Canva or Photo Lab to create avatars quickly, where you have templates for contact photos, and MIUI 14+ has an avatar editor built in, which is available when you click on the camera icon in the contact card.

FAQ: Frequent questions