How to put a photo on the phone Xiaomi: 3 working ways

Why Contact Pictures Are Important and How to Add The Right One

Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones offer convenient tools for personalizing contacts, from avatars to cloud-based synchronization. A photo next to a name doesn’t just grace a phone book: it helps you find the right people on your call list faster, distinguish between work contacts and personal contacts, and even adds an emotional component to your communication. For example, seeing a photo of a loved one on an incoming call screen makes you intuitively respond faster to a call.

In this article, we’ll discuss three main ways to add photos to your contacts on Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO and Black Shark, including nuances for different versions of MIUI (12 to 14). Also, you’ll learn how to avoid common mistakes – for example, why an avatar may not appear in messengers or after syncing with Google Contacts. If you’re a Xiaomi user with custom firmware (for example, Xiaomi.EU), pay attention to a separate section with features for such devices.

Before you start, check the version of your shell: go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. This will help you follow the instructions more accurately, as the location of some menu items may vary.

Method 1: Add a photo through the standard “Contacts” app

The easiest method is to use the built-in Contacts app (or Contacts on global firmware), which works on all Xiaomi models, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and Xiaomi 13T, regardless of the MIUI version.

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette on the home screen or in the app menu).
2. Find the contact you want in the list or use the search bar at the top.
3. Click on the contact to open his card.
4. Slip the camera icon (or the plus in the mug if the photo is not already) next to the name.
5. Select the source of the photo: 📷 Take a picture – immediately take a picture of a person through the camera of the phone. 🖼️ Gallery – select an existing photo from the device’s memory. 🎨 Sticker – use an emoji or sticker instead of a photo (not available on all firmware).

"Done."

If you've selected a photo from a gallery, but it's not the right size, the system will automatically suggest that you cut it to a square format. The optimal size of the avatar is 512×512 pixels, but any image with a resolution of 200×200 will do.

Photography in JPG/PNG format (not RAW or HEIC)

The file size does not exceed 5 MB

The contact is stored in the phone book (not only in the phone book). SIM-map)

Google sync is disabled (unless you need to duplicate your contact)-->

⚠️ Note: If a contact is synced to a Google Account, the modified avatar may not appear on other devices connected to the same account. To avoid this, turn off sync for that contact: open its card. → More. Three dots) → Delete from your Google account → Keep it as a local contact.

Method 2: Install a photo through the phone app during a call

Few people know, but you can add or change a photo of the contact right during an incoming/outgoing call, which is convenient if you have a new number and want to save it with an avatar right away.

1. When calling, click on the contact icon (or the “i” icon in the circle if it is an unknown number).
2. In the window that opens, tap the camera icon next to the name (or an empty mug if the photo is missing).
3. Select the source of the photo (camera or gallery) and upload the image.
4. Save the changes – the avatar will be applied automatically after the call is completed.

This method works even for contacts saved on the SIM-But with one caveat: once you add a photo, the contact is automatically transferred to the phone's memory. SIM, Pre-copy the contact in the phone book (Contacts) → More. → Imports/Exports → Copy with SIM).

Through the "Contact" app

During the call.

Through Google Contacts

I don't add it at all.-->

On some models (such as the Xiaomi 12S Ultra or POCO F4 GT), a context menu with the option “Change Photo” appears in the call log when you press the contact avatar for a long time, which speeds up the process if you need to quickly update the image.

Method 3: Sync photos through Google Contacts (for cloud profiles)

If you use Google Contacts to sync your phone book between devices, photos can be added and edited via the web version of the service.

• 🔄 Update avatars on all devices at the same time (for example, on Xiaomi and tablet).
• 🖥️ Upload photos from your computer without sending them to your phone.
• 📁 Save a backup of avatars in the cloud.

Instructions:

1. Open your browser on your computer or phone and go to the Google Contacts website.
2. Sign in with the same account that is linked to your Xiaomi.
3. Find the contact you need in the list and click on it.
4. Click on the camera icon in the top left corner of the contact card.
5. Download a photo from the device or take a picture through the webcam (on PC).
6. Save the changes – the photo syncs with the phone for 5-10 minutes.

If the photo does not appear on Xiaomi, 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, press “Sync” manually.

Features for custom firmware (Xiaomi.EU, PixelExperience, etc.)

If your Xiaomi is running on an unofficial firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.EU, LineageOS or PixelExperience), the process of adding photos may be different.

Custom firmware may also lack the feature of cropping photos when added, in which case use third-party image editing apps (such as Snapseed or PicsArt) to fit the photo to a square 1:1 format in advance.

💡

If after changing the firmware missing photos of contacts, check the folder /sdcard/Pictures/Contacts — Sometimes avatars are saved there as separate files with names in format. contact_{ID}.jpg.

Frequent mistakes and how to fix them

Even after adding photos correctly, Xiaomi users sometimes face problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to solve them:

• 🔴 Photos are not displayed in messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) Reason: messengers use their own contact databases. Solution: open a chat with a contact → click on his name → Select “Edit” and upload the photo directly to the messenger.
• 🔴 Avatar is knocked down after update MIUI Reason: Reset the cache of the Contact App. Solution: Go to Settings → Annexes → Contacts → Memory. → Clear the cache, then reassign the photo.
• 🔴 You can't crop a photo when you add Reason: firmware bug or custom recovery Solution: crop the photo in advance in the gallery or use a third-party contact app (e.g. Simple Contacts).

On some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi) 9A or POCO M3) when adding a photo through SIM-The system automatically converts the image to low resolution (up to the 96×96 To avoid loss of quality, keep contact in your phone memory beforehand.

⚠️ Note: If you use the “Duplicate Contacts” function (for example, for one person’s work and personal numbers), the photo will only be displayed for the main contact. To assign different avatars, combine duplicates: open the contact card. → More. → Unite.

Additional tips for working with contacts on Xiaomi

To make the most of your phone book on Xiaomi, use these tips:

• 📌 Contact Grouping: Create groups (e.g., Family, Work) for quick access. → Groups → To form a group.
• 🔍 Quick search: In MIUI Search is supported not only by name, but also by number, email address or notes in the contact card.
• 🔒 Hidden contacts: To hide unnecessary numbers, open a contact card → More. → They'll stay in the phone book, but they won't show up in the main list.
• 📱 Export/Import: Use.vcf format for backup contacts: Contacts → More. → Imports/Exports.

If you call the same people often, add them to Favorites: open your contact card → click on the asterisk in the top right corner. These contacts will appear on a separate tab in the Phone app, which will speed up access to them.

💡

To speed up dialing, turn on the Quick Dial feature in the Phone app (Settings → Quick Dial) which allows you to assign numbers (2-9) for quick access to your favorite contacts.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions