How to put a photo in contacts on Xiaomi: 5 ways with pictures

Do you want to personalize your contacts on your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO by adding photos of friends, colleagues or relatives? This will not only make the phone book more convenient, but also help you quickly identify incoming calls. However, many users face difficulties: somewhere the Add Photo button is inactive, somewhere the image does not appear in the messengers, and sometimes the system does not save changes at all.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to install photos for contacts on Xiaomi smartphones (including models from 2023-2026), taking into account the features of the MIUI 12-15 firmware and Android 10-14. You will learn how to bypass typical errors, why a photo may not be displayed on WhatsApp or Telegram, and how to synchronize avatars between devices. And if you have an old Xiaomi with an outdated version of MIUI, there is a solution for you too!

1. Standard method: through the "Contacts" application

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

1. Open the Contacts app (a icon with a person's silhouette).
2. Find the right contact in the list and tap it.
3. In the upper right corner, click on the pencil icon ("Edit").
4. Touch the camera icon next to the contact name.
5. Select the source: 📷 Take a photo – a photo from the camera right now. 🖼️ Gallery – Select an existing image. 🎨 Avatar – create a stylized icon (not available on all firmware).

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

⚠️ Note: If the "Add Photo" button is inactive, check if the contact is saved to the SIM-Transfer it to your Google account or device via the editing menu.

Check the permissions for the "Contact" application in the settings

Update the Contacts app via Google Play

Reboot your smartphone

Clear the cache of the Contacts app (Settings → Applications → Contacts → Storage)

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2. How to add photos through Google Contacts (synchronization)

If you use a Google account to sync your contacts, the changed photo will automatically show up on all devices (including tablets and PCs), a technique that is especially useful for Xiaomi owners with MIUI firmware for the global market.

Instructions:

1. Open Google Contacts in your browser (Chrome is recommended).
2. Sign in with the same account as on your phone.
3. Find a contact and click on it.
4. Click on the camera icon in the upper left corner.
5. Download the image from your computer or take a picture through a webcam.
6. Save the changes – photos sync with Xiaomi for 5-10 minutes.

🔹 The advantage of the method is that the photo will be visible in Gmail, Google Meet and other services of Google, but some messengers (for example, Viber) may display incorrectly.

💡

If the photo is not synced, check your Google account settings on your phone: go to Settings → Accounts → Google → Contact Sync and turn on the option.

3.Why is the contact photo not displayed on WhatsApp/Telegram?

A common problem: you've added a photo to your contacts, but it's not shown in messengers.

⚠️ Note: WhatsApp only displays a contact photo if the person has not installed their avatar in the messenger profile.

WhatsApp

Telegram

Viber

Signal

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4. Alternative methods: via Truecaller and MIUI Themes

If standard methods don’t work, try workarounds, which are especially relevant for Xiaomi users with custom firmware or outdated versions of MIUI.

Method 1: Appendix Truecaller

Truecaller automatically pulls up photos from social networks (if the contact is registered in the service).

1. Install Truecaller from Google Play.
2. Register and allow access to contacts.
3. Open the contact card in Truecaller – if you have a photo, it syncs with the system contacts.

Method 2: MIUI Themes (for support firmware)

Some MIUI themes allow you to customize the display of contacts:

1. Go to Settings → Themes.
2. Choose a theme that supports contact customization (e.g. Mi Space).
3. In the theme settings, find the Contacts section and download alternative icons.

Critical information for Xiaomi users on Chinese firmware (CN ROM): without binding to Mi-account, you will not be able to edit contacts saved in your Xiaomi account.

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If the contact photo is not displayed in the calls, check the settings of the Phone application: sometimes the display of avatars in the call interface is disabled.

6. How to put a photo on the contact group (for business users)

MIUI 14+ has the ability to add photos not only for individual contacts, but also for groups (for example, “Colleagues” or “Family”), which is convenient for quick identification when sending mass messages.

Instructions:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Go to the Group (or Groups) tab.
3. Create a new group or select an existing one.
4. Click on the group icon and select Edit.
5. Slip on the camera icon next to the group name and upload the photo.

🔹 Restriction: Group photo is only displayed in the Contacts app and when sending messages via the standard SMS/MMS-In messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) it does not work.

7 How to transfer photos of contacts from the old Xiaomi to the new

When you change your Xiaomi smartphone, many users lose contact avatars. To avoid this, use one of the methods:

Method 1: Through a Google Account

If your contacts are synced with Google, the photos will be automatically transferred when you add an account to your new phone.

Method 2: Backup of MIUI

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → About Phone → Backup.
2. Select Local Backup and select Contacts.
3. Copy the backup file (.mbk) to your new phone.
4. On the new device, restore data through the same menu.

Method 3: Exports in VCF format

1. Open Contacts → Settings → Import / Export.
2. Export contacts to a.vcf file (to a memory card or internal memory).
3. Transfer the file to a new phone and import it.

⚠️ Note: When exporting to VCF Contact photos are not always saved. Use backup for security. MIUI or synchronize with Google.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photos in Xiaomi contacts