How to set a photo to contact Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro: 5 working ways

Installing a contact photo on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro seems like a simple task, but many users are faced with nuances: the image is not saved, cropped incorrectly or simply does not appear in calls. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways – from the standard phone book to instant messengers, and also explain why avatars sometimes “disappear” after the MIUI update.

The Redmi Note 8 Pro (begonia) features a hybrid contact system, which can store data in both your phone’s local memory and your Google or Mi Account, which depends on where you see the photo installed, for example, if you add an avatar via WhatsApp, it may not appear in the standard Contacts app, and vice versa.

We tested all the methods on firmware. MIUI 12.5–14 (Android 10–12) and highlighted the key points: where to store contacts, how to avoid cropping photos, and what to do if the image “flys” after synchronization. MIUI.

1. Installation of photos through the standard application "Contacts"

The most obvious way is to use the built-in Contacts app (an icon with a person's silhouette on a green background), and there are two options: add a photo for a new contact or edit an existing one.

To set up an avatar for an existing contact:

1. Open the Contacts app and find the contact you want in the list.
2. Slip on it, then click the Edit button (the pencil icon in the upper right corner).
3. Touch the round silhouette of the camera next to the contact name.
4. Select the source: 📷 Take a photo – directly from the camera phone; 🖼️ Gallery – Choose from existing images; 🎨 Avatars – standard icons from Xiaomi.

Ready.

An important caveat: if a contact is synced to a Google Account, the photo may not be saved locally.

⚠️ Attention: Go to Settings → Accounts. → Google and temporarily turn off contact sync. After you set up the photo, turn it back on.

The process is similar to that for a new contact, but you first need to press + in the lower right corner of the screen and fill in the main fields (name, phone).

Selected the right account to save (Google or Mi Account)

The photo has a resolution of at least 300×300 pixels

Contact sync is temporarily disabled (if local saving is required)

The "Contact" app is updated to the latest version-->

2. Adding an avatar via Google Contacts (web version)

If the photo is not saved via your phone, try using the web version of Google Contacts, a method guaranteed to work for contacts linked to your Google Account and sync with all devices.

Instructions:

1. Open contacts.google.com on your computer or phone and log in.
2. Find the contact you need in the list and click on it.
3. Click on the camera icon in the top left corner (near the name).
4. Download a photo from your device or select from Google Photos.
5. Cut the image (if necessary) and save the changes.

Critical point: Google compresses uploaded photos to a resolution of 720×720 pixels. If you need to maintain original quality, use local storage (method 1).

3. Installation of photos via WhatsApp or Telegram

Messengers often use their own contact databases, so the avatars added here may not appear in the standard call app, but it's handy if you communicate more often through chats than you make calls.

On WhatsApp:

1. Open the contact chat.
2. Slip your name at the top of the screen.
3. Click on the camera icon next to the profile photo.
4. Select a source (gallery or camera) and crop the photo.

On Telegram:

1. Open your contact profile (slip by name in the chat).
2. Click on the current avatar (or empty circle).
3. Select Change Photos → Download new.
4. Cut the image and save it.

Limitations:

• 🚫 WhatsApp only shows a photo of the contact (not synced to the phone book).
• 🔄 In Telegram, the avatar will appear in you and the interlocutor, but not in standard calls.
• 📱 To get a photo from the messenger to appear in the phone book, you need to manually add it using method 1 or 2.

In the standard annex “Contacts”

Through Google Contacts (Web)

WhatsApp.

Telegram.

Another way.-->

4. Use of third-party applications (Truecaller, Sync.ME)

If the built-in methods don't work, you can use third-party contact management apps, the most popular ones being Truecaller and Sync.ME, which not only allow you to install avatars, but also automatically pull up photos from social networks.

Truecaller:

• 📥 Install the app from Google Play.
• 🔍 Find a contact in the search or open their profile.
• 🖼️ Click on the avatar. → Change the photo → select the source.
• 🔄 After the change, the photo syncs with the phone book (reboot may be required).

Sync.ME:

• 🛠️ After installing the app, give it access to contacts and social networks (Facebook, VK etc.).
• 🔍 Find a contact in the Sync.ME list.
• 📸 Click on the empty avatar → Add a photo. → Choose an image.
• 🔄 The photo will automatically be updated in the phone book and other messengers.

⚠️ Attention: Apps like Truecaller collect data about your contacts, and if privacy is more important than convenience, use them offline or refuse to sync with the cloud.

Advantages of third-party applications:

• 🌍 Automatically add photos from social networks (if the contact does not hide them).
• 🔍 Recognition of spam calls and scammers.
• 📊 Backup of contacts to the application cloud.

5. Solving problems: why the photo is not displayed or disappears

If the photo you have installed doesn’t show up in calls or disappears after a reboot, check the following points:

If the problem persists, try:

1. Remove and re-introduce contact.
2. Disable and enable sync with Google/Mi Account.
3. Update the Contacts app via Google Play.

💡

Before mass editing contacts, back up: open Contacts → Settings → Import / Export → Export to file. This will save all data in.vcf format.

6. Alternative ways: MIUI Topics and customization

MIUI 12-14 firmware has a hidden feature for customizing avatars through MIUI Themes, which allows you to set dynamic or animated photos for contacts, but does not work on all devices.

How to turn on:

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to the Profile section (at the bottom menu).
3. Select Contact Avatars.
4. Download your favorite avatar pack (there are free and paid options).
5. When editing a contact, select the downloaded style.

Limitations:

• 🎨 Animated avatars work only in the Contacts app and are not displayed in calls.
• 🔄 Some topics require an internet connection to download.
• 📱 On the Redmi Note 8 Pro, the feature may not be available in regional firmware (for example, for Russia).

💡

Standard methods (via Contacts or Google) are more reliable than customization via MIUI Themes, the latter being often reset after system updates.

Comparison of methods: which to choose

Selection recommendations:

• 📞 If it is important that the photo is displayed in calls, use Google Contacts or the standard app.
• 💬 If you communicate mostly in messengers - just add an avatar to the WhatsApp/Telegram.
• 🔄 If you change your phone frequently, sync it through Google.
• 🛡️ If privacy is a concern, avoid Truecaller and analogues.

FAQ: Frequent questions