Installing a photo on a Xiaomi smartphone is a simple but important procedure that helps personalize a phone book and quickly identify subscribers. Despite the apparent obvious, many users have difficulties: the menu item is not located, the photo is not saved, then the interface has changed after the MIUI update. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to add photos to contacts on Redmi, POCO and other Xiaomi devices, including nuances for different versions of the firmware.
Xiaomi phones are very well integrated with Google services and the company’s own cloud solutions, which means that contact photos can be synced not only through your Mi Account but also through Google Contacts, which sometimes leads to conflicts. We’ll tell you how to avoid duplicate photos, why the original images may be cropped incorrectly, and what to do if your contact photos are gone after changing your phone.
Preparation: What photos are suitable for contacts
Before you set the photo to contact, it is important to make sure that the selected image meets the technical requirements of MIUI. The system automatically crops and zooms the photo into a round avatar format, so the original image must have sufficient resolution and the correct proportions.
The best options for photos in Xiaomi:
- 📏 Minimum permit: 300×300 pixels (at a lower resolution, the image will be blurred).
- 🔄 Format: JPEG, PNG or WEBP (animated GIF unsupported).
- 🎨 The aspect ratio is either square (1:1) or close to it. The rectangular photos will be cut in the center.
- 📁 Source: Image should be stored in the phone memory or on a map SD (Photos from cloud services may not be displayed without the Internet).
If you plan to use a photo from social networks (such as WhatsApp or VK), note that they are often compressed and may lose quality. It is better to save the original to the device beforehand. Also avoid images with a transparent background (PNG with alpha channel) - MIUI can display them with artifacts.
⚠️ Note: If you are using duality SIM-Maps in Xiaomi, contact photos can be duplicated for each number. To avoid this, link the photo to the main contact in Google Contacts or Mi Account.
Method 1: Add a photo through the standard “Contacts” app
The simplest and most versatile method is to use the built-in Contacts app (an icon with a human silhouette on a green background), which works on all Xiaomi devices regardless of the MIUI version (from MIUI 10 to MIUI 14) and model (including Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13, etc.).
Step-by-step:
- Open the Contacts app (if it isn’t on the home screen, search through the swipe down).
- Find the contact you want in the list or use the search bar at the top.
- Slip on the contact to open his card.
- Click on the camera icon (📷) or a silhouette of a person in a circle next to the contact name.
- Select the source of the photo: 📸 Take a picture – immediately take a new photo through the camera. 🖼️ Gallery – select an existing image from your phone’s memory. 🌐 Download - download photos from the Internet (not available on all versions) MIUI).
"Done."
"Save."
If the photo doesn’t show up in your contact list or phone app after saving it, try updating the data: pull the contact list down to update the information, and check if the sync in your account settings is disabled.
Are storage access rights open for the Contacts app»|
The photo meets the requirements for size and format|
Contact is not duplicated (check by name search)|
Sync with Mi Account or Google enabled-->
Method 2: Install photos via Google Contacts
If you use Google Contacts as your primary source of number storage, photos can be added via a web version or mobile app, which is convenient because changes are immediately synchronized with all devices associated with your Google account.
Instructions for the mobile application “Google Contacts”:
- Install the app from Google Play if it is not preinstalled.
- Open Google Contacts and find the right contact.
- Slip on the contact avatar (human silhouette) → select “Change”.
- Click on the camera icon in the mug and select the source of the photo (gallery or camera).
- Edit the image and save the changes.
For the web version:
- Go to contacts.google.com and log in.
- Select contact → click on the camera icon in the upper right corner of the card.
- Download a photo from your computer or select from Google Photos.
- Save the changes – they sync with the phone within minutes.
If, after adding a photo via Google Contacts, it does not appear in the standard Contacts app on Xiaomi, check the sync settings:
Settings → Accounts and sync → Google → Enable contact sync⚠️ Note: If you have both Mi Account and Google sync enabled, you may experience a contact version conflict, in which case photos may be duplicated or lost. We recommend selecting one primary source (e.g. Google) and disabling sync in Mi Account: Settings → Accounts and synchronization → Mi Account → Disable Contact Synchronization Method 3: Using the Phone App (for quick access) MIUI The phone app (tube icon) is tightly integrated with Contacts, so you can add or change a photo right during a call or from a call log, which is handy if you need to quickly update your avatar for a frequently used contact. Open the Phone app and go to Contacts (bottom of the screen) and find the contact you want and tap it. At the top of the screen, click on the camera icon (📷) near-name. Select the source of the photo (camera or gallery) and edit the image. Save the changes, the photo will appear in the call log and in the contact list. If you want to add a photo directly from the call log: Open "Phone» → Go to the Journal, find the number on the list, and tap it. Click on the contact icon (👤) → «Change the photo as described above. MIUI 13/14 When you add a photo through your phone, the system automatically prompts you to crop the image to a round avatar format. If you need to keep the original proportions, use the standard Contacts app»| Through Google Contacts| Through the Phone app»| Another way.--> Solving problems: why a photo is not saved or disappears Sometimes users are faced with the fact that photos of contacts are not saved, disappear after a reboot or are displayed incorrectly. Consider the most common causes and ways to fix them. Problem Possible cause Photo solution is not saved after editing Insufficient rights in the Contacts app Go to Settings → Annexes → Application management → Contacts → Permissions and enable access to storage and camera. Photo disappears after synchronization Conflict between Mi Account and Google Contacts Disable contact sync in one of the accounts (see instructions above). Photo is displayed blurred Low resolution of the original image Use a photo with a resolution of at least 500×500 Photos are not displayed in some apps (e.g. WhatsApp) App uses its own contact database Update contact in the app itself (e.g. WhatsApp click on contact → 📷 → «Change the photo»). Photo clipped incorrectly Automatic cropping under a round avatar Before saving manually adjust the trimming area by dragging the frame. If none of the methods worked, try resetting the cache of the Contacts app: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Contacts → Warehouse → Clear cache In extreme cases, you can export contacts to a.vcf file, delete them from your phone, and then import them back.This often helps with system failures: Contacts → ☰ (menu) → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Export to the vault How to recover missing contact photos? If contact photos are missing after updating MIUI or reset settings, try the following: 1. Check backups in Google Contacts (Section "More" → Repeal the changes”). 2. Restore contacts from Mi Cloud (if sync was enabled): Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Contacts → Restore. 3. Use third-party recovery apps, such as Contacts Backup & Restore (available on Google Play).Extra features: Animated avatars and stickers In recent versions MIUI 13/14 Now, we have animated avatars for contacts, which allow you to use short video recordings or live photos. GIF-Images instead of static photographs, but there are limitations: 🎥 The length of the video should not exceed 3 seconds. 🖼️ The permit must be at least 720p. 🔄 The animation will only play on the Contacts and Phone apps (the first frame will be displayed on WhatsApp or Telegram). How to install an animated avatar: Open the contact card in the Contacts app». Click on the camera icon → Choose "Video" or «GIF» Cut the video to 3 seconds (the system will suggest selecting a fragment). Save the changes. Also in the video MIUI You can assign stickers to contacts instead of photos. To do this, open a chat with a contact in Messages. → «Install a sticker." Select a sticker from the collection or download your own. ⚠️ Attention: Animated avatars and stickers take up more space in your phone's memory than regular photos. If you don't have enough space, use them only for the most important contacts. 💡To quickly find contact with a photo in a large list, use the filtering function in the Contacts app: click on the search icon (🔍) → Select the filter "C photo». Synchronizing Contact Photos Between Devices If you use multiple Xiaomi or other Android-based devices, it’s important to set up synchronization of contact photos so that they’re displayed the same everywhere: 🌐 Google Contacts is a universal way that works on any Android device. ☁️ Mi Cloud – synchronization between Xiaomi devices only. 📱 Third-party services, such as Microsoft Outlook or Yandex Contacts. To enable sync via Google: Settings → Accounts and synchronization → Google → Enable Contact Synchronization for Mi Cloud: Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Enable Contact Sync If photos don't sync: Check your Internet connection (synchronization only works when you're actively connected). Update Contacts and Google Contacts to the latest version. Make sure that the device has enough free space (synchronization can be interrupted if there is a lack of memory). If you are switching from iPhone to Xiaomi, contact photos can be transferred via Google Contacts or via the Mi Mover app, which is pre-installed on both devices. 💡To sync your contacts photos seamlessly, use only one cloud service (like Google) and disable duplicate syncs in your Mi Account or other accounts. FAQ: Frequent questions about photos of contacts in Xiaomi Can you set a photo for a contact, if it is saved on the phone? SIM-No, the contacts saved on the map. SIM-The map does not support the photos. To add a photo, first transfer the contact to your phone memory or account. Google/Mi Account: Contacts → Find a contact. → ☰ (menu) → Copy into the phone/Google Why is a photo of a contact displayed in Contacts but not seen on WhatsApp? WhatsApp uses its own contact database and caches photos separately.To update the avatar: Open a chat with a contact on WhatsApp. → click on the camera icon (📷). Select a photo from the gallery or take a new photo. If the photo still doesn't show, clear WhatsApp's cache: Settings → Annexes → WhatsApp → Warehouse → Cache Clear How to back up contact photos? To save contact photos, export them along with contacts to.vcf: Contacts → ☰ (menu) → Contact management → Export to the storage File will be saved in the internal memory of the phone in the Contacts folder. Also, photos are automatically backed up in Google Contacts or Mi Cloud if sync is enabled. GIF as a photo of contact? MIUI 12.5, animation supported GIF-Images, but with limitations: animation length - up to 3 seconds. File size - no more than 5 MB. The animation will only play in standard Xiaomi applications. GIF, Choose it from the gallery when editing the contact. How to delete the photo from the contact? To delete the photo: Open the contact card in the Contacts app. → Select Remove (basket icon). Confirm action. If the photo is not deleted, check if it is blocked for editing in Google Contacts (open contact at contacts.google.com and delete the photo there).