How to set wallpaper on the contact in the phone Xiaomi Redmi 9A: 5 proven ways

Installing personal contact wallpaper in Xiaomi Redmi 9A is an easy way to make your address book unique and convenient. When you call a friend or colleague, the screen does not display a standard blue background, but the photo you choose: a joint photo, a meme or even a screenshot from correspondence. This feature is available in MIUI firmware, but many users do not know how to use it due to the non-obvious location of the settings.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways, from standard Redmi 9A tools to bypassing restrictions through third-party apps, and focus on the nuances of working with MIUI 12/13, because the contact interface in these versions is different, and you’ll learn why sometimes photos are not saved after a phone reboot and how to fix it.

Why to install wallpaper on contacts in Redmi 9A

Personal background images for contacts are not only aesthetics, but also practicality:

• 🔍 Quick recognition: Visual prompt helps to instantly identify the caller without even looking at the name.
• 📱 Convenience in the dark: bright wallpaper is better visible on the lock screen when incoming call.
• 💬 Emotional Connection: A photo from a joint event or meme creates positive associations when communicating.
• 🔄 Grouping of contacts: you can assign the same wallpaper for colleagues, relatives or friends from the same circle.

In MIUI, this feature is not as obvious as in iOS or stock Android. For example, the standard Contacts app does not have a separate "Install Wallpaper" button, but instead replaces it with a profile editing option, and after updating the firmware, the location of menu items can change, which confuses users.

Method 1: Through the Standard Contact Application

The most reliable method that works on all versions MIUI for Redmi 9A. Important: Before you start, make sure that the contact is saved in the phone book, not just in your Google Account or in your phone book. SIM-map.

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette on a green background).
2. Find the right contact and tap it to open the card.
3. In the upper right corner, press three dots. ⋮ → select Edit.
4. Scroll down to the Additional block and tap on the Contact Photo.
5. In the window that opens, select Gallery or Take a photo.
6. Select the desired image fragment (can be scaled with two fingers) and click Ready.
7. Save the changes by clicking the tick in the upper right corner.

If after these actions the wallpaper is not displayed when incoming call, check the settings of the Phone application:

⚠️ Note: In some versions MIUI 12.5 The wallpaper display on the call screen is disabled by default. To activate it, go to Settings → Annexes → Phone. → Display contacts and enable the option Show contact photo.

Method 2: Through the Gallery Appendix

If you're more comfortable with taking photos directly from the Gallery, you can assign wallpaper to contact from there, which is especially useful when you want to use fresh photos that haven't been saved in the phone book.

1. Open the gallery and find the image you want.
2. Slip the photo to open in full size.
3. Click on the Share button (an icon with three connected dots).
4. In the list of applications, select Contacts.
5. The system will suggest you select a contact from a list or create a new one.
6. Confirm the action by clicking Install.

This method does not work on all versions. MIUI. If the list of applications-sharing No Contacts, so your firmware doesn't support this function. 1 or 3.

Method 3: Using Truecaller for extended wallpaper

Truecaller not only detects spammer numbers, but it also allows you to set full-screen contact wallpapers — unlike the standard MIUI solution, where you cut your photo to a circle, which is especially convenient if you want to see the entire image when you call.

Instructions:

1. Install Truecaller from Google Play.
2. Open the app and allow access to contacts.
3. Find the right contact in the list and tap it.
4. Click on the camera icon in the upper right corner.
5. Select Gallery or Take a photo, then crop the image.
6. Save the changes.

⚠️ Warning: Truecaller collects your contacts and calls to build a spammer database. If privacy is critical to you, use this method only for insensitive contacts or abandon it in favor of standard tools.

Method 4: Manual editing through file manager (for advanced)

If standard methods don’t work (for example, after resetting settings or updating firmware), you can manually replace the contact wallpaper through the file manager, which requires root rights or ADB, but gives you full control over the images.

Instructions for users with root access:

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db
3. Copy the database to your computer and open it through SQLite Browser.
4. Find the table. raw_contacts and a record with the right contact_id.
5. In the data table, find the line with mimetype_id=5 (This is a contact photo and replace the field data15 pathway.
6. Save the changes and return the file back to your phone by replacing the original.

Attention: improper editing of the contact database can lead to their loss.Be sure to back up through Settings → System → Backup before starting.

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If you don’t have root rights but need to change your contact wallpaper urgently, export all contacts to the VCF file via Settings → System → Import/Export, edit it to your PC (photos are encoded in BASE64), then import back.

Method 5: Alternative launchers with support for contact wallpaper

Some third-party launchers, such as Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher, offer advanced touch-related features, including assigning wallpapers.This is true if you don't like the standard MIUI interface.

Example of settings in Nova Launcher:

1. Install Nova Launcher from Google Play.
2. Designate it as the default launcher.
3. Install Contacts widget from Nova on the main screen.
4. Tap the widget. → Select the widget settings.
5. Activate the option to show photos of contacts.
6. For each contact in the widget, you can assign wallpaper through a long press → Edit.

The advantage of this method is the flexibility of the setting: you can choose the size of the widgets, display style and even animations when incoming calls. However, note that the wallpaper will only be displayed in the launcher interface, not in the standard Phone application.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after the successful installation of wallpaper, Redmi 9A users are faced with typical errors.

• 🔄 Wallpaper resets after rebooting: This is due to memory optimization in the MIUI. Solution – disable cache cleaning for Contacts app in Settings → Annexes → Application management → Contacts → Cleanup.
• 🖼️ Photo clipped incorrectly: In a standard editor MIUI No free framing feature. Use third-party apps (like Photo Editor) to pre-shoot the image to square format.
• 📵 Wallpaper does not appear on the lock screen: Check settings → Lock screen → Lock style. Choose the option. MIUI (Not a pure Android).
• 🔒 No access to contact editing: If the contact is synced to Google or Mi Account, try turning off sync temporarily: Settings → Accounts. → Google/Mi Account → Synchronization of contacts.

If none of these methods worked, check the integrity of the system files.

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Check for updates.
3. If you have an update, install it. This can restore corrupt MIUI files.

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The most reliable way to avoid wallpaper problems is to use the standard Contacts app and store photos in JPEG format with a resolution of no more than 1080×1080 pixels.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions