Personalizing a phone book is not just a matter of aesthetics, but also a way to instantly visually identify the caller. Xiaomi smartphone owners often encounter the nuances of the MIUI shell, which hide the obvious features or change their location. Installing a subscriber avatar in the Redmi Note 9 model is done through the standard Contacts app, but has its own features of synchronization and caching.
Understanding the logic of system applications avoids errors when an image “flys” after a reboot or does not appear in the interlocutor’s view. In this article, we will discuss in detail the algorithm of actions, consider the causes of possible failures and offer effective solutions for correctly displaying graphics files in the phone book of your device.
Image Preparation and Format Requirements
Before you start directly binding the image to the phone number, you need to make sure that the source file meets the technical requirements of the system. Android operating system in conjunction with the MIUI shell works with graphics quite flexibly, but for stable display in widgets and on the lock screen, it is better to use optimized files. Too high resolution can lead to slow scrolling of the contact list or incorrect framing.
The best choice is to have square images with 1:1 aspect ratios. The system will automatically crop the photo in a circle, so it is important that the face or main object is in the center of the frame, and there are no significant details at the edges that will be lost. JPG and PNG formats are supported natively, whereas RAW or HEIC formats may require prior conversion.
⚠️ Attention: Avoid using animated images (GIF) The standard Phone app in Redmi Note 9 only displays a static first frame or ignores the file altogether, which can result in a blank space instead of a photo.
You can use a built-in gallery editor or third-party apps to edit, just crop the image to square and save the copy at about 500x500 or 800x800 pixels, which is enough to be clear on the smartphone screen, while the file will take up minimal space in memory and quickly load when you call.
Basic method of installation through the Contacts application
The most direct and reliable way to add a photo is to use a regular call management tool. Unlike many other manufacturers, Xiaomi integrates the call and address book functions into a single interface, which makes navigation easier.
To start, open the Contacts app (a human silhouette icon) or Phone (a green handset) and go to the Contacts tab. Find the subscriber's list and click on their name to open the card with the details. At the top of the screen, where the gray stopper with the first letter of the name usually sits, there should be an edit button or a pencil icon.
☑️ Photo installation algorithm
Once you click on the camera icon or avatar area, the system will suggest you choose the source of the image: take a picture or select from the gallery. Select "Gallery" and find the previously prepared photo. The next step will be a framing interface where you can move the frame so that the face gets into the round display area. After confirming the changes, remember to click the "Save" button (usually the tick in the upper right corner).
Working with Google Account and Synchronization
One of the most common reasons why a photo doesn't save or disappears after a reboot is because of a conflict of sources of contact storage. Modern Xiaomi smartphones use sync with a Google account by default. SIM-a card or in the phone’s memory, and the system tries to sync it with the cloud, there may be a write error or overwriting the old version without an image.
It is recommended to store all important contacts in a Google account, which ensures not only the safety of data when you lose your phone, but also the correct display of photos on any devices where you log in. You can check where the contact is saved by opening his card: at the top will be a source, for example, Google or Phone.
How to Move Contacts to Google
If you have installed a photo but it is not loaded into messengers or other applications, check your sync settings. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google and make sure that the slider opposite Contacts is active. Sometimes you need to force sync to make changes made locally go to the cloud and come back with the updated metadata.
Set up the display of the photo when calling the full screen
Special attention should be paid to the situation when a photo is in contact, but during an incoming call it is not displayed on the whole screen, but only shown in a small circle. This is governed by the theme and application settings of the Theme in MIUI. In some cases, the standard theme does not support a full-screen photo of the caller for all contacts.
To activate the feature, you need to go to the Themes app, click on the profile icon and select Settings. In this menu, you should find the item associated with the call design and activate the full-screen contact photo option (the name may vary depending on the version of MIUI), and check whether the Do Not Disturb or Quiet mode mode mode is enabled, which sometimes simplify the incoming call interface.
⚠️ Note: If you use a third-party theme, it may block the display of large photos. Try to temporarily switch to a standard theme. MIUI, Check to see if the problem will go away.
Also, there's a permission nuance. Make sure that the Phone and Contacts app is allowed to display over other windows, although newer versions of Android usually have this set by default. If after all the manipulations, the photo is still small, maybe the theme itself is tightly bounded by the size of the avatar, and this can only be solved by changing the theme or editing it.
Table of common problems and solutions
Even if the instructions are followed correctly, specific failures can occur, typical for Xiaomi software. Below is a table that systematizes the most common errors and methods for fixing them.
| Problem | Probable cause | Method of solution |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Photos are not saved after rebooting | Contact retained on SIM-map | Transfer the contact to your Google account |
| Image stretched or cropped | Wrong aspect ratio | Use a 1:1 square photo before installation |
| Photo is in contact, but not when calling | Phone app cache failure | Clear cache in Settings → Applications |
| Avatar not visible to the interlocutor | No synchronization | Check the Internet and synchronization settings Google |
| Black screen instead of photo | File format is not supported | Convert image to JPG |
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The key to success is keeping your contacts in a Google cloud account, not on a Google account. SIM-This ensures that all metadata, including photos, is stored.
Cache cleanup and application resetting
If you did all the actions correctly, but the system stubbornly displays a standard gray plug, the problem may be hidden in accumulated software debris. SIM-The maps sometimes contain outdated thumbnails that take precedence over new data, and in this case manual cleaning is required.
Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find Contacts, click Clear and select Clear Cache. Do the same for Phone. It’s important not to confuse cache cleaning with data cleaning: data cleaning will remove all your contacts from your phone’s memory (if they’re not synchronized), so be extremely careful and choose only cache.
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Before clearing any system applications data, make sure your latest Google sync is successful. You can check this out on contacts.google.com from your computer.
Once the cache is cleaned, it is recommended to restart the device. When turned on, the system will re-read the image files from the database and update the thumbnails. If the problem persists due to a stuck process, this method should help. In rare cases, temporarily disabling and re-enable the synchronization of contacts in the account settings helps.
Use of third-party applications for calls
Not everyone likes MIUI, but many people install alternatives like Google Phone or Truecaller, and when they install them, they often become the default call handler, and their internal rules govern how they display the photos.
In the Google Phone app, the photo mechanism is more closely linked to Google's profile. If you set a photo up through a standard Xiaomi call and a Google call rings, it may not see the photo if it's not synced to a cloud profile. In such cases, it's better to manage contacts directly through Google's Contacts app (blue icon with a silhouette), ignoring Xiaomi's native editing call.
⚠️ Note: When installing third-party number detectors (like Truecaller), make sure you only give access to reading contacts unless you want your number and contact photos to be in their open databases.
For users who want maximum control, there is the option of customizing the display through ADB-The Redmi Note 9 is rarely required to do this, and standard system tools are sufficient if the synchronization is configured correctly, and the main thing is to avoid duplication of contacts when the same number is written twice: One time in Google, another in the phone’s memory, which creates confusion for the system.