Do you want to make your phone call in the Xiaomi Redmi 9C screen display not a standard avatar, but your personal photo or contact image? Not only will it add personality to your smartphone, but it will help you identify the caller more quickly. In this article, we will explore all the possible ways to install a photo on a call, from standard MIUI features to bypassing restrictions using third-party applications.
The Redmi 9C is based on the MIUI shell, which has its own features in managing contacts and media files. For example, unlike pure Android, there is no direct option to "set a photo on a call" in the phone settings - you will have to use workarounds. But don't worry: all the methods in this manual work stable and do not require root rights.
It's important to understand that a photo per call can be displayed differently depending on the version of MIUI and the launcher installed. We tested all methods on Redmi 9C with MIUI 12.5 and 13 — the results are shown in the comparative table below. If you have a different version of the firmware, some steps may differ slightly, but the general logic will remain the same.
1. Installation of photo through contact editing (standard method)
The most obvious and safe method is to attach a photo directly to a contact in the phone book, which works for all subscribers stored in the device's memory or synchronized with a Google account.
- Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette on the home screen).
- Find the contact you need in the list and tap it to open the card.
- In the upper right corner, click on the pencil icon (Edit).
- Slip on the standard contact avatar (a gray circle with the first letter of the name).
- Choose one of the options: 📷 Take a photo – an instant shot from the camera 🖼️ Select from Gallery – Upload an existing image 🎨 Create an avatar – generation of a stylized icon (not available on all versions) MIUI)
Cut the photo in a circle (if necessary) and save the changes.
After this, when an incoming call from that contact is made, the photo you have installed will be displayed on the screen, but there is a caveat: on some versions of MIUI, the photo can only be displayed in the Contacts interface, but not on the call screen, depending on the current launcher and system settings.
Contact saved in the phone book (not in the phone book) SIM-map)|
The photo has a resolution of at least 300×300 pixels |
Call settings include contact photos |
Sync with Google account is disabled (if photo is not saved)-->
2.Using Xiaomi Gallery for Quick Installation
If the standard method didn’t work or you need to quickly assign a photo to a call for multiple contacts, you can use the built-in Xiaomi Gallery, which is especially convenient when photos are already uploaded to the device:
- Open the Gallery app and find the image you want.
- Slip the photo to open in full screen mode.
- Click on the “More” icon (three dots in the lower right corner) and select “Install as”.
- In the menu that appears, select Contact Photos.
- The system will offer to select a contact from the list - find the right subscriber and confirm the choice.
- Cut the photo (if necessary) and save the changes.
Both apps require access to contacts and call history. Be careful with permissions — grant only the necessary permissions. Also note that some features (such as determining a number in Truecaller) may be charged.
Why does MIUI limit the display of photos on calls?
4. Manually create contact with a photo through Google Contacts
If you sync your contacts with a Google account, you can bypass MIUI restrictions by installing a photo through the web version of Google Contacts, a method that is guaranteed to work even on older versions of firmware:
- Open contacts.google.com on your computer or phone and log in.
- Find the contact you need in the list and open your card.
- Click on the camera icon in the top left corner (near the contact name).
- Download a photo from your computer or select from Google Photos.
- Save the changes and wait for the synchronization (usually takes 1-2 minutes).
- On Redmi 9C, open Settings → Accounts → Google and enable Contact Sync if it is disabled.
The advantage of this method is that the photo will be displayed not only on the Redmi 9C, but also on all devices associated with your Google account, but there is a disadvantage: if the contact was previously stored only in the memory of the phone (not in Google), you will have to create a duplicate.
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If the photo doesn’t show up after syncing, try clearing the Contacts app cache in Redmi 9C settings. To do this, go to Settings → Apps → Application Management → Contacts → Clear the cache.
5 Problems and Solutions: Why the Photo Is Not Shown on the Call
Even after you set your photo correctly, it may not show up on the incoming call screen, which is a typical Xiaomi Redmi 9C problem related to MIUI optimizations, and we've collected the most common causes and ways to fix them:
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Photo is in contact, but not displayed on the call | Disabled display of photos in call settings | Go to Settings → Applications → Phone → Show photos of contacts and turn on the option |
| Photograph cut or distorted | Incorrect aspect ratio of the image | Use square photos (e.g. 500×500 pixels) or trim manually before downloading |
| Photo disappears after reboot | Contact saved on SIM-card, not in the phone's memory | Transfer the contact to internal memory or Google account through Contacts → Contact Management → Import/Export |
| The avatar is displayed only in the "Contacts" app. | Limitation of current MIUI launcher | Install a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher) or use the apps from Section 3 |
If none of the methods worked, check if your Redmi 9C has power-saving modes that can block background processes (such as contact synchronization). To do this, go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Power Mode and select Balanced.
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On Redmi 9C with MIUI 12.5 and below, contact photos on the call screen are only displayed when using the standard Phone app. If you install alternative calls (like Google Phone), the feature may not work.
6. Alternative methods: widgets and wallpaper on the call screen
If you need not just a photo of the contact, but a full-fledged design of the screen of the incoming call (for example, a background image or animation), you can go for radical measures:
6.1 Use of MIUI themes
The MIUI Themes Store has special packages that change the design of the call screen, including the background and style of the contacts display:
- Open the Topic app.
- Go to the Calls section.
- Choose your favorite topic and apply it.
- Some themes allow you to set your own background images for the call screen.
6.2 Applications for customization of the call screen
To fully control the appearance of incoming calls, you can use specialized applications such as Calls Blacklist or Call Screen Themes.
- 🎨 Set background images for the call screen
- 📱 Configure the position of the elements (photo contact, buttons of response / deviation)
- 🔄 Add animations and effects
Be careful, though: these apps require permission to Overlay over other windows and may conflict with system calls.
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If you use custom themes or calls, check their performance before important calls. Some applications may block the microphone or speaker, which makes the person you are talking to not hear you.
7.Photo optimization for the call screen
To make the photo on the incoming call look clear and not distorted, it must meet several technical requirements:
- 📏 Permission: minimum 300×300 pixels, optimally — 500×500.
- 🖼️ Format: JPEG or PNG (GIF and WEBP may not be supported).
- 🎨 Side ratio: 1:1 (square), otherwise the system will trim the edges.
- 📱 File weight: no more than 5 MB (otherwise, lags are possible when downloading).
You can use the built-in editor in the Xiaomi Gallery or third-party apps like Photo & Picture Resizer to trim and optimize your photos. If the photo is dark or non-contrast, increase the brightness before downloading - on the call screen it will look dimmer due to the backlight of the display.
Also note that on the Redmi 9C with a screen resolution of 720×1600 (HD+), too detailed photos will look blurry due to the low pixel density (269 PPI).