When only the phone number is displayed on the screen of a Xiaomi smartphone during an incoming call, and the subscriber’s name and photo are missing, it is a common and extremely annoying problem. Users often find that after updating the MIUI or HyperOS operating system, or after changing the device model, the standard “caller” stops reading the data from the phone book correctly, which creates inconveniences, since you have to guess who exactly is trying to contact, or urgently search for the number in the contact list while the beep.
The reasons why Xiaomi doesn’t see saved names when calling can be many: from the banal failure of synchronizing Google account to the conflict between the system application “Phone” and third-party number identifiers. Owners of smartphones Redmi and Poco often notice that the problem arises after the transition to a new version of Android, when the old permissions for applications are not carried correctly. In this article, we will discuss all possible causes and offer step-by-step solutions that will help return the normal display of Caller ID.
It’s worth noting that in some cases, the problem lies not in the software failure, but in the format of storing numbers. If contacts are recorded with the country code and the caller is determined without it (or vice versa), the system can count them as different records and not tighten the name, and aggressive MIUI energy saving algorithms that can “freeze” the process of synchronizing contacts in the background, preventing the call application from updating the database in real time.
Checking the format of storage of numbers and synchronization
The first thing to do if Xiaomi doesn’t display the caller’s name is to check how the numbers are saved in your phone book. Global standardization of phone numbers requires the use of an international format, but old records are often stored locally. For example, the number can be written as 8-900-123-45-67, and the incoming call is in the format +7-900-123-45-67. For the system, these are two different sequences of numbers, so there is no match.
To fix this, open the Contacts app and find the problem entries. You need to bring all the numbers to a single international standard by replacing the eight at the beginning with +7 (for Russia) or the corresponding code of your country. After manually editing several entries, check if the problem has been solved. If there are thousands of contacts, manually do this for a long time, so you better use the function of combining duplicates or export-import.
⚠️ Before mass editing or importing contacts, make sure to back up your phone book through your Mi Cloud or Google Contacts account so you don’t lose important data in the event of an error.
The second important aspect is checking sync status. Often contacts are physically in the cloud but not loaded into your phone’s memory completely. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google and make sure the slider opposite Contacts is active. Click three dots in the corner and select Sync Now. If the status is hanging on Sync Error, try removing your Google account from the settings menu and adding it again.
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Use Google Contacts (contacts.google.com) on your computer for quick batch editing and removing duplicates – it is much more convenient there than with a touchscreen.
Setting up access rights of the “Phone” application
One of the most common reasons why Xiaomi doesn’t show a name when calling is because the phone or contact system app doesn’t have the necessary permissions, and after major Android updates, the security system can automatically revoke the memory or phone book permissions for critical services, considering this a potential privacy threat.
To verify and restore rights, perform the following actions:
- 📱 Go to Settings. → Annexes → All applications.
- 🔍 Find the Phone app (usually a blue handset) and click on it.
- 🔐 Select "Permissions" (or "Access Rights»).
- ✅ Make sure that the permission to access the “Contacts” and “Phone” is in the “Allowed” position».
A similar procedure must be repeated for the Contacts app and, if you use a third-party dialer, for it too. If the resolution is already worth it, try switching it to Forbidden, save it, and then allow it again. This action will force the access tokens for the MIUI system. It is also worth checking whether the background restriction for these applications is worthwhile, as this can block the instant search for a name in the database.
Some MIUI shells have a separate Caller ID display setting inside the app itself: Open Phone, click three dots in the corner, select Settings → Incoming Calls. This can be the "Show Caller Information" option or integration with services like Google or Yellow Pages. Make sure these switches are active.
☑️ Access rights verification
Clearing the cache and data of the call application
If the access rights are in order and the format of the numbers is correct, but when calling Xiaomi you do not see the photo and name, most likely the problem lies in the accumulated software debris or damage to the local database of the application. Cache files, which should speed up the work, over time can conflict with new versions of the firmware, causing interface display errors.
The cleaning procedure is safe and won’t delete your saved numbers (since they’re stored in the cloud or a separate contact repository), but will reset the settings of the call interface itself. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Phone → Memory. Press Clear Cache. If that doesn’t work, click Clear All (or Reset), but be prepared that call history can be deleted and redirect settings reset.
Once cleaned, be sure to restart your smartphone. A restart is necessary to re-index all the entries in the phone book and re-engineer the links between the call app and the contact database. In the first minutes after a reboot, name search can be slow, as the background indexing process is underway.
⚠️ Attention: Clearing the phone app data can delete the call log (call history). If you care about keeping your history safe, take screenshots or write down important numbers first.
Conflicts with third-party number determiners
Many users install additional number-detection apps (Truecaller, NumBuster, Yandex with Alice, etc.) that take on the functions of a standard caller. Often they cause a conflict, because of which the Xiaomi screen does not see who is calling in the usual interface, or displays a black screen instead of a call card.
Third-party applications require a "Above Other Windows" right and access to the phone book. If these rights are not working correctly or the application is "hanging", you will only see the number. Try temporarily removing the third-party number detector and checking the operation of the standard call. If the problem has disappeared, then the conflict was in it, in which case it is recommended to reinstall the detector application or disable its integration with the system in the settings.
It's also worth checking if Do Not Disturb or Unknown Block mode is enabled, which can hide the caller's information if he's not in the contacts, even if you're waiting for that call» → «Antispam» → «Blacklist».
Comparison of problem-solving methods
So for the sake of diagnosis, we've created a table that can help you quickly identify the solution based on your symptoms, and if you're not sure where to start, look for your situation in the first column.
| Symptom of the problem | Probable cause | Method of decision | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| No one has a name, just numbers. | Failure of access or synchronization rights | Checking the permissions of the “Phone” application | Low. |
| I got a name, but no photo. | Contacts retained in SIM-map | Copying contacts into a Google account | Medium |
| Black screen on the call | Approximate sensor conflict or topic | Change the subject to standard, calibration | Medium |
| The name appears with a delay | Cache overflow or slow internet | Cleaning the cache of the phone application | Low. |
As you can see from the table, most problems are solved by software settings. However, if you can't see a photo of the caller, although the name is displayed, this almost always indicates that the photos of the contacts are stored locally in the phone's memory, rather than being tied to a Google account. When reset or sync, these photos may be lost.
Impact of design themes and system failures
The MIUI shell allows you to deeply customize the look, including the call screen. If you use third-party themes from the Themes store, they may contain errors in the code, which makes the interface elements (text fields for a name) transparent or shifts beyond the visible area. To eliminate this factor, temporarily switch to a standard Classic or Default theme.
Go to the Themes app → profile (the person below) → My Themes and select the standard one. After applying the theme, reboot the device. If the name and photos appear, then the problem was in the code of the old theme, in which case you should expect the theme to be updated from the developer or refuse to use it.
Hidden settings for advanced
Also worth mentioning are the bugs of a particular version of Android. Sometimes the problem is massive and known to Xiaomi. In such cases, waiting for a firmware update helps. Check for updates in the Settings menu → About phone → MIUI version.
⚠️ Note: Installation of unofficial firmware assemblies or modified themes from unverified sources may lead to a complete disruption of the communication module.
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Changing the theme to a standard one is the fastest way to eliminate visual interface bugs without deep intervention.