Users of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often encounter a situation where, during an incoming call, the contact image is not displayed on the entire screen, but occupies only a small round area or is completely hidden behind a black background. For owners of the popular model Redmi 9that runs on the shell MIUI, this question is especially relevant, since the visual style of the system has its own characteristics. The standard behavior of the system can be annoying, especially if you want to instantly recognize the caller from a high-quality photo.
The reason lies in the way the operating system Android and the proprietary shell process image metadata and aspect ratios. In most cases, the problem is solved not by one hidden button, but by a set of actions: from correct cropping of the source to changing the theme. In this article we will analyze all the possible ways that will help you set up a full display of a photo.
It is important to understand that the algorithms MIUI strive towards minimalism, so sometimes the system itself “hides” unnecessary parts of the picture. However, knowing the technical nuances, you can bypass these restrictions. We will consider both standard tools and third-party solutions to achieve the desired result.
Why the photo does not stretch: technical reasons
The main reason why the photo does not occupy the entire display Redmi 9is the mismatch of proportions. The smartphone screen has an aspect ratio 20:9, while most of the photos in the gallery are taken in 4:3 or 16:9 format. The system automatically crops the image to fit it into a round or square avatar, cutting off the edges.
The second factor is the operation of the application itself Phone (Google Dialer or MIUI Dialer). It has hard-coded parameters for displaying caller ID. If the resolution of the source file is too low, the scaling algorithms cannot properly stretch the picture, leaving black margins on the sides.
⚠️ Attention: If you use a third-party theme from the store Themes, it may forcefully change the dialer interface, ignoring your system settings. In such cases, even a perfectly selected photo will be displayed in a small window.
Contact caching is also worth mentioning. Sometimes you change the photo in the gallery or profile, but the application Contact continues to use the old, smaller thumbnail. This is a common synchronization bug that requires manually clearing the cache or resaving the contact.
Screen resolution Redmi 9 is 2340 by 1080 pixels. For high-quality display without “soap” and pixelation, the original image must be at least 1080x1920 pixels. Using smaller images is guaranteed to result in artifacts when stretched.
Image preparation: format and size
The first step to success is proper file preparation. You shouldn’t hope that the system itself will crop the photo the way you need. It’s better to prepare the perfect source in advance. You will need the image in portrait orientation (portrait mode).
Use the built-in gallery editor or third-party cropping apps. Make sure the face or important object is in the center of the frame, as the edges may be obscured by UI elements (answer buttons, caller name). The optimal aspect ratio will be 9:16 or 9:19.5.
- 📐 Select a high-resolution photo, preferably more than 2 megapixels, so that detail is not lost when scaling.
- ✂️ Crop the image strictly to the vertical format of the screen, leaving a little space at the top and bottom for margin.
- 💾 Save a copy in JPEG or PNGformat, avoiding HEIC formats, which may not be read correctly by older versions of MIUI.
If you take a photo from social networks, make sure that it is downloaded in original quality. Pictures compressed by messengers often have a resolution of less than 600 pixels in width, which is critically small for full-screen mode. Redmi 9 critically low.
Use camera phone applications or photo editors with the “Crop to fit the screen” function to immediately get the desired format without unnecessary manipulations.
Settings through the standard phone book
The easiest way to install a photo is to use the built-in application Contact. However, there is a nuance here: you need to edit exactly the contact to which the number is linked, and not create a duplicate. Open the application Contact and find the desired entry.
Press the button Edit (usually a pencil or three dots in the corner). In the menu that appears, select your current avatar or camera icon. The system will prompt you to select a photo from the gallery. After selecting the image, the editing screen will appear.
At this stage, many users make the mistake of confirming circular cropping. You need to zoom the image as close as possible with your fingers so that it fills the entire available preview area. Don’t be afraid if part of the picture goes off the edges - this can play a positive role when making a call.
| Action | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Selecting a photo | Download from gallery | Original image |
| Zoom | Finger zoom | Fill frame |
| Save | Click "OK" | Record update |
| Check | Test call | Quality assessment |
After saving, be sure to check the result. Sometimes the system takes a few seconds or even an application restart to refresh the image cache. If the photo is still small, proceed to the following methods. Phoneto refresh the image cache. If the photo is still small, move on to the next methods.
☑️ Checking the contact settings
Using full-screen themes
Shell MIUI has a powerful customization tool - a theme store. The standard Google dialer interface, which is often found on global versions Redmi 9, does not always support full-screen photos. However, themes from third-party authors can completely change this interface.
Go to the application Themes and enter queries like “Full screen caller”, “Big photo call” or “iOS style” in the search. Theme descriptions often indicate whether they support full-screen photos. After installing the theme, the incoming call interface will change.
⚠️ Attention: When installing themes from unofficial sources or third-party stores, be careful. Some themes may contain advertising or may not work correctly with the latest Android security updates.
It is important to understand that the theme changes the visual style, but not always the photo processing algorithms. If the theme has a round window, the photo will remain round, the background and fonts will simply change. Look for themes where the preview shows that the photo takes up the entire screen.
After applying the theme, you may need to restart your device. If the result does not suit you, you can always return to the standard theme in the settings Themes → Profile → Standard.
Third-party applications for Caller ID
If standard tools Redmi 9 do not give the desired result, specialized applications come to the rescue from Google Play. They completely replace the incoming call screen, providing advanced functions for managing photo and video screensavers.
One of the popular solutions is the application Full Screen Caller ID. It asks for permission to access contacts and calls, after which it intercepts the incoming call and displays your prepared photo on top of the standard dialer.
- 📲 Download an application like "Full Screen Caller ID" or "Video Caller ID" from the official store.
- 🔐 Grant all requested permissions, including access to the phone and contacts, otherwise the application will not work.
- ⚙️ In the application settings, select the photo source (contacts or gallery) and display mode (Full Screen).
The advantage of such apps is the flexibility of settings: you can set different photos for different groups of contacts, add effects or even video instead of a static picture. However, it is worth remembering that they consume additional battery power.
Impact on the battery
Calling applications run in the background and constantly monitor the network status, which can increase battery consumption by 5-10% per day.>
Solving problems with cache and synchronization
There are situations when all the settings are correct, but the photo is not displayed correctly. In this case, the culprit is often a full system cache or account synchronization errors Google. On Redmi 9 this can be solved by clearing application data.
Go to Settings → Applications → All applications. Find applications in the list Contact, Phone and, if available, Google Play Services. For each of them, select Memory and click Clear cache. Don't be afraid, your contacts will not be deleted if they are synchronized.
If clearing the cache did not help, try deleting the contact and creating it again, immediately adding a large photo. Sometimes the contacts database gets corrupted and rewriting it solves the problem. Also check if synchronization is enabled in the menu Accounts and synchronization.
In rare cases, resetting the network settings helps, but this is a last resort. Most often, the problem lies precisely in the fact that the system is “stuck” on the old contact thumbnail, and forcibly clearing the cache forces it to re-read the image file.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is it possible to install a video instead of a photo when making a call on Redmi 9?
Yes, but only using third-party applications such as "Video Caller ID". The standard MIUI dialer and Google Dialer do not support playing video files as a contact screensaver without installing additional plugins or themes.
Why did the photo become small again after the MIUI update?
System updates often reset user interface settings or change image scaling algorithms. After a major update, it is recommended to recheck your contacts settings and, if necessary, reinstall the theme.
Does the photo format (JPEG vs. PNG) affect the quality?
For photos, the difference is minimal, JPEG is preferable due to its smaller file size, which speeds up loading when calling. PNG should only be used if the image contains text or graphics that require perfect clarity without compression artifacts.
Do you need root access to set a photo to full screen?
No, root access is not required. All described methods (editing contacts, themes, third-party applications) work on standard, unmodified Redmi 9 firmware.