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HI guys. This is soooo irritating and just don't know what to do. I assigned photos to my contacts from my photo albums but every time I turn my phone on the photos become blurry n horrible!! I then hav to add them all over again but only for them to blur up again afterwards :-(
I read about blurry contact icons but that was when synced with Google or Facebook contacts, I only add from my own gallery so why is this happening and is there a way round?
Also has anyone had the same problem?
This is such a basic feature & dies work properly.
Thanks
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This has been discussed extensively on other threads.
Check out the complaints and annoyances with workarounds.
Basically Google sync is to blame because it stores the pictures in a low format resolution.
You need to create a phone contact and add the picture to that one, then link to the "google" contact.
Do you know where is the "photo" of the "Phone contact" stored?
In the SD-CARD?
Do you know where is the "photo" of the "Phone contact" stored?
In the SD-CARD?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes its stored on my sd
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it's the gmail-contact-sync fault.
either cap gmail from syncing your contacts or live with crappy pictures.
it sux, but I killed the sync
Don't think it's google's fault
Hello, sorry if this has been discussed, but is it not actually more of a carrier issue?
I have synced my phone on my wireless at home and had good looking icons, however, once I've spent a day on 3G only, I notice the quality has dropped.
I had put this down to the fact, in my case, T-mobile proxy all images and reduce the quality for bandwidth purposes.
The best demonstration for this is using twidroid. Twidroid has the option of using SSL, meaning that t-mobile's proxies can't tell that it's an image and modify it. The difference between using SSL and not using it is drastic.
Digital blasphemy has page on this relating to AOL; same problem, different ISP.
The page is /aol.shtml
But I transferred the contacts from my old phone, so I'm a bit confused when people say its got to do with Google. Can someone elaborate plz?
All my contacts are Vcards that wer imported from SD card and saved on phone.
Thanks
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Sent via the XDA Tapatalk App
Hi, I've just bumped into this thread while searching for the same problem, it wasn't very clear in others I've found.
It's well known that syncing your contacts with your gmail account results in semi-blurry / pixelated photos, which look very ugly especially while dialing in HTC dialer. This can be solved in a couple of ways, one is to disable contact sync.
Now I'm on plain Froyo (Defrost 2.1) and I've noticed that if you crop a photo to make the contact picture, if the photo has a high resolution and you crop a big enough rectangle, the photo becomes very pixelated when shown in the dialer. Oddly enough, contact photos which I've chosen and cropped with HTC Photos album, while on HTC rom, and which have been restored through titanium backup, are showing ok, so I'm guessing it's an issue with Stock Gallery not properly resizing images ? Anybody else experiencing the same ?
To reproduce - this happens (to me) in NON htc roms, with google contact sync disabled:
- create a contact
- add contact picture through Stock Gallery (the 3D view one)
- select a big picture (5Mpixel) and crop a good part of it, more than half, or most of it.
- call that contact and you should see the picture very pixelated / badly resized
I will assume that if it's a google OS, they will use the same policy regarding contact pictures. Because, in the end, it will save time in their servers when a sync is made.
DoomFragger said:
I will assume that if it's a google OS, they will use the same policy regarding contact pictures. Because, in the end, it will save time in their servers when a sync is made.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uhm I don't know, while this explanation could make sense, I have the impression that in fact the image is stored in a high resolution, but then, when resizing it smaller to make it fit into the tiny square when calling a person, the algorithm used doesn't make it's work well. If I crop a small part of the picture, the scaling occurs much better.
You actually mean it happens the same on your device ?
I have maybe understood what happens, since the photo is still pixelated even when opening it in another dialer or contact viewer.
Select contact photo -> Open Gallery -> Crop to desired size ->
Here is the problem, the Stock 3D gallery resizes the cropped section to the actual size that have to be stored in contact pictures (anybody knows the size ?), but does a horrible job in scaling down, especially if the original picture is very big.
Anybody can verify this ?
andycted said:
I have maybe understood what happens, since the photo is still pixelated even when opening it in another dialer or contact viewer.
Select contact photo -> Open Gallery -> Crop to desired size ->
Here is the problem, the Stock 3D gallery resizes the cropped section to the actual size that have to be stored in contact pictures (anybody knows the size ?), but does a horrible job in scaling down, especially if the original picture is very big.
Anybody can verify this ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope i made all my contact photos within the gallery and they are just fine (sharp etc.). For me the problem was GSync which i disabled now. I know not everybody uses it here and still has the problems but for me everything is OK since disabling contact-sync.
Maybe everybody should have a look at the GoogleSync-Settings as well as the Exchange ones. In my case both accounts where enabled to sync the contacts with Google.
elburna said:
Nope i made all my contact photos within the gallery and they are just fine (sharp etc.). For me the problem was GSync which i disabled now. I know not everybody uses it here and still has the problems but for me everything is OK since disabling contact-sync.
Maybe everybody should have a look at the GoogleSync-Settings as well as the Exchange ones. In my case both accounts where enabled to sync the contacts with Google.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lucky you, I have every sync disabled but can confirm that it's just the gallery that crops and resizes with bad quality scaling.
I have tried using astro to select the picture and while it doesn't allow you to select the cropping area, it doesn't scale badly.
Did you actually try to use a very big picture and crop a good part of it?
Also, are you on froyo or eclair?
andycted said:
Lucky you, I have every sync disabled but can confirm that it's just the gallery that crops and resizes with bad quality scaling.
I have tried using astro to select the picture and while it doesn't allow you to select the cropping area, it doesn't scale badly.
Did you actually try to use a very big picture and crop a good part of it?
Also, are you on froyo or eclair?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use the standard eclaire ROM (1.21.405). The photos i used were taken with the 5 MP Camera of my former HTC HD2 so i guess they are big enough? Havent tried it with Astro so far. Hmm it seems hard to figure out, what could be wrong/different between our Desire-Contact-Manager-Photo-Thingy...
That is weird, since it's not mentioned anywhere else or probably mixed up with the sync-contact issue. At this point I would think that it could be an issue with the froyo gallery or with this particular rom. I might try a nandroid backup and then install stock eclair to try it out.
Just to be sure, let me ask you one question: if you select the entire photo (or rather the square part that fits the rectangular picture) for one contact, then on calling it, does the photo look blurry or rather pixelated ? on mine it's very visible in curves, which become jagged. I'm just asking because probably most people crop to a smallish part of the picture, like the face, while I'm trying to include the whole photo
Thanks.
[EDIT] erm, you mean stock rom with HTC Sense ? Because my problem is with stock android froyo, without HTC Sense Gallery, but using stock android 3D gallery (the one by cooliris)
I've just tried to install a eclair cyanogen (ERE27) and even without restoring anything I have been able to repicate the same exact issue.
At this point I think most people don't notice this because you mainly crop pictures in order to take the face and not the whole picture itself.
Just to make this clear once more, this has nothing to do with blurry contact sync issue and it happens in HTC Sense-free roms (i.e. DeFrost, cyanogen)
If anybody can come up with a better alternative than using astro or resizing images in separate applications, please post it here.
andycted said:
I've just tried to install a eclair cyanogen (ERE27) and even without restoring anything I have been able to repicate the same exact issue.
At this point I think most people don't notice this because you mainly crop pictures in order to take the face and not the whole picture itself.
Just to make this clear once more, this has nothing to do with blurry contact sync issue and it happens in HTC Sense-free roms (i.e. DeFrost, cyanogen)
If anybody can come up with a better alternative than using astro or resizing images in separate applications, please post it here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to give you an idea i have attached an original pic and a screenshot with the caller-screen. It might seem (when you zoom in the caller-screen) that it looks a bit blurry but on the small screen of the desire it looks absolutely sharp. As said, i made this with the standard album and chose a quite big area of the original photo.
Cheers
Thank you, I see that you in fact have a HTC Rom, and I guess that's the difference, I use stock froyo, non sense Rom, so I don't have the nice HTC picture gallery which does a fine job.
for standard album I meany the 3d gallery, developed by cooliris which is stock in non HTC roms.
Thank you anyway for your effort
andycted said:
Thank you, I see that you in fact have a HTC Rom, and I guess that's the difference, I use stock froyo, non sense Rom, so I don't have the nice HTC picture gallery which does a fine job.
for standard album I meany the 3d gallery, developed by cooliris which is stock in non HTC roms.
Thank you anyway for your effort
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep and thank you for stating it clearly Didnt get it before, that HTC Sense is the cause. Didnt know, that Sense is integrated so deeply into the system that there are differences when setting up contact pictures just because of different album-applications.
Greets
The gallery and possibly the dialer are the only reason why I would return to a HTC Rom, along with very few other things.
Still I can't understand how they can overlook such things...
Hi guys, have started a thread at google mobile support forum so we can get some attention on the low res contact picture problem
join in !
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google+Mobile/thread?tid=49e2b1adea1aa11c&hl=en
I wouldn't say my contacts that use a Google+ or have a profile with Google have hideous pictures. Although I would agree that Facebook syncing looks terrible but it's not really Googles problem.
Edit: Oh and you miss-spelt bigger
haha ups.. cant change it now..
Actually it is a Google issue. The gmail contact list, where the pictures are synced to, downgrade the resolution of the pictures
The pictures I changed in my phone, most of them, have remained at the higher resolution. However, once I wiped the phone to flash a new ROM, Google sync brought them all back at the lower resolution. Definite Google problem.
Now I get what your saying. To be honest I wouldn't be surprised if Google releases that as a feature in the next few months anyway. Just sit tight
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
A Google Employee just answered
Thanks for the feedback, everyone. The icons used in Google Contacts used to be a relatively low resolution, more of a thumbnail really. Those are the pictures that the phone pulls from first. There are a couple of ways you can bring higher resolution pictures in for your contacts.
1) Use your own high resolution photo. You can do this by opening a contact in the People app, tapping the menu, selecting Edit, then tapping on the photo icon. You'll be offered a choice to either take a photo right then, or pick a photo you've already got on your phone from the Gallery app.
2) Sync your contacts with Google+. If you and your contacts use Google+, you can launch the Google+ app on Android and set it to sync contacts from the app's settings. If your contact has a high resolution photo for their portrait in Google+ it'll get sync'd to your phone. Note that the initial contact photo sync from Google+ takes a little while to finish.
(Advanced note on #2: I was just playing with this a couple of days ago and noticed that the initial sync with Google+ prioritizes syncing a contact that you happen to be looking at. For example, if you're syncing 200 contacts but go look at your best friend immediately, it'll pull down your friend's photo right then and there before working on the rest of your contacts.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you ask me its not good enough we all want this fixed so we can have high res fb pictures...
So I guess we're stuck with these 2 options... I hope they put some kind of size difference in place. Like thumbnail size for Google Talk and high-res for phone sync.
I added my feedback there (NexusDude).
We can also open a new thread in the Official Google Contacts support forum:
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/gmail/label?lid=3a63236689cf8dbd&hl=en
Anyone can write a good problem description in clear and good english language?
I am not that good in english ...
just added my comment as well. thanks for initiating the post.
I am also opening a question in StackOverflow.com for an application that we can use to replace contact photos easily using locally stored high-resolution image files.
Please, if you are Android developer, this kind of app will be very useful!
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/...otos-using-local-image-files-programmatically
Think about it, your app will solve this on-going years of issue that will probably never be solved by Google.
Also put a request in the Android Software Development forum:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1391253
This may be a bit off topic, but does Kies sync Outlook 2010 (not exchange, but a local copy) to the phone?
I am coming from an HTC Desire and i hate the google contact sync.. i need my Outlock Sync back..
How this is still an issue with all the changes they made to contacts is just retarded.
gogol said:
I am also opening a question in StackOverflow.com for an application that we can use to replace contact photos easily using locally stored high-resolution image files.
Please, if you are Android developer, this kind of app will be very useful!
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/...otos-using-local-image-files-programmatically
Think about it, your app will solve this on-going years of issue that will probably never be solved by Google.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sure it will be updated eventually. Personally, I find it easier to just manually go update my contacts; I'm utterly anal about perfect organization of data, though. I posted a reply to your SO post as follows:
It's certainly possible, and wouldn't need root access. The problem is going to be that the user would need to properly name all the images first, consistently, accurately, and in a unique manner. For example, if you had three contacts named John Rodeo, then the naming convention of JohnRodeo.png or Rodeo_John.png would not work, as you could not have three images with the same name. Even if there was no duplication of data, you would need to make sure all names followed a consistent naming scheme (lastname_firstname.png for example). Of course, you could also add an algorithm to search filenames for likely variations and not have to worry about exact consistency.
It's certainly a feasible idea, but it would be much easier if Facebook would kiss and make up with Google already, and just play nice with the Contacts API. :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your feedback,
Looking into the history of this issue, I don't think it will ever get updated. Come on, it has not been fixed since 2008 ... 3 years.
And if you read the answer from Google employee in that Google Mobile support forum? They won't listen. They want to push people to use Google+. Forcing the solution by syncing with Google+.
That is sad ... same with syncing Facebook, not all contacts are on Facebook / Google+.
Obviously, Google should know this issue, otherwise they don't test their software properly. They should be aware how ugly is the low resolution contact photos, especially when user receives a phone call.
I cannot think any reason, that design master, Matias Duarte would allow this to happen!
About your feedback on my question in StackOverflow:
Naming the file is not really a problem. User needs only to do it once. And for multiple contact with same names, well, you can add phone number into it as additional option. Oh by the way, this is not about Facebook contact sync, especially because not all contacts are on Facebook. This is mainly to workaround the low resolution contact photos after synced with GMail Contacts
=======
Too bad, even though I am a developer (PC software), I don't have experience with Android software development. I don't know, probably this would push me to learn it.
Solution that I could think of, that I am capable of doing it:
- Root the device
- Download the contacts database (I read this is just SQLite3 db)
- Create PC application to manipulate the blob photo data inside the contacts db
- Push back the contacts db to the device
Yeah, it would be much better if we can have this Android app.
And I am begging to any dev around this XDA ... please, make this app for us!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1391253
copkay said:
I'm sure it will be updated eventually. Personally, I find it easier to just manually go update my contacts; I'm utterly anal about perfect organization of data, though. I posted a reply to your SO post as follows:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see how this is a Google problem when its simply grabbing the tiny photo off facebook.
Obviously the contact image supports high resolutions because I've added plenty of contact pictures myself from the camera. It saves them properly.
The problem is the SOURCE. If facebook has a bunch of 32x32 images for contacts, Google can't magically make them HD. Sure you can go in to a specific contacts photo album, download the picture, and add it manually... but there is no way to do this automatically.
Sync your contacts with a source which contains higher resolution images and your problem will be solved.
Facebook won't do it because Facebook uses the images all over the place. Images need to be small. Can you imagine trying to load a Facebook page with 500 HD pictures? It's facebook sync, not magic.
Blame it on the 4.63 HD resolution screen you have. On a tiny low res screen, the images don't look as stretched... but on a HD screen there will be lots of nasties.
So again, for HD pictures you'll need to find a source with HD images to sync with or add them manually. Have at it.
player911 said:
I don't see how this is a Google problem when its simply grabbing the tiny photo off facebook.
Obviously the contact image supports high resolutions because I've added plenty of contact pictures myself from the camera. It saves them properly.
The problem is the SOURCE. If facebook has a bunch of 32x32 images for contacts, Google can't magically make them HD. Sure you can go in to a specific contacts photo album, download the picture, and add it manually... but there is no way to do this automatically.
Sync your contacts with a source which contains higher resolution images and your problem will be solved.
Facebook won't do it because Facebook uses the images all over the place. Images need to be small. Can you imagine trying to load a Facebook page with 500 HD pictures? It's facebook sync, not magic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's syncing the PROFILE pictures. Facebook profile pictures are not 32x32! Mine is 728x688, for example. Facebook obviously has smaller versions to use for thumbnails on its own site. The problem is clearly not at Facebook's end.
player911 said:
I don't see how this is a Google problem when its simply grabbing the tiny photo off facebook.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well it IS a google problem imho. Maybe Im just alone with this since I dont use fb, but I added pictures to my google contacts manually. (And I used the computer for it - not the phone )
I added a High Res photo to each contact, but the google contacts changed em to a crappy resolution. On my old phone (milestone) I had no problem with it ... but now? It just looks hideous :/
And since I still dislike the use of facebook I would have to search a good picture for each damn contact again :/
player911 said:
I don't see how this is a Google problem when its simply grabbing the tiny photo off facebook.
Obviously the contact image supports high resolutions because I've added plenty of contact pictures myself from the camera. It saves them properly.
The problem is the SOURCE. If facebook has a bunch of 32x32 images for contacts, Google can't magically make them HD. Sure you can go in to a specific contacts photo album, download the picture, and add it manually... but there is no way to do this automatically.
Sync your contacts with a source which contains higher resolution images and your problem will be solved.
Facebook won't do it because Facebook uses the images all over the place. Images need to be small. Can you imagine trying to load a Facebook page with 500 HD pictures? It's facebook sync, not magic.
Blame it on the 4.63 HD resolution screen you have. On a tiny low res screen, the images don't look as stretched... but on a HD screen there will be lots of nasties.
So again, for HD pictures you'll need to find a source with HD images to sync with or add them manually. Have at it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been seeing this for 3 years now, it is not the source!!! you could manually stick a 24526246HD res picture the...............it's what happens to the original picture after it syncs with Google servers.
See my comment:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=27930642&postcount=10
It's about an app I made that syncs the high resolution photos with picasaweb. Hope it helps.
One thing I'm have an issue with is multiple contacts for one person on the GS3. I've tried combining the contacts and it works to a point. Here's what I like to do:
1. Combine my contacts and have them use the Facebook photo for the contact. How do I change it so it doesn't default to a pic I had setup as the Google contact?
2. Why do contacts keep getting so distorted after a wipe and reinstall?
3. How do I get the contact pics top take up the entire pic area when in call instead a small pic?
4. Is there a faster way to combine contacts?
Thanks for the help
Bumping this thread
shaun0207 said:
One thing I'm have an issue with is multiple contacts for one person on the GS3. I've tried combining the contacts and it works to a point. Here's what I like to do:
1. Combine my contacts and have them use the Facebook photo for the contact. How do I change it so it doesn't default to a pic I had setup as the Google contact?
2. Why do contacts keep getting so distorted after a wipe and reinstall?
3. How do I get the contact pics top take up the entire pic area when in call instead a small pic?
4. Is there a faster way to combine contacts?
Thanks for the help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First I think there's a rule about bumping your own threads within a certain timeframe... so might want to watch that
As to the questions:
1) When your in a contact, press MENU, then "Mark as Default", this will let you choose the default picture, call number,etc... if you're facebook account is linked to this contact that will be one of the pictures at the top. (Now if the pic's aren't being pulled from facebook, that's a whole other issue, and you'll need a 3rd party app to do that it seems)
2) Distorted?? What do you mean exactly? Pictures lowering resolution? or something else.
3)When I'm in a call the picture takes up the top half of the screen.. which is the pic area... are you saying some of your pics do NOT take up that entire half space? Or that you want the pic to take up the entire SCREEN? If it's the former, my guess is it has to do with your picture resolution... try using bigger pictures? (Mine are approx 452x604 resolution , originally used on my Evo 4G).
4) Faster.. nope Clicky Clicky Clicky. I did mine during an episode of America's got Talent. Also be warned, the stock ROM has a limit of combining 5 contacts as a maximum. Custom ROMs can override this, and if you're rooted, there is a file you can edit yourself to increase the amount you can join (No flashing needed, just one text file edit, the feature.xml file in system/etc)
DroidGnome said:
First I think there's a rule about bumping your own threads within a certain timeframe... so might want to watch that
As to the questions:
1) When your in a contact, press MENU, then "Mark as Default", this will let you choose the default picture, call number,etc... if you're facebook account is linked to this contact that will be one of the pictures at the top. (Now if the pic's aren't being pulled from facebook, that's a whole other issue, and you'll need a 3rd party app to do that it seems)
2) Distorted?? What do you mean exactly? Pictures lowering resolution? or something else.
3)When I'm in a call the picture takes up the top half of the screen.. which is the pic area... are you saying some of your pics do NOT take up that entire half space? Or that you want the pic to take up the entire SCREEN? If it's the former, my guess is it has to do with your picture resolution... try using bigger pictures? (Mine are approx 452x604 resolution , originally used on my Evo 4G).
4) Faster.. nope Clicky Clicky Clicky. I did mine during an episode of America's got Talent. Also be warned, the stock ROM has a limit of combining 5 contacts as a maximum. Custom ROMs can override this, and if you're rooted, there is a file you can edit yourself to increase the amount you can join (No flashing needed, just one text file edit, the feature.xml file in system/etc)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the help..
1. Set as default worked great!
2. Pics have a really low resolution. Not sire if it has something to do with pics being possible restored from a back up or something??
3. I usually have to go in an reassign the pics in order for them to be larger. Again I think this has to do with them coming from a backup pic associated with the contact.
4. Yeah, I know. I'm gonna edit the XML file now.
Higher Resolution Pics
The resolution of the Facebook Contact pics suck. Anyway to bring the pics in a higher resolution?
Try this and you can link Facebook with contacts on your phone. It works good I use this. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ro.weednet.contactssync
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
Kchitown1977 said:
Try this and you can link Facebook with contacts on your phone. It works good I use this. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ro.weednet.contactssync
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The contacts sync great with the phone. Its just the pics are horrible. I'll check this out
I don't get it. I've selected all my contacts pics the same way (using the phone and the gallery). But, for some reason...every time I reload a ROM...some contacts pics will adjust itself back to High Res (good thing)...while others never do (especially the ones that I contact the most). Does someone have any clue as to what I'm doing wrong or not doing?
Yeah that always happens when i change roms, that's why I use this app
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jgarrison.hdcontacts
I just backup all my contacts' pics and restore them when i flash a new rom. Saves me a lot time instead of going contact to contact reassigning pics
Sent from Flip's S3
Hey Guys,
Not sure if this has been posted but I couldn't find it anywhere.
Was always annoyed that when I received a call, the image was pixelated to buggery.
Anyway, I figured out that in the dialer, if you go to the "starred" tab, you see the images there of people you have called/received calls from.
Now click on the 3 dots at the top right of that contact and wait. Soon the image clears up. Go back and that's it, that contact will now have a clearer image than before.
Feel free to let me know your thoughts etc. Hopefully helps some people out.
I just use contactsyncduck. At first it was a pain on the ass because you have to enter the Facebook ID of your contacts in the notes field, but now all my contact photos are crystal clear and they update when your contacts change their profile pics.
If you ever owned an HTC phone (that ran Sense OS) the facebook ID may already be in your contact info.
Edit: I did your trick on some of my contacts that don't have Facebook and it did clear up a little. Good find
Yeah, I used to use an app like that. Think it was called Haxsync. Not all my friends are on Facebook so I ditched it.