How to Improve Face ID on Xiaomi Smartphones: A Complete Guide

Unlocking a smartphone in the face is one of the most convenient features of MIUI, but it does not always work perfectly. Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO users often face problems: the phone does not recognize the face in the dark, requires repeated attempts or refuses to unlock after an update. In this article, we will discuss 7 proven ways to improve Face Unlock (the analogue of Face ID) on Xiaomi devices, including system settings, hardware limitations and little-known tricks.

It's important to understand that facial recognition technology on Xiaomi is different from TrueDepth on the iPhone. 2D-scanning through the front camera, not the front camera 3D-This means that the system is less reliable in poor lighting conditions or when appearance changes (glasses, beard, makeup).However, the correct setting can improve recognition accuracy by 30-50% - tested on models from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

If you've tried to reboot your phone or reset your face, but nothing has worked, don't be too quick to give up the feature. Most of the time, the problem is solved software-based, without going to the service center. Next, we'll look at both basic and advanced optimization methods, including working with ADB and hidden MIUI settings.

1.Precise Face Unlock setup in MIUI

The first thing you need to do is recreate your face profile with all the nuances in mind, and many users make mistakes at this point, which leads to constant failures. Here's a step-by-step guide for MIUI 14/15:

1. Go to Settings → Screen Lock and Password → Add Face Recognition.
2. Remove the old profile (if any) through Face Data Management → Delete.
3. When creating a new profile, watch for clues: 🔄 Turn your head slowly – the system should capture all angles. 💡 Lighting should be uniform, without shadows on the face. 👓 If you wear glasses, remove them when you first scan them, then add them as an alternate profile.

After saving, check the work in different conditions (light / dark, with glasses / without).

Note that MIUI 15 has an option called "Enhanced Recognition" (not available on all models) that uses AI to adapt to changes in appearance, activate it if you have one in your settings.

Remove old facial profile|Use uniform lighting|Turn your head to 360.°|Add an alternative profile with glasses|Checking the work in different conditions-->

If unlocking still doesn't work well after this manipulation, the problem may be software constraints or hardware features of your model, and that's covered in the next section.

Hardware Limitations: Why Face Unlock is Not Perfect

Not all Xiaomi smartphones are equally good at facial recognition, depending on the front camera and the presence of an infrared sensor.

As you can see from the table, budget models (Redmi 10, POCO M) cannot physically deliver high accuracy due to a weak camera and the lack of an IR sensor. If you have one of these devices, you can only improve the situation software (more on this below) or additional lighting when unlocked.

On flagships (Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Mix Fold 3), the problem is more often associated with incorrect IR settings. Check if the sensor is closed with a protective film or case. Also worth updating the firmware - in the latest versions of MIUI, the processing of images from the IR camera is improved.

Xiaomi 13/14 series|Redmi Note 12/13|POCO F/X series|Redmi 10/11|Xiaomi Civi|Another model-->

3. Optimization through Hidden MIUI Settings

There are hidden options in MIUI that can make Face Unlock work a lot better, and you can access them through ADB or the engineering menu, and let's look at both.

Method 1: ADB-commands to improve recognition

This method requires connecting your smartphone to your computer and installing ADB. If you have never used this utility, follow the instructions:

1. Download Platform Tools from the Android website.
2. Enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times, then go back to Additional → For Developers).
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the commands: adb shell settings put global face_unlock_improve 1 adb shell settings put global face_unlock_light_boost 1

The first command activates the improved recognition algorithm, the second command increases the brightness of the camera's backlight when scanning.

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If so, ADB-Face Unlock has stopped working at all, reset settings via adb shell settings delete global face_unlock_improve and repeat the procedure.

Method 2: Engineering menu (for experienced only)

You can manually adjust the front camera settings in the engineering menu, and be careful, if you make the wrong changes, you can crash!

1. Open the Phone app and type ##36446337##.
2. Go to the Camera → Front Camera section.
3. Find the settings: Face Detection Sensitivity — set High. IR Camera Boost — turn on if you have. Low Light Compensation — install Enabled.

These settings force the camera to operate in high sensitivity mode, which is especially useful for devices without an IR sensor, but note that this can increase battery consumption by 5-10%.

4 Lighting problems: How to unlock your phone in the dark

The main complaint of users is that Face Unlock does not work at night or in low light, due to the fact that Xiaomi’s budget models are not equipped with infrared illumination.

• 🔦 Use the screen lighting: in MIUI 14+ There is an option "Screenlight when unlocked" (included in Settings) → Screen. → It lights up when you unlock it, and it briefly brightens the display by lighting up the face.
• 📱 Activate flashlight automatically: Installing apps like Flash Alerts will enable flashlights to be turned on when you try to unlock.
• 🌙 Add an alternative. PIN: If the recognition doesn't work, the phone should immediately prompt you to enter the password. → Screen locking → Alternative unlocking.

For models with an IR sensor (Xiaomi 13 Pro, Civi 3), check if the sensor is contaminated. Wipe it with a soft wipe - dust and fat can block infrared radiation.

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If your smartphone is not equipped with an IR sensor, the only reliable way to unlock in the dark is to use an external light source (a flashlight, a screen).

Also pay attention to the color temperature of the screen. In the display settings (Settings → Screen → Color mode), select “Cold” – this will increase contrast and help the camera better recognize facial features.

5 Conflicts with other security functions

Sometimes Face Unlock doesn’t work well due to conflicts with other security systems, such as:

• 🔒 Smart Lock (automatic unlocking in trusted locations).
• 👁️ Iris recognition (on Xiaomi flagships).
• 📍 Geofencing (location restrictions).

To check if these features interfere, follow the following steps:

1. Turn off Smart Lock in Settings → Screen Lock → Smart Lock.
2. Remove all trusted Bluetooth and Wi-Fi devices.
3. If you use iris recognition, temporarily turn it off.
4. Restart your phone and check for Face Unlock.

If unlocking is better after that, turn back functions one at a time to identify the culprit. Most often conflicts arise with Smart Lock, especially if you have many trusted places set up.

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Some MIUI firmware has a bug that causes Face Unlock to shut down after the update. To return the feature, just recreate the face profile or reset security settings through Settings → Memory → Reset settings → Reset lock settings.

6. Update firmware and reset settings

If all previous methods failed, the problem may be outdated firmware or system files failure, in which case:

• 🔄 Update MIUI Up to the latest version (check in Settings) → The phone. → Updating the system).
• ⚙️ Reset lock settings (does not delete data, only resets) PIN, Fingerprints and Face Unlock).
• 📱 Clean flashing through the Mi Flash Tool (extremely, requires backup).

Before updating the firmware, make sure that:

• Battery charge is over 50%.
• There is a backup of the data (use Settings → Additional → Backup).
• Internet connection is stable (preferably Wi-Fi).

If Face Unlock has stopped working after the update, it may be due to changes in the security policy of the new version of MIUI.

1. Delete all facial profiles.
2. Reboot the phone.
3. Create a new profile by following the instructions in the first section.

7. Alternative ways of unlocking

If you can’t improve Face Unlock, consider alternative unlocking methods that can be used in parallel:

• 👆 Fingerprint is the most reliable and fastest way (works even with wet or dirty hands on new sensors).
• 🔢 Pattern or PIN — A classic method that will never fail.
• 🔑 Iris recognition (available on Xiaomi Mix 4, 13 Ultra).
• 📲 Smartwatch – unlock via Mi Band or Xiaomi Watch (configured in Settings) → Connected devices).

For maximum convenience, set up a combined unlock:

1. Activate Face Unlock + Fingerprint.
2. In Settings → Screen Lock → Alternative unlock, select “Show PIN after 3 failed attempts”.
3. Install the Tasker app to automatically switch between methods depending on conditions (e.g., fingerprint at night, face during the day).

Remember that biometrics (face, fingerprint) are less secure than PINs or passwords. If security is your priority, use them only as an additional method.

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On Xiaomi’s flagship models (for example, 14 Pro), you can configure multi-level authentication: face for unlocking, fingerprint for payments, PIN for critical operations.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Face Unlock on Xiaomi

If none of the proposed methods helped, perhaps the problem is a hardware defect of the front camera or sensors. In this case, we recommend contacting the Xiaomi service center for diagnostics. For models older than 3 years, repair may not be cost-effective - consider updating your smartphone.

Remember that Face Unlock on Xiaomi is about convenience, not maximum security. Always use a combination of biometrics to protect sensitive data. PIN-code.