AI Camera on Xiaomi: disassemble the technology with examples, settings and life hacks

Have you ever noticed that some Xiaomi smartphones have a mysterious AI Camera mode in their camera settings — but you never realized what it actually does? This feature has long since ceased to be just a marketing trick: in 2026, artificial intelligence in photography has become so advanced that it can dramatically change the quality of your shots. But does it work equally well on all models? And why do sometimes photos with AI look too “plastic”?

In this article, we’ll not only explain what the AI Camera is on Xiaomi phones, but also show how it works at the algorithm level, what models support the technology (including the budget Redmi series and the flagship Xiaomi 14), and give practical tips for setting up. You’ll learn what scenes AI really helps, and when to turn it off – with examples of “before” and “after.” And yes, we’ll see why sometimes the AI Camera can automatically “paint” the sky blue even when it’s cloudy outside.

What is AI Camera: In simple words

The AI Camera (or Artificial Intelligence in Camera) is a software module that analyzes a scene in real time and automatically optimizes the settings of the shooting. Unlike manual settings (where you choose exposure, white balance, etc.), here everything is done by a neural network trained in millions of photos.

How does this work in practice? Say you're photographing food. AI recognizes a dish, increases the saturation of red/green shades (to make the salad look juicier), slightly blurs the background and adds contrast. Or another example: portrait mode - an algorithm not only blurs the background, but also adjusts the lighting of the face, removing shadows under the eyes or smoothing the skin (sometimes too aggressive).

• 📸 Scene recognition: sky, grass, food, people, animals, text, etc. (up to 30+ categories in new models).
• ⚙️ Auto settings: exposure, white balance, contrast, saturation, noise reduction.
• 🎨 Post-processing: improving parts, correcting distortion, adding HDR- effects.
• 🔍 Object detection: for example, real-time recognition of QR- codes or documents.

It is important to understand that the AI Camera is not one universal neural network, but a set of algorithms that Xiaomi licenses from different developers (for example, Qualcomm for Snapdragon chips or its own solutions based on MediaTek).

What Xiaomi models support AI Camera (full list 2026)

The AI Camera technology was introduced in Xiaomi smartphones back in 2018, but it was primitive and only worked on flagships, and today it can be found even in budget devices, albeit with limitations. Below is the current support table by series (data as of June 2026):

⚠️ Warning: Some models (e.g., Redmi A2 or POCO M6) may display a "AI Camera" in the settings, but it actually works like a normal automatic mode without neural networks. Check this out simply: take a photo with AI on and off — if there is no difference, it's a "dummy."

Also, consider that the AI Camera can turn off after MIUI updates. For example, in MIUI 14 for Xiaomi 12T, some of the AI functions were transferred to the paid Xiaomi AI Photo Enhancer app. So if everything worked before, and now it does not, check the firmware version.

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On models with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2/3 (such as Xiaomi 13 Ultra), the AI Camera consumes up to 15% of the extra battery when used actively. If you notice a quick discharge, try turning off the AI to save energy.

How to turn on or off the AI Camera on Xiaomi

The camera interface in MIUI changes frequently, but the general logic behind enabling AI remains similar. Here is a step-by-step guide for the latest versions (2023-2026):

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Tap the ⚙️ Settings icon (or swipe up/down the screen to open the modes bar).
3. Find the AI Camera switch (may be called “AI scene”, “AI enhancement” or “Intelligent camera”).
4. Activate the slider. Some models will have an additional menu with a selection of scenes (for example, "Portrait", "Food", "Night").

To disable:

• Do the same, but deactivate the slider.
• On some phones (for example, Redmi Note 11) you need to go to the camera settings → Additional → AI-functions and there disable all options.

Take a test photo with AI enabled | Compare it to a photo without AI (color/detail differences should be noticeable) | Check if the "AI" icon appears in the top corner of the camera screen | Make sure the photos are saved in the gallery with the "AI Enhanced" tag (if supported)

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🔹 Hidden setting: On flagships (Xiaomi 13/14), you can fine-tune the strength of the effects AI.

1. Turn on the AI Camera.
2. Touch the icon ✏️ (edit) in the upper right corner.
3. Select “AI Settings” and move the sliders for saturation, contrast, and background blur.

⚠️ Warning: On budget models (Redmi 10A, POCO M5), these sliders may not be present — there AI runs on a fixed algorithm without the possibility of adjustment.

AI Camera vs. Regular Camera: Comparison with Examples

To see if AI is worth using, let’s compare real photos taken on the Xiaomi 13 Pro with artificial intelligence on and off. All images are taken in the same conditions (lighting, angle, settings).

Scene 1: Portrait in the street (daylight)

• Without AI: Natural skin colors, but shadows under the eyes are noticeable, the background is not blurred.
• With AI, the skin is smoothed (wrinkles removed), the shadows under the eyes are lightened, the background is slightly blurred, but the hair on the border with the background looks "cut out" - a typical AI artifact.

Scene 2: Food (restaurant dish)

• Without AI: Colors are muted, sauce on the plate blends with the background.
• With AI, the red color of tomatoes became brighter, the green basilica became juicier, the contrast added, but the orange sauce took on an unnatural hue.

Scene 3: Night shooting (cityscape)

• No AI: Noise in dark areas, lights overlit.
• With AI: Noise is suppressed, the lights are balanced, but the sky has become too blue (though it was actually gray due to clouds).

📊 Conclusion: AI Camera does a good job of portraits (smoothing skin, improving lighting) and food (makes colors more appetizing), but often overdoses with saturation in landscapes. For documents or accurate color rendering (such as photos of clothes for sale), it is better to turn off AI.

AI Camera Problems and How to Solve Them

Despite the obvious advantages, the technology has its downsides, and here are some of the most common user complaints and ways to address them:

• 🖼️ "Photos look plastic." Reason: Excessive skin smoothing and saturation. Solution: In settings AI, reduce the settings "Ammolishing" and "Saturation" (if available). Or turn off AI for portraits.
• 🌄 "The sky becomes unnaturally blue" Reason: The algorithm forcedly paints the sky, even if it's gray.Solution: Turn off AI for landscapes or use manual mode with a fixed white balance.
• 🔋 "Battery goes down fast" Reason: The neural network consumes a lot of CPU resources. Solution: Turn off AI in the camera settings or use it only for important shots.
• 🐢 "Slowing down" Reason: AI processes each frame before saving. Solution: For serial photography (e.g., sports), switch to Professional or Sport mode.

⚠️ Warning: Some models (Redmi Note 10 Pro, POCO X3 Pro) may turn off shooting in RAW while the AI Camera is active. If you need raw files to post-process in Lightroom, you'll have to choose between AI and RAW.

Another common problem is that the AI Camera doesn't save settings after the phone is restarted, and this is a MIUI bug that occurs on firmware older than MIUI 13.

1. Update the software to the latest version.
2. If the update doesn’t help, reset your camera settings: Settings → Apps → Camera → Storage → Clear the data.

Hidden AI Camera chips that few people know about

Most users use the AI Camera only for basic photo enhancement, but new Xiaomi models have hidden features.

• 📄 Document Recognition In AI Camera → Document (available on Xiaomi 12/13/14), the camera automatically aligns perspective, removes shadows and improves text clarity. Useful for scanning passports or receipts.
• 🌙 Night mode with AI on flagships (Xiaomi 13 Ultra) when shooting in the dark AI not only brightens the frame, but also removes noise with the preservation of details. To activate: turn on Night mode and wait for the icon "AI" to appear in the upper corner.
• 🎥 AI In the video On models with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2/3 (e.g. Xiaomi) 14) AI also works in video, stabilizing images, improving colors, and even replacing backgrounds in real time (as in Zoom). → AI improvement.
• 🔍 Super Resolution: When shooting with the main camera, AI can increase the resolution by algorithms (e.g., from 12 MP to 48 MP). It doesn't work on all models -- check in Camera Settings → Resolution.

💡 Lifehack: If you like the way AI handles the photos, but you don't want to wait for it to do it when you're shooting, you can use the aftereffects.

1. Open the photo in the gallery.
2. Click Edit → AI Improvement.
3. Select the desired effect (for example, “Portrait” or “Landscape”).

This will work even in photos taken without AI!

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On models with Leica optics (Xiaomi) 13/14 Pro) AI Camera has additional color profiles: "Leica Authentic" (natural tones) and "Leica Vibrant" (bright colors). AI.

AI Camera and Privacy: What Xiaomi Knows About Your Photos

Many users worry that photos from the AI Camera are sent to Xiaomi servers to “train the neural network.”

• 🔒 Device processing: Most models AI run locally (on the phone’s processor), as confirmed by Xiaomi’s own privacy policy.
• ☁️ Cloud features: Some effects (e.g., a “AI background-replacement portrait”) may require an internet connection, but the photo itself is not sent—only metadata for analysis.
• 📱 Exceptions: On Chinese firmware (MIUI China), some data may be transmitted to improve algorithms, but in global versions (MIUI Global/EEA) this is disabled.

How to check if your photos are sent somewhere:

1. Go to Settings → Privacy → Application Permissions → Camera.
2. See if the app has internet access in the background.
3. Turn off mobile data for the Camera app (if you are afraid of leaks).

⚠️ Warning: If you use third-party camera apps (like GCam), they may have their own algorithms AI that aren't always secure.

For complete certainty, you can disable all cloud functions:

1. Go to Camera Settings → Further → Cloud Services.
2. Turn off the options for “AI Cloud Improvement” and “Data Sharing to Improve Camera.”

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions About AI Camera