AI-camera on Xiaomi Mi 9S: full guide on capabilities and settings

Xiaomi Mi 9S

Mi 9 SE

artificial intelligence (AI)

«AI-camera»

Xiaomi 9S

What features it offers and how to use them correctly – from automatic scene recognition to manual settings for professionals.

Many users are confused AI-It's a camera with the usual Auto mode, but they're actually two different technologies. AI It analyzes the contents of the frame in real time, applying unique algorithms for each type of scene — whether it is a portrait, a landscape or a food. 9S It is equipped with a triple main camera (48 MP). + 13 MP + 8 MP), where each module is responsible for its task, and AI It brings together their capabilities. But how does it work in practice? Let's dig deeper.

It is worth noting that Mi 9S It was released in 2019 and since then, algorithms have been AI But even today, his camera remains competitive with flexible settings and support for upgrades. MIUI. If you just bought this smartphone or want to unleash its potential – this article is for you.

What is it? AI-The camera: understand the terms

term «AI-The camera, which is an artificial intelligence camera, means that the smartphone uses machine learning to improve photos. 9S means:

1. Scene recognition – The algorithm determines what you are shooting (sky, face, document, food, etc.) and applies optimal settings.

Automatic correction — AI Corrects color balance, contrast and sharpness without user intervention.

3. Social media optimization – photos are immediately prepared for publication on Instagram or VK with popular filters.

It is important to understand that AI It's not a substitute for manual settings, it's a complement. For example, in Portrait mode, artificial intelligence helps to more accurately separate a person from the background, but you can adjust the depth of blur (bokeh) yourself.

  • 🔍 How recognition works? AI Analyzes millions of photos from Xiaomi database to “learn” to distinguish between sunset and artificial lighting.
  • ⚡ Advantage over “Auto”: Unlike the standard mode, AI Adapts to a specific scene rather than using universal parameters.
  • 📱 Limitations: In low light or when shooting non-standard objects (for example, abstract pictures) AI may be wrong.

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi Mi 9S AI-The camera only works in the standard Camera app. Third-party apps (like Google Camera) may not support all features.

What functions AI available on Xiaomi Mi 9S

Xiaomi Mi 9S 7 Main modes with support AI, Each one is optimized for a particular type of shooting. Here's the full list with explanations:

Regime.What's AI doing?When to use
AI PortraitBlurring background, improves skin color, highlights the faceSelfies, photos of people
AI Landscape.Increases green and blue shades, adds contrastNature, urban views
AI Food.Makes the colors of dishes more saturated, adds an “appetite” effectPhotos of food for social media
AI Night.Combine multiple frames to reduce noiseShooting in the dark
AI DocumentIt aligns perspective, removes shadows from paper.Scans of documents, checks, books

The regime is particularly useful «AI Night" — it uses Multi-frame Noise Reduction technology, where the smartphone takes multiple images in a row and combines them into one, eliminating digital noise. This allows you to get acceptable photos even in lighting 1-5 lux (for comparison, the moon gives about 0.2 lux).

Here's the regime «AI Food is often criticized for being too saturated, because it can make the salad look unnaturally green. If you want a natural color, you'd better use Professional mode with manual settings.

📊 What regime? AI You use it most often?
Portrait
Landscape.
Food.
Night.
Document
I don't use AI.

How to turn on and set up AI-camera

By default. AI-camera on Xiaomi Mi 9S It's on, but you can turn it off or fine-tune it:

1. Open the Camera app.

2. Touch the icons «AI» in the top menu (near the flash switch).

3. Select the desired mode (for example, "Portrait" or "Landscape") or leave "Auto-Recognition" for automatic selection.

If you want to disconnect AI fully:

  1. Go to Camera Settings → AI-camera.
  2. Move the slider "Include" AI» off-set.».

For advanced users, hidden settings are available:

How to open the extended parameters AI?
Enter the #4636### command in the engineering menu, then select Testing. → Camera. You can calibrate the algorithms here. AI, But it's risky for newcomers!

⚠️ Attention: After disconnection AI Photos can look paler, especially in Landscape mode. That's normal -- AI algorithms by default amplify colors.

Enable stabilization (in camera settings)

Set 48 MP resolution for detailing

Disable Xiaomi watermarks (Settings) → Watermark)

Use it. HDR auto-mode»

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Comparison AI-Xiaomi 9S with other flagships of 2019

Year of Mi release 9S It competes with models like the Samsung Galaxy. S10, Huawei P30 Pro and iPhone 11. What about him? AI-camera looks in front of them?

According to the results of tests DxOMark (2019), Xiaomi Mi 9S took 5th place in the ranking of smartphone cameras, behind Huawei P30 Pro (1st place) and Samsung Galaxy S10+ (2nd place. Strengths:

  • 🌄 Color rendering in daylight — AI The sky and the green are the shades of the sky.
  • 👤 Portrait mode is one of the best background blurs in its segment.
  • 📸 Processing speed: Photos are saved faster than Huawei.

Weaknesses:

  • 🌙 Night photography is inferior to Huawei P30 Pro due to smaller matrix size.
  • 🎥 Video - Stabilization worse than the iPhone 11.
  • 🔍 Zoom is the optical zoom of everything 2x against 5x Huawei.

Key Fact: Xiaomi Mi 9S It is still one of the best options for portraits in the budget segment (price for 2026 is about 15-20 thousand rubles in the secondary market).

Typical problems with AI-camera and how to solve them

Despite the advanced algorithms, users of Xiaomi Mi 9S Sometimes they're going to have bugs or inconveniences, and here are the most common ones and the ways to fix them:

1. AI misidentifies the scene

🔹 Reason: Too dark or non-standard lighting (e.g. colored lamps).

🔹 Solution: Manually select the mode (for example, “Landscape” instead of “Auto”) or turn off AI.

2. The photographs are blurred

🔹 Cause: Trembling hands or slow shutter in Night mode».

🔹 Solution: Use a tripod or enable Stabilization in the settings.

3.The colors look unnatural

🔹 Reason: AI Excessively increases saturation (especially in the mode of “food»).

🔹 Solution: Switch to Professional Mode and reduce the Saturation option to +10.

4. AI-The camera does not work after the update

🔹 Cause: Software failure or shell conflict MIUI.

🔹 Solution: Clear the Camera app cache in Settings → Apps or reinstall firmware.

⚠️ Note: If after the update MIUI regimes gone AI, Some custom builds (like LineageOS) don't support all camera features.

💡

To reset the camera settings to factory, go to Settings → System system → Resetting settings → Reset application settings and select “Camera».

Secrets of professional shooting on Xiaomi Mi 9S

Even with AI-You can improve your results with a camera if you know a few tricks. Here are 5 tips from photographers who tested the Mi. 9S:

1. Use the "Professional" mode for control

AI It copes well with automation, but for creative shooting it is better to manually configure it:

  • 📐 White balance: 4500–5500K natural-colored.
  • ⏱ Excerpt: 1/1000c.
  • 🔄 ISO: Not over 800, otherwise there will be noise.

2. Filming in format RAW

In the “Professional” mode, you can save a photo in the format.DNG (RAW). This gives you more options for post-processing in Lightroom or Photoshop.

3.Play with focus in Portrait Mode

AI It automatically blurs the background, but you can change the focal point by touching the screen, like focusing on your eyes instead of your nose, and it makes the portrait live.

4. Night photography with manual setting

Instead of regime «AI Try the night:

  1. Install. ISO 1600–3200.
  2. Excerpt — 1/10c (use a tripod!).
  3. Turn it off. AI, to avoid excessive noise reduction.

5. The video footage AI-stabilization

Turn on Ultrastabilization in the video settings, which will reduce the jitter, but slightly trim the edges of the frame.

💡

For the best results, combine AI For example, use automatic scene recognition, but manually adjust exposure.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

❓ Can I install Google Camera (GCam) on Xiaomi Mi? 9S improve AI?
Yes, but with reservations. GCam supports some features AI (For example, Night Sight for night shooting, but it may not work scene recognition from Xiaomi. BSG or Arnova8G2 (search the forum 4PDA). ⚠️ Backup a standard camera before installing – some users complain of overheating when using the GCam.
❓ Why? AI-camera heats up smartphone?
AI-Algorithms load the processor (especially the Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 in the Mi) 9S). For long periods of time (e.g. video) 4K) temperature can rise to 45-50°C. This is normal, but if the phone turns off from overheating, try: AI Set up in short sessions (no more than 10-15 minutes in a row) Use a heat sink case.
❓ Does it work? AI-Camera in apps like Instagram or Snapchat?
No, third-party applications use their own processing algorithms, not AI However, some features (such as background blur in Stories) may work in a similar way. 💡 Take a photo in a standard camera with AI, Then upload it to Instagram, so the quality will be higher.
❓ Can algorithms be updated? AI on the old Xiaomi Mi 9S?
Xiaomi periodically updates neural networks through updates MIUI. To get the latest improvements: Update your firmware to the latest version (check in Settings) → The phone. → Update system. Install the latest version of the Camera app from Google Play. Unfortunately, the iron restrictions (such as the size of the matrix) can not be updated - here only buying a new smartphone will help.
❓ How to take a photo with the effect of “cinema” on Xiaomi Mi 9S?
For the cinematic view: Enable Portrait Mode. Set background blur to maximum (f/1.4 Use the cold white balance (6000K). Add a green tint in post-processing (for example, in the VSCO filtered A6). 🎬 Bonus: Shoot the video in 1080p 60fps and process in CapCut with the film gray effect to simulate the film.