Eliminating camera flicker on Xiaomi: causes and solutions

Have you noticed that the camera on your Xiaomi smartphone has started to flicker when shooting videos or taking photos? This is a common problem faced by owners of devices of different series, from the budget Redmi to the flagship Mi and the other two. POCO. The flickering can manifest as flashing stripes on the screen, image jitters, or uneven backlighting, especially in artificial lighting conditions. Most often this is due to a mismatch between the refresh rate of the screen and the frequency of the camera frame, but the reasons may be deeper - from software failures to hardware malfunctions.

In this article, we will analyze all possible causes of camera flicker on Xiaomi, including the features of working with different light sources (LED, Fluorescent lights, sunlight, and how to fix the problem, you'll learn how to adjust your frame rates manually, update your camera firmware, reset your settings to factory, and even diagnose hardware breakdowns. Special attention will be paid to models with 120 Hz and 144 Hz displays, where flickering occurs more often due to frequency conflict.

Why Xiaomi’s camera flickers: the main reasons

Camera flickering is a visual artifact that occurs due to the unsynchronized operation of the camera matrix and the light source, and 90% of the time, the problem is due to one of the following factors:

• 🔄 The discrepancy between the camera frame rate and the flickering frequency of light, LED-The lamps flicker at a frequency of 100-120 Hz, and the camera shoots from 30 FPS — It creates a strobe effect.
• 📱 Software failures in the Camera app or MIUI. Often occurs after updates or installation of custom firmware.
• 🔧 Incorrect shooting settings: Automatic mode selects suboptimal parameters for current lighting.
• 💡 Hardware problems: damage to the camera plume, malfunction of the matrix or stabilizer.
• 🔄 Conflict with other applications using the camera (e.g., instant messengers or other applications) AR-game).

Especially bright flickering manifests itself when shooting under fluorescent lamps or in rooms with cheap LED-The fact is that these light sources flicker at a high frequency (usually 50-60 Hz in Europe and 120 Hz in the United States), which the human eye does not notice, but the camera detects as alternating dark and light bands.

On smartphones Xiaomi with AMOLED-screens and high refresh rate (90 Hz)+) The flickering can be amplified by a conflict between the display frequency and the shooting frequency, for example, if the screen is running at 120 Hz and the camera is shooting at 60 Hz. FPS, There is a "stripped-up" effect".

How to check if the light source is flickering

Before you set up the camera, make sure the lighting isn't the problem. Here's an easy way to check the lights flicker:

1. Turn on the Xiaomi smartphone mode of shooting video at 60 FPS (higher).
2. Point the camera at the light source (lamp, monitor screen, TV).
3. If you see wavy bands or blinking on the recording, the problem is in the lamp, not in the camera.

For more accurate diagnosis, you can use specialized applications such as Light Meter or Flicker Detector, which analyze the frequency of flicker and show whether it is compatible with your camera settings.

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If you’re shooting video under fluorescent lights, try reducing your frame rate to 24-30. FPS — It often removes flickering.

In some cases, flickering can be caused by a poor-quality lamp power supply, such as cheap lights. LED-The panels often flicker at 100Hz, which conflicts with most camera settings. If you notice a problem at home, try replacing the bulbs with quality ones (such as Philips or Osram) marked flicker-free.

Setting frame rate to eliminate flicker

The most effective way to remove flickering is to manually set frame rate (FPS), This is a multiple of the flashing frequency of light. Here's how to do it on Xiaomi smartphones:

1. Open the standard Camera app.
2. Switch to Video Mode.
3. Touch the badge. ⚙️ Settings (or swipe up/down on the screen, depending on the model).
4. Find the option of permission and frame rate (or FPS).
5. Choose a value, multiple 50/60 Hz, for example, 25 FPS, 30 FPS, 50 FPS or 60 FPS).

For countries with a network 220V/50Hz (Russia, Europe) optimal settings:

• 🎥 25 FPS — Best choice for eliminating flickering under fluorescent lamps.
• 🎥 50 FPS — Suitable for dynamic scenes, but can increase tremors in low light.

For countries with a network 110V/60Hz (USA, Japan):

• 🎥 30 FPS — versatile.
• 🎥 60 FPS — for smooth video but requires good lighting.

If your Xiaomi model does not have manual configuration FPS (Like Redmi. 9A or POCO M3), Try using third-party shooting apps like Open Camera or Filmic Pro, which let you manually set frame rates and other settings.

Install FPS multiple 50/60 Hz|Disable the auto exposure|Use manual focusing|Check the lighting before shooting-->

Update firmware and reset camera settings

If the flicker appeared after the update MIUI Or install custom firmware, the problem could be the software:

1. Update the Camera app via Google Play or App Store (for global versions) MIUI).
2. Check for MIUI updates in Settings → About Phone → System Update.
3. If the updates didn’t help, reset your camera settings: Go to Settings → Annexes → App management. Find the Camera app and select Warehouse. Click Clear Data and Clear Cache.

For custom firmware devices (such as LineageOS or Pixel Experience), flickering may be due to camera drivers not working properly.

• 🔄 Try to reflash the vendor and kernel from the official firmware Xiaomi.
• 🔧 Install the Magisk module to fix the camera (e.g, ANX Camera or GCam).

Important: On some Xiaomi models (such as the Mi 11 or Redmi Note 10 Pro), resetting the camera settings can lead to loss of autofocus calibration. If the photos become blurry after cleaning the data, recalibrate through the engineering menu or contact the service.

Hardware causes of flickering and their diagnosis

If the software methods didn't work, the problem could be the hardware, and here are the most common malfunctions.

To diagnose hardware problems:

1. Try to shoot a video on another smartphone in the same conditions. If there is no flicker, the problem is your Xiaomi.
2. Run the camera test through the engineering menu (code ##4636## → Testing → Camera).
3. Check if there were any mechanical damage (shocks, falls, moisture).

If you suspect a plume or matrix malfunction, it is not recommended to disassemble the phone yourself - this may result in a loss of warranty.

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Hardware malfunctions of the camera are almost never fixed by software, and if the flicker is accompanied by physical defects (cracks on the module, corrosion of contacts), repair is required.

Features of flickering on different models Xiaomi

Some Xiaomi smartphones are more prone to flickering due to the features of their cameras.

• 📱 Xiaomi Mi 11 / Mi 11 Ultra: Flickering is often associated with 120 Hz display and conflict with 4K@60FPS. The solution is to reduce the resolution of the video to 1080p.
• 📱 Redmi Note 10 Pro / POCO X3 Pro: Problems with EIS (Try to turn it off in the settings.
• 📱 Xiaomi 12 / 12 Pro: The flickering in the shooting in HDR10+. Turn it off. HDR Or use GCam.
• 📱 POCO F3 / F4: Conflict with AMOLED-Set 90 Hz instead of 120 Hz.

On devices with a telephoto lens (e.g., Mi 11 Ultra or 12S Ultra) flickering can only occur with zoom:

• 🔍 Turn off optical zoom and use digital.
• 🔍 Take a video on the main camera, not a telephoto.

For owners. POCO-devices with 144 Hz displays (e.g, POCO F4 GT) flickering may be increased due to aggressive optimization MIUI - for games:

1. Turn off Game Turbo mode in the settings.
2. Set a fixed screen frequency of 60 Hz or 90 Hz.

Additional tips for the perfect shooting

Even if you’ve managed to eliminate flickering, the following guidelines will help improve the quality of your video and photos on Xiaomi:

• 🌞 Avoid shooting against the sun – this leads to re-lighting and strengthening of artifacts.
• 💡 Use soft lighting: natural light or professional softboxes.
• 📱 Turn off energy saving while shooting – it may limit camera performance.
• 🔋 Charge your phone to 50-80% – when the charge is low, the camera can work unstablely.
• 🎬 Use a tripod to stabilize, especially when shooting in the 4K.

If you often shoot videos for social networks (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube), set up your camera profile in GCam or Open Camera:

• 🎥 Set a bitrate below 50 Mbps for Full HD.
• 🎥 Turn it off. HEVC (codecs H.264 more compatible).
• 🎥 Activate the Log profile for color correction.

For professional shooting on Xiaomi is also useful:

• 🔧 Install Magisk modules to unlock additional camera features (e.g, Camera2API).
• 🔧 Use an external microphone for better sound.
• 🔧 Set up white balance manually (WB) color-rendering.

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On Xiaomi smartphones with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/2 (for example, Xiaomi 12 Pro, 13 Ultra) flickering may occur due to overheating of the processor. CPU Monitor and avoid long-term shooting in 8K.

FAQ: Frequent Questions About Xiaomi Camera Shimmer

⚠️ Attention: If the camera flicker appears after a phone drop or contact with water, do not try to dry the device with a hairdryer or rice - this can damage the chips.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 9 Pro) may have flickering caused by a batch of matrices defect. If your phone gets caught in this problem, check the serial number on Xiaomi's website - a free replacement camera module is possible.