How to take long exposure photos on Xiaomi: a guide with settings and examples

Long exposure photos transform ordinary frames into works of art: light tracks of cars, blurred water of waterfalls, star tracks in the sky. But how do you achieve this effect on Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones where there is no professional DSLR? It turns out that it is easier than it seems — modern flagships and even budget models support manual shutter speed settings through a regular camera app or third-party utilities.

Many people mistakenly think that long exposure requires an expensive smartphone or additional equipment. In fact, even the Redmi Note 10 Pro or POCO X3 Pro can capture the movement of light through software processing and Pro mode. The main thing is to understand the limitations of mobile photography: the smartphone’s matrix is less than the camera, so there will be more noise, and the maximum shutter speed usually does not exceed 32 seconds (versus minutes on the DSLRs).

In this article, we will examine:

• 📱 What Xiaomi models support manual shutter speed settings (list with technical limitations).
• ⚙️ Step-by-step instructions for shooting in Pro mode and through the Google Camera app.
• 🌃 Best scenarios for long exposure: night cities, waterfalls, fireworks.
• ⚡ Frequent mistakes of beginners and how to avoid them (blurring, overlight, noise).

What Xiaomi smartphones support long exposure

Not all Xiaomi devices allow you to manually set shutter speeds, which depends on the version of the processor, firmware and the presence of Pro mode in the camera app.

• 🔹 Flagships: Xiaomi 12/13/14 Pro, Mix 4, Black Shark – Supports shutter speeds 32 second-in-the-staff.
• 🔹 Mid-segment: Redmi Note 11/12 Pro+, POCO F4/F5 — before 10–16 seconds.
• 🔹 Budget models: Redmi 10A, POCO M4 Pro – only automatic Night mode (exposure to 4-6 seconds).

If your model is not on the list, don’t despair: you can use third-party apps like Google Camera (GCam) with ported modules for Xiaomi. They often reveal hidden camera capabilities. For example, Redmi Note 9 Pro with GCam can shutter up to 30 seconds, whereas in the regular app – only 4 seconds.

⚠️ Note: On smartphones with Snapdragon processor 4xx (Like Redmi. 9A) Long exposure can be unstable due to weak iron acceleration of image processing.

Setup Xiaomi camera for shooting with long exposure

To take a long shutter speed photo, first activate Pro mode in the camera app. It's available on most models except the most budget ones.

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Scroll down to Pro (or M on some models) to the left.
3. In the bottom panel, find the icon. ⏱️ (squeezing and touching it.
4. Pull the slider to the right to increase exposure time (maximum depends on the model).

For better results:

• 📏 Install. ISO 100-400 (the lower the noise, the less noise).
• 🔍 Close the aperture (increase the F value) to 2.0-2.8 for greater depth of field.
• 🔄 Turn it off. HDR — It can distort colors when exposed to long exposure.

Install the smartphone on a tripod or stable surface |

Charge the battery at least 50% |

Clean the lens of fingerprints |

Disable stabilization (if there is an option)-->

⚠️ Warning: If the shutter speed is more than 10 seconds, the smartphone may overheat. If the camera shuts down with a warning "Camera overheated", take a break for 2-3 minutes.

Shooting with Google Camera (GCam): Expanded Features

The Google Camera (GCam) app often outperforms Xiaomi’s regular camera in processing quality, especially in long shutter speed modes.

1. Download the version of GCam adapted for your model (for example, a modification from BSG or Wichaya will suit the POCO X3 Pro).
2. Install. APK-file (allow installation from unknown sources in security settings).
3. In GCam, go to Night Sight or Pro mode (if available).
4. In the settings, enable the option “Long Exposure”.

The advantages of GCam:

• 🌌 Better noise handling in dark areas.
• ⏳ The ability to set shutter speeds up to 30 seconds, even on budget smartphones.
• 🎯 More accurate autofocus in low light conditions.

Example of settings for shooting the starry sky through GCam:

Mode: Night Sight


Exposure: 20-30 s




ISO: 1600–3200




Focus: Infinity (∞)




Format: RAW (if available)

Best scenarios for long exposure photos

Long exposure reveals its potential in dynamic scenes where you want to capture movement.-5 Ideas for shooting on Xiaomi:

Light tracks of vehicles

Perfect for urban landscapes: Put your smartphone on a tripod next to the road, set the shutter speed for 10 to 20 seconds, and take a picture at dusk. The car headlights will turn into glowing lines.

2. Fluid water

Waterfalls, rivers or sea waves acquire a "silk" effect when exposure is 1-5 seconds. ND-filter (if too bright).

3. Fireworks

The shutter speed of 2-8 seconds will allow you to capture the trajectory of the rockets. Use a remote control (for example, headphones with a volume button) or a timer to avoid camera shaking.

4. Star Trek.

To capture the rotation of stars around the Polar requires a shutter speed of 20-30 seconds and the darkest possible sky (away from cities). In GCam, turn on Astrophotography mode, if available.

5. Movement of people

On the streets or in the subway, you can create the "ghost" effect - blurred figures against static objects. Shutter speed: 1-3 seconds.

💡

To photograph waterfalls in the daytime, use sunglasses as improvised. ND-Just put them on the lens, and it'll reduce the amount of light that hits the array, and it'll increase shutter speed.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even experienced photographers have problems shooting on their smartphones, and here are the most common ones:

• 🔴 Wandering due to trembling: Always use a tripod or stable surface. In extreme cases, put your smartphone in a wall or tree.
• 🔴 Refresh: If the picture is too bright, reduce ISO You can get to 100 or you can cut the shutter speed. ND-Long exposure filter is almost impossible.
• 🔴 Noise in dark areas: This is the weak point of the smartphone arrays. Try to shoot in format RAW and process the photo in Lightroom Mobile.
• 🔴 Incorrect focus: In manual mode, always check the sharpness on the histogram or increase the preview.

Another common problem is that you automatically shut down your screen while you're shooting.

1. Go to Settings → Display → Sleep mode.
2. Set the value of Never or 10 minutes.
3. Turn off the Adaptive Brightness option so that the screen doesn’t dim.

💡

On smartphones Xiaomi with AMOLED-With a long shutter speed screen (such as Xiaomi 13), the battery is drained faster by the backlight of the pixels. Charge the device before the session or connect the powerbank.

Post-photo processing

Raw, long exposure shots often require refinement, and here are the basic steps in Lightroom Mobile or Snapseed:

1. Exposure correction: Increase the Shadows by 20-30 units to work out the dark areas.
2. Reduce noise: In Lightroom, use the Noise Slider (value 15–25).
3. Color correction: Increase contrast and saturation by 10-15% for dramatic effect.
4. Cutting: Remove unnecessary items at the edges to focus on movement.

For shooting in RAW format (available on Xiaomi flagships):

• 📊 Open the file in Adobe Lightroom.
• 🔍 Use the Mask tool to selectively reduce noise only in dark areas.
• 🎨 Apply Cinematic or Moody Preset to Atmospheric Footage.

⚠️ Warning: Do not overdo the processing with sharpness, it will increase noise. Instead, use the masking of sharpness only on key objects (for example, on light tracks).

Alternative methods: applications and accessories

If the camera or GCam is not suitable, try specialized applications:

• 📸 NightCap Camera: Optimized for night shooting, supports shutter speeds up to 60 seconds (requires root rights on some models).
• 🌌 Star Tracker: Automatically folds multiple frames to create star tracks (useful for astrophotos).
• 🎥 ProCam X: Paid App with Extended Control over Shutter speed and focus.

The accessories will be useful:

• 📱 Mini-Statutory (for example, Xiaomi Mi Pocket Tripod) – compact and lightweight.
• 🔘 Remote (Bluetooth-remote for shooting without touching the screen).
• 🕶️ ND-filter (e.g., Moment nozzle) ND8) — reduces the amount of light, allowing you to increase exposure during the day.

💡

To capture light trails in motion (such as from a car), use a smartphone suction cup on the windshield, which will allow you to capture the camera at the right angle without vibration.

FAQ: Frequent questions about long exposure on Xiaomi