How to add a date to the photo in Xiaomi smartphones: all working methods

You took an important photo on Xiaomi (or Redmi/POCO), but now you want it to show the date of the shooting? This feature is useful for organizing photos, maintaining photo chronicles or proving the authenticity of the image. Unfortunately, the standard Xiaomi camera does not automatically put a date on the photo during the shooting — but there are workarounds.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to add a date to a photo, from built-in MIUI tools to third-party applications with advanced features. Some methods work on the fly (the date appears immediately when shooting), others allow you to edit finished shots. Choose the appropriate option depending on your Xiaomi model and firmware version.

⚠️ Important: On smartphones Xiaomi with MIUI 14+ Some features may differ from HyperOS, and we will specify features for new versions. Also note that adding a date changes the original photo (except in one way, which we will discuss below).

1. Built-in Watermark feature in Xiaomi camera

The easiest way is to use the built-in watermark tool in the standard Camera app.It is available on most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models, but can be hidden in settings.

To activate the date display:

• 📷 Open the Camera app and go to Photo mode.
• 🔧 Touch the badge. ⚙️ Settings (or swipe up/down on the screen if the toolbar is hidden).
• 🏷️ Find the Watermark (or Date/Time in New Versions) MIUI).
• 📅 Turn on the switch and select the display format (for example, YYYY-MM-DD or DD/MM/YYYY).

After that, all new photos will automatically contain the date of the shooting in one of the corners.

• ❌ It does not work for photos taken (only for new ones).
• ❌ In some models (for example, POCO F5) function may not be present.
• ❌ The date is added as part of the image – it cannot be removed without editing.

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If the camera settings don’t have a Watermark option, try upgrading to the latest version of MIUI or HyperOS. On some devices, the feature appears after the update.

2.Editing through the Xiaomi Gallery (for finished photos)

If you need to add a date to your existing photos, use the built-in editor in the Gallery app.This method is suitable for all Xiaomi models, but requires manual editing of each shot.

Instructions:

1. Open the Gallery app and select the photo you want.
2. Click Edit (the pencil icon at the bottom of the screen).
3. Go to the Text or Stickers tab (depending on the MIUI version).
4. Add a text block and enter the date manually (or copy it from the text box). EXIF-photo).
5. Adjust the size, font and position of the inscription, then save the changes.

🔹 Advantages: does not require third-party applications, works offline.

🔹 Disadvantages: date is added manually (you can make mistakes), the original photo is replaced by edited.

3. Third-party applications for automatic date

If Xiaomi's built-in tools don't suit you, install specialized apps that offer more features: automatic date additions, type customization, positioning, even geotags.

Top.-3 tested applications:

🔹 How to use: Open the app after installation, set the date format (e.g. %d.%m.%Y%H:%M) and take a photo via the program interface.

4.Use of EXIF-data without changing the photo

The only way to add a date to a photo without changing the image itself is to use it. EXIF-Labels. This data is stored in a file, and it contains the date of the shooting, the camera model, and other parameters, and you can view it in any file manager or gallery.

How it works:

• 📁 Open the photo at the Gallery → Information → Details.
• 📅 Here you will see the original shooting date (Date of creation or DateTimeOriginal field).
• 🔄 This data cannot be deleted without special tools, but it is not displayed in the image itself.

⚠️ Note: If you send a photo via a messenger (for example, WhatsApp or Telegram), EXIF-The data can be deleted. To save it, archive the photos in the ZIP or use cloud services (e.g. Google Photos in original quality).

5. Adding a date via Google Photos

If you use Google Photos to store your photos, you can add a date manually through an editor, which is suitable for users who sync photos to the cloud.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Google Photos app and select the image you want.
2. Click Edit → Tools → Tags.
3. Select Text and enter the date manually (or copy it from EXIF).
4. Adjust the size and position of the inscription, then save the changes.

🔹 Pros: Changes sync with cloud, editing can be cancelled.

🔹 Cons: date is added manually, the original photo is replaced.

Sync photos with your Google account|Check if there is free space in the cloud|Save the original photo to the device|Turn off image compression in settings-->

Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

To make it easier for you to determine, we have collected the key features of each method in one table:

💡 Tip: If you need to add a date to a lot of photos, use the Timestamp Camera application for batch processing. For single shots, the built-in Xiaomi editor will do.

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The only way to keep the original photo unchanged is to use it. EXIF-All other methods modify the image.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When you add a date to a photo, Xiaomi users often face typical problems, and let's look at the most common ones and how to solve them.

⚠️ Note: If after editing the photo in the Gallery, the date is displayed blurred or curved, check:

• 🔍 Resolution of the source photo (in small pictures the text may be unreadable).
• 🎨 Contrast font (light text on a light background will be invisible).
• 📏 The position of the inscription (if the date is superimposed on important details, move it to the corner).

Another common problem is the date mismatch in EXIF and watermark, which occurs when:

• ⏰ The smartphone is not configured the date and time (check in Settings) → System system → Date and time).
• 🌍 Automatic daylight/winter time switching enabled (turn it off if you live in a region without switching).
• 🔄 The photo was edited in another app that dropped EXIF-data.

If you use third-party apps to add a date, make sure that:

• 📱 The application is allowed access to the Camera and Storage (check in Settings). → Annexes → Permits).
• 🔋 Battery is not discharged (some programs require a lot of resources).
• 📸 You have chosen the correct shooting mode (some apps do not work in Portrait or Night mode).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions