How to take a photo from a video on your Xiaomi phone: all working ways

You shot a great video on Xiaomi, but you want to save a separate frame as a photo? Or do you need to cut a moment from a video for Instagram stories? Take a picture from a video on Redmi, POCO or Mi smartphones in several ways — both built-in MIUI tools and third-party applications. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods, including hidden gallery functions and professional tricks to maintain maximum quality.

It’s important to understand that not all footage from the video will be suitable for printing or publishing on social networks. The photo resolution will depend on the initial quality of the video (Full HD, 4K), as well as the chosen method of extraction. We tested each method on different Xiaomi models — from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra — and identified the best options for different tasks.

If you need to save one frame quickly, a standard gallery will do. Package processing or high-resolution work will require special applications. And we will also reveal how to take a live photo from motion videos - this is a feature that few people know!

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI Gallery feature, which works on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 12 and later firmware, including Redmi, POCO and Mi. The main advantage is that you do not need to install additional programs.

How to do this:

  1. Open the Gallery app (a flower logo icon).
  2. Find the right video and tap it to play.
  3. Put the video on pause at the moment you want to save as a photo.
  4. In the lower menu, click on the Scissors icon (editing).
  5. Select the option “Save frame” or “Retrieve photo” (the name may vary depending on the version of MIUI).
  6. Confirm the save – the photo will appear in the Screenshots or Edited folder.

⚠️ Note: This way saves the frame in the resolution of your phone's screen, not in the original resolution of the video. 13 Pro+ screened 2712×1220, The photo will be the same size even if the video is taken in the same format. 4K. To maintain full resolution, use the methods in the following sections.

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If the Save Frame option is inactive, update the Gallery app via Google Play or GetApps. Older versions of MIUI may not have this feature.

2. Professional method: Google Photos with 4K saving

Google Photos can extract footage from video in its original resolution — critical if you’ve shot in 4K or Full HD and want to maintain maximum quality — works on all Xiaomi smartphones, but requires additional software.

Instructions:

  1. Install Google Photos from the Play Store (if not already installed).
  2. Open the application and find the desired video in the library.
  3. Play the video and pause in the right place.
  4. Slip on the Edit icon (pencil at the bottom of the screen).
  5. Select the “Scene” tab (or “Screenshot” in new versions).
  6. Move the slider over the timeline to select the exact moment, then click Save.

Google Photos saves frames in resolution up to 3840×2160 (4K) if the original video was of this quality.This is the only way to get a photo without losing details on Xiaomi smartphones without using a PC. The file is saved to the Pictures/Screenshots folder or to the Google Photos cloud (if sync is enabled).

MethodMax, permission.Installation requiredSuitable for batch processing
Xiaomi GalleryScreen resolutionNo.No.
Google PhotoUp to 4K.Yes.No.
VLC for AndroidUp to 4K.Yes.Yes.
CapCutUp to 4K.Yes.Yes (up to 50 frames)

Package retrieval of frames: annex VLC

If you need to save multiple photos from a single video (for example, to create a collage or timelapse), use the VLC player for Android.

Step-by-step:

  1. Download VLC from the Play Store.
  2. Open the video in the application (you can select the file through the Explorer).
  3. Play the video and pause in the right place.
  4. Slip on the screen to make the menu appear, and select the “Snapshot” icon (camera).
  5. For batch saving: Click on three dots in the top right corner → Tools → Snapshots. Select an interval (e.g., "Each 1 frame" or "Every 5 seconds"). Specify the folder to save and start the process.

⚠️ Attention: When packet extraction VLC It can slow down your phone if the video is long (from 10 minutes) or in high resolution. Close all background apps before you start to avoid crashes.+ GB RAM (e.g., RAM, POCO F5 Pro or Xiaomi 13T).

Close all background applications|Connect the charger|Release. 1-2 GB memory|Select a folder with a simple way (for example, /Pictures/Frames)|Disable battery optimization for VLC-->

4.Creating “live photos” from Xiaomi videos

Few people know, but on Xiaomi smartphones you can create a “live photo” (the analogue of Live Photo from Apple) from any video, this format saves 1-2 seconds of movement before and after the main frame, which looks very impressive in the gallery or when sent to friends.

How it works:

  1. Open the video in the standard Xiaomi Gallery.
  2. Put the playback on pause at the right time.
  3. Slip on the Magic icon (or Effects in new MIUI versions).
  4. Select the option “Live Photo” or “Dynamic Photo”.
  5. Set the animation duration (usually 1-3 seconds) and save the result.

The finished live photo will be saved in.mov or.mp4 (depending on the MIUI version) and will be played as animation when clicked on in the gallery. This format is supported by Instagram, Telegram and other messengers - when sent, the recipient will see a short video with effect.

Which Xiaomi models support live photos?
The feature is available on all smartphones with MIUI 13 and later, including: Xiaomi 12/13/14 series Redmi Note 11/12/13 Pro POCO F4/F5/X5 Xiaomi Civi 2/3 On older models (for example, Redmi Note 10 or Mi 11 Lite) option may be missing or work with restrictions (for example, only for videos shot on the main camera).

5. Editing personnel before preservation

Sometimes the image you extract requires some work, like cropping, color correction, or sharpening, and you don't have to use Photoshop, because you have to use standard MIUI tools or free apps.

Editing methods:

  • 📱 Built-in Gallery Editor: After extracting the frame, click "Edit» → Here are available basic tools: cropping, rotation, filters, exposure and contrast settings.
  • 🎨 Snapseed (from Google): A free app with professional tools including selective correction and object removal.
  • ✂️ CapCut: If you want to not only extract a frame, but also add text or stickers, this editor is the best fit.
  • 🔍 Adobe Lightroom Mobile: For color correction and work with RAW (If the video was captured in the log profile, it requires registration.

⚠️ Attention: When editing frames from video, avoid zooming too much, which will lead to a loss of quality due to the low resolution of the source material. If you want a close-up, it is better to shoot the video in the first place. 4K or use a telephoto lens (e.g., on Xiaomi 13 Ultra with optical zoom) 5x).

Standard Gallery Xiaomi|Google Photo|VLC|CapCut|Other annexes|Not retrieving.-->

6.Save frames from videos from YouTube or social networks

If you want to take a photo from a YouTube video, TikTok or Instagram video, the standard methods are not suitable.

Instructions for YouTube:

  1. Download videos to your phone using Snaptube or NewPipe (free apps for downloading videos).
  2. Open the downloaded file in Google Photos or VLC and extract the frame in one of the ways described above.

For TikTok/Instagram:

  • 📱 Use the built-in frame saving feature: In TikTok: click on the video → «Share» → «Live photo" (save as a gif) on Instagram: swipe up on video in the feed → Click on the Save icon (if the account is public).
  • 🌐 Online services: upload the video to sites like ezgif.com or kapwing.com, where you can extract any frame and download it in format JPG/PNG.

⚠️ Note: Keeping footage from someone else’s videos may infringe copyright if you plan to use them for commercial purposes (such as advertising or selling.

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For social media videos, always check the resolution of the original video. For example, TikTok compresses video to 720p, so the footage will be of poor quality. YouTube in the browser on the phone shows video in 480p by default - use specialized applications to download 1080p.

7. Optimization of photos for social networks

The image extraction often requires preparation before publication, and different platforms have different requirements for image format and size:

  • 📸 Instagram: Square posts: 1080×1080 pixels: 1080×1920 (Pruning: use the ratio 4:5 or 1:1.
  • 🐦 Twitter (X): Recommended size: 1200×675 (16:9). Max. File weight: 5 MB for JPG, 15 MB for PNG.
  • 📘 Facebook: Minimum Permission: 1200×630. For the band cover: 1640×856.
  • 💬 Telegram/VK: There are almost no size restrictions, but it is better to use previews. 1080×1080 or 1280×720.

For quick trimming under the desired format, use:

  • Built-in editor of Xiaomi Gallery (the option “Cut” → select aspect ratio).
  • The Photo Editor app from Google (there are templates for social networks).
  • Canva (if you need to add text or design)

FAQ: Frequent questions

Can I get a picture from a RAW video?
No, RAW videos on Xiaomi smartphones are not shot, only photos. However, if you shot the video in a log profile (for example, on Xiaomi 13 Pro with Mi Log setting), the extracted frame will have an extended dynamic range, which will allow you to better edit it in Lightroom or CapCut.
Why is the saved frame blurred?
This happens for three reasons: The video was originally low resolution (like 720p); you used screen-saving (restricted by display resolution); the video had digital zoom; when you take a frame, the pixels become more visible; Solution: shoot 4K video, use Google Photos to extract, and avoid zooming.
How to take a serial photo from a video (like on an iPhone)
Xiaomi doesn’t have a direct analogue to Apple’s Live Photos feature, but you can replicate the effect: Remove the desired frame and neighboring ones (for example, 10 frames with an interval of 0.1 seconds) via VLC. Import them to CapCut or Quik (from GoPro). Create a video lasting 1-2 seconds with smooth transitions between frames. Save the result as a GIF or a short video. Use the Motion Stills app (from Google) to automatically create this effect.
Can you take a picture from a video in slow-motion?
Yes, but with nuances: If the video is shot at 120/240/960 FPS (slow-motion), the quality of each frame will be lower due to the high frame rate. It is better to extract the frames from the original video before using slow-motion (the file is usually saved in the DCIM/SlowMotion folder). In Google, slow-motion videos are processed in the same way as normal videos, but the frame can be obtained with artifacts. For better results, shoot slow-mo at maximum resolution (for example, 1080p@240fps on Xiaomi 12T Pro).
Where are the extracted footage stored on Xiaomi?
The save folder depends on the way you extract it: Xiaomi Gallery: Pictures/Screenshots or DCIM/Edited. Google Photos: Pictures/Screenshots or Google Photos cloud (if synced). VLC: The folder is selected manually when you first save (by default VLC/Screenshots). CapCut: Pictures/CapCut or Movies/CapCut. To quickly find files, use the built-in Explorer (Files) or Google Files app.