Watermarks, a shooting date, or a Xiaomi logo can ruin even the best shot in photos. Many Redmi, POCO, or Mi users face the problem of automatically adding unnecessary labels to their smartphone β whether itβs the model name (Mi 11 Ultra), the date (2026-05-15), or even the geotag (Moscow, Russia), and in this article weβll look at all the working ways to remove such labels, from turning off the feature in the camera settings to editing the finished shots.
It is important to understand that there are two types of inscriptions: built-in EXIF-The first one is not visually damaging, but can be displayed by viewing the properties of the file. The second one is directly in the picture and needs to be removed manually. We'll look at solutions for both, including hidden features. MIUI and third-party instruments.
Why Xiaomi Adds Texts to Photos and How to Turn It Off
By default, Xiaomi smartphones can automatically put watermarks in three cases:
- π Date and time β included in the camera settings for easy sorting of pictures.
- π·οΈ Model logo β marketing ploy (e.g. Shot on Redmi Note 12 Pro)+).
- π Geo-location β if the camera geolocation function is enabled.
To disable automatic addition of labels before shooting, follow the following steps:
- Open the Camera app.
- Touch the gears. βοΈ top-right.
- Go to the camera settings section β Watermark.
- Turn off the sliders opposite: π Date. π·οΈ Model of the device π Location (if any)
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If your version of MIUI does not have a watermark option, check for updates to the Camera app in Google Play. On some models (e.g. POCO F5), this option is hidden in Additional Settings β Taggeds.
β οΈ Note: On custom firmware devices (e.g. Xiaomi.EU), the path to settings may be different. If watermarks continue to appear after the shutdown, try resetting the camera settings to factory settings (Settings) β Annexes β Camera. β Warehouse β Clear the data).
Method 1: Remove inscriptions through the built-in MIUI editor
MIUI has its own photo editor with basic retouch functions, including object removal tool, suitable for small inscriptions (date, logo) on a monochromatic background.
- Open the photo in the Gallery app.
- Click Edit (Pencil icon) βοΈ).
- Select the Retouch tab (or Tools on older versions).
- Slip on Remove the object (eraser icon) π§½).
- Swipe around the sign and press Ready.
Scale up the photo for accuracy |Select a tool with a minimum radius |Save the original before changes |Check the result at 100% scale-->
π Limitations of method:
- β Does not work on complex backgrounds (for example, writing on grass or sky with clouds).
- β May leave artifacts when removing large logos.
- β It is best to cope with black/white characters on a monochrome background.
If the built-in editor failed, move on to third-party solutions.
Method 2: Applications for watermark removal (TOP-5)
For complex cases (large logos, colored inscriptions) you need specialized applications, and we tested 15 programs and selected the best ones:
| Annex | Ratings. β | Pluses | Cons | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remove Watermark | 4.8 | Automatic removal, Cyrillic support | Advertising in the free version | Google Play |
| Snapseed | 4.7 | The "Corporate" tool maintains quality | Requires manual adjustment | Google Play |
| Adobe Photoshop Express | 4.6 | Precise excretion, layers | Difficult for beginners | Google Play |
| PicsArt | 4.5 | Background replacement templates | Watermark in the free version | Google Play |
| InShot | 4.4 | Simple interface, supports video | Restriction on permission in the free version | Google Play |
π‘ Tip: Use the format for maximum quality PNG while saving edited photos β it supports transparency and minimizes compression losses.
Snapseed|Lightroom|PicsArt|Built-in editor MIUI|Other-->
Method 3: Manual editing in Photoshop (for power users)
If you need to remove the caption from a Xiaomi photo without losing quality, the best option is Adobe Photoshop (or its mobile version Photoshop Express).
- Open the photo in Photoshop.
- Select the inscription with the tool Rectlinear Lasso (L) or Magic Wand (W).
- Press Shift + F5 (content-based filler).
- If the background is difficult, use a Stamp (S) or Recovery Hand (J).
- Keep the result in JPEG with a quality of 90-100%.
Critical detail: When you use the Content-Based Fill tool, zoom in to 200-300% to avoid blurring the edges, which is ideal for removing the date from the sky or wall.
β οΈ Attention: When editing RAW-Photo (.dng format from Xiaomi camera) first convert it to TIFF or PSD, avoid data loss.
Method 4: Removal EXIF-data (hidden labels)
Even if the image doesn't have visible labels, its metadata (EXIF) can store information about the smartphone model, date of the shooting and geolocation, to clear this data:
- π± Through the Gallery MIUI: Open the photo. β Information (I icon) Click Delete Data (if option is available).
On PC:
ExifTool
IrfanView
Online:
VerExif
EXIF Remove
π Why remove EXIF?
- π Privacy: Geotechs can reveal your location.
- π€ File compression: Metadata increases the weight of the image 5-15%.
- πΌοΈ Compatibility: Some social media sites (such as Instagram) are ignored EXIF loading.
Method 5: Alternative methods (for specific cases)
If the standard methods didnβt help, try these options:
- π¨ Background replacement: In PicsArt or Photoshop, you can cut out an object and superimpose on a new background, completely removing the inscription.
- π± Pro mode in camera: When shooting in format RAW (Settings β Format β RAW) Watermarks are not automatically added.
- π Crop: If you have the words on the edges, just cut the photo in a ratio of 16:9 or 4:3.
- π€ AI tools: Services like Remove.bg or Cleanup.Pictures remove objects with neural networks.
How to check if there are hidden tags?
β οΈ Note: When using online watermark removal services, never download high-resolution originals (e.g. photos from Xiaomi) 13 Ultra in 50 First, reduce the resolution to 1920Γ1080 export-setting.
Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
When removing labels, users often face typical problems:
| Mistake. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Blurred edges after removal | Too much radius of the instrument | Reduce the size of the brush to 10-15 px |
| Color artifacts | The discrepancy of background shades | Use a pipette to select color |
| Loss of quality while maintaining | Compression in JPEG with low quality | Save in PNG or JPEG 90%+ |
| Watermark returns after editing | EXIF-data not cleared | Delete the metadata separately |
π‘ Preventive tip: Before mass editing a photo (for example, after a vacation), back up the originals in Google Photos or on an external drive, which will allow you to return the source files if something goes wrong.
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The best way to avoid watermark problems is to disable adding watermarks to your camera settings before shooting, which will save you time for post-processing.