Slow-motion on Xiaomi: how to shoot in slow-motion on any smartphone brand

Slow-motion on Xiaomi smartphones allows you to capture moments that usually go unnoticed: a drop of water, a bird's wing flapping, or even a facial expression when unexpected news comes up. However, many users face problems: the video is produced in jerks, there is not enough lighting, or the feature is not on the menu at all. In this article, we will discuss all the ways to activate slow-motion on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, including hidden settings and circumventing restrictions.

It’s important to understand that the capabilities of slow motion photography depend on the smartphone model and the version of the MIUI firmware. For example, the flagship Xiaomi 13 Pro and POCO F5 Pro support shooting at 960 FPS, while the budget Redmi Note 12 is limited to 120 FPS. We will tell you how to maximize the potential of your device – from basic settings to professional tricks with manual shutter speed control.

Which Xiaomi models support slow motion photography?

The slow-motion feature is available on most Xiaomi smartphones released after 2018, but the maximum FPS quality depends on the processor and camera.

• 📱 Flagships (960 FPS): Xiaomi 12/13/14 series, POCO F4/F5 Pro, Black Shark 5 – use Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/2 chips and support ultra-slow motion shooting in 720p resolution.
• 📱 Mid-segment (480 FPS): Redmi K50/K60, POCO X5 Pro are limited to Snapdragon 778G+/7+ Gen 2, but give good quality under sufficient lighting.
• 📱 Budget models (120–240FPS): Redmi Note 11/12, POCO M5 – only available in 720p or 1080p with severe loss of detail.
• 🚫 Outdated models (until 2018): Xiaomi Mi A1, Redmi 5 – slow-motion only works through third-party applications (e.g. Slow Motion Camera).

To know exactly what your smartphone is capable of, check the specifications on Xiaomi’s official website or use the CPU-Z app to analyze the processor. Note that even if your model supports 960 FPS, the real quality depends on lighting and stabilization.

⚠️ Warning: Some firmware MIUI (especially Chinese) may have a slow-motion feature hidden, in which case switching region to Global or EEA via Settings → Additional → Region will help.

How to enable slow motion in a standard camera app

The slow-motion activation algorithm is the same for most Xiaomi smartphones, but there are nuances depending on the version of MIUI.

1. Open the Camera app (an icon labeled Camera or Camera).
2. Swipe your finger across the screen to the left or right to open the list of modes. On some models, you need to press the arrow or swipe up.
3. Find Slow-mo – usually marked with a snail icon 🐌 or an inscription SLO-MO.
4. Tap the mode to activate it. A slider or menu with a choice of FPS will appear on the screen (e.g. 120, 240, 480, 960).
5. Choose the frame rate you want. The higher the value, the more slow it will be, but the lower the resolution and the lower the light.
6. Press the Record button and shoot it. Once the video is complete, it will automatically be saved to the gallery.

On some models (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra) available manual shutter speed setting in Pro mode.

1. Switch to Pro (or Manual) mode.
2. Click on the icon ⚙️ and select Slow Motion.
3. Set Shutter Speed in the range of 1/120-1/1000 for smooth slow-motion.

Check the lighting (minimum 1000 lux)

Clean the lens of fingerprints

Turn off the digital zoom

Fix your smartphone on a tripod or support

Make sure that 2-3 GB of memory is free-->

Optimal settings for high-quality slow-motion

To make slow-motion video clear and smooth, it's not enough to just press the record button. Here are the key parameters to look at:

The critical mistake of the beginners is to shoot in slow-motion with digital zoom, as you zoom in, you lose resolution and the video becomes pixelated, always use optical zoom (if you have one), or get closer to the subject.

For professional results, try combining modes:

• 🎥 Remove the main action in 4K 30 FPS and the key moment in 1080p 240 FPS.
• 🎬 In an editor (such as CapCut or Adobe Premiere Rush), combine snippets for a smooth transition.
• ✨ Add sound effects (slowed sound or music) to enhance the dramaturgy.

120 FPS

240 FPS

480 FPS

960 FPS

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Why does slow-motion slow down or not work?

If the slow motion is lagging, the video is obtained in jerks or the function is not in the menu at all, the reasons may be as follows:

• 🔋 Resource shortage: On budget models (Redmi 9A, POCO M3), the processor doesn't pull high FPS. Try lowering the resolution to 480p.
• 📱 Outdated firmware: In MIUI 12 and below, slow-motion may not work properly. Update the software via Settings → About Phone → System Update.
• 🗑️ Memory occupied: To write to 960 FPS, you need at least 1 GB of free space. Clear the cache or transfer the files to the memory card.
• 🔍 Camera problems: If artifacts appear (green stripes, flickering) during the shooting, reset the camera settings through Settings → Apps → Camera → Storage → Clear the data.
• 🌡️ Overheating: If you write long periods of time in 4K or 960 FPS, your smartphone can limit your performance. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes.

If slow-motion is completely absent from the camera menu, check:

1. Firmware Region: Some features are hidden on Chinese versions of MIUI. Change region to Global via Settings → Additional → Region.
2. Camera model: On some devices (such as the Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite), slow-motion is only available on the main camera, not the front camera.
3. Updates for the Camera app: Go to Google Play and check the version is up to date.

⚠️ Warning: On smartphones with custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), slow-motion may not work due to the lack of camera drivers, in which case only returning to the official MIUI will help.

Best Slow Motion Apps for Xiaomi

If the standard camera doesn’t suit you, try third-party apps that offer more control over settings, but may require manual adjustments for a specific Xiaomi model.

• 📹 Google Camera (GCam): A portable version of the Pixel camera with support for 240 FPS even on budget smartphones. Requires installing XML- config for your model (e.g., Xiaomi_Redmi_Note_12.xml).
• 🎞️ Slow Motion Camera: Simple 1000 FPS app (interpolation), but video comes with artifacts. It's experimental.

To install GCam on Xiaomi:

1. Download the APK- file from a verified source (e.g., here).
2. Install the application by allowing installation from unknown sources (Settings → Applications → Special Access → Install Unknown Applications).
3. Download XML-config for your model (search the 4PDA or XDA Developers forums for GCam config for [your model]).
4. Place the config file in the GCam/Configs folder on the internal storage.
5. Open GCam, tap twice on the black field next to the down button and select the downloaded config.

Warning: Some versions of the GCam may cause bootloop (looping when booted) on MediaTek smartphones (e.g., Redmi Note 11 with Helio G88 chip).

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If the slow-motion video turns green or purple after installing GCam, try disabling HDR+ in the application settings or changing the APK version.

How to mount slow-motion video on Xiaomi

Slow-motion video often requires editing, cropping, color correction, or adding sound. Here are the best ways to edit it directly on your smartphone:

• 🎬 CapCut: Free editor with Speed (you can set speed from 0.1x to 100x) Supports key frames for smooth acceleration/deceleration.

Step-by-step instructions for CapCut:

1. Import the video to the project.
2. Slip on the clip and select Speed (watch icon ⏱️).
3. Move the slider to the left to slow down (e.g. 0.3x for 960 FPS).
4. To create the Speed Ramp effect: Click on the graph icon 📈. Add key points at the beginning and end of the slowed-down snippet. Set up a smooth transition between speeds.

1080p

4K

For advanced editing, use Adobe Premiere Rush (available on Xiaomi with Android 10+).

• Color correction with LUT.
• Overlaying several layers of video (for example, for the “picture-in-picture” effect).
• Export to ProRes (if further editing is needed on PC).

⚠️ Warning: When exporting high-resolution slow-motion video (4K), the smartphone may overheat. Watch the temperature through the AIDA64 app and take breaks every 10-15 minutes.

Comparison of slow-motion on different Xiaomi models

To make it easier for you to choose a smartphone for slow motion, we tested several popular Xiaomi models in the same conditions (lighting 1500 lux, stabilization enabled).

The test shows that the flagship models (Xiaomi 13 Ultra, POCO F5 Pro) are well ahead of the budget models in terms of slow-motion quality, but even on the Redmi Note 12 you can get a decent result if you follow the rules:

• 🌞 Shoot in bright light.
• 🎯 Focus on a static object.
• ⏱️ Use short clips (5-10 seconds).

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For maximum slow-motion quality, choose smartphones with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and higher. They support hardware acceleration of video, which reduces battery load and improves smoothness.

FAQ: Frequent questions about slow-motion on Xiaomi