How to set up a camera on Xiaomi Mi A1: a complete guide with the secrets of high-quality shooting

Why setting up the camera on the Mi A1 requires special attention

The Xiaomi Mi A1, released in 2017, was one of the company’s first smartphones to feature a pure Android One and dual main camera. Despite its age, it is still used today thanks to steady upgrades and good hardware potential. However, many owners do not realize that the camera of this device is capable of more than it seems at first glance.

The fact is that software optimization in the camera’s stock app is far from perfect. Even with two lenses (a wide-angle 26 mm f/2.2 and a telephoto 50 mm f/2.6), images can be dim or noisy in poor light. Proper settings, use of hidden features and third-party applications allow you to squeeze the maximum out of the module – up to the level of the flagships of the time.

In this guide, we will analyze not only the basic parameters, but also the unique Mi chips. A1, which are not written in the standard instructions, such as how to activate manual mode HDR or set up a preservation RAW-You'll also learn which settings to change first to improve the quality of your images immediately.

Basic camera settings: where to start

Before diving into the slim settings, make sure the basic options are set up correctly. Open the Camera app and tap the gear icon in the upper left corner (or swipe from the left edge of the screen if you use gestures).

• 📸 Photo resolution: choose the maximum (12 MP 4:3) for detailing or 9 MP 16:9 for wide frames.
• 🎥 Video quality: Full HD (1080p) 30 fps – the optimal balance between quality and file size.
• 🔄 Dual camera mode: Turn on to use both lenses to improve detail (only works in good lighting).
• 🌙 Night mode: activate the car – the system will determine when you need to increase the light.

Pay special attention to the item "Save location": If you post photos on social networks, it is better to turn off this option to avoid leakage of geodata, but the grid (rule of thirds) should be included, it will help to correctly construct the frames compositionally.

⚠️ After upgrading to Android 9 Pie on Mi A1 This is a firmware bug, which can be solved by resetting the camera settings (see Reset and Calibration section").

Manual Modes: How to Manage Exposure and Focus

The stock camera app on the Mi A1 hides a professional mode that lets you manually adjust ISO, shutter speed, white balance and focus to activate it:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Swipe your finger across the screen from left to right (or tap on the three dots in the top right corner).
3. Choose Professional (or Manual in English).

Now you'll see sliders for the key parameters, and here's what they mean and how to set them up optimally:

For night photography, try ISO 1600, shutter speed 1/4, white incandescent balance. Use a tripod or stable surface to avoid grease. And if you want to capture a moving object (like a car at night), reduce ISO to 800 and reduce shutter speed to 1/30.

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To quickly reset all manual settings to factory, tap the AUTO icon twice in the upper right corner of the professional mode.

The secret features of the camera Mi A1: what is hidden from users

There are some non-obvious features in the Mi A1 that are not advertised in the official instructions, and here are the most useful ones:

• 🔍 Hidden regime RAW: In professional mode, hold your finger on the down button for 2-3 seconds – the smartphone will save the photo in the format.DNG (RAW). This will allow the reader to edit the image without loss of quality in Lightroom or Photoshop.
• 📏 Hand-held HDR: Turn it on. HDR in settings, then in professional mode manually set the exposure to +1.0 or +1.5 EV. This will give more saturated colors without relighting.
• 🎭 Bokeh effect without portrait mode: Switch to telephoto lens (2x zoom, get closer to the object (30-50 cm) and focus.
• 🔄 Quick camera switching: Twice tap the screen in shooting mode – there will be an instant zoom between the wide-angle and telephoto lens.

Another little-known feature is Square (1:1), which is useful for Instagram, but hidden in additional options to activate it:

1. Open the camera settings.
2. Select the aspect ratio.
3. Scroll down and tap on 1:1 (Square).

If you're a frequent video shooter, look at the hidden video stabilization option, which is disabled by default, but activating it greatly improves the smoothness of frames when you're moving, and you'll find it in the additional video settings.

Optimize the camera through the engineering menu

For advanced users willing to take risks, there is a way to fine-tune the camera through an engineering menu, which allows you to change settings that are not available in the standard interface, for example:

• 🔧 Adjustment of noise reduction.
• 📊 Contrast and saturation settings by default.
• 🔍 Changing Autofocus Algorithms.

To get into the engineering menu:

1. Open the phone app.


2 Enter the code ##36446337## (or #3644637## for new firmware).




3. Select "CIT" (Camera Image Tuning).

Warning: Don't change settings that you don't know how to do! Incorrect settings can cause the camera to fail or the quality of the images to deteriorate. Here are the safe options for experimenting:

⚠️ Warning: After changes to the engineering menu, be sure to restart your smartphone. Some options are only applied after the reboot. Also save screenshots of the original values to return them in case of problems.

Reset and calibrate the camera: if something went wrong

If after experimenting with the settings, the camera starts to work incorrectly (for example, artifacts appear, do not focus, or give an error), perform a reset.

1. Software reset: Go to Settings → Apps → Camera. Press Storage → Clear data. Reboot your smartphone.
2. Hardware calibration (if the reset didn't work): 1. In the engineering menu (#36446337###), select "Camera Calibration." 2. Follow the on-screen instructions (take a picture of the barcode or white sheet). 3. Wait for the process to complete (5-10 minutes).

If the camera is still not working, check:

✅ Are there any physical damage to the lenses (scrapes, cracks)

✅ Whether the lenses are clean (wipe with a soft cloth)

✅ Is the firmware updated to the latest version?

✅ Are there any conflicting applications (for example, third-party cameras)

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In rare cases, the problem may be due to the detachment of the camera plume, a typical Mi A1 disease after 3-4 years of use. If you can hear a characteristic rattle inside when shaking the phone, contact the service center.

Third-party applications for improving shooting

The Mi A1 stock camera has limited options, especially in terms of post-processing. Consider the best alternatives from Google Play that will unlock the potential of your smartphone:

• 📷 Google Camera (GCam): Pixel port with improved HDR+ Download versions from the developers. BSG or Urnyx05 (search the forum 4PDA).
• 🎞️ Filmic Pro: For professional video shooting with manual bitrate and focus control. LOG-color-correction.
• 🔍 Open Camera: Free replacement for a supported effluent app RAW, manual settings and no advertising.
• 🌌 Night Camera: Specializes in shooting in the dark with multi-frame noise cancellation.

GCam will require additional configuration configuration (.xml) settings. Here are the basic parameters for the Mi A1:

<Camera ID="0">


<HDR>HDR+ Enhanced</HDR>




<NightSight>On</NightSight>




<AWB>Auto</AWB>




<Saturation>1.2</Saturation>




<Sharpness>0.7</Sharpness>




</Camera>

Install this file through the GCam settings menu (Load Config). After applying, you will notice that the colors have become more natural and the detail has improved, especially in shadows.

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Using GCam on the Mi A1 gives a quality gain of up to 30% compared to the stock application, especially in low light conditions.

FAQ: Frequent questions about setting up the Xiaomi Mi A1 camera