How to set up Pro mode on Xiaomi: a complete guide for photographers

The Pro mode on Xiaomi smartphones is a powerful tool for those who want to make the most of the camera. Unlike the automatic mode, here you get full control of exposure, focus, white balance and other parameters, which is especially valuable for shooting in difficult conditions or creative tasks. However, many users avoid this mode, considering it too difficult. In fact, once you understand, you will open up new possibilities for yourself, from shooting in RAW format to manually adjusting shutter speed for night shots.

In this article, we will discuss in detail how to turn on Pro mode on different Xiaomi models (including Redmi, POCO and flagship series), which settings should be changed first, and how to combine them to achieve professional results. Particular attention will be paid to the nuances that the manufacturer does not always voice – for example, how to avoid the sunshine when manually setting the ISO or why it is sometimes better to use AE-L (exposure fixing).

What is Pro-Mode and Why You Need It

Pro mode (or manual mode) is an alternative to automatic shooting, where all the camera settings are manually adjusted.

• 📸 Shooting in difficult lighting conditions – when the automatization is wrong with exposure (for example, against the sun or in a dark room).
• 🌌 Night photography – hand shutter speed allows you to “catch” the light of stars or city lights without noise.
• 🎨 Creative control – blurring the background (boke), unusual color solutions due to manual white balance.
• 📱 Shooting in RAW — Save raw data from the sensor for later processing in Lightroom or Photoshop.

On smartphones, Xiaomi Pro mode is available in the standard Camera app, but its functionality can vary depending on the model. For example, the flagship Xiaomi 13 Ultra or POCO F5 Pro support focal length setting (zooming without loss of quality), while the budget Redmi Note is limited to basic parameters. It is important to understand that even on low-cost devices, manual settings can significantly improve the result compared to the “automatic”.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi) 9A or POCO M3) Pro mode can be hidden in the camera's additional settings. If it's not in the main menu, check the section More → Modes or update the Camera app via Google Play.

How to turn on Pro-mode on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

The manual mode activation takes less than a minute, but the path to it may be different. Here's a universal algorithm for most devices:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Scroll through the shooting modes to the left (usually Pro mode is after Portrait or Night).
3. If there is no mode, press three points (⋮) pin ⚙️ → Additionally. → Pro.
4. On some models (such as the Xiaomi 12T), you need to select a Photo first and then swipe up to access the Pro.

If the regime has not appeared after these actions, the reasons may be as follows:

• 🔄 Outdated firmware - update MIUI through settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 📱 The model does not support Pro mode – this is true for some ultra-budget devices (for example, Redmi). A1).
• 🔧 Disabled in Settings – Check Camera Settings → Regimes → Pro.

Backup important photos | Charge your phone at least 50% | Clear memory (at least 1 GB free) | Turn off power saving

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On Leica-optics (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Pro), the Pro mode can be called the Leica Pro and offer additional color reproduction profiles (Leica Authentic and Leica Vibrant) that cannot be changed manually – they work as presets, but can be combined with manual exposure settings.

The main settings of Pro-mode: what and how to regulate

The Xiaomi Pro mode interface usually contains the following elements (left to right or top to bottom depending on the model):

The most common mistake of beginners is to increase ISO and exposure in dark environments simultaneously, and this leads to noisy footage.

• 🌃 Night photography: use ISO 800–1600 + shutter speed 1-4 seconds (set your phone on a tripod!).
• ☀️ Daylight: ISO 100–400 + exposure 1/500–1/2000 clear-cut.
• 💨 Moving objects: exposure shorter 1/1000, focus AF-C (continuous).

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If you're shooting with a long shutter speed, you'll want to turn on the descent delay timer (2 or 10 seconds) in the camera settings, and this will eliminate the jitters from pressing the button.

Shooting in RAW: when and how to use

The RAW format (or DNG on Xiaomi) stores raw data from the camera sensor, which gives you more post-processing options, but it has some nuances:

• ✅ Pros: Greater dynamic range (you can pull shadows without noise) Flexible white balance correction, no editing losses (as opposed to editing) JPEG).
• ❌ Cons: Files take 20-50 MB (versus 3-8 MB in the case of the JPEG). Requires processing in Lightroom or Snapseed. Not supported on all models (e.g., not available on Redmi) 10A).

To turn the footage on RAW:

1. Open Pro mode.
2. Click on the RAW icon (usually in the top right corner).
3. If you don’t have an option, check the camera settings: Settings → Photo Format → RAW.

⚠️ Note: On certain devices (e.g, POCO X3 Pro) filming in RAW switch off HDR. If you want a wide dynamic range, shoot first in the RAW, And then take a double in JPEG switched-on HDR.

Manual focus: how to make clear shots

Autofocus on Xiaomi usually works well, but in some scenarios, manual focusing (MF) is indispensable:

• 🔍 Macrographing – when you need to focus on small details (insects, textures).
• 🌫️ Shooting through glass or grid – Autofocus can “target” an obstacle rather than an object.
• 🎭 Portrait with a blurred background – manual focusing helps to more accurately control the depth of field.

To set up a manual focus:

1. In Pro mode, tap the screen to make the MF slider appear.
2. Move the slider to the right/left to change the focal length.
3. For macro photography, set the value close to 0 (but not until the end, otherwise the frame will be blurred).

On models with a telephoto lens (such as the Xiaomi 13 Ultra), manual focusing is available separately for the main and TV camera. Switch between them with a 1x/2x/5x button and adjust the focus for each range separately.

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White balance: Remove unwanted shades

Automatic white balance (AWB) is often wrong, especially in artificial lighting. In Pro mode, you can set the exact color temperature in kelvins (K):

• 💡 Filament lamps (2000–3000K): lukewarm.
• 🌞 Daylight 5,000–6500K): neutrality.
• 🌥️ Cloudy weather (7000–10000K): slush.

Practical advice:

• 📱 For selfies: set up 4500–5000K, avoiding yellowness.
• 🌅 Sunsets/Dawns: Try the 3,500–4000K more saturated.
• 🏙️ Urban night scenes: 6,000–7000K reduce the orange tint of the lights.

Some Xiaomi models (such as the Mi 11 Ultra) have white balance presets (Daylight, Cloud, Lamp) that are convenient for quick customization, but manual correction in Kelvins gives a more accurate result.

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White balance is better adjusted before shooting, not corrected later in the editor. RAW-files can be changed without loss, but JPEG correction worsens the quality.

Additional chips Pro-mode on Xiaomi

In addition to the basic settings, less obvious features are hidden in Pro mode:

• 📏 Grid and Levels: Enable Settings → Grid. → Rule of thirds or Horizon level for equal staff.
• 🔄 Fixing the exposure (AE-L): tap the screen and hold it to block the exposure (useful for shooting against the sun).
• 🎬 Manual video shooting: on some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 12S Ultra) in Pro-mode you can shoot video with manual settings.
• 📊 Histogram: shows the distribution of light and shadows in the frame (included in the camera settings).

On devices with MIUI 14 and newer in Pro-mode appeared function Double exposure - it allows you to combine two frames with different exposure for the HDR-To use it for effect:

1. Take the first shot with normal exposure.
2. Click on the HDR icon and take a second frame with a different exposure.
3. The app will automatically combine them into one photo.

This feature is especially useful for landscapes where you need to work the sky and the earth at the same time.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Pro-mode on Xiaomi