How to set up a recording from the Xiaomi camera to the computer: all working ways

Recording video from Xiaomi’s smartphone camera directly to your computer is a challenge that bloggers, streamers and users who need to shoot long shots without overheating the device face. Unlike standard copying of finished files, streaming or saving stream to your PC allows you to bypass internal memory limitations, avoid compression artifacts, and use the power of the computer for processing. However, not all methods are equally effective: some require root rights, others work only on certain models, and still others depend on the version of MIUI.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to organize recording — from simple USB connection to advanced solutions using ADB and third-party applications. We will focus on the nuances for the popular Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and Xiaomi 13 lines, and also avoid the typical errors that cause the camera to refuse to broadcast an image on a PC. If you need not just copy video, but specifically broadcast in real time with minimal latency or write a stream directly to the hard drive of your computer — this guide is for you.

1. USB Connection: A Simple but Limited Method

The most obvious way is to use a USB-TypeC cable to connect your smartphone to your computer. However, there are pitfalls: Xiaomi defaults to blocking access to the camera through standard MTP or PTP protocols. To get around this limitation, you will need to turn on the developer mode and activate USB debugging.

Instructions:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → About the phone and 7 times click on the version MIUI, Unlocking the menu for developers.
• 🔧 Return to the main settings menu, open additionally → For developers and enable debugging by USB.
• 🖥️ Connect your smartphone to your PC via cable (preferably original or certified (MTP).
• 🎥 Install DroidCam (free watermarked version) or EpocCam (paid but unlimited) on your computer. These utilities emulate the webcam and allow you to capture stream from the main camera Xiaomi.

Developer mode is on|Activated. USB-debugging|Drivers installed ADB PC-only|The cable supports data transfer (not just charging)|The phone allows access to the camera for the selected application-->

⚠️ Note: When using DroidCam on Xiaomi with MIUI 14+ The solution is to close all background processes using the camera (including system processes such as miui.camera) through Settings. → Annexes → Application management.

This method is suitable for basic tasks such as video calls or streams, but has limitations:

• 🔴 Maximum authorization — 720p (free-form).
• 🔴 Image delay up to 1-2 seconds.
• 🔴 You can't write a stream directly to a PC, just broadcast it to programs like OBS Studio.

2. Wireless broadcast over Wi-Fi: without wires, but with nuances

If you're annoyed by wires, you can organize video transmission over the local network, and this is the IP Webcam app (available on Google Play) or its analogues, which works on most Xiaomi models, but requires a stable Wi-Fi connection with minimal interference.

Step-by-step:

1. Set the Webcam IP on your smartphone and open it.
2. In the application settings, select: 📷 Video source: Main camera or Wide-angle (if needed). 🎤 Sound source - Microphone (optional). 🔒 Password – Set up a complex password to avoid unauthorized access.

Run the server

http://192.168.x.x:8080

VLC Media Player

Media → Open URL-network address → Insert http://192.168.x.x:8080/video

OBS Studio (add media source)

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If the image is slowing down, in the IP Webcam settings, reduce the resolution to 640×480 and the bitrate to 500 Kbit / s. This will reduce the load on the network.

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processors (such as Xiaomi 13 Ultra) thermal trottling can be triggered during long broadcast. To avoid overheating, turn off background tasks via Settings → Battery → Performance mode and set a limit FPS 30 frames/s.

3. Advanced method: writing via ADB and Scrcpy

For users who are ready to dive into technical details, a combination of Scrcpy (for screen mirroring) and ADB (for camera control) is suitable, which allows you to record video with minimal latency, but does not give direct access to the stream of the camera - only to its display on the smartphone screen.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
• 📱 Xiaomi smartphone with enabled USB-debugging.
• 🔧 Scrcpy (free, open source).

Instructions:

1. Connect the phone to your PC and check the connection with the command: Adb devices must display the serial number of the device.
2. Run Scrcpy with the parameters for writing: scrcpy --record=output.mp4 --bit-rate=8M where output.mp4 is the name of the output file and 8M is the bitrate in megabits.
3. On your phone, open the Camera app and start shooting. Scrcpy will record everything that appears on the screen, including the camera interface.

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi with MIUI 13+ When you use Scrcpy, you can see a black screen. So, the solution is to disable Optimization. MIUI Developer Settings (Disable Optimization) MIUI) and reboot the phone.

4. Recording via Termux and FFmpeg: for power users

If you want to record the camera stream directly to your PC without loss of quality, the best way is to use Termux (Linux emulator on Android) and the FFmpeg utility.This method requires root rights on most Xiaomi models, but allows you to save video in the original resolution (up to 8K on flagships) with minimal latency.

Step-by-step:

1. Install Termux from F-Droid (the version from Google Play is outdated).
2. Update packages and install FFmpeg: pkg update && pkg upgrade pkg install ffmpeg
3. Connect your phone to your PC via USB and start recording with the command: ffmpeg -f v4l2 -i /dev/video0 -c:v libx264 -preset ultrafast -tune zerolatency -f mpegts udp://:1234 where is your computer's address on the local network.
4. On the PC, open up. VLC And go to Media. → Open up. URL-network address, enter udp://@:1234.

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This method allows you to record video in H.264 or H.265 format with a bit rate of up to 50 Mbps, which is critical for professional shooting. However, without root rights, FFmpeg will not be able to access the camera on Xiaomi with MIUI.

⚠️ Note: Devices with MediaTek processors (such as the Redmi Note 12 Pro) may require a supported kernel v4l2loopback. Without this, FFmpeg will not be able to capture the camera stream and you will get a “Permission denied” error".

5. Cloud services: recording via Google Drive or Mi Cloud

If you don't want live streaming, you just want to save video on your PC without cables, you can use cloud services. Xiaomi offers its own solution, Mi Cloud, but it has a storage limit (5 GB for free), the alternative is Google Photos or Google Drive with automatic download.

How to set up:

• 📁 For Mi Cloud: Open Settings → Accounts. → Mi Cloud. Enable Photo and Video Sync. Enable Camera recording, video automatically uploads to the cloud. On PC, log in to i.mi.com and download files.

Google Photo

1. Install the application and enable Backup and Synchronization.
2. Choose the original quality (without compression).
3. After the video is shot, it will appear in the web version of Google Photos.

USB-connection|Wi-Fi broadcast|ADB/Scrcpy|Cloud services|I don't record on PC.-->

⚠️ Note: When using Mi Cloud on Xiaomi with dual SIM-The video card can only load when the main slot is active. If the sync is not working, check the mobile Internet settings in Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks.

6. Specialized applications for streamers

If you want to stream from Xiaomi’s camera to platforms like Twitch or YouTube, the best solution is Larix Broadcaster or RTMP Camera, which allows you to stream stream directly to the server via RTMP, as well as record video locally or on a PC.

Larix Broadcaster setup:

1. Download the app from Google Play.
2. In the settings, specify: 📹 Source: Camera 1 (main). 🎤 Audio - Microphone (optional). 🌐 The server is your address RTMP-server (e.g. from the server) OBS Studio or nginx-rtmp). ⚙️ Codec — H.264, bitrate: 4000–6000 Kbps for 1080p.

Start

For PC recording:

• 🖥️ Run it on your computer. OBS Studio.
• Add a Media Source source and specify a stream URL (e.g. rtmp://localhost/live/stream).
• Click Start recording – the video will be saved to the hard drive.

Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

The choice of recording method depends on your tasks:

• 🎮 For streams - Larix Broadcaster + OBS Studio (minimum delay, support) RTMP).
• 📹 For professional photography - Termux + FFmpeg (maximum quality, but requires root).
• 💻 For video calls, DroidCam or IP Webcam (easiness of setting up).
• ☁️ For backup – Google Photos or Mi Cloud (automatic download).

If you need to record video for more than 1 hour, avoid Wi-Fi transmission methods, which can overheat your smartphone. The best option in this case is an externally powered USB connection (use a USB-hub with a charging port).

FAQ: Frequent Questions and Problems