How to process photos on Xiaomi phone: from basic correction to advanced effects

Xiaomi smartphones have long ceased to be just means of communication — they have become full-fledged tools for creativity. With 200 MP cameras in flagships and advanced software, even a beginner can create photos at the level of professional shots. But few people know that the built-in tools MIUI This allows you to process photos without losing quality and installing third-party applications. In this article, we will discuss all the ways from quick cropping to complex retouching, including hidden functions that are not written about in the official instructions.

It's important to understand that processing on the phone has its own nuances. For example, Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ Xiaomi 13 Ultra uses different versions of image enhancement algorithms. POCO F5 And we took these things into account and we developed universal solutions that work on most models with a single filter. MIUI 12 and later. If you're still transferring a photo to a computer for editing, you won't need it anymore after this article.

Built-in tools MIUI: What does the standard application "Gallery»

Basic Gallery app (or Photos in new versions) MIUI) It's more than it looks like, and many users are just looking at the images, not knowing that there are Lightroom Mobile-level tools, and the main advantage is that the processing is done without compressing the original file (unless you save the changes over the source).

To open the editor, just tap on any photo and press the Edit button (pencil icon). MIUI 15 the interface is more intuitive: all tools are broken down into tabs: "Correction" (basic parameters), "Filters", "Effects" and "Routouch." AI-Improvement – it automatically analyzes the scene and applies optimal settings for portraits, landscapes or macros.

• 🔧 Basic correction: exposure, contrast, saturation, shadow/light. HDR-The effect that saves the over-lit areas.
• 🎨 Filters: 20+ pre-installed styles, including Cinematic (cinematiclook) and Vintage (vintage effect). MIUI 14 Adds Neon Filter for Nighttime Photos.
• ✨ Effects: Bokeh blur, adding light highlights, imitating long exposure, useful for creating "professional" portraits.
• 👤 Retouch: Removing skin defects, changing facial shape, lightening teeth. Works better than most third-party apps.

One of the most underrated tools is Curves (hidden under the "Correction" button) and allows you to point-to-point contrast. RGB-And you can do this with channels, which is not available even in some paid editors, for example, you can make the sky bluer without affecting the green vegetation.

⚠️ Note: When you save a processed photo in the Gallery, you create a copy by default. To rewrite the original, hold the Save button and select Replace. RAW-Files that take up to 50MB per image.

The hidden functions of the editor: what does not lie on the surface

V MIUI There are some "secret" features that are not advertised in the official guides, such as the Double Exposure feature, which allows you to overlay two images on top of each other with adjustable transparency, which is useful for creating art collages or surreal images:

1. Open the photo in the editor.
2. Slip three points in the top right corner.
3. Choose Double Exposure.
4. Upload the second photo and adjust the overlay.

Another hidden feature is the Color Accent (some firmware called Selective Color), which leaves one color in the photo and converts the rest to black and white, and it's popular in advertising and social media, to activate:

Editor → Effects → Color accent → Select the object with a brush

For owners of flagships (Xiaomi 13 Pro, MIX Fold 3) Pro Mode is available in the editor where you can manually configure:

• 📏 Perspective (correcting curvatures)
• 🔍 Sharpness (with mask for sample areas)
• 🎭 Color profiles (DCI-P3, sRGB)

These tools are usually only available in Adobe Photoshop Express.

Comparison of the built-in editor with popular applications

Many users install Snapseed, VSCO Or Lightroom Mobile, not knowing that 80 percent of the problems could be solved with standard tools, and we tested the same photo processing in different editors and compared the results:

Bottom Line: For quick processing (trimming, filters, basic correction), Xiaomi’s built-in editor is as good as third-party apps. But if you need advanced retouching (like changing the sky or coloring the tone curve), you’d better use Lightroom or Snapseed.

⚠️ Warning: When installing third-party editors, turn off auto-optimization of photos in Settings → gallery → Optimizing your photos. MIUI It will automatically compress images before processing in other applications.

Make a backup copy of the originals|Disable Auto-Optimization in the Gallery|Take a photo in format RAW (if necessary)|Check the vacant space (minimum 1 GB)|Charge the phone to 50%+-->

Processing RAW-Photos on Xiaomi: instructions for advanced

Xiaomi's flagship models (12S Ultra, 13 Pro, MIX Fold 2/3) They can save photos in format RAW (DNG). Such files weigh 20–50 MB, but contain in 10 more data than JPEG. This allows you to “pull” details from the shadows, adjust the white balance without loss and change the exposure after the fact.

To turn the footage on RAW:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Go to Professional Mode (or Pro).
3. Put it on the snag (cog) button.
4. Activate the Save option RAW.

After the shooting. RAW-The file will be available in the Gallery with a note DNG.

For processing RAW embedded:

• 🔘 Open up. DNG-gallery.
• 🔘 Choose to edit → Pro Mode.
• 🔘 Use Temperature, Hue and Curves sliders to fine-tune.
• 🔘 Save the result in TIFF (lossless JPEG (compressed).

Important:

💡

If your model is not supported RAW, Try to install an alternative camera, like the Google Camera (GCam). DNG even on budget smartphones Xiaomi with a Snapdragon processor.

How to remove unnecessary objects and defects without traces

One of the most popular features is the removal of extra elements in the photo: debris, people in the background or scratches. MIUI And for that, there's a Replacement tool (or an AI retouch in newer versions) that runs on a neural network and can be used to do this:

• 🗑️ Remove small objects (wires, stains, garbage).
• 👤 «Washing people or cars from the background.
• 🖌️ Fill empty areas with texture (e.g., regenerate grass after object removal).

Step-by-step:

1. Open the photo in the editor and select Retouch → Replacement.
2. Circle the object with a brush (you can adjust the size and stiffness).
3. Click Remove and wait for processing (takes 5-15 seconds).
4. If necessary, cancel the changes with the Cancel button.

For complex scenes (such as removing a person in front of a crowd), it is better to use Adobe Photoshop Express or TouchRetouch.

If the Replacement tool fails (for example, leaves blurry artifacts), try:

• 🔄 Reduce the size of the brush and process the object in parts.
• 📱 Reboot your phone – sometimes AI works better after restarting.
• 🖼️ Use the function of Cloning (copying texture from another section of the photo).

💡

Replacement tool in MIUI It uses a cloud-based neural network, so it requires an Internet connection to run it.

Optimization of photos for social networks: formats, sizes, compression

Before posting on Instagram, VK or TikTok photo to prepare: crop under the required proportions, compress without loss of quality and add watermarks (if necessary). MIUI There are built-in tools for this, but they're hidden in non-obvious places.

Recommended sizes for social networks (2026):

• 📷 Instagram: Square: 1080×1080 px Portrait: 1080×1350 px Landscape: 1080×608 px
• 📘 VK/OK: 2048×2048 px (maximum quality)
• 🎥 TikTok: 1080×1920 px (vertical video)

To clip the photos on social media:

1. Open the photo in the Gallery and click Edit.
2. Select the Pruning (frame icon).
3. Slip on the icon Ratio (in the lower right corner).
4. Choose the format you want (e.g. 1:1 for Instagram).
5. Keep a copy (not the original!)

For lossless compression, use the format JPEG 85-90% quality (in the save settings).

If you need to add a watermark:

• 💧 Use the Watermark app (free on Google Play).
• 📝 Or manually overlay the text in the editor MIUI: Edit → Text.

Advice:

Instagram Stories

1080×1920

Automation of processing: how to speed up work with a photo package

If you have to process dozens (or hundreds) of photos -- for example, after a vacation -- it takes hours by hand. MIUI There are batch processing features, as well as hidden Google Photos features that many don’t use.

Ways to speed up processing:

• 📁 Package application of filters: Open the Gallery and highlight a few photos (press your finger and swipe the screen). → Select a style and apply it to all selected images.

AI Improvement in Google Photos:

• Upload the photo to Google Photos.
• Open the photo and tap the edit → Tools → Improve.
• The app automatically adjusts color, contrast and sharpness.

Cartwheel in MIUI:

• In the Gallery settings, enable Auto Improvement when importing.
• All new photos will be automatically optimized when transferred to the phone.

For professionals: if you need to apply the same settings to all photos (for example, increase exposure to the photo) +0.5), use Lightroom Mobile:

• 📱 Edit one photo.
• 🔄 Click Copy Settings.
• 📋 Select the rest of the photos and select Insert settings.

This will save up to 80% of the time when processing a series of images.

⚠️ Attention: Package processing in MIUI works only for JPEG. RAW-You will need to edit the files one by one or use them. Lightroom/Darkroom.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions