Xiaomi’s modern smartphones have long since ceased to be just call devices, becoming powerful tools for mobile photography. owners of Redmi and Xiaomi models often wonder how to turn a regular picture into a work of art right in the palm of their hands. The answer lies in the competent use of the built-in capabilities of the MIUI system and third-party applications that allow you to achieve studio quality.
The process of retouching on Android devices from the Chinese manufacturer has its own features related to interface optimization and image processing algorithms. Retouching is not just a filter application, but a complex work on color, skin and details of the frame. Understanding these nuances will help you create content that will stand out in social networks.
In this guide, we will look at all the steps of processing, from initial correction to complex portrait work, you will learn what tools a standard gallery hides and when to turn to professional software, the main thing is not to be afraid to experiment with settings to find your unique style.
Built-in photo editor in MIUI: hidden opportunities
Many users underestimate the standard application "Gallery", which is preinstalled on all smartphones Xiaomi and Redmi. in the latest versions of the shell MIUI and HyperOS developers have significantly expanded the functionality of the built-in editor, making it a competitor to many paid counterparts, here you can perform basic but high-quality retouch without installing unnecessary programs.
To access the tools, you just need to open a photo and click the "Change" button (usually an icon of a pencil or slider). The interface is divided into logical blocks: filters, light settings, colors and effects. AI-Improvement that automatically adjusts exposure and saturation, but for fine retouching it is better to use manual settings.
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Turn on Pro mode in the camera settings before shooting to get RAW shots. This will give much more freedom in the subsequent retouch in the editor.
The key advantage of native software is deep integration with the system. Processing is instantaneous thanks to hardware acceleration of the Snapdragon or MediaTek processor. You can save copies of the originals to return to the original version at any time if the result of the edits does not suit you.
- 📸 Magic of removal: allows you to remove unnecessary objects from the background by simply highlighting your finger.
- 🎨 Filters and styles: dozens of ready-made presets that simulate film cameras.
- ✂️ Feedback: Support for different proportions for Instagram, TikTok and other platforms.
- 🌟 Portrait mode: changing the degree of background blur after shooting.
Basic correction: light, color and exposure
Before you start to correct skin defects, you need to balance light and shadow. Incorrect exposure can ruin even the most successful frame. In the editing menu, find the Adjustment or Settings section, where the sliders are located to work with the histogram of the image.
First, adjust the exposure and contrast. If the photo is too dark, add light, but make sure you don't knock out the (brightest) areas by losing detail. For dark areas, use the Shadow slider to pull information out of dark areas without increasing the overall noise level.
⚠️ Warning: Avoid over-increasing Sharpening on high-resolution smartphone screens, this can create unpleasant artifacts around objects and make skin unnaturally grainy.
Color requires a delicate approach. Saturation affects all colors at once, while Vibrance only enhances dull shades, leaving saturated ones unchanged. For portraits, the second option is better to use so that the skin does not acquire an orange or reddish hue. It is also useful to adjust the white balance by removing excess yellowish or blue.
Portrait Retouch: Work with the skin and face
The most popular form of processing is portrait retouching, which can be automated or manually done on Xiaomi smartphones. Built-in algorithms for the Beauty Camera often work aggressively, completely erasing the texture of the skin, which looks unnatural. Professionally, it involves saving parts.
In the editor's advanced settings (often labeled "Bouty" or "Face Root"), skin smoothing tools are available. Use the 20-40 percent "Smoothing" slider to remove minor bumps, but leave pores and texture visible. The skin tone feature allows you to level the complexion, eliminating redness or yellowness.
☑️ Checklist of the perfect portrait
Pay special attention to the eyes and teeth. Tools for teeth whitening and brightness of the eyes should be used with caution. Too much with these settings makes a person look like a plastic doll. Easy correction of 10-15% is enough to refresh the look while maintaining naturalness.
The Secret to Natural Retouching
Top Apps for Advanced Processing on Android
If the standard gallery is not enough, the Google Play store offers many powerful tools. For owners of Xiaomi, an important characteristic is the optimization of applications for high-pixel density screens and support for the use of the mobile app. HDR-display.
Adobe Lightroom remains the market leader. The mobile version provides desktop-level tools: work with curves, masks and selective color correction. The application works perfectly on Snapdragon processors, providing smooth zoom and fast rendering.
For those who like creative effects and layering, Google’s Snapseed is indispensable. This completely free editor allows you to do spot correction, expand frame boundaries and overlay textures. Another popular option is PicsArt, which is more focused on creating collages and adding graphics, but also has a powerful retouch module.
| Annex | Substantive function | Difficulty | Price. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightroom Mobile | Color correction, RAW | Medium | Freemium |
| Snapseed | Point retouch | Low. | Free of charge. |
| PicsArt | Collages, stickers | Medium | Freemium |
| RetouchMe | Automatic retouching | Low. | Paid. |
Removal of objects and work with background
Often in the photo there are extra passers-by, garbage cans or wires that spoil the composition. In smartphones Xiaomi medium and high price segment (Mi series, Xiaomi Numbered series), the function “Lastik” is built into the gallery and works on the basis of artificial intelligence.
To remove an object, select the Magic Eraser tool, then circle the unnecessary element or simply touch it. The algorithm will analyze the surrounding pixels and fill the selected area with a background pattern. For complex cases where the object overlaps important details, several passes with a reduced brush may be required.
If you can't clean a cleanly object with built-in tools, TouchRetouch is a helper, and it specializes in this task and often does better than automatic MIUI algorithms. You can also use the cloning function in Snapseed by manually copying the texture from a clean site to a defective one.
⚠️ Attention: When removing objects against a complex background (for example, patterned tiles or foliage), artifacts may occur - repetitive patterns or "porridge". In such cases, it is better to carefully fram the photo, cutting the excess.
Quality preservation and export of images
The final step of retouching is saving the result. Many users make the mistake of sending photos through instant messengers without compression or choosing the wrong export options. On Xiaomi's AMOLED screens and high resolution, any quality loss is immediately noticeable.
When saving from third-party applications, always choose the maximum quality (100%) and JPEG format (or PNG if transparency is important).If you plan on further processing on your computer, it makes sense to save it in TIFF or DNG format, although this will take up more space in memory.
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Always save the original photo before editing. Use the Save as a Copy function to avoid losing the original file permanently.
Note the color profile. For web publications, the standard is sRGB. If you save a photo in an Adobe RGB profile, the colors in your browser or social networks may look dull and unnatural. In most Android editors, the sRGB profile is chosen by default, but it is not superfluous to check this.