Xiaomi smartphones have long proven themselves as devices that offer advanced multimedia functionality right out of the box. Built-in image processing tools allow you to perform basic and complex manipulations without having to download third-party applications. One of the most sought-after features is mirror imagery, which helps correct facial asymmetry or change the composition of the frame.
Often users are faced with a situation where a selfie taken on the front camera looks unusual. The camera by default can save the image exactly as the lens sees it, not as you see yourself in the mirror. This creates a feeling of “inverting” and sometimes spoils the impression of the photo, especially if there is text or recognizable objects in the background.
Fortunately, the MIUI Shell Gallery and the new HyperOS feature a powerful editor that allows you to instantly invert a picture horizontally or vertically. In this article, we will detail the process of reflecting an image, look at the nuances of saving a copy, and answer frequent questions that arise from owners of Xiaomi smartphones.
Why you need mirror imagery of photos
The main reason people are looking for a way to mirror a picture on a Xiaomi phone is because of the psychology of perception. We're used to seeing our reflection in the mirror every day, so the "direct" photo from the camera seems strange and unnatural. The image inversion brings back the familiar symmetry, making the face more recognizable to the owner.
In addition to selfie correction, horizontal reflection is also used to work with composition, for example, if the subject is looking or moving in the wrong direction, a simple rotation can improve the balance of the frame, and this is also true for screenshots of correspondence or documents where the text is inverted due to the nature of the shooting.
It's important to understand the difference between turning and reflecting. Rotating changes the orientation of the image by 90 or 180 degrees, while mirroring changes the left and the right places, and this is critical when processing photos with text or logos where direction matters.
⚠️ Warning: When you mirror photos of text (signs, documents, clothes with inscriptions), the letters will become unreadable. Always check the background before saving changes.
The editing functionality in Xiaomi is constantly updated, the latest firmware versions have made algorithms smarter and the interface more intuitive, but the basic principles of working with image geometry have remained unchanged for several years, which allows you to use a single instruction for most models.
Preparation for editing in MIUI and HyperOS
Before you start changing the geometry of a shot, you need to make sure you are working with the original high-quality file. The standard Gallery app automatically sorts media files by date and album, making it easier to find the right frame.
The editor interface may vary slightly depending on the operating system version. HyperOS users will see a more minimalist design with floating panels, whereas in MIUI 14 and older versions, tools can be located at the bottom of the screen. Despite the visual differences, the logic of the work remains the same.
Before mass editing, it is recommended to check where the modified files are saved. By default, the system suggests saving the changes on top of the original or creating a copy. Save a copy is a safer option, since it allows you to return to the original state of the image at any time.
Make sure your device has enough free memory. Although the reflection operation doesn’t require many resources, making high-resolution copies of files can fill up the storage quickly, especially if you plan to process a whole series of vacation shots.
Step-by-step instructions: how to reflect the photo
The mirror reflection process takes only a few seconds, but requires careful directional selection. Follow the algorithm to get the desired result without losing the quality of the original file.
Open the photo you want in the Gallery app. In the bottom menu, find and click the Change button (an icon with a pencil or sliders) and opens the toolbar where you are interested in the Frame tab or an icon with a frame and arrows.
☑️ Algorithm of action
You'll see some icons in the framing menu, and we're interested in a symbol that looks like two triangles separated by a vertical line, or arrows pointing in different directions, and if you press that button, you'll do a horizontal reflection, and if you want to turn the image upside down, use the vertical arrow button.
Once the image is in its proper shape, click Save (usually a tick in the upper right or lower right corner) and the system will prompt you to choose the option of saving: Save (replace the original) or Save as a copy. Select the second option for security.
| Action. | Icon | The result |
|---|---|---|
| Horizontal reflection | ◁▷ | Changes left and right in places |
| Vertical reflection | △▽ | Turns up and down |
| Turn 90.° | ↻ | It rotates the image clockwise. |
| Free framing | ⬜ | Cutting the edges of the photo |
Working with selfies and front camera
Xiaomi owners often wonder why selfies look different than in a mirror. By default, many Xiaomi smartphone models keep selfies exactly as the lens sees them (without mirror effect) so that the text on the clothes reads correctly. However, it can be unusual for the face.
To avoid the need for constant editing, you can change the camera settings. Go to the Camera app, click three bars in the corner and select Settings. Find Selfie Mirror or Reflect Front Camera. Turning on this option will cause the phone to immediately save the photo in reflected form.
⚠️ Note: Enabling the selfie mirror function in the camera settings does not apply to photos already taken. You can only edit old photos manually through the Gallery.
If you prefer to see yourself in the viewfinder as you would in the mirror, but save the photo as it is, make sure that the appropriate switch in the camera settings is activated only for preview. Different versions of MIUI may have different logic for this setting, so it is better to take a test shot.
Why is the selfie text reversed?
When you process background blur portraits (Boke mode), the reflection tool works correctly without breaking the blur mask, but with strong framing and subsequent reflection, the quality of the edges can decrease slightly due to interpolation algorithms.
Using Google Photos on Xiaomi
If the standard Xiaomi gallery is not suitable for you or removed for some reason, the Google Photos app is a great alternative solution, pre-installed on most certified smartphones and offers similar and sometimes more flexible functionality.
Open the image in Google Photos and click Change. Go to the Cast (the icon with intersecting lines) tab. Here you will find the same buttons for spin and reflection. Google's interface is often more minimal, which speeds up the processing process.
The main advantage of using Google Photos is the cloud-based preservation of the history of changes. You can roll back edits to the original state at any time, even if it has been a long time, and Google algorithms can automatically suggest improvements to the composition, which, combined with manual reflection, gives a great result.
It is important to note that when you save changes to Google Photos, a new version of the file is created in the cloud, and a file with a suffix in the name can appear on the device, unless you enable synchronization of “smart storage”.
Frequent problems and their solution
Sometimes users find that after saving the photo looks upside down in other applications, such as WhatsApp or Instagram. EXIF-Different programs interpret the orientation tag differently.
If the photo in the Xiaomi Gallery is not displayed correctly in other programs after editing, try to take a screenshot of the edited image. This will bake the current orientation into the new file, and it will appear correctly everywhere.
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Use the Invisible Ink mode in the Xiaomi editor to hide excess objects before the reflection, if the frame composition requires it.
Another problem is the loss of quality when you save multiple times, and every time you save a JPEG, you recode, and to avoid artifacts, try to do all the edits (framework, reflection, filters) in one session before you save it.
⚠️ Attention: When working with RAW-file format DNG) On Xiaomi, the save process may take longer.Do not close the Gallery app until the operation is complete.
In rare cases, the Gallery app may freeze when processing video or heavy panoramas. In this situation, clear the app cache through Settings → Apps → Gallery → Memory → Clear cache. This will not delete your photos, but will solve software errors.
Additional Editorial Opportunities
Xiaomi's toolkit goes beyond just reflecting. In the same Cover menu, you can have presets of aspect ratios (1:1 for Instagram, 16:9 for YouTube), which is conveniently combined with mirror effect. You can first reflect the photo and then perfectly fit it into the social network format.
Also worth paying attention to the filters and effects that are applied after geometric changes, the overlay of the filter before and after reflection can give different visual effects, especially if vignettes or edge dimming effects are used.
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Combine reflection with framing to create a perfect symmetrical composition that attracts more attention in the social media feed.
For advanced users, there's a Magic Erase feature that works perfectly with a reflection, so if there's an extra person on one side, you can remove them, and then mirror the clean part of the background to the other side to fill the void.
Regularly updating the Gallery app via GetApps or Google Play ensures that the latest features and bug fixes are available. Xiaomi often adds new ones AI-Processing scripts that may be useful in editing.