Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones are equipped with high-resolution cameras that allow you to take photos of studio quality. However, there are often situations when the shot requires revision, for example, changing the orientation of the image. The question of how to mirror photos in the gallery of xiaomi becomes especially relevant when working with portraits or texts captured on camera.
The standard MIUI image editor offers a wide range of basic retouch functionality that is available immediately after shooting without having to download third-party applications. In this article, we will discuss the process of reflecting images in detail, consider the features of working with the front camera and discuss the nuances of saving the original.
Understanding editing tools can significantly reduce the time spent processing content for social networks or work documents, and you will learn not only to change orientation, but also to effectively manage the library of media files on your device.
Why you need mirror imagery of photos
The main reason users are looking for a way to change the orientation of a picture is because of the psychology of the human face, because we're used to seeing ourselves in the mirror, so the direct image from the front camera often seems strange and asymmetrical, and when we reflect the image, we return the familiar picture, making the face more recognizable and pleasant.
Besides selfies, there are many practical uses for this feature, such as if you've taken a picture of a store sign or a book page and the text in the picture is read from right to left, the horizontal reflection tool will fix this problem instantly, which is especially useful for scanning documents on the fly.
And there's also the creative aspect, which is that sometimes the composition of the frame wins if you change the direction of the object's gaze or if you move the light source visually to the other side, and photographers use this technique to balance the frame.
⚠️ Warning: When reflecting photos with text (documents, house numbers), always check the result. Changing orientation can make the text unreadable if it was initially rotated.
It's important to understand the difference between turning and reflecting. Turning turns the image around the center (90, 180 degrees), and the reflection changes the left and right places, creating a mirror image.
Instructions: how to reflect a picture in a standard gallery
The editing process in the MIUI or HyperOS shell is unified and intuitive. To start, open the Gallery app and select the image you want. The editor interface hides powerful tools under minimalist icons.
After opening the photo, look for the Change button (usually the pencil icon or sliders at the bottom of the screen). In the tool menu that opens, we are interested in the "Cadrize" section, which is often indicated by an icon with two intersecting right angles.
☑️ Algorithm of action
Inside the framing menu, in addition to the trimming frame, there are additional transformation tools, so find an icon that resembles two triangles separated by a vertical line, or arrows pointing in different directions, and clicking on this element will perform a horizontal mirror image of your image.
If you need vertical reflection (turn over top and bottom), which is rare but possible when working with specific angles, use an adjacent button with arrows pointing up and down. After making changes, be sure to press Save or OK to apply the edits.
The system will suggest saving changes over the original or creating a new copy, and it's safer to choose a copy because it allows you to go back to the original version at any time.
Working with selfies: settings of the front camera
The problem of “wrong” selfies is often solved at the shooting stage. Xiaomi cameras allow you to adjust the behavior of the front module so that the pictures are immediately saved in the usual mirror form for the user or, conversely, in real.
To change your settings, open the Camera app and go to the settings menu (three bars in the corner). Find the item associated with the front camera. It can be called Mirror Selfie or Save as in the viewfinder.
- 📸 Included: Photo is saved as you see yourself on screen while shooting (mirror image).
- 🔄 Turned off: the photo is saved as you are seen by others (real display).
- ⚙️ Auto: The system itself determines the best option (rarely encountered).
If you prefer to see yourself in the mirror, but the camera saves real photos, you'll have to use the editing method described above for each shot, and setting up in the camera eliminates unnecessary post-processing.
💡
Use Mirror Selfie mode only for personal photos. For documents or official profiles, it is better to use real display so that there is no confusion with facial asymmetry.
Note that the names of the items may differ from firmware to firmware, and global versions of MIUI often translate the settings verbatim, while Chinese builds may have different logic.
Reflection of photo via Google Photos
Xiaomi smartphone owners often use Google’s alternative gallery, which is pre-installed on most devices.This editor has its own interface, but performs the same functions with high accuracy.
Open the image in the Google Photos app and click "Change." In the bottom menu, select the "Capture" tab. Here you'll see the two main transformation buttons: turn and reflect. The reflection button changes the image on the horizontal axis.
The main advantage of Google Photos is the ability to batch processing and synchronize settings between devices, and if you edit a photo on your phone, it will automatically reflect on your tablet or web version.
Google’s algorithms also offer a “Autoimprovement” feature that can automatically adjust colors and contrast after you mirror a picture, making the final result more presentable.
Why Google Photos Are Not Quality?
Comparison of editing tools
Users often have a hard time choosing which tool to use to edit their images, and here is a table comparing the capabilities of the standard MIUI gallery and third-party solutions.
| Function | MIUI Gallery | Google Photo | Third-party editors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed of operation | Tall. | Medium | Depends on the app. |
| Metadata preservation | Complete. | Partial | Often removes EXIF |
| Package processing | Limited. | Available. | Wide. |
| accuracy of reflection | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Xiaomi's standard gallery wins in speed and system integration.It instantly opens heavy RAW-Google Photos is more convenient for those who store the library in the cloud.
Third-party apps like Snapseed or Lightroom only make sense if you need a sophisticated retouch along with the reflection. For the simple task of flipping a photo, they are redundant and take longer to launch.
⚠️ Warning: When using third-party editors, carefully monitor export settings. Some applications compress the image by default, which leads to loss of quality.
Package processing and mass editing
If you want to mirror not just one photo, but a whole series of photos, you can optimize the process. The standard MIUI gallery allows you to apply changes to several files, although the functionality here is not as obvious as in desktop programs.
For mass processing, select a few shots in the album, click Change and apply the transformation. However, the system can apply the action only to the first selected photo or require confirmation for each, in which case it is more effective to use an embedded video editor or third-party applications for batch processing.
An alternative method is to use preview file managers, although they rarely know how to modify the images themselves, and the most reliable way for large volumes is to install a customized application from Google Play that is sharpened for batch processing.
Remember that mass editing can be a strain on your smartphone’s processor, so if your device gets hot or starts to work slowly, take breaks or process your photos in smaller groups.
Possible problems and solutions
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where after saving the edited photo, it looks distorted or does not save at all, this can be due to a lack of free memory or conflicting file formats.
If the save button is inactive, check if the image is open in View Only mode (for example, from the attachment in the messenger), in which case, save the original to the gallery first, and then edit it.
- ❌ Saving error: Clear the Gallery app cache in the system settings.
- 📉 Low quality: Make sure that there is no resolution limit in the camera settings.
- 🔒 File protected: check if the album has a password or restriction on editing system files.
In rare cases, a bug may occur after a firmware update. If standard methods don't work, try updating the Gallery app through the GetApps store or Play Market.
💡
In 95% of cases, editing problems are solved by restarting the smartphone or cleaning the cache of a particular application.
It’s also worth considering that some image formats (like HEIC from iPhone, sent to Xiaomi) may require conversion before editing.The gallery usually does this automatically, but the process can take time.