How to turn the image on Xiaomi: all ways with photos and videos

Did you take the perfect shot on Xiaomi, but it turned out upside down, or do you need to create a mirror image for a collage? Turning photos on the brand's smartphones is easier than it seems. Depending on the model (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11, etc.) and the version of the MIUI shell, there are 3 to 5 ways to deploy the picture. The main thing is to know where to look for the right tools.

In this article, we will look at all the current methods, from the built-in features of the standard Xiaomi Gallery to professional applications like Snapseed or Lightroom. We will pay special attention to the nuances: why sometimes the “Flip” button is inactive, how to save the original when editing and what to do if the quality deteriorates after a turn, and for owners of older models (before MIUI 12), we will give alternative solutions.

Method 1: Standard editor in the Xiaomi Gallery

The fastest method is to use the Gallery’s built-in tools. These are available on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 10 and later, including Redmi and POCO. The algorithm is the same for all models, but on newer versions of the shell (for example, MIUI 14), the interface may be slightly different.

To turn the photo over:

1. Open the Gallery app (a icon with multi-colored squares).
2. Select the desired image and tap it to open in full screen mode.
3. Click the "Edit" button** (the pencil icon in the bottom menu).
4. In the editor that opens, go to the “Pruning” tab** (frame icon).
5. In the lower right corner, find the turn buttons: 🔄 «Turn left"** - unfolds the anti-clockwise image at 90°. 🔃 «Turn right" - turns clockwise 90°. 🔁 «Reflecting ** - creates a mirror image (horizontal or vertical flip).

"Save"**

Make sure you select Save as a Copy (so you don't lose the original) | View the preliminary result in full screen | Check if the edges are cut after the turn | Select the right quality (if available)

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An important nuance: on some models (e.g. Redmi 9A with MIUI 12.5), the Reflect button may be hidden. In this case, double-turn 180° will have the same effect. Also note that when you save the edited photo in some versions of the software, the quality automatically decreases to 85% of the original.

Method 2: Turn over Google Photos

If the standard Xiaomi Gallery doesn’t like it, use the Google Photos app, which is pre-installed on most models (except the Chinese versions) and offers more flexible editing tools, with the main advantage of preserving the history of changes, allowing you to roll back edits at any time.

Instructions:

1. Open Google Photos and select the image you want.
2. Slip on the Edit icon** (three bars in the bottom menu).
3. Go to the Tools tab** (the circle icon with dots).
4. Select the "Turn" option**.
5. Use turn buttons or gestures: 👆 Swipe your finger on the screen up/down – vertical flip). 👉 Swipe left/right – horizontal reflection. 🔄 Touch the Turning Badge - Turn 90°.

"Save a copy"**

Google Photos automatically syncs edited photos to the cloud (if backup is enabled). This is convenient, but remember: free storage is limited to 15 GB per account. To save space, select High Quality** instead of Original before saving.

Standard Gallery Xiaomi|Google Photo|Snapseed/Lightroom| Other apps|I don't edit photos

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Method 3: Professional applications (Snapseed, Lightroom)

For advanced editing, for example, if you want to turn a photo without loss of quality or with perspective correction, use specialized applications.

• 📱 Snapseed (from Google): free, supports layers and masks, saves EXIF-data.
• 🎨 Adobe Lightroom: More color correction tools, but requires registration to sync.

Let’s look at the example of Snapseed:

1. Install the app from Google Play and open it.
2. Slip anywhere on the screen, select “Open Image”** and specify the file.
3. In the lower menu, select the tool "Turn"** (circle arrow icon).
4. Use gestures: 👆👇 Two fingers pull up / down - vertical upheaval. 👉👈 With two fingers pull left/right – horizontal upheaval. 🔄 With one finger, scroll around the circle – turn 90.°.

"Export"**

100%

The advantage of Snapseed is that it stores all the meta-information of the photo (EXIF), including the date of the shoot and the camera model, as opposed to the standard Gallery. This is critical if the publisher plans to upload photos to photo banks or use for professional tasks.

💡

In Lightroom, you can immediately use color correction presets after you turn your photo, for example, select a profile for people's pictures or a landscape profile for natural shots, which will save time for further processing.

Method 4: Flip through the file manager

Little-known life hack: Some file managers (such as Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer) can rotate images right in the preview window, which is convenient if you need to quickly correct the orientation without starting the gallery.

How does it work for Mi File Manager:

1. Open the Files app** (Folder icon).
2. Go to the photo folder (usually DCIM → Camera).
3. Slip the image to open the preview.
4. In the lower menu, click on the Edit icon** (pencil).
5. Select the “Turn” option** and apply the desired action.
6. Save the changes (Ready button** in the upper right corner).

⚠️ Note: Unlike Gallery, Mi File Manager rewrites the original by default. To avoid losing the original file, copy it to another folder before editing (e.g., copy it to a different folder, DCIM → Edited).

Method 5: Automatic rotation of the EXIF-data

If a photo is opened upside down only in some apps (such as WhatsApp or Telegram), the problem may be incorrectly recorded. EXIF-Many Xiaomi cameras (especially in Redmi Note models) 8/9) Sometimes you're going to be in the orientation with a mistake.

Use the EXIF Editor app (available on Google Play):

1. Install and open the EXIF Editor.
2. Pick a problem photo.
3. Find the “Orientation” field**.
4. If the value differs from 1 (normal position), change it: 3 - turn 180°. 6 - turn right 90°. 8 - turn left 90°.

Save the changes and check the photo in the gallery.

This method doesn't change the pixels, it only corrects the metadata, so the quality stays at the original level, useful for photographers who are processing pictures on a PC in Lightroom or Photoshop.

💡

If the photo is correctly displayed in the Xiaomi Gallery, but “inverted” in instant messengers, the problem is in the image. EXIF-Tags. Correcting orientation through EXIF Editor solves the problem without losing quality.

Frequent problems and solutions

When you flip a photo on Xiaomi, users encounter common mistakes.

• 🔴 Reflect button is inactive: update MIUI Up to the latest version or use Google Photos.
• 🔴 After the turn, the quality deteriorated: in the save settings, select 100% quality (available in Snapseed/Lightroom).
• 🔴 Photo saved on the side** in social networks: check EXIF-tagged EXIF Editor.
• 🔴 You can’t undo the changes: in Google Photos, open the edit history (watch icon in the upper right corner).

⚠️ Attention: on devices with MIUI for Russia (models with prefixes) RU In the title, the standard Gallery may not have the option to "Reflect." This is a firmware restriction. Solution - install Google Photos or Snapseed from Google Play.

Another common complaint is that after a turn in the Xiaomi Gallery, the geotag disappears. To avoid this, copy the coordinates through the Photo Exif Editor app (available on the Play Store) before editing.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions