How to turn a mirror photo on a Xiaomi phone: all ways with pictures

You took a selfie or a photo in the mirror on Xiaomi, but the text/image turned out backwards? This problem is familiar to many: the front camera defaults to save the pictures in a mirrored form, and sometimes the main camera fails.° or reflect horizontally/vertically directly on the phone – without a computer or complex programs.

In this article, you will find 5 proven methods (including hidden MIUI features), comparison of built-in and third-party tools, and answers to frequent questions. All instructions are relevant for the Redmi Note 12/13, POCO X5/F5, Xiaomi 14 and other devices on MIUI 14/15. If you have an older version of the firmware, check the alternatives section.

Spoiler: The fastest way is to use the built-in Xiaomi gallery editor, but it doesn't always retain the quality of the original. For professional processing, applications like Snapseed or Lightroom are better suited.

Before you start, make sure that:

  • 📱 Photo saved in the gallery (not in the cloud or messenger).
  • 🔄 The latest version of the Gallery app is installed on the phone.
  • 📲 If you use third-party editors, check permissions to access files.
📊 What camera do you use more often on Xiaomi?
Frontal (selfie)
Main (back)
Wide-angle
Macro/telephoto

The easiest method is to use a standard photo editor, which is available on all Xiaomi smartphones and does not require any additional software installation, minus limited settings and possible loss of quality when saved.

How to turn a photo through the gallery:

  1. Open the Gallery app and select the photo you want.
  2. Click Edit (the pencil icon at the bottom of the screen).
  3. Go to the Pruning tab (frame icon).
  4. In the lower right corner, press Turn (round arrow) or Reflect (two arrows with a vertical line).
  5. Choose a direction: 🔄 Turn on 90°/180° — shifting. 🔁 Reflect horizontally/vertically for mirror reversal.

Save.

Save as a copy

Important! In some versions of MIUI, the Reflect option is hidden behind a long tap on the turn icon. If you can't see the button, try holding your finger on the spin icon for 2-3 seconds.

Backup photo | Check free space on the phone | Close background applications | Turn off power saving mode-->

2. Method: Google's Photos app

If Xiaomi’s standard editor doesn’t suit you, try the official Google Photos app, which is pre-installed on many models and offers more tools for working with images.

Instructions for turning the photo:

  1. Open Google Photos and select the image you want.
  2. Click Edit (the icon with sliders).
  3. Go to the Tools tab → Turn.
  4. Use the buttons: 🔄 Turning counterclockwise would turn 90.° left. 🔃 Reflect – create a mirror copy.

Ready.

Google Photos has the advantage of automatic backup and synchronization between devices, but you have to use a workaround to reflect vertically: first rotate the photo to 180.°, and then reflect horizontally.

How to return the original after saving?
If you saved the changes over the original in Google Photos, open the photo → Three Dots → Return to the original. The feature is available within 30 days of editing.

3. Method: third-party editors (Snapseed, Lightroom)

For advanced processing of mirror photos, we recommend using professional applications, which allow you not only to unfold the image, but also to adjust the perspective, lighting and details.

Comparison of popular editors:

Annexhorizontal reflectionvertical reflectionTurn to 180°Loss-free preservation
Snapseed✅✅✅✅ (JPEG/PNG)
Adobe Lightroom✅✅✅✅ (supportive RAW)
PicsArt✅❌✅❌ (compression JPEG)
VSCO✅❌✅⚠️ (Only for premium users)

Step-by-step instructions for Snapseed:

  1. Install the app from Google Play and open the photo.
  2. Press Tools → Turn.
  3. Choose to reflect horizontally or reflect vertically.
  4. For accurate reversal, use the 180° turn slider.
  5. Save the result through Export (select quality 100%).

⚠️ Note: In Adobe Lightroom, the reflection option is hidden in the Conversion menu → Not to be confused with the Pruning function, which cuts the edges!

4. Method: Online services (for PC and phone)

If you don't want to install apps, use online editors, which work directly in the browser and support JPEG, PNG, WEBP formats. Minus: you need the Internet and upload photos to a third-party server.

Top.-3 service-tested:

  • 🌐 Img2Go — Supports batch processing and storage in the cloud.
  • 🖼️ Photopea – analogue of Photoshop with image function → Turning the image.
  • 🔄 EZGIF — photo-optic (GIF).

How to capture photos via Img2Go:

  1. Go to the website and upload a photo from your phone.
  2. Choose the direction of reflection: Horizontally or vertically.
  3. Press Start and wait for processing.
  4. Download the result in maximum quality (100% JPEG).

⚠️ Attention: Online services can store photo metadata (geolocation, camera model). EXIF via EXIF Eraser before downloading.

5. Method: Automation with Shortcuts (MIUI 14+)

For MIUI 14 and later users, the hidden Quick Commands feature (similar to Shortcuts on iPhone) allows you to create automatic actions to process photos, which is suitable if you often have to turn pictures.

How to set up an automatic turnaround:

  1. Open Settings → Additional → Quick commands.
  2. Press Create a Team → gallery.
  3. Select the action Edit the photo → Reflect horizontally.
  4. Save a command with a name like "Unfold Selfies."
  5. Now, when opening a photo in the gallery, just click on the command icon in the toolbar.

This saves time, but it doesn't work on all models. If you don't have the Quick Commands option, upgrade to the latest version or use alternative methods.

💡

To speed up access to commands, add the Quick Commands widget to the home screen. To do this, hold your finger in the free space of the screen → Widgets → find MIUI Commands.

Frequent problems and solutions

The photo is not always spread smoothly. Here are the mistakes and ways to correct them:

Problem 1: After saving the photo became blurry.

  • 🔍 Reason: Export compression (especially in Google Photos or online services).
  • 🛠 Solution: In the save settings, select Original Quality or 100% JPEG.

Problem 2: The Reflect option is not available in the gallery.

  • 🔍 Reason: An outdated version MIUI regional firmware (e.g. global vs. Chinese firmware).
  • 🛠 Solution: Update the Gallery through Play Market or use Snapseed.

Problem 3: The text in the photo reads backwards even after the reversal.

  • 🔍 Reason: Double reflection (for example, if the photo was already mirrored and you reflected it again).
  • 🛠 Solution: Try turning the photo to 180° reflection.

💡

If the photo is taken with a front camera, first check the camera settings: some Xiaomi models have a mirror selfie option (included in the camera settings → Additional).

Can I expand the photo directly while shooting without editing later?
Yes, Xiaomi’s camera settings have a Mirror (front camera) Path: Open Camera → Click on the gear → Additional → Turn on Mirror Selfie. Now all new images will be saved as normal. Note: this feature does not work on all models (for example, not available in the POCO M5 and Redmi 10A).
Why did the photo become less weighty after the turn?
When saved through a standard MIUI gallery or online services, the photo is automatically compressed. To avoid quality loss: Use Snapseed or Lightroom with manual quality settings. Save a copy instead of rewriting the original. For important photos, use the PNG format instead of JPEG.
How to deploy live photo on Xiaomi?
Live photos (with short videos) do not support a roll in the standard gallery. Solutions: Remove the frame from Live Photo via Google Photos (open photo → Additional → Remove the frame). Use Google's Motion Stills app to convert to GIF and then edit. MIUI 15 has experimental support for editing Live Photo, but only on flagship models (Xiaomi 13 Ultra, 14 Pro).
Can I return the original if I have saved the changes on top of it?
Depending on the application: MIUI Gallery: No, the original is irrevocably erased. Check the Recently Deleted folder (possibly there is a copy left). Google Photo: Yes, you can return the original through Three Dots in 30 days → Return to the original. Snapseed/Lightroom: The original does not change if you saved a copy. For the future: always save a copy (Save as a new file).
How to deploy photos on Xiaomi using a PC?
If editing on your phone is inconvenient, connect Xiaomi to your computer and use it: 🖥️ Paint (Windows): Edit → Reflect/Turn. 🍎 Preview (Mac): Tools → Turn around. 🌐 Photoshop: Image → Turning the image → Arbitrarily (180)°). Use the photo to transfer the photo MTP-mode (when connected by USB Select File Transfer).

Now you know all the ways to flip a mirror image on Xiaomi, from standard tools to professional editors. If none of the methods worked, check if the file is corrupted (open it on another device). 3D-photo RAW) Use specialised programs such as Darktable or GIMP.

Remember, the front camera takes SLR images by default, so for a selfie, it is better to immediately turn on the option Mirror in the camera settings. This will save time for post-processing!