The Pro Mode on Xiaomi smartphones is a powerful tool that turns your phone into a near-complete SLR camera, allowing you to manually control key parameters of shooting: shutter speed, ISO, white balance and focus, but many users either do not know about its existence or are afraid to experiment, considering the mode too complex.
In fact, it's easier than you think to understand Pro Mode. Even if you've never had a professional camera in your hands, a few basic principles will help you take pictures with bokeh effect, no noise at night, or dynamic blur shots. In this article, we'll take a look at how to activate the mode, what settings are responsible for, and give practical tips for different shooting scenarios, from portraits to astrophotography.
It’s important to understand that Pro Mode isn’t available on all Xiaomi models, it’s been in the Mi and Redmi lineup since the 2018-2019 flagships (e.g. Mi 8, Mi 9) and is now available in almost all mid-range and top-end devices of the brand. If your camera app doesn’t have a “Pro” tab, check for updates or install alternative software like Google Camera (GCam) with manual tuning support.
How to turn on Pro mode on Xiaomi
Activation of the professional mode takes less than a minute, but the path to it may vary depending on the version of MIUI and the model of the smartphone.
- Open the standard Camera app.
- Scroll through the horizontal menu of shooting modes (usually located under the shutter button).
- Find a tab that says Pro or Professional, and on some models (Redmi Note 10 Pro, POCO F3) it may be called Manual.
- Tap the icon to switch to mode.
If there is no tab:
- 🔍 Check if it is hidden under the Other (three dots or arrow in the modes menu).
- 📱 Update your camera app via the Play Market or App Store (for global versions MIUI).
- 🔧 On some firmware (e.g., Chinese), mode may be disabled by default. Enable it in the camera settings: Settings → Additional → Shooting Modes → Pro.
On Xiaomi with MIUI 13/14, the Pro mode interface has changed: now the settings are displayed as a round menu to the right of the viewfinder. To deploy the sliders, tap the gear icon or arrow.
Analysis of the main parameters of the Pro mode
In professional mode, you'll see 5-7 adjustable parameters, and we'll look at each of them and how it affects the final shot.
| Parameter | What regulates | Recommended values |
|---|---|---|
| Excerpt (S) | The time the camera shutter is open is responsible for the amount of light and the blurring of movement. | Daytime: 1/500–1/2000 Night: 1/10–30" (from tripod) |
| ISO | Light sensitivity of the matrix. The higher the image, the brighter the image, but the more noise. | Daytime: 100–400A Twilight: 800–3200 |
| White balance (WB) | The color temperature of light. It affects the "warmth" or "coldness" of the frame. | Auto (AWB) or manually adjusting to the light source. |
| Focus (MF) | Hand-focusing. Useful for macro photography or creative blurring. | From 0.1m (macro) to ∞ (landscapes). |
| Exposition (EV) | Brightness of the frame. Compensates for overlights or dimming. | From -2.0 (darker) to +2.0 (lighter). |
A critical feature of Xiaomi: Pro mode automatically disables AI image processing (as opposed to the standard mode) which means that colors and details will be more natural, but post-processing may be required.
For example, when shooting a night city on Xiaomi 13 Ultra with shutter speed 10" and ISO 1600, you will get detailed lights and the sky, but without the "artificial" lightening of shadows characteristic of Night Mode. For comparison, the same frame in automatic mode will be brighter, but with losses in the dynamic range.
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To quickly reset all the Pro Mode settings to factory ones, tap the gear icon twice in the upper right corner of the screen.
Optimal settings for different scenarios
There's no universal setting, it depends on the lighting, the subject and the desired effect, but there are proven combinations for situations:
1. Portrait photography (with blurred background)
- 📸 Focus: manual (MF), focus on the model's eyes.
- ⏱️ Exposure: 1/200–1/500 (to avoid "movement").
- 🌡️ ISO: 100–200 (minimum noise).
- 🎨 White balance: Cloudy or 5000K for natural skin tones.
Night photography (city, stars)
- 🌃 Shutter speed: 5–30" (a tripod is required!).
- 📈 ISO: 800–3200 (on Xiaomi 12S Ultra you can raise to 6400 without critical noise).
- 🔍 Focus: manual, infinity (∞) for stars.
- ⚡ Exposure: -0.7 to preserve parts in lights.
To capture the Milky Way on the Redmi K50 Pro, use shutter speed 20, ISO 3200 and RAW format (if supported). Process the image in Lightroom, raising shadows and reducing noise.
3. Dynamic scenes (sports, animals)
- 🏃 Shutter speed: 1/1000–1/4000 to freeze motion.
- 📈 ISO: 400–1600 (priority short exposure).
- 🎯 Focus: AF-C (continuous autofocus) or manual prefocus.
Make sure the battery is more than charged 30%|Clean the lens of fingerprints|Shut down. HDR camera-setting|Use a tripod to hold longer 1/10 seconds|Remove the case if it closes the flash or microphones-->
Secrets and life hacks for advanced users
Professional mode on Xiaomi hides a few “chips” that are not written in the official instructions:
- Shooting in RAW: On some models (Mi 11 Ultra, 12T Pro) in Pro Mode, you can save a picture in.DNG format. To do this, tap the RAW icon in the top menu. RAW- files occupy ~ZXXZ MB, but give more editing options.
- Hand-held Kelvin white balance: Instead of pre-setting (Sunny, Lamp), select Manual and move the slider from 2500K (warm) to 10000K (cold). This is useful for shooting under mixed light (e.g., lamps + daylight).
- Exposure bracketing: Some firmware (MIUI 14) has AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing) function, which takes 3-5 different exposures for manual gluing into HDR.
On the POCO F4 GT and Black Shark, Pro Mode can activate log profile for video, which extends the dynamic range, but requires color correction in Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve.
How to remove the glowing tracers of cars at night?
Another little-known trick: if your model has dual apertures (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra), in Pro Mode you can manually switch between them.
- Slip the lens icon in the top left corner.
- Select the main module (1"matrix) or telephoto (3.2x or 5x).
- Set shutter speed and ISO separately for each lens.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Even experienced users sometimes make mistakes in Pro Mode, and here are the most common ones and how to fix them:
⚠️ Warning: Shooting with a shutter speed longer than 1/10 seconds without a tripod will result in "lubricated" footage due to hand shaking. Turn on the timer for 2–3 seconds or use a remote (e.g., headphones with a volume button).
- 📸 Lights in the sky or light sources: Reduce exposure (EV) to -1.0 or shorten shutter speed. If you shoot in RAW, restore the details to the shadows during processing.
- 🌫️ Noise in dark areas: Reduce ISO to 800 and increase shutter speed (but don't forget the tripod!) Xiaomi with larger arrays (1/1.28) will have less noise.
- 🎭 Unnatural colors: Check white balance. For outdoor photography in cloudy weather, put 6000K, for incandescent lamps, put 3000K.
- 👁️ Wrong focus: In manual mode (MF), use magnification (pinch gesture on the screen) to focus accurately. On macro lenses (Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G), the minimum focusing distance is 3-5 cm.
On Xiaomi with MIUI 12.5 and older, Pro Mode can “hang” autofocus in low light.
- Switch to manual focusing (MF).
- Illuminate the object with a flashlight or an external flash.
- Use Focus Peaking if it is available in the camera settings.
⚠️ Warning: When shooting in RAW on Xiaomi with a Snapdragon 7xx/8xx processor, files can weigh up to 30MB. Make sure the phone has enough space, or use the UHS-I memory card (class 10 or higher).
Comparison of Pro Mode with other Xiaomi camera modes
To understand when to use a professional mode, compare it with alternative options:
| Regime. | Advantages | Deficiencies | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pro Mode | Full control over parameters, natural colors, the ability to shoot in RAW. | Requires skills, takes longer to configure, no automatic processing. | Creative photography, difficult lighting conditions, post-processing. |
| Night Mode | Automatic lightening of shadows, noise reduction, simplicity. | Artificial processing, loss of parts in lights. | Quick night shots without a tripod. |
| Portait Mode | Automatic background blur, optimization for faces. | Unrealistic bokeh, segmentation errors. | Portraits in good lighting. |
| Auto (AI) | Instant shooting, optimization under the stage. | Excessive processing, limited creative control. | Quick shots when there is no time for settings. |
For example, for a sunset, Pro Mode with manual white balance adjustment at 4000K and 1/100 shutter speed is better, whereas Auto will make the picture too warm. And for a selfie in a dark room, Night Mode with a front flash is more effective.
On the Xiaomi 12 Pro and later in Pro Mode, dual exposure (center and point) is available, which is useful for contrasting scenes where you need to save details in both shadows and lights. Activated by a long tap across the screen.
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Pro Mode does not replace, but complements other modes. For maximum quality, combine it with Night Mode (for nightscapes) or RAW- shooting (for post-processing).
Post-processing of pictures from Pro Mode
Raw files from professional mode need to be reworked, here are the basic steps to improve photos:
- Import to Editor: Use Lightroom Mobile, Snapseed or Adobe Photoshop Express. RAW- Files open through Files → DCIM → RAW folder.
- Exposure correction: Raise Shadows by +50-70. Reduce Lights by -20-30 to bring back details in the sky.
- Color correction: Increase saturation by +10-15. Adjust temperature (if white balance was inaccurate).
Noise suppression
- In Lightroom, use the Noise Reducer slider (value 20–30).
- For RAW, apply a Field Mask with a radius of 1.0.