How to take a photo with date and time on Xiaomi smartphones: all ways

Taking a date-and-time photo on Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi and POCO) seems like a simple task — until you face the limitations of a standard MIUI camera. Unlike older button phones, where the date was automatically applied to the picture, modern Android devices hide this feature deep in the settings or remove it altogether. Why is this the case?

Manufacturers believe that time stamps spoil the aesthetics of the images, and the date can be easily found from the photos. EXIF-However, for documentary photographs (e.g. checks, contracts or travel), the visual mark remains critical. 5 working ways to add date to the photo – from hidden functions MIUI To third-party applications that bypass system limitations. 13/14, Redmi Note 12 and POCO F5, Where the camera algorithms are different.

1. Xiaomi's built-in camera feature: where to look for a setup?

Despite claims of a "remote" feature, some MIUI firmware (especially older versions) still have the option — but hidden. Check it out along the way:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Touch the badge. ⚙️ Settings (or swipe from the right edge of the screen).
3. Go to General settings → Time tags or Date in the photo.
4. Activate the switch to show the date.

⚠️ Note: On newer models (Xiaomi 14 Pro, Redmi Note 13), this item is often missing. If it is not available, move on to the next method.

In MIUI 14+ firmware, the manufacturer has completely removed the option from the interface, but it can be returned through a hidden menu of engineering settings.

##4636## → Equipment Testing → Camera → Enable debugging

Once you activate debugging, restart your phone and recheck your camera settings. On some devices, the Watermark option with a choice of date format appears after that.

2. Appendices for imposing dates: top-3 decision

If the built-in methods didn't work, third-party apps would be a lifeline, and we tested dozens of options and selected the three most reliable ones:

We recommend Open Camera for advanced users: the app allows you to not only add a date, but also adjust ISO, shutter speed and white balance - useful for shooting in difficult conditions.

1. Install Open Camera from Google Play.
2. Launch the app and tap. ⚙️ Settings.
3. Go to the photo settings → Watermark.
4. Select the date format (e.g. DD-MM-YYYY HH:MM).
5. Set the position, color and size of the text.

Install the application from an official source |

Check the camera and storage permissions |

Select the date format in the watermark settings |

Test shooting in different lighting conditions-->

⚠️ Note: When using third-party cameras, turn off photo optimization in MIUI (Settings → Annexes → Camera. → Disable "Improving Photos" otherwise the system can automatically crop the tags in post-processing.

3. Editing EXIF-Data: How to add a date after shooting

If you need to add a date to the already finished photo, edit EXIF-Labels are the cleanest way:

• 📱 Photo EXIF Editor – a simple editor with support for batch processing.
• 🖥️ ExifTool (for PC) – a powerful tool for advanced users.
• 🌐 Online EXIF Viewer (e.g. exif-viewer.com) – if you need to check the tags quickly.

Instructions for Photo EXIF Editor:

1. Install the application and open the photo.
2. Go to the Edit EXIF section.
3. Find the DateTimeOriginal and CreateDate fields.
4. Enter the correct date and time (YYYY:MM:DD HH:MM:SS format).
5. Save the changes (the application will create a copy of the file).

To visually overlay the date on top of the picture, use Photoshop Express or Snapseed:

Snapseed → Tools → Text → Add a date manually

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If you need to confirm the date of the photo for legal or official purposes, save the original file with the same file. EXIF-In some cases, editing tags may be considered fraud.

Automation through Tasker: for advanced users

With the Tasker app, you can set up automatic date additions to all photos taken with a standard camera, which takes time to set up, but works consistently.

Algorithm of action:

1. Install Tasker and AutoInput plugin.
2. Create a new task (Task → New Task).
3. Add File → List Files (specify DCIM/Camera folder).
4. Add Plugin → AutoInput → Text to overlay the date (use the %DATE variable).
5. Set the trigger to create a new file in the DCIM folder.

To simplify the process, download the finished profile here (search for “Xiaomi timestamp”).

5. Hidden MIUI functions: watermarks and document mode

MIUI 12-14 has a hidden document-mode that automatically adds a date to the photo in official paper format, activated as follows:

1. Open the Camera and switch to Document Mode (or Pro on some models).
2. Touch the badge. ⚙️ top-right.
3. Enable the option of Watermark or Date Mark.
4. Select the format (e.g. DD.MM.YYYY HH:MM).

On Xiaomi 13 Ultra and POCO F4 GT This mode only works when shooting in resolution. 12MP For models with Leica optics (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro) may need to disable AI-Improvement in camera settings.

⚠️ Note: Watermarks in document mode sometimes conflict with the HDR. If the date is blurred, turn it off. HDR Or take a picture in Pro mode with manual exposure settings.

6. Alternative methods: from printing to cloud services

If software methods don’t work, consider physical or cloud solutions:

• 🖨️ Date Print: Connect your phone to a printer (e.g. Xiaomi Mi Portable Photo Printer) and select a template with a time stamp.
• ☁️ Google Photos: Upload a photo to an album, open it on your PC and add text over it through the built-in editor.
• 📧 Email: When sending a photo via Mi Mail, some customers (such as Outlook) automatically add a date to the email.

For business users, the DocuSign service is suitable - it not only adds a date, but also certifies the photo with an electronic signature, which gives the document legal force.

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Cloud services (Google Photos, Dropbox) keep the original EXIF-This is important if the date is needed to confirm the authenticity of the image.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When adding a date to the photo, Xiaomi users face typical problems:

1. No tag saved: Check if Photo Optimization is enabled in the MIUI Gallery (it can crop watermarks).
2. Date gets lost: On some models (Redmi 9A) when manually changing the time in the system settings, the tags on the photo are updated only after restarting.
3. Incorrect format: In applications like Timestamp Camera, use the DD-MM-YYYY format rather than MM/DD/YYYY to avoid confusion.

If after all the manipulations the date is still not displayed, try:

• 🔄 Reset the camera settings (Settings) → Annexes → Camera. → Warehouse → Clear the data).
• 📱 Update firmware MIUI Up to the latest version (new updates sometimes return deleted features).
• 🛠️ Install custom software (e.g. Pixel Experience) where the time stamp option works out of the box».

FAQ: Answers to popular questions