Live photos on Xiaomi: how to shoot, save and share

Xiaomi’s dynamic Live Photos transform static images into 1.5–3 second mini-video clips, capturing motion and sound around the frame. This feature, borrowed from Apple, has become a MIUI signature feature and is available on most models, from the budget Redmi Note to the flagship Xiaomi 14.

Unlike standard video, Live Photo captures the last moments before you press the shutter, not the recording after you press it. It lets you bring portraits, street scenes, or even selfies to life — just by touching the screen. But the mode setting is hidden in the depths of the camera interface, and MIUI compression algorithms sometimes spoil the final quality. In this guide, we'll look at all the ways to shoot, optimize and circumvent constraints, from basic steps to advanced life hacks for models on MIUI 14/15.

What Xiaomi smartphones support Live Photo

Live Photo feature appeared in MIUI 10 and has since undergone several updates. Today it is available on all Xiaomi devices with a Snapdragon 6xx/7xx/8xx chipset or MediaTek Helio G/Dimensity, released after 2019.

• 📱 Flagship models (Xiaomi) 12/13/14, Mix 4/5, Black Shark: Supporting the shooting in 1080p frequent 30/60 FPS, There is a stabilization option.
• 📱 Mid-size segment (Redmi Note) 11/12, POCO X4/F5): restriction 720p@30FPS, soundless in some firmware.
• 📱 Budget models (Redmi) 10A, POCO M4): The function may be missing or work with lags due to a weak processor.
• ⚠️ Exceptions: Xiaomi Mi A1/A2 (on pure Android) and devices on MIUI for Russia (sometimes the function is disabled by default).

Check for support is simple: open the Camera app, go to Photo mode and look for the Live Photo icon** (three concentric circles) in the top bar. If it is not available, update the firmware or use alternative methods (about them below).

How to turn on Live Photo mode: step-by-step instructions

Activation of the function takes less than a minute, but the path to settings varies depending on the version of MIUI.

1. Open the Camera app and go to Photo Mode (not Video or Portrait!).
2. In the top toolbar, look for the Live Photo icon (three circles) or Dynamic Photo icon. Click on it.
3. If there is no icon, tap on it. ⚙️ Settings → Additionally. → Live photo and turn on the slider.
4. Take the picture as usual. After the shooting, the gallery will see a "LIVE" tag in the upper right corner.

Some firmware (MIUI 13 for the global version) have a deeper function.

1. Go to Camera Settings → Lab → Live photo.
2. Activate the option and restart the application.

Make sure that ≥1 GB of memory is free

Turn off the power saving mode

Insert stabilization (if any)

Check that the camera is not overheated-->

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi with Snapdragon processors 4xx (Like Redmi. 9A) Live Photo can automatically shut down when battery is low (<20%). It's overheating protection.

Secrets of shooting: how to make Live Photo better

Just pressing the button is not enough – to “revive” a frame without artifacts, follow these rules:

• 🎯 Focus: Direct 1-2 seconds before shooting – so the algorithm will have time to capture the movement before pressing the shutter.
• 🔄 Stabilization: Hold your smartphone with both hands or use a tripod. On Xiaomi 13 Ultra, enable Hyper-stabilization in the camera settings.
• 🔊 Sound: To record audio, make sure the microphone is not closed with your finger. POCO F4 Default sound turned off - activate it in Settings → Live photo → Sound recording.
• 🌅 Lighting: Avoid contrasting scenes (such as shooting against the sun) – this results in the loss of detail in the dynamic part.

A critical nuance for Xiaomi owners on MediaTek: when shooting Live Photo in HEIF format (instead of JPG), the dynamic part may not play in some galleries (for example, Google Photos). To avoid the problem, switch to JPG in Camera Settings → Photo format.

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If Live Photo is too dark, touch the screen before shooting and hold your finger on the subject for 2 seconds – so the exposure is fixed.

How to view and edit Live Photo

The finished images are stored in a gallery marked "LIVE"** to reproduce the dynamic part:

1. Open the photo in the standard Xiaomi Gallery.
2. Press the screen and hold your finger (on the iPhone, swipe up, but here’s another gesture!).
3. For cyclic reproduction, tap on the icon ↻ lower-right.

Editing is only possible in a limited format:

• 🖼️ Pruning: Available, but the dynamic part will be cut proportionally.
• 🎨 Filters: Apply only to static frame, motion will remain unchanged.
• ✂️ Video export: Click Share → Save as a video (permission will be provided) 720p regardless of the source).

⚠️ Note: When editing Live Photo in Google Photos, the dynamic part is irrevocably lost. Use only the standard Xiaomi gallery.

How to Share Live Photos with Friends

Transmitting a live image so that the recipient sees the animation is not a trivial task. Most messengers (including WhatsApp and Telegram) compress files to a static JPEG. Here are the ways to work:

• 📤 Through Xiaomi Cloud: Upload a photo to the Xiaomi Cloud and send a link. The recipient will open it in the animation-enabled browser.
• 📱 AirDrop analog: Use Mi Share (formerly Xiaomi Share) to transfer between devices Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO.
• 🌐 Social media: Only VK Facebook and Live Photo support in the web version (mobile apps cut animations).

For iPhone owners, there is a workaround: convert Live Photo to video (as described above) and send it via iMessage, where the animation is saved. On Android devices of other brands (Samsung, Google Pixel), playback is possible only after installing the Motion Stills app from Google.

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The only one-stop way to share Live Photo without loss is to export it as MP4 video.

Alternative ways to create Live Photo on Xiaomi

If your model doesn’t support the function or you want more control over the outcome, use these methods:

• 📹 Manual videotaping + Frame extraction: Shoot a short video, and then in the CapCut or InShot app export the desired frame with animation around it.
• 🤖 Apps like Motion Stills (Google) — adds stabilization and loop. Live Photo Maker — creates Live Photo from any video. Focos — simulates the effect of a “live portrait” (only for photos with a blurred background).
• 💻 Editors for PC: Adobe Photoshop (version 2022)+) You can create a Live Photo from a sequence of frames (File) → Imports → Video footage in layers).

For shooting in 3D Live Photo (with paralax effect) on Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Mix Fold 3:

1. Activate the dual camera mode in the settings.
2. Take a picture in JPS (stereoscopic JPEG) format.
3. Process the file in Depthy or LucidPix to add motion.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even experienced users encounter bugs when working with Live Photo.-5 problems and solutions:

1. Live Photo is not saved to the gallery. Reason: conflict with the memory optimizer MIUI. Solution: add the DCIM/Camera folder to the exceptions Settings → Battery → Memory Optimization.
2. The animation is played in jerky fashion. The culprit is the FPS restriction on budget models. Try to shoot a frame in 48 MP (if any) mode, which will force the bitrate to increase.
3. The file weighs too much (up to 50MB). This is the norm for the Xiaomi 12S Ultra with a Leica camera. To compress: open a photo in the gallery → Edit → Export → Compress.
4. Live Photo doesn't work on Telegram. Messenger converts files to JPEG. Bypass: send as a File, not as a Photo.
5. After the MIUI update, the function disappeared. Reset the camera settings: Settings → Apps → Camera → Storage → Clear the data.

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi with custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience), Live Photo may be gone forever after rolling back on stock MIUI. Backup folder. DCIM/LivePhotos before-fixing!

FAQ: Answers to popular questions