How to Blurr Photos on Xiaomi: From Built-in Tools to Professional Apps

Blurring backgrounds or individual elements in photos is one of the most sought-after effects among Xiaomi smartphone users. Whether you want to hide unnecessary details in a picture, create a portrait “bokeh” effect or just experiment with editing, modern Redmi, POCO and Mi devices offer several ways to achieve this. Unlike flagship cameras with hardware blur, budget models often rely on software processing - and here it is important to know all the tools available.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods for blurring photos on Xiaomi, from built-in functions of the MIUI gallery and the Portrait mode in the camera to third-party applications like Snapseed or Lightroom. Particular attention will be paid to the hidden settings of MIUI 14/15, which allow you to point blur objects without installing additional software. You will also learn how to avoid typical errors - for example, why blurring sometimes happens in pieces or why the effect disappears when sending photos in messengers.

Whether you have a Xiaomi 13 Ultra with an advanced Leica camera, Redmi Note 12 Pro+ or a budget POCO M5, the instructions below are adapted for all versions of MIUI (including global and Chinese firmware). For convenience, we have divided the methods by difficulty level – from basic to advanced – and added a comparison table with the pros and cons of each method.

1. background blur in Portrait mode (before shooting)

The easiest way to get a blurry background is to use Portrait Mode while still shooting, a technique that works for all modern Xiaomi smartphones, starting with the Redmi Note 8 Pro (2019) and later. The camera algorithm automatically separates the foreground object from the background and applies the bokeh effect.

To activate the mode:

• 📷 Open the Camera app and swipe your finger across the screen left/right to select Portrait mode (or Portrait on English firmware).
• 🎯 Point the camera at the object so that it falls into the yellow frame (this is the focus zone). The distance to the object must be 30-150 cm, otherwise the camera will not be able to properly separate it from the background.
• 🔘 You can tap the screen to capture the focus, and you can take a picture. After you shoot, you can adjust the blur level in the gallery.

⚠️ Note: On budget models (e.g. Redmi) 10A or POCO C50) Portrait mode only works on the main camera. If you use a front camera, the blur effect may be less accurate due to the lack of a second module for depth assessment.

2.Blurring editing in the standard MIUI gallery

If you took a photo in normal mode (not “Portrait”), but then decided to add blur, use the built-in editor of the MIUI Gallery. This method works on all devices with MIUI 12 and later, including Xiaomi 14 and Redmi Note 13 Pro.

Instructions:

1. Open the Gallery app and select the photo you want.
2. Slip on the Edit icon (pencil at the bottom of the screen).
3. Go to the Effects (or Effects) → Blur tab.
4. Choose the type of blur: 🌟 Linear - blurs the background horizontally / vertically. 🎭 Radial – blur from center to edge (ideal for portraits). 🖼️ Selective – allows you to manually paint areas for blurring (available not on all models).

intensity

⚠️ Note: When selectively blurring on budget smartphones (e.g., Redmi) 9A) You can still have artifacts, the ragged edges of objects, and to avoid that, zoom in on the photo when you edit and gently circle the contours.

Open the photo in full screen mode

Check the lighting (dark photos blur worse)

Increase the scale for accurate trimming

Keep a copy of the original-->

3. Point blur with the Mask in MIUI 14/15

The latest versions of MIUI 14 and MIUI 15 have a hidden feature called Mask, which allows you to blur individual objects in a photo with high accuracy, an option not available in all regional firmware, but it can be activated through a hidden menu.

How to turn on and use:

1. Open the photo in the Gallery and tap Edit.
2. Go to the Tools section → More.
3. If you don’t have a Mask option, follow the following: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (tap 5 times) Return to Settings → Additional Settings → Functions Lab → Enable “Mask Editor”
4. Once activated, the editor will have a tool called the Mask, and select it, circle the object to blur and adjust the radius of the brush.

🔹 An example of working in AfterFocus:

1. Upload the photo to the app.
2. Range the foreground with a green brush and the background with a red one.
3. Select the type of blur (Gaussovo, Motion or Zoom).
4. Adjust the radius of the blur and save the result.

⚠️ Note: Bokeh imitation applications often require good lighting in the source photo. If the object and background contrast poorly (for example, a white object on a light background), automatic separation may not work properly.

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For better results, shoot objects with a uniform color (wall, sky, green grass) in the background, which will make it easier for blurring algorithms to do.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even with advanced tools, Xiaomi users often face problems blurring photos, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to solve them:

• 🔴 "Bite blur: Occurs if the algorithm has incorrectly separated the object from the background.The solution is to use a hand mask in Snapseed or Lightroom.
• 🔴 Blurring disappears when sent: Some messengers (like WhatsApp) compress photos. The solution is to save the result in the message. PNG instead JPEG.
• 🔴 Too much blur: The effect should be barely noticeable. The optimal intensity is 20-40%.
• 🔴 Artifacts on edges: Appears when editing on budget smartphones. The solution is to use Lightroom with the feature Improve the edges of the mask.

💡 Useful tip: Before blurring, increase the sharpness of the main object (in Snapseed: Details) → It's sharp. It'll visually separate it from the blurry background.

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For the natural blurring effect, follow the rule: the closer an object is to the camera, the more the background must be blurred, which mimics the work of professional camera optics.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions