How to make a blurred background on Xiaomi: from portrait mode to manual camera settings

The blurred background effect (or bokeh) transforms even the most ordinary photo, making it professional. On Xiaomi smartphones — whether it is the flagship Mi 13 Ultra or the budget Redmi Note 12 — this effect can be created in several ways, from automatic portrait mode to manually adjusting in Pro mode. But not everyone knows that quality blur depends not only on the software, but also on the camera hardware (number of megapixels, aperture, presence of a telephoto lens).

In this article, we’ll look at the unique features Xiaomi cameras don’t have in their competition, such as Dynamic Blurr Mode Cinema Effect or hidden depth of field settings, and how to get around the limitations of budget models (such as the POCO M5 or Redmi 10A), where portrait mode is worse due to the lack of additional sensors. All instructions are relevant for MIUI 14 and newer, but most methods can be used on older versions of the firmware.

1. Portrait mode: the basic method with background blur

The easiest method is to use the built-in Portrait Mode (or Portrait Mode in global firmware) that automatically recognizes the subject (human, animal, subject) and blurs the background, mimicking the effect of professional lenses with a large aperture. On new models (Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi K60), this mode even supports blurred video shooting.

How to turn on:

• 📱 Open the Camera app.
• 🔄 Fly through the left/right shooting modes to Portrait (or Portrait).
• 🎯 Point the camera at the object - a hint will appear on the screen Ready to shoot.
• 📸 Take a picture. After you shoot, you can adjust the blur intensity in the gallery. → Portrait).

On multi-rear camera models (such as the Mi 11 Ultra with 50+48+48 MP), portrait mode uses telephoto lens data to more accurately separate the subject and background. On budget smartphones (Redmi 9A, POCO C50), blurring is often “piecemeal” due to the lack of a depth sensor, in which case it is better to use alternative methods (see sections below).

⚠️ Note: In Portrait Mode, Xiaomi defaults to save two versions of the photo - blurred and non-blurred.If you only need a blurred version, remove the duplicate in the gallery to avoid confusion.

2.The movie effect: dynamic blur for video

Starting with the Xiaomi 12 Pro and Redmi K50 Pro, the camera has Movie Effects, which blurs the background not only in photos but also in video. Unlike static blur in portrait mode, here the effect is dynamic - it adjusts to the movement of the object, simulating shooting with a professional camera with a low depth of field.

How to use:

1. Launch the Camera and select Video Mode.
2. Touch the icons ⚙️ → The Movie Effects (or Movie Effects).
3. Choose the blur style: Portrait (for people) or Object (for objects).
4. Click Record and make sure that the object remains in focus (a yellow frame will appear on the screen).

The mode supports recording in resolution up to 4K@30fps, but on budget models (Redmi Note 11 and below) there may be a limit to 1080p. Also note that the movie effect greatly loads the processor - with prolonged shooting, the smartphone can overheat.

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If your model doesn’t have a Cinema Effect mode, try recording the video as standard, and then apply blurring to apps like CapCut or Adobe Premiere Rush (see section 6).

3. Pro mode: manual aperture and focus setting

For advanced users, Xiaomi has a Pro mode (or Professional) where you can manually adjust the shooting parameters that affect background blur. The main parameter here is the aperture value (f/). The smaller the number (for example, f/1.9 instead of f/2.4), the more blurred the background will be.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Camera → Scroll through to Pro mode.


2. Touch the icon ⚙️ → Turn on "Hand Focus."




3. Set the aperture to a minimum value (for example, f/1.7 on the Mi 13 Pro).




4. Focus the object by holding your finger on the screen.




5. Take a picture.

On optical stabilization models (Xiaomi 12S Ultra, Redmi K60 Pro), manual focusing works more accurately, but on budget smartphones (POCO M4 Pro) it may take several attempts to catch sharpness. In Pro mode, you can experiment with shutter speed and ISO, but these parameters have little effect on background blur.

⚠️ Note: On smartphones without manual focus (e.g. Redmi) A1) Trying to use Pro mode to blur the background will lead to the fact that the camera will focus automatically, negating all aperture settings.

4. Apps for background blur: top-5 Xiaomi

If Xiaomi's built-in tools don't suit you, you can use third-party apps, which are especially useful for budget models where hardware constraints don't allow you to achieve quality bokeh.

• 📌 Focos (free of charge, iOS/Android) — It uses AI to precisely separate object and background, and it supports.dng saving for processing.
• 🎨 AfterFocus (paid version) – allows you to manually draw areas of focus and blur, suitable for complex scenes (for example, shooting through glass).
• 📸 Snapseed (from Google) – free editor with Selective correction tool, where you can add blur brush.
• 🎥 CapCut – if you want to blur the background on the video, there is an Effects tool here → Boque with intensity setting.
• 🔍 Blurred is a specialized application for creating the effect of tilt-shift (blurring on the edges, as on miniature layouts).

When choosing an app, pay attention to format support. For example, Focos works better with photos in RAW that can be taken in Xiaomi Pro mode. Snapseed is versatile, but requires more time for manual processing.

Take a photo at maximum resolution|Save the original (without compression)|Open in the application and select the blur tool|Adjust the intensity and radius of the blur|Save the result in a new file (do not overwrite the original)-->

5. Hidden camera settings: how to improve background blur

Xiaomi has hidden options that allow you to fine-tune the bokeh effect. For example, in the engineering menu, you can turn on the mode "Enhanced portrait blur", which uses additional algorithms to process the edges of the object, and on some models, the option is available Depth of Field, where you can manually specify the distance to the background.

How to open hidden settings:

1. Enter the phone code in the app: ##4636##
2. Select Camera Information (or Camera Information).
3. Scroll down to the Portrait Settings section.
4. Activate options: Enable Depth Blur – enhanced blur; Edge Refinement – smoothing edges; Low Light Portrait – improving the portrait in the dark.

On models with MIUI 13 and later, these settings can be hidden deeper – for example, in Settings → Additional → Camera Lab. It is also worth checking for updates to the Camera app in Google Play or the App Store, as new versions often add hidden features.

6.Blurring background on video: post-processing

If your Xiaomi does not support blur video recording (e.g. Redmi 9T or POCO M3), you can add a bokeh effect during the editing stage, both mobile applications (CapCut, KineMaster) and desktop editors (Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro) are suitable for this.

Instructions for CapCut:

1. Import the video to the project.
2. Select the clip and click Effects → Boke.
3. Choose the type of blur: Circular (for portraits) or Linear (for objects).
4. Adjust: 🔄 Intensity (0–100%); 🎯 Size of focus area; 🖼️ Mask shape (oval, rectangle, brush).

1080p

4K

For more accurate blurring (for example, if the background is complex), it is better to use desktop editors with support for depth masks. Adobe Premiere Pro has a tool Depth Matte that analyzes video and automatically separates the object from the background. However, this will require video captured on a camera with support for depth recording (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro in Motion Picture Effect mode).

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For video, background blur always looks less natural than in the photo, due to the movement of the object. To make the effect believable, use smooth transitions of focus and avoid sharp movements of the camera.

7. Alternative methods: shooting through a magnifying glass and other life hacks

If you have an old Xiaomi model (like the Redmi 5 or Mi A1) that doesn't have portrait mode or doesn't work well, you can use physical tricks to create blur, one of which is shooting through a magnifying glass or a lens from old glasses, which mimics the effect of macro shooting with a shallow depth of field.

How it works:

• 🔍 Take a magnifying glass (or lens with focal length) ~50 mm).
• 📱 Bring it to the main camera of the smartphone at a distance of 1-3 cm.
• 🎯 Focus manually by moving the glass closer/farther from the lens.
• 📸 Take a picture. The background is blurry, and the object is sharp.

Another life hack is the use of transparent objects (like a plastic water bottle or glass), which, if you put it between the camera and the object, the light will refract, creating a natural blur, but this method requires experimentation with lighting and distance.

⚠️ Warning: When shooting through additional lenses, do not touch the lens of the smartphone - this can leave greasy spots or scratches. Also avoid direct sunlight so as not to overheat the matrix.

FAQ: Frequent questions about background blur on Xiaomi