How to take a professional selfie on Xiaomi Redmi 8: from camera settings to processing

Xiaomi Redmi 8 is a budget smartphone with an 8-megapixel front camera that, when set up correctly, can take selfies as well as flagships. The problem is that most users do not know how to unleash the potential of this camera: So, in this guide, we'll go through all the steps from smartphone prep to final processing, and we'll also uncover hidden functions. MIUI, which are not written in the official instructions.

You'll learn how to customize Beauty Mode so it doesn't turn your face into a plastic mask, which angles of photography visually narrow your nose or tighten your face oval, and how to get around the limitations of a budget camera with third-party apps. And a unique trick with manually adjusting white balance through an engineering menu that saves selfies in artificial lighting.

Redmi 8 front camera specifications: what to expect?

Front camera Xiaomi Redmi 8 equipped with a Samsung sensor S5K4H7 permittingly 8 MP, aperture f/2.0 and pixel size 1.12 On paper, these are modest numbers, but in real life, the camera is a good quality in good light:

• 📸 No autofocus – fixed focus is adjusted to distance ~50cm Closer or further - the photo will be blurred.
• 🌓 Noise in dark scenes due to the small size of the pixels and the lack of night mode for selfies.
• 🔄 Limited dynamic range – lights in bright sun or shadows in the room.
• 🎭 Aggressive software processing in beauty mode by default.

By comparison, the flagship smartphones of 2026 are equipped with front-facing cameras at 32-50 MP with autofocus and night mode. However, the Redmi 8 can be “accelerated” to the level of average if you properly configure the software and use external light sources. HDR compensates for the weak dynamic range, and manual adjustment of the exposure saves from overlights.

⚠️ Warning: If your Redmi 8 takes a green selfie in artificial light, it’s a problem with poor white balance.This is a hardware bug of some batches of smartphones that can be partially fixed manually (this is discussed in the section on camera settings).

Preparation of the smartphone: cleaning the lens and software update

Before shooting, check two key points: the purity of the lens and the relevance of the firmware. A polluted lens can give you blurry or glare, and outdated software deprives you of new image processing algorithms.

How to clean the lens:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Take a microfiber wipe (for example, for glasses) and gently wipe the glass of the lens in circular movements.
3. For persistent contaminants, use 70% isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab. Do not use acetone or household chemicals!
4. Let the smartphone dry for 2-3 minutes before turning on.

Firmware update:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Click Check Updates and install the latest version. MIUI (by the time of 2026, it is relevant MIUI 14 for Redmi 8).
3. After the update, restart the device.

Updates often include improvements to the camera. MIUI 12.5 for Redmi 8 added a more accurate white balance setting, and MIUI 13 – Optimized noise cancellation on the front camera.

⚠️ Note: If after the update the camera started to issue an error "Can not connect to the camera", reset the settings of the camera application in Settings → Annexes → Camera. → Warehouse → Clear the data. It'll delete the user presets, but it'll bring back the functionality.

Camera settings for selfies: step-by-step analysis of the menu

Standard appendix Camera in MIUI It hides a lot of useful features, and we'll look at what settings you should change for the perfect selfie.

Mode of shooting:

• 📷 Portrait - blurs the background (bokeh effect), but requires good lighting. Works only at a distance of 30-70 cm from the face.
• 🌄 HDR — Turn on in contrast light (such as the sun behind you) and increase detail in the shadows.
• 🌙 Night mode – does not work on the front camera Redmi 8, but can be emulated through third-party applications (more on this later).

2. Beauty mode:

• 💄 Beauty level: put a slider 20 to 30 percent, values above 50 percent make the face look unnatural.
• 👁️ Eye correction: turn off or reduce to a minimum – the algorithm often lifts the eyelids to a grotesque effect.
• 👃 Nasal narrowing: optimally 10-15%. Large values distort proportions.
• 💡 Lightening of the skin: it is better not to use - removes natural shadows, the face becomes "plastic".

3. Additional settings (hidden):

• 🔧 To open the advanced settings, tap the gear in the upper right corner of the camera screen.
• 📏 Enable the Grid (Rule of Thirds) for the correct composition.
• 🎯 Activate Auto-Track (3 or 10 seconds) to avoid shaking hands when pressing the button.
• 🔄 In the Watermark section, turn off all tags - they spoil the frame.

Turn on HDR|Set beauty on 20-30%|Turn off skin lightening|Activate the grid|Use the auto-discharge-->

The secret trick is to manually adjust white balance through an engineering menu, if selfies are yellow or green with incandescent lights:

1. Enter the phone code in the app: ##4636##.
2. Go to Phone Information → Test menu.
3. Select Front Camera and manually select the white balance value (optimum 4500–5000K home-lighting).

Lighting: How to take a selfie without shadow under the chin

Even the most advanced camera is powerless in poor lighting. Redmi 8 is particularly sensitive to this because of its small sensor. Let's take a look at 3 scenarios and solutions for each.

Daylight (street):

• ☀️ The sun behind you is the best option. The face is evenly lit, there are no sharp shadows.
• 🌳 In the shadow: use HDR, to work out details in the shadows and not to light up the sky.
• 🕶️ Direct sun to your face: squint or use polarizing glasses (but note that they will add glare to the glass).

Room lighting:

• 💡 Incandescent lamp: gives a yellow hue. Use manual white balance (as in the previous section) or remove near the window.
• 🔆 Fluorescent lamps: they can turn green. Turn on the fluorescent preset of white balance in the camera.
• 🌟 LED-panels: most neutral light. Place the source in front and just above head level.

Evening/night:

• 📱 Smartphone screen as a light source: open the white page in the browser at maximum brightness and bring to the face at a distance of 20-30 cm.
• 🔦 Lantern + Reflection: point a flashlight at a white wall or ceiling to get a soft diffuse light.
• 🎨 Third-party apps: Night Camera or Open Camera emulate night mode due to multiple shooting and addition of frames.

💡

If you have an external LED-panel (for example, an annular lamp), place it at a distance of 1-1.5 meters from the face at an angle of 45°. This will create soft shadows and accentuate cheekbones.

Views and composition: how to hide the shortcomings and emphasize the advantages

The right angle of shooting can visually change the shape of the face, hide the second chin or make the nose narrower. Here are 5 proven angles for Redmi 8:

1. Classic "model angle" (3/4):

• 📐 Turn the hull to 45.° camera.
• 👀 The eyes should be at the top third of the screen.
• 💋 A slight tilt of the head towards the shoulder (do not overdo it!).

This angle narrows the face and emphasizes the cheekbones, suitable for oval and square face shapes.

2. Shooting from above ("mouse perspective"):

• 📱 Keep your smartphone at forehead level or slightly higher.
• 👋 Easily stretch your neck forward (the Turtle Effect").
• 🚫 Avoid this angle with a short neck – visually make it even shorter.

Perfect for lengthening the neck and hiding the second chin.

3. Bottom-up angle (heroic):

• 📱 Lower the camera to chest level.
• 👀 Raise your eyes up (but don’t lift your chin!).
• ⚠️ Risk: May accentuate the nostrils and make the nose wider.

Suitable for full-length photos or with an emphasis on the eyes.

Direct face (for symmetrical faces):

• 🎯 Camera's strictly at eye level.
• 😊 A light smile with a mouth open (relaxes the features).
• 🔍 Turn on the grid and place your eyes on the upper horizontal line.

Profile (for emphasis on cheekbones/nose):

• 🗂️ Turn sideways to the camera.
• 💡 Lighting should fall on the side of the face that is closer to the camera.
• 🚫 Not suitable for wide noses – visually make them wider.

Remember: the distance to the camera is critical for Redmi 8. Optimally - 50-70 cm Closer - the nose will be blurred (due to fixed focus), then - loss of parts.

Third-party apps: when a standard camera isn't enough

Built-in camera MIUI If you need more control over settings, try these apps:

1. Open Camera (free of charge, no advertising):

• 📸 Manual focusing (emulation, but works better than regular focusing).
• 🔧 Setting up ISO and exposures - useful for shooting in dark rooms.
• 📁 Retention in RAW — Flexibly editing photos later.
• 🎯 A grid with a golden ratio for the perfect composition.

Download: Google Play

2. Footej Camera (paid version - 199)₽):

• 🔄 Boost mode (serial shooting) - helps to choose the best shot.
• 🌓 Night mode (emulation) through the addition of several frames.
• 🎭 The intensity of beauty is more subtle than in the MIUI.

3. Snapseed (from Google, free):

• ✨ Selective correction – only lighten the shadows under the eyes without affecting the rest of the face.
• 🔍 Tool "Perspective" - will correct the curvature, if the smartphone was at an angle.
• 🎨 Presets "Portrait" - a one-click improvement for selfies.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party cameras, turn off battery optimization for them in Settings → Annexes → Permits → Battery optimization, otherwise the app might close while shooting.

💡

For maximum quality selfie on Redmi 8 use the combination: shooting in Open Camera (format) RAW) + This will give 30-40% more detail than a standard camera. MIUI.

Selfie processing: from basic correction to professional retouching

Even a perfect selfie requires minimal processing, and let's take a look at 3 levels of editing, from fast to advanced.

Quick edit (1-2 minutes):

• 🌡️ Exposition: increase by +0.3–0.5 EV, if the face is too dark.
• 🎨 Contrast: add +10-15% for "juicy".
• 🔄 Shadows: Lift on +20% for the details to be worked out.
• 💡 Temperature: cool on -500K, if the skin is too yellow.

Tools: Google Photos (autocorrection) or Lightroom Mobile (preset "Portrait").

2 Advanced processing (5-10 minutes):

• 🧽 Defect Removal: Healing tool in Snapseed for acne or wrinkles.
• 👁️ Eye lightening: duplicate the layer, increase the exposure only for the pupils.
• 💄 Lip Color Enhancement: Selective Correction Tool + saturation.
• 🌪️ Dodging and Burning: Darken the edges of the photo (vigette) for an accent on the face.

Professional retouching (15)+ minute):

• 🖌️ Frequency blur in Photoshop Express for skin (saves texture).
• 📏 Facial shape correction: Liquify tool in Lightroom (caution!).
• 🎭 Color correction: add warm tones to the cheeks and cold tones to the shade.

What NOT to do during processing:

• ❌ Excessive blurring of the skin - the face will lose volume.
• ❌ Increased saturation by +100% – Colors will become unnatural.
• ❌ Using Instagram filters – they spoil the detail.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even experienced users make mistakes when taking selfies on Redmi 8. TOP-5 Failures and How to Correct Them:

Dirty lens:

📵 Problem: Blurring, glare or dark spots in photos.

🧼 Solution: Wipe your lens with a microfiber (not a sleeve!) Use isopropyl alcohol for persistent contaminants.

2. Wrong focus:

🔍 Problem: The nose or ears are blurred, and the background is clear.

📏 Solution: Move your smartphone 50 to 70 cm away from your face. Focus on the Redmi 8 is fixed and designed for that distance.

3. The lights on the face:

☀️ Problem: Forehead or cheekbones "knocked out" by bright light.

🌓 Solution: Include HDR Or take it in the shade, or at least reduce the exposure manually. -0.7 EV.

Unnatural skin color:

🎨 Problem: Yellow, green or gray shade of the face.

🔧 Solution: Manually set white balance (as described above) or remove in format RAW flexible-correction.

5. Hand trembling:

🤳 Problem: Blurring due to movement when pressing a button.

⏱️ Solution: Use a self-start (3 or 10 seconds) or take a voice command ("Cheese!" or "Smile").

⚠️ Warning: If the edges of your hair or glasses blur with the background after shooting in Portrait Mode, try this: Step 10 cm further away from the camera and make sure your hair doesn't cover your ears. Redmi 8's segmentation algorithm doesn't work well with small details.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions