How to take a mirror photo on a Xiaomi phone: camera setup

Modern Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones have powerful cameras that can create professional shots, but many users are faced with the unpleasant surprise that when they take a selfie, they see that the image on the screen is different from what they are used to seeing in the mirror, because the standard algorithm of the front camera automatically mirrors the final frame, bringing it to the way other people see you.

Most people are more likely to see themselves as mirror image than as the camera captures them. Fortunately, the MIUI and the new HyperOS have a handy feature to change that setting. In this article, we’ll go into detail on how to take a mirror image on Xiomi’s phone to keep your images as you expect, and explain the difference between preview and final result.

Setting up this setting doesn't require root rights or third-party apps. All the tools are already built into the standard Camera app. We'll look at not only the basic settings, but also the nuances of working with different shooting modes, and also understand why text on clothes or signs can be read incorrectly if you ignore these settings.

Why the camera turns the photo and how it works

The way a digital sensor works is different from a mechanical mirror. When you look in a mirror, you see a reflected image where the left becomes the right. The camera captures reality as it is. Mirror is a software processing that artificially changes the sides of the frame. On Xiaomi smartphones, the default mode is often turned on, in which you see yourself on the preview screen as in a mirror, but the saved file is “real”.

This can be confusing, especially if you're adjusting your hair or applying makeup to your screen, your brain gets used to mirroring, and the "real" image seems unnatural or even asymmetrical, and psychologists call it the simple exposure effect: we like what we see more often, which is our reflection in the mirror, rather than in the photos.

It's important to understand the difference between preview and saved file. In camera settings, you can separately adjust the display on the screen during shooting and how exactly the file will be written to the gallery. Sometimes these parameters are related, but in newer versions of MIUI firmware, they can be placed in separate menu items for flexibility.

⚠️ Note: Changing the mirror settings does not affect the quality of the matrix or the resolution of the image. This is only a software processing of the image geometry that occurs at the time the file is created.

Setting up mirror mode for the front camera

To change the behavior of the camera when shooting on the front module, you need to go to the deep menu of the app settings. The interface may vary slightly depending on the version of the shell, but the logic remains the same for all devices of the brand. First open the Camera app and switch to selfie mode by clicking on the icon with the image of two arrows or a human silhouette.

At the top of the screen, look for a three-horizonal-bar icon or a gear, which is the menu entry. This is where all the major exposure, grid and format settings are located. We're interested in a item that might be called "Save as in preview," "Mirror selfie" or "Reflect photo." In the English version of firmware, this option is often referred to as Mirror front camera or Save as previewed.

If you activate this feature, the final photo in the gallery will look exactly like you saw yourself on the screen when you pressed the shutter button. If the function is turned off, the camera will automatically flip the image vertically after shooting to show you as others see you.

It’s worth noting that on some models, such as the Xiaomi 13 or Redmi Note 12, this switch may be in the Settings submenu inside the Camera section, rather than in the general list. If you didn’t find the item right away, try scrolling down the options list to the end.

Settings for the main camera and wide-angle lens

While mirroring is most often a selfie issue, it sometimes requires a mirror image to be taken on the main camera, such as if you are photographing a document that needs to be read in a certain way, or creating content for social media where visual style is important. In the standard "Photo" mode of the main camera, the mirroring option is usually absent, because the world is supposed to be captured objectively.

However, if you use Portrait modes or special filters, the logic can change. Portrait mode often uses beautify algorithms, which can include symmetrical facial correction, and to manage this, go to the settings and find the section related to facial enhancement or effects.

For creative photography that requires full mirror image of the scene (such as taking a reflection in a window), the easiest way to do this is to take a regular shot and then edit it. Xiaomi's standard gallery editor allows you to quickly reflect the image. Open the photo, click "Change", select the framing/rotation tool and press the button with the icon of two triangles, indicating horizontal reflection.

⚠️ Warning: When shooting documents or important papers with the main camera, always check the readability of the text. Automatic mirroring can make the text unreadable if you do not notice it immediately.

Use of third-party applications and Pro modes

If standard MIUI settings aren't enough, you can take advantage of the advanced features. In Pro mode, the camera gives you full control over the parameters, but the mirroring option may also be absent in the form of previews, in which case third-party apps from Google Play, such as Open Camera or B612, come to the rescue.

These apps allow you to flexibly customize your camera behavior regardless of system limitations, and almost always have a separate Camera or Save settings section in their settings where you can force the Mirror front camera or Auto mirror option to be enabled.

In addition, many users are using the capabilities of Google Camera (GCam), ported for Xiaomi. GCam configurations often have hidden menus where you can set the behavior of sensors in more detail than in the stock app, this is especially true for mobile photography enthusiasts.

Using third-party software gives you more freedom, but it can take time to set up, but you get a tool that is independent of system updates that behaves predictably on any device, whether it is an old Redmi Note 9 or a new flagship.

Editing finished pictures in the gallery Xiaomi

What if you've already taken a photo and it's not mirrored? You don't have to redo it. The built-in gallery editor in Xiaomi smartphones has powerful functionality. Open the image you want, click the "Change" button (usually at the bottom of the screen).

In the bottom toolbar, select the "Crop" icon. Among the rotating tools, you'll see a horizontal reflection icon (two triangles pointing in different directions). One click will turn the photo over. After that, remember to click "Save" to apply the changes to the file.

This is a good way to make a decision after you've taken a picture, and then you can judge which one looks better, and sometimes the "real" face in the picture is better than the usual mirror face, because of the natural asymmetry that people perceive as normal.

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When editing in a gallery, Xiaomi often creates a copy. If memory space is limited, check to see if you have two identical photos, one of which can be deleted.

Comparison of settings in different versions of MIUI and HyperOS

The camera interface is constantly updated, and owners of different models can see the differences in the location of menu items. Below is a table that will help you navigate where to look for the desired setting depending on the version of your system.

If you upgraded from MIUI to HyperOS, note that some settings may have reset to factory values, so after a major system update, it’s always a good idea to recheck the camera settings to avoid getting an unexpected result on the first photo shoot.

⚠️ Note: Some global firmware versions for the EU or India market may have different item names than the Chinese versions.

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The location of mirroring settings depends on the version MIUI/HyperOS, But the principle of operation is the same: look for a switch that connects the preview and the saved file.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)