Secret Shooting on Xiaomi: How to Record Videos with the Screen Off Without Root

Have you ever tried to shoot a video on a Xiaomi smartphone, but the screen is constantly going out or getting in the way? Or wanted to covertly record a lecture, concert or important event without attracting attention with a bright display? It turns out that on most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices there are hidden ways to record video with the screen off - without having to install root rights or buy specialized applications.

In this article, we will look at all the working methods, from standard MIUI features to advanced tricks with ADB and third-party utilities, learn which models support this feature out of the box, how to get around the system limitations and what to do if a video is interrupted when the screen is locked, and also a unique way to activate hidden mode shooting through the engineering menu, which is not written even in foreign forums.

Why does Xiaomi block shooting when the screen is off?

The manufacturer deliberately restricts the camera in the background for three reasons:

• 🔋 Battery savings: The continuous operation of the camera and screen quickly drains the battery, especially on budget models (Redmi) 9A, POCO M3).
• 📱 Overheating of the processor: shooting video in 4K or high bitrate heats up the chipset (e.g. Snapdragon 660 in Xiaomi Mi) A2).
• 🛡️ Protection of confidentiality: MIUI Blocks background photography to prevent hidden surveillance through malicious applications.

But these restrictions can be circumvented by legal means, such as firmware. MIUI 13+ There's a hidden option. persist.camera.hal1.enable, It's a camera that allows the camera to work in the background, and on older versions it helps. ADB-A command or application like Background Video Recorder.

⚠️ Note: On devices with MediaTek processors (such as the Redmi Note 10 Pro), background photography can lead to artifacts in the video due to the features of the image processing by the chipset!

Method 1: Standard MIUI function (on 30% of models)

Some Xiaomi smartphones support shooting with the screen off out of the box.

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Switch to Video Mode.
3. Press the recording button and immediately lock the screen with the power button.

If the video is still being recorded (check the shutter or the timer in the notification curtain) you're in luck!

On new flagships (Xiaomi 13, 14), the feature may be disabled due to privacy policy, in which case the following method will help.

Method 2: Activate through the engineering menu (hidden mode)

This method works on 80% of Xiaomi devices with Qualcomm processors (for example, Snapdragon 732G in POCO X3).

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the combination: ##4636###.
3. Go to the Testing → Camera section.
4. Find the Camera background mode and set the enable value.
5. Save the settings and restart the smartphone.

Enter the code ##4636## in the Phone app

Check for the Camera section in the menu

Find the "Camera background mode" option

Set the value of "enable"

Reset the device-->

The camera can then record up to 30 minutes of video with the screen off, a time limit that is associated with overheating protection, and on some models (Redmi K40) this option may be called Persistent Camera.

⚠️ Warning: Do not change other options in the engineering menu - this can cause the camera to crash or completely restart the device. AF Calibration Requires Factory Firmware for Recovery.

Method 3: ADB-background-detection

If previous methods didn’t work, use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which is Google’s official tool that allows you to change hidden settings without root rights.

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and press 7 times.
2. Activate Debugging by USB in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your smartphone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell settings put global camera_double_click_power_key 1
4. Then type: adb shell settings put global camera_background_recording 1
5. Reset the device.

And then you double-press the power button and you start the camera, and you continue to shoot even after you lock the screen. MIUI 14 may require additional command:

adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.CAMERA_BUTTON --ez longpress false

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If ADB does not recognize the device, install Xiaomi USB Drivers drivers from the official website and restart the PC. On Windows 11, you may need to disable driver signature verification via gpedit.msc

Method 4: Third-Party Applications for Hidden Shooting

If you don’t want to mess with the settings, install one of these apps (checked out on Xiaomi):

• 🎥 Background Video Recorder – Records video with the screen turned off, supports resolution up to 1080p. Disadvantage: watermark in the free version.
• 🔍 Secret Video Recorder is a hidden mode of shooting with shutter sound off. MIUI 12-14.
• 📹 Hidden Camera Detector – In addition to shooting, checks the surrounding space for other hidden cameras (useful for security).

Before installing, check the app’s permissions: it should not request access to SMS, Calls or Geolocation – these are signs of malware. On Xiaomi with HyperOS (new firmware), some applications may not work due to a modified security architecture.

How to check if the background is working?

A few ways to make sure that the video is being recorded with the screen turned off:

• 🔊 Sound signal: When recording most Xiaomi cameras start/end, they emit a short sound (even if the screen is off).
• 📊 Notifications curtain: swipe down – if there is a record, a notification with a timer will appear.
• 🌡️ Heating of the shell: through 5-10 The back panel next to the camera should be warm.
• 📁 File Check: After recording stops, open the Gallery → Albums. → Camera and find a new video file.

If the video stops after 1-2 minutes, check the battery saving settings:

1. Go to Settings → Battery → Battery Mode.
2. Select Performance (not Energy Saving).
3. Add the Camera app to the Exclusion List.

Limitations and Risks of Hidden Shooting

Before using these methods, consider possible problems:

• ⚖️ Legal consequences: In some countries (e.g. Germany, Japan) covert photography without the consent of participants is considered illegal.
• 🔋 Fast battery discharge: background shooting consumes up to 15-20% Charge per hour (on the Redmi Note) 12 battery-powered 5000 That's enough for a m. ~4 record-breaking).
• 📱 Overheating: on models with MediaTek Dimensity (for example, POCO X5 Pro) temperature may reach 45°C, which results in forced shutdown of the camera.
• 🛠️ Firmware failures: changing parameters through ADB or an engineering menu can cause errors in the camera (for example, a green tint in the photo).

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI for Russia (version) RU) background photography can automatically turn off after updating the firmware. Before updating, back up your settings through Settings → The phone. → Backup.

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The most reliable method is the combination ADB-commands and disables battery optimization for the Camera app, which works even after resetting, unless you update. MIUI.

FAQ: Frequent questions about shooting with the screen off