Slow-motion video on Xiaomi: how to shoot and process slow-motion with perfect quality

Shooting slow-motion on Xiaomi smartphones allows you to capture moments that usually go unnoticed: the flapping of a bird’s wings, the fall of a water drop or the emotion on a person’s face. However, not all users know how to properly adjust the camera to get a really high-quality result. In this article, we will examine not only basic settings, but also professional tricks – from the selection of frame rates to post-processing in applications.

It’s important to understand that slow motion is dependent on the smartphone model. Flagship devices like Xiaomi 14 Ultra or Redmi K70 Pro support recording at 960 FPS at 720p, whereas budget models are limited to 120 FPS at 1080p. We’ll take a detailed look at how to make the most of your Xiaomi camera, regardless of its technical specifications.

What Xiaomi models support slow motion photography

Not all Xiaomi smartphones are equally good at slow motion, but the functionality depends on the processor, camera and firmware version of MIUI. Below is a table with key models and their capabilities:

If your model is not in the table, check the supported modes manually: open the Camera app, go to the More → Slow down video section. It will show the available FPS options. Note that on some devices, the 960 FPS mode may be hidden - it must be activated through the camera settings → Additional.

Note that on smartphones with a Snapdragon 8 series processor, slow-motion video at 960 FPS is recorded only for 0.2-0.5 seconds of real time (due to buffer constraints), which means you need to accurately calculate the time of shooting.

How to turn on slow motion on Xiaomi

The slow-motion activation algorithm is the same for most models, but there are nuances depending on the version of MIUI.

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Scroll through the shooting modes to the left or press More (three dots).
3. Select Slow Video (Turtle Icon)
4. Click on the FPS icon in the upper right corner to select the frame rate (e.g. 120 FPS, 240 FPS, 960 FPS).
5. Set up the resolution (if available) – usually 1080p or 720p.
6. Press the red recording button to start shooting.

On some devices (such as the Redmi Note 12 Pro+), the FPS 960 mode may not be available by default.

Open Settings → About the phone and 5 times click on the MIUI version

Return to Settings → Additional → Camera

Enable the option Advanced shooting modes

Reboot your smartphone-->

After activation in the Slow Video menu, an additional 960 FPS option will appear. Note that at this frame rate, the video will be recorded with strong noise and artifacts - this is normal for most smartphones.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 14 and newer when shooting at 960 FPS Automatically disables stabilization. To avoid the shaking of the frame, use a tripod or a stable surface.

Optimal settings for high-quality slow-motion

Just picking a high FPS isn't enough -- you need to set your shooting parameters right.

• 📱 Permission: For 120-240 FPS choose 1080p, for 480-960 FPS — only 720p. Higher resolution will lead to lags.
• 🔦 Lighting: Slow-motion requires a lot of light. Shooting in a dark room will produce grainy video. Use external sources or shoot during the day.
• 🎯 Focus: Manually adjust focus (stick on the screen and hold until it appears) AE/AF Autofocus can "float" at high FPS.
• 📐 Stabilization: On Xiaomi with OIS (Optical stabilization: Enable it in the camera settings, but for 960 FPS It shuts down automatically.
• 🔋 Battery Charge: Shooting in High FPS Charge your phone to at least 50% or plug in charging.

For professional results, experiment with shutter speed and ISO in manual mode (Pro in the camera app). For example, when shooting falling objects, reduce the shutter speed to 1/1000s to avoid blurring. However, remember: the higher the ISO, the more noise on the video.

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If you’re shooting dynamic scenes (sports, dancing), use 240 FPS at 1080p – the optimal balance between quality and smoothness.

Secrets of shooting: how to avoid mistakes

Even with the right settings, you can get a spoiled video, and here are the typical mistakes and ways to avoid them:

• 🚫 Too long rollers: At 960 FPS The buffer is overflowing in a fraction of a second, and if you take a shot longer than 0.3 seconds, you'll crop the frame.
• 🌪 Frame jitter: Hold the phone with both hands, press your elbows against your torso or use a tripod. On Xiaomi with a gyroscope, turn on electronic stabilization in the settings.
• ☀️ In the sun, use the sun in the brightest way. HDR (But it can reduce FPS). Alternatively, shoot in the shade or use a polarizing filter.
• 🔊 Sound: In slow-motion video, the original sound becomes unusable. Either shoot without sound, or record it separately and overlay it in the editor.

One of the little-known techniques is pre-buffering, where on some models (such as the Xiaomi 13 Pro), the camera starts recording video into the buffer 1-2 seconds before pressing the button, which allows you to "catch" unexpected moments, to activate the function:

1. Go to Camera Settings → Additionally.
2. Enable the option Pre-record.
3. Set the duration of the buffer (usually 1c or 2c).

⚠️ Warning: Pre-buffering only works in modes up to 240 FPS. 960. FPS It is automatically shut down due to processor limitations.

The best applications for editing slow-motion video

Videos often require processing: cropping, color correction or adding sound.-5 Optimized for working with slow-motion on Xiaomi:

For basic processing, a standard Google Photos editor (available on all Xiaomi) is enough: open the video, click Edit → Tools → Speed and select a slowdown factor (for example, 0.25× for a 4x slow-motion).

If you shot 960 FPS, but the video was too short, CapCut or KineMaster can stretch the clip using Optical Flow, which artificially adds intermediate frames for smoothness, but don't overdo it, the quality will deteriorate.

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For professional results, shoot at maximum resolution (e.g. 1080p 240 FPS), and then slow down the video in the editor to 0.125× (8x slowdown).

How to maintain quality in export

A common problem is that the video looks good in the editor, but when it's saved, it loses detail.

• 📹 Permission: Export in the same permit as the one used.
• 🎞 Bitrate: In the export settings, select High or Maximum (at least 20 Mbps for the export settings) 1080p).
• 🔄 Codec: Use H.264 (universal H.265 (Best compression, but not all devices support).
• 🎵 Sound: If you add music, export with a bit rate of at least 192 kbps.

On Xiaomi with MIUI 14+, the built-in video editor (Gallery → Editor) saves files in.mp4 format with a default bitrate of 15 Mbps. To change this:

1. Open the video in the Gallery and click Edit.
2. Select Export (Save icon).
3. Click on Settings (cogs) and set Quality: Original.

If you’re mounting video on a PC, use HandBrake or Adobe Media Encoder to convert with the settings:

Format: MP4


Codec: H.264 (or H.265 for space saving)




Bitrate: 30-50 Mbps for 1080p




FPS: Original (do not change it!)

Creative Use of Slow Motion on Xiaomi

Slow-motion is not just about sports or nature, but here are some unusual ideas for your videos.

• 🎨 Artistic effects: Remove the paint spreading in water (240) FPS) The fire of Bengal (960) FPS).
• 🍳 Cooking: Falling an egg into a pan, whipping cream or bursting bubbles in a soda.
• 👗 Fashion and style: Slow hair movement, splashing from perfume or falling accessories.
• 🎮 Gaming: Press the button on the gamepad at the moment of victory - the effect will be cinematic.
• 🐾 Animals: How a cat shakes its head or a dog catches a treat.

For inspiration, check out the YouTube or TikTok works with the hashtags #XiaomiSlowMo or #SlowMotionMagic. Notice how they combine slowing at normal speed for dramatic effect.

Tip for social media: If you upload slow-motion to Instagram or TikTok, add 1-2 seconds of normal speed to the beginning of the video. Platform algorithms are better at understanding such videos and show them more often in recommendations.

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To shoot liquids (water, paint), use a rear camera with a macro mode - this will emphasize the texture and details.

FAQ: Frequent questions about time-lapse shooting on Xiaomi