Xiaomi Timelapse: How to shoot professional accelerated video from your phone

Why to remove timelapse on Xiaomi and what it takes

Timelapse turns real-life hours into dynamic video seconds. Xiaomi smartphones — from budget Redmis to flagship Mi 13 Ultra — have built-in tools for shooting such videos, but not all users know how to unlock their potential. In this article, we will analyze not only basic settings, but also professional techniques: from selecting frame intervals to post-processing in CapCut or Adobe Premiere Rush.

Xiaomi’s main advantage of timelapse is that it doesn’t require expensive hardware. Even 2020-2021 smartphones like the Redmi Note 9 Pro or POCO X3 are better at this task than many SLR cameras thanks to software stabilization and Pro Mode. But there are nuances: the wrong shooting time can ruin the entire movie, and the absence of a tripod can make the video shake.

It is important to understand that timelapse on Xiaomi is filmed in two ways: 1 through the standard Camera app (simple but with limited settings). 2 Through Pro Mode modes or third-party apps (more control, but requires knowledge).

In this article, we will cover both options, as well as give recommendations for editing and exporting finished videos.

What Xiaomi models support shooting timelapse

Almost all Xiaomi smartphones released after 2018 can capture timelapse through the standard Camera app. However, the capabilities vary greatly depending on the model and version of MIUI. Below is a comparison table of key characteristics.

* On the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and Mi 13 flagships, the shooting time is limited only to free storage space and battery level, but when you record in 4K, the phone can overheat, in which case the shooting will automatically stop.

If your model did not get into the table, check the presence of timelapse mode as follows:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Scroll through the shooting modes to the left (usually the timelapse is near Panorama or Night Mode).
3. If there is no mode, try updating MIUI to the latest version or use third-party apps (we’ll talk about them below).

⚠️ Note: On smartphones with Snapdragon processor 4xx (Like Redmi. 9A or POCO C31) Taking high-resolution timelapse can lead to severe lags, in which case it's best to limit yourself to the maximum. 720p.

Preparation for shooting: the choice of script and equipment

Before you press the recording button, decide on the script, which depends on the settings of the camera:

• 🌅 Sunset/dawn: 5-10 seconds interval, shooting 1-2 hours.
• 🚗 Traffic: interval of 1-3 seconds, shooting 20-40 minutes.
• 🌱 Plant growth: 30-60 minutes interval, shooting for several days (constant nutrition is required).
• 🏗️ Construction / repair: 10–30 minutes interval, shooting of the week.

Minimum set of equipment for high-quality timelapse:

• 📱 Xiaomi smartphone (preferably with Pro Mode support).
• 🔋 External battery (if the shooting lasts more than 1 hour).
• 📐 Tripod or mount (required! even micro-movements will ruin the video).
• 🔄 Memory card (timelapse "eats" a lot of space - up to 1 GB in 10 minutes per day) 4K).

If you don't have a tripod, use the tools you can use: Scotch + a stack of books, a phone suction cup on glass or even a bag of rice (like an improvised stabilizer), the main thing is to lock the phone so that it does not move even with a light touch.

💡

For nighttime timelapse (starry sky, city lights) use Nighttime mode in combination with timelapse. On Xiaomi 13 Ultra and POCO F4 GT, this gives amazing results!

Step-by-step: how to take timelapse through a standard camera

The easiest way is to use the built-in Timelapse mode in the Camera app. The instructions are relevant for MIUI 13/14 (the interface may differ on older versions).

1. Open the Camera app and scroll through the shooting modes left to the icon ⏱️ timelapse.
2. Touch the badge. ⚙️ Settings (usually in the upper right corner) and select: 🎞️ Permission: 1080p (optimal for most tasks; or 4K (if you need maximum quality). ⏱️ Interval: 1c to 30c (see the table below for recommendations). 🔄 Stabilization: Turn on if you're shooting with your hands (but it's better to use a tripod).

Point the camera at the object, lock the phone and press the red recording button, and the screen will show a timer and the number of frames taken.

After the shooting, the video will automatically be saved to the gallery in the DCIM → Camera → Timelapse folder.

Recommended interval settings depending on the scenario:

Charge your phone or connect powerbank|

Lock the phone on a tripod |

Clear the memory (minimum 2 GB free) |

Select the interval in the table above |

Disable notifications (to avoid interrupting the shooting)-->

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi with a MediaTek Helio Gxx processor (for example, Redmi Note 11) for long-term timelapse shooting in the video 4K It can trigger thermal trottling - the phone will lower the resolution to 1080p To avoid this, take a cooler room or use a cooler case.

Professional settings: shooting through Pro Mode

Pro Mode (or Manual Mode) is available on most Xiaomi mid- and premium smartphones, allowing you to control: shutter speed, ISO, white balance and focus – this is critical for shooting in difficult conditions (at night, with sharp light changes).

How to set up Pro Mode for timelapse:

1. Open the Camera app → select Pro (or Manual) mode.
2. Set the following settings (example for shooting a sunset): ISO: 100–200 Shutter speed: 1/50–1/100 White balance: 5000–6000K (or “daylight”) Focus: Manual (infinity if shooting a landscape) Format: RAW (if you plan color correction)
3. Return to the main camera interface, select Timelapse mode and start shooting.
4. Add music: Pick a track without words (e.g., on Epidemic Sound or YouTube Audio Library). synchronize bits of music with key moments of the video.

Example of color correction settings for sunset timelapse in CapCut:

Brightness: +5%


Contrast: +15%




Saturation: +10%




Temperature: +800




Shadows: −20 percent

💡

The most common editing error is changing frames too quickly. The optimal speed for most timelapses is 24-30 frames per second (fps). If the video is too short, duplicate the frames or slow down the playback speed.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions