How to shoot slow-motion video on Xiaomi: a complete guide with settings and tips

Slow-motion on Xiaomi smartphones allows you to capture moments that usually pass too fast for the human eye: a drop of water, a bird flapping wings or a skateboard stunt. However, many users face problems — the video is obtained in jerks, the camera does not save the desired resolution, or the mode is not on the menu. In this article, we will analyze all the ways to activate slow-motion on different Xiaomi models, from budget Redmi to flagship Xiaomi 14, and also reveal the secrets of professional shooting and processing.

It’s important to understand that slow motion is dependent on the hardware of your device, for example, budget models like the Redmi 10A only support 120 FPS at 720p, while flagships like the Xiaomi 13 Ultra are capable of shooting at 960 FPS at 1080p. We’ll take a detailed look at how to check the maximum parameters of your camera and how to use them with maximum efficiency.

Which Xiaomi models support slow motion photography?

Not all Xiaomi smartphones are equipped with slow-motion, and here are the key criteria by which support can be determined:

• 📱 Processor: Snapdragon series chipsets 6xx/7xx/8xx (starting SD 660) MediaTek Helio G85/G90T/Dimensity usually 120–240 FPS. Budget chips (Helio) G35, SD 4xx) limited 60 FPS.
• 🎥 Camera: Modules with a resolution of 48 MP and higher are more likely to have hardware support for high-speed shooting, except for the older models with 12-16 MP sensors.
• 📅 Xiaomi smartphones older than 2018 (such as the Mi 8 or Redmi Note 5) may not have 240 mode+ FPS.

To find out if your device supports slow motion, check the specifications on the official Mi.com website (Camera → Video recording section). If the specifications indicate Slow motion: 120fps/240fps/960fps, the feature is available.

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Redmi) 9A or POCO C31) Slow-motion mode can be hidden in the camera settings. If it is not in the main menu, try updating the firmware to the latest version. MIUI — Sometimes the function appears after the update.

How to enable slow motion in a standard Xiaomi camera

If your model supports slow-motion, you can activate the mode directly in the Camera app.

1. Open the Camera app on your Xiaomi.
2. Scroll through the shooting modes left or right (depending on the version of MIUI) to Slowly (or Slow-motion on English firmware).
3. Touch the gear badge (⚙️) in the upper right corner to open the settings of the mode.
4. Select your desired frame rate (120 FPS, 240 FPS, 480 FPS or 960 FPS – depending on the model).
5. Press the record button (🎥) And you can record the moment you want to, and the video will automatically be saved to the gallery.

Note that 960 FPS will limit the video to 5-10 seconds because of the large amount of data, and some models (such as the Xiaomi 12T) allow you to adjust the playback speed after shooting – open the video in the gallery and click Change speed.

Good lighting (minimum 500 lux)

Stabilization (use a tripod or support)

Clean the lens of fingerprints

Battery charge of at least 30%

Free space on the device (1 GB+)

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If Slowly is not on the menu, try the following:

• 🔄 Update the Camera app via Google Play or Mi App Store.
• 📱 Switch to Global firmware (if you have China) ROM — Some functions may be disabled).
• 🛠️ Reset the camera settings: go to Settings → Annexes → Camera. → Warehouse → Clear the data.

Optimal settings for high-quality slow-motion

To make slow-motion video clear and smooth, it's not enough to just press the record button. Here are the key parameters to look at:

• 🌞 Lighting: Slow-motion requires a 2–4 It's twice as much light as a normal shot. 960 FPS shortened 1/1000c, so the video will be dark in the room. Use external light sources or shoot outside in sunny weather.
• 🎯 Focus: In Manual Mode, Set Infinite Focus (∞), avoiding the "breathing" of the image when the distance to the object changes.
• 📏 Permission: The higher FPS, The lower the resolution. For example, Xiaomi. 13 Pro: 960 FPS → 720p 480 FPS → 1080p 240 FPS → 1080p/4K (on some models)
• 🔋 Stabilization: Turn off EIS (Electronic stabilization in camera settings – it can add artifacts at high FPS. Instead, use a physical tripod or gimbal.

For dynamic scenes (such as sports or dancing), it is recommended to use 240 FPS at 1080p, which is the optimal balance between quality and smoothness. If you want to capture instantaneous events (ball explosion, ball hit), choose 960 FPS, but be prepared to reduce detail.

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Before shooting, turn on HDR mode in the camera settings to help save details in bright and dark areas of the video, especially in contrast lighting.

Applications for shooting slow-motion on Xiaomi (if there is no built-in mode)

If your Xiaomi model doesn't support slow motion shooting at the hardware level, you can use third-party applications. They won't give you 960 FPS, but they will let you shoot at 120-240 FPS and then slow down in the editor.

• 🎬 Slow Motion Camera (by AndroVid) – 240 FPS On most Snapdragon chipsets, there is manual bitrate setting.
• 📹 Camera FV-5 — Professional application with manual control of exposure and ISO, I'm 120-suitable. FPS post-processing.
• 🎥 ProCam X – allows you to record video in 4K 60 FPS slow-down 0.25x speed.

When using third-party applications, consider:

• The video quality will be worse than with hardware shooting, due to software interpolation of frames.
• Some applications require root rights to unlock maximum FPS.
• Videos can take up more disk space due to high bitrate.

⚠️ Note: Apps like Slow Motion Video FX They don't shoot high-end videos. FPS, They just stretch the video, add artifacts, and for real slow-motion, only select programs that support 120.+ FPS description.

How to process slow-motion video after shooting

Even if you shot a video at 960 FPS, without proper processing, it can look twitchy or too long.

1. Cutting: Remove unnecessary snippets at the beginning and end. The Xiaomi Gallery has a built-in editor for this - click on the video → Edit → Cut.
2. Speed Adjustment: If the video is too slow, speed it up to 0.3x–0.5x. Use the following apps: CapCut (free, there are templates for slow-motion), KineMaster (paid version allows you to export to 4K) Adobe Premiere Rush (professional color correction)

Stabilization:

CapCut

Stabilization

Effects.

Color correction:

For advanced users: if you have filmed in RAW-Format (available on Xiaomi 13 Pro and later), process the video in DaVinci Resolve – this will allow you to fine-tune white balance and noise reduction.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even experienced users sometimes make mistakes when shooting slow-motion, and here are the most common ones and ways to solve them:

Another common mistake is to shoot moving objects too close to the camera, because of the short shutter speed at 960 FPS, objects can become blurry, keep a distance of at least 1-1.5 meters from the object, and for fast movements (for example, a flying ball), use manual focusing.

Hidden features of slow-motion on Xiaomi (for advanced users)

There are a few hidden features in MIUI firmware that will help improve slow motion photography, and activating them will require you to turn on Developer Mode:

1. Go to Settings → About phone and 7 times click on the MIUI version.
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Activate the option Do not turn off the screen while charging (useful for long shootings).
4. Enable USB Debugging and connect your smartphone to your PC to fine-tune the camera via ADB.

With ADB, you can unlock additional camera settings, such as increasing the bitrate of a video (which will improve slow-motion quality), follow the command:

adb shell setprop persist.vendor.cam.force_hfr 1

Also in Developer Mode, you can turn off automatic video optimization, which sometimes spoils detail at high FPS:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Camera → Background Limitations.
2. Choose No Limits.

If the problem persists, contact the service center - the camera module may be faulty.