How to create a collage on Xiaomi: from simple templates to professional designs

Creating collages on Xiaomi smartphones is an easy way to combine multiple photos into a single composition, whether for Instagram, a family album or a presentation. Unlike iPhones or pure Android devices, Redmi, POCO and Mi phones offer unique built-in tools that often go unnoticed. For example, the standard Gallery app from Xiaomi hides the collage function behind an unobvious gesture, and the branded Collage Maker allows you to customize frames, background and even add stickers without installing third-party programs.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 proven ways to create a collage on any Xiaomi device, from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra. You’ll learn how to use built-in features, which apps are better to download for advanced editing, and how to avoid typical errors (for example, loss of quality when saving or incorrect cropping photos).

1. Collage through the standard Xiaomi Gallery (without installing apps)

The fastest way to create a collage is to use the built-in feature in the Gallery app, which works on all devices with a MIUI shell (including the POCO Launcher), but the interface may vary slightly depending on the firmware version. The main advantage is that you do not need to download anything, and the result is stored in high resolution.

To get started:

• 📂 Open the Gallery app and select a folder with photos.
• 🖼️ Press and hold the first photo, then mark the rest (maximum 9 images at a time).
• 🔧 In the top menu, tap on the collage icon (or Create). → Collage in old versions MIUI).
• 🎨 Select the layout template (grid) 2×2, 3×3, vertical/horizontal etc.).
• ✅ Click Save – the collage will appear in the Edited folder.

Note that MIUI 14 and later has automatic face alignment in portrait image templates. If this doesn’t work, check if Smart Edit is enabled in the gallery settings (Settings → Additional).

⚠️ Note: When you save your collage through the Xiaomi Gallery, the quality may decrease if the original photos have different resolutions. To avoid this, pre-short the images to the same aspect ratio (for example, 1:1 for Instagram).

2.The Collage Maker app from Xiaomi: advanced features

If the built-in gallery feature isn’t enough, try the Collage Maker app, which is pre-installed on many Xiaomi devices (or available for download in GetApps).

• 🖼️ More than 100 templates (including dynamic layouts for stories).
• 🎨 Background Editor: Gradients, Textures, Monochromatic Colors.
• ✏️ Retouching tools: blurring, color correction, stickers.
• 🔄 Animation: Creating live collages (GIF) photo-size.

How to use:

1. Open Collage Maker and select a new project.
2. Upload photos (up to 20 pieces at a time).
3. Choose a template or create a custom layout (dropping the frames).
4. Edit each layer: add text, stickers, or change transparency.
5. Save it in JPEG (for social networks) or PNG (with a transparent background).

Example: If you’re doing a collage for Instagram Reels, select the 9:16 template and add an animation of the transition between photos (available in the Effects section). For printing, it’s better to use a 3:2 ratio with a resolution of at least 3000×2000 pixels.

Upload images to a single cloud storage (e.g. Google Photos)

Cut the photo to the same ratio of sides

Remove duplicates and blurred images

Check your orientation (album/book)-->

3 Third-party applications: PicsArt, Canva and PhotoGrid

If you want professional tools — like layers, masks, or complex effects — you should look at third-party apps, and we tested the three most popular options and compared them in the table below.

Tip: If you often make collages for TikTok or YouTube, PicsArt has a special section called Video Collage where you can combine photos and clips with music. Canva is convenient to create multi-page collages (for example, for presentations or photo books).

⚠️ Note: When using PicsArt or Canva, collages are saved to the cloud by default. To avoid leaking personal photos, disable autosynchronization in your account settings or save projects locally (Settings) → Conservation → Only on the device).

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Canva can upload your own font (.TTF or.OTF format) through Text → Download font. This is useful for branded collages.

4. Design secrets: how to make a collage stylish

Even with the most advanced instruments, collages can look chaotic if you don't follow the basic rules of composition. Here are 5 professional tips that will turn your collage from "just a set of photos" into a work of art:

• 🎭 Uniform Color Palette: Use filters or color correction to make all photos look harmonious. Collage Maker has a Color Balance tool that automatically picks up shades.
• 📏 Grid and alignment: Avoid chaotic placement - use guide lines (include in template settings). Optimal distance between photos: 5-10 pixels.
• 🖼️ Focus on the main thing: The most important photo should take 30–40% Collage area, in templates with a central accent (e.g, 1+4) Place it in the center.
• 🔤 Text and fonts: Do not use more than 2 fonts in one collage. Bold is good for headings, Light is good for descriptions.
• 🌌 Background and frames: For minimalist style, choose a white background or gradient, for retro - textures (paper, wood).

Example: If you're making a collage from a trip, place the photo chronologically (left to right or top to bottom) and add arrows or lines for visual storytelling. In Canva, you can do this with elements from the Line and Figure section.

5. How to save collage without loss of quality

One of the most common problems with collages is the deterioration of quality when you save it.

• 🔍 Automatic compression (especially in social networks).
• 📉 Disparities in the permissions of the source photos.
• 🖼️ Incorrect format (e.g., preservation of the JPEG instead PNG).

To avoid this:

1. Before creating a collage, combine photos at resolution. For example, if one photo is 4000×3000 and the other is 1200×800, zoom in the smaller one to 2400×1600 (use Bicubic Interpolation in Photoshop Express).
2. In the save settings, select: Format: PNG (for transparency) or JPEG with a quality of 90-100%. Resolution: at least 2000 pixels on the long side.

print-out

TIFF

PDF

Canva

Critical error: When you save your collage via WhatsApp, Telegram, the quality is automatically reduced to 70%. To avoid this, send the file as a Document or use cloud services (Google Drive, Mi Cloud).

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For collages with text, always save a separate version in PSD (if edited in Photoshop) or Canva Project format – this will make it easy to edit the inscriptions later.

6. Frequent errors and how to fix them

Even experienced users sometimes have problems creating collages. TOP-3 mistakes and their decisions:

1. Problem: The collage is blurred. Solution: Check the resolution of the original photos (at least 1200×800). Turn off the option AutoImproving in the gallery settings (Settings → Lab → Smart Improvement).
2. Problem: Photos in the collage are cropped incorrectly. Solution: Use flexible templates (in Collage Maker, click on the photo twice to change the cropping). Before creating the collage, cut the photo manually in the Editor (ratio 1:1, 4:3 or 16:9).
3. Problem: The collage is not saved or the app crashes. Solution: Clear the gallery cache (Settings → Apps → Gallery → Storage → Clear the cache). Reboot the device (on Xiaomi with MIUI 14+ hold the power button and select Reboot). If the problem repeats, update the Collage Maker app via GetApps.

If you need a collage urgently and the app doesn't work, use online services like PhotoCollage or Fotor, which work directly in the browser and do not require installation.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions