You took the perfect shot on Xiaomi, but when you viewed it in the gallery, the photo suddenly turned 90.°? Or is a video taken in landscape orientation displayed vertically? This problem is familiar to many owners of Redmi, Poco and Mi smartphones - the fault of automatic rotation of images according to the data. EXIF. 80% of the time, the system misidentifies the orientation of the shot, especially if you are taking an angled or tilted photo.
In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to turn off photo auto-rotation on Xiaomi – from standard MIUI settings to hidden developer parameters. All methods are tested on MIUI 12-15 firmware and are relevant for 2018-2026 models (including Redmi Note 12 Pro+, Poco F5, Xiaomi 13 Ultra).
Why does Xiaomi automatically turn photos?
The problem lies in the metadata EXIF, the hidden information that the camera records in each shot, among other parameters (date, camera model, GPS), it stores the Orientation Tag, a flag that indicates exactly how the photo was taken: in landscape or portrait orientation. Xiaomi smartphone reads this tag and forcibly rotates the image when displayed in the gallery, even if the visual frame looks right.
The main causes of failures:
- 📱 Gyroscope sensor error – if you tilt your phone while shooting, the system may not correctly record the orientation in the camera EXIF.
- 🔄 Application conflict - gallery MIUI Google Photos and Google Photos interpret metadata differently.
- 📁 Damaged files – when transmitted via Bluetooth or messengers EXIF-tags can get lost.
- 🔧 Camera settings – in some modes (for example, Pro Mode) orientation is fixed incorrectly.
Interestingly, the problem is more common on budget models (Redmi 10A, Poco M4 Pro), as they use simplified processing algorithms EXIF. flagship Xiaomi 13T or Mix Fold 3 less likely to suffer from autorotation due to improved sensors.
Method 1: Turn off autoturn in the settings of the MIUI gallery
The easiest method is to use the built-in options of the standard gallery.It works on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 12 and newer, but has a limitation: it turns off only for viewing, without affecting the files themselves.
Instructions:
- Open the Gallery app (flower icon).
- Put it on any photo that turns incorrectly.
- Touch the badge. ⚙️ Settings in upper right corner.
- Select Autoturn and move the slider to the off position.
⚠️ Attention: This setting is only valid for the current browsing session. Once you restart the gallery or reboot the phone, the autorotor may turn on again. №3.
Make a backup of important photos
Check the version of MIUI in Settings → About the phone
Close all background apps (especially Google Photos)
Reboot the phone to reset the gallery cache-->
Method 2: Correcting orientation through photo editor
If you need to urgently fix 1-2 pictures, use the built-in MIUI editor. This method does not turn off autorotation globally, but allows you to manually set the correct orientation for specific files.
Step-by-step:
- Open the photo in the Gallery and tap Edit (pencil icon).
- Select the Rotating Instrument (round arrow).
- Press Auto – the system will try to determine the correct orientation by the content of the frame.
- If the result is not satisfied, manually rotate the photo 90°/180° and save the changes (Done → Save as a copy).
🔹 Important: When saved, the Xiaomi editor overwrites EXIF-tags, so the problem won't come back, but the original file will remain unchanged, and the autorotation will continue to work for it.
| Method | Action. | Pluses | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIUI Gallery | Turns off the autoturn when viewing | Quick, no rights required. | Temporary effect |
| Photo editor | Corrects orientation for a particular image | Keeps the change forever. | You need to process each photo separately. |
| Camera settings | Disables the orientation record in EXIF | It works for new photos. | It doesn't affect old pictures. |
Method 3: Disable the orientation recording in the camera settings
This method prevents the very cause of the problem - the recording of incorrect EXIF-Suitable for Xiaomi owners on the MIUI 13-15 (on older versions, the path may be different).
How to turn it off:
- Open the Camera app.
- Slip up or tap on. ⚙️ Settings (cogs).
- Go to the Additional Settings (or Advanced) section.
- Find the Save Orientation (or Auto-rotate) option and turn it off.
- Restart your phone to apply the changes.
⚠️ After that, all new photos will be saved in “raw” form without any new photos. EXIF-orientation tag. That means that:
- 📱 On your Xiaomi photos will be displayed as they were taken (without autoturning).
- 💻 Other devices (PC, iPhone) may require manual rotation.
- 🌐 When downloading on social networks (Instagram, VK) Orientation is determined by the server – there may be failures.
What to do if there is no “Save Orientation” option?
Method 4: Using third-party applications for mass fixing
If you have hundreds of photos that are not in the right orientation, manual correction will take hours. EXIF-We tested the 3 best options for Xiaomi:
1. Photo EXIF Editor (Play Market)
- 📲 Interface: simple, in Russian.
- 🔧 Features: Massive turn, editing EXIF, metadata removal.
- ⚠️ Limitation: Free version handles up to 10 photos at a time.
Instructions: select a photo → Turn → Apply to everyone → Save.
2. Fix Picture Rotation (APK)
- 📲 Specialized solution for auto-turning.
- 🔧 Automatically determines the correct orientation on the content of the frame.
- ⚠️ Requires access to the storage facility.
3. ACDSee (paid)
- 📲 Professional Editor with Support RAW.
- 🔧 Package processing, preservation of originals.
- ⚠️ Cost: ~300 rubles/month.
🔹 Tip: Before a massive fix, take a backup photo on Google Drive or PC. Some applications can damage files if closed incorrectly.
exiftool -n -Orientation=1 -ext jpg -ext png /path/k/folderThis team will reset the orientation tag for everyone JPG and PNG directory.-->
Method 5: Manual editing EXIF via ADB (for advanced)
If standard methods didn't work, and you don't have root rights, you have ADB, which requires you to connect your phone to a PC, but you have complete control over the metadata.
What you need:
- 💻 Computer with Windows/Mac/Linux.
- 📱 Included Debugging by USB on Xiaomi (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Tap 7 times, then return to the additional → For developers).
- 🔗 Established ADB Tools.
Correction commands:
- Connect your phone and do: Adb devices (you should display your device).
- Download the photo on your PC or get the path to the file: adb shell ls /sdcard/DCIM/Camera/
- Use ExifTool to reset orientation: exiftool -Orientation=1 input.jpg
- Download the corrected file back to adb push fixed.jpg /sdcard/DCIM/Camera/
⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB It can cause malfunctions in the phone. Don't edit system files and always check the paths before executing commands:
Example of a batch script for ADB
Why the photos are still turning: hidden reasons
You've disabled all settings, but some of the pictures are stubbornly turning?
1. Conflict with Google Photos
- 🔄 Google Photos app ignores settings MIUI And it uses its own rotation algorithms.
- 🛑 Solution: Open Google Photos → Settings → Crash-turn → Turn it off.
2. Damaged thumbnails
- 🖼️ Sometimes the cache of the gallery keeps the wrong orientation for previews, although the photo itself is correct.
- 🛑 Solution: Clear the gallery cache in Settings → Annexes → gallery → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
3. Features of formats
- 📸 Photo in HEIC (Used on new Xiaomis, suffer more from failures EXIF.
- 🛑 Solution: In the camera settings, select the format JPEG instead HEIF.
Sensor error 4.
- 📡 If the gyroscope or accelerometer is faulty, the camera records incorrect orientation data.
- 🛑 Solution: Check the sensors with the Sensor Test (Play Market) app.
💡
If the problem only occurs with photos taken in messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram), the apps themselves are to blame - they clamp and turn the pictures when they are sent. Solution: send the photo as a File, not through the built-in camera of the messenger.