Dates and timestamps on a Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 photo can ruin even the best shot — especially if you want to share or print it on social media. Unlike flagship models, where this feature is easily disabled in camera settings, on budget smartphones (including Redmi Note 7) the option is often hidden or absent. The problem is complicated by the fact that the tags are sewn directly into the EXIF- data or over the image at the firmware level.
In this article, we’ll break down 5 proven ways to remove date from photos, from standard tools MIUI to third-party editors and manual tampering with system files. You will learn why tags appear even when the function is disabled, how to avoid them in the future, and which applications will cope with the task without losing quality. Special attention will be paid to the method using ADB - it is the only guaranteed to remove the date from photos taken in the "Document" or "Professional" mode, where the tags are sewn into the image itself.
Why the date appears in the photo and whether it can be turned off in the settings
On the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7, time stamps are added automatically in three cases:
- 📸 Document mode (Chamber) → More. → Document – here the date and time are sewn into the image as part of the functionality for scanning documents.
- ⚙️ Watermark settings – In some versions of MIUI (especially on Chinese firmware), the option is enabled by default in Camera → Settings → Watermark.
- 🔄 Firmware updates — after MIUI 12+ updates, tags begin to appear on some devices even in standard shooting mode.
The problem is that the Redmi Note 7 doesn’t have a direct date-off option in the camera menu (unlike the Redmi Note 10 or POCO X3). Even if you disable watermarks, tags can remain on photos taken in Document or Professional modes. This is because the firmware automatically adds EXIF- tags, which some applications (such as “Gallery”) display as text.
⚠️ Warning: If the date only appears when you view a photo in the standard Gallery MIUI, but is not available when you open it through other apps (e.g. Google Photos), the problem lies in the metadata display settings, in which case it is enough to clear the Gallery cache or use an alternative viewer.
Before you start removing the labels, check:
Open a photo in Google Photos or another third-party app – is the date visible?
See the file properties (click “More” in the Gallery) – is there a line with a date/time?
Take a test shot in the mode “Ordinary” and “Document” – where exactly do the tags appear?
Check the camera settings for the “Watermark” or “Time Marks” item»-->
Method 1: Disabling watermarks in camera settings
The easiest method is to deactivate the built-in watermark function, which is sometimes responsible for the date overlay, but on the Redmi Note 7, this item may be missing or hidden:
- Open the Camera app.
- Put it on the icon. ⚙️ Settings (or swipe from the right edge of the screen).
- Scroll down to the Watermark section (English version).
- Turn off the slider or uncheck the date and time item.
If the item "Watermark" is not:
- 🔍 Check the version MIUI in Settings → About Phone. On firmware older than MIUI 12, the option can be called "Time Marks" or "Signatures."
- 🌐 Install a global firmware version (if you have Chinese) — this setting is more common.
- 📱 Update the Camera app via Google Play (if available for your region).
⚠️ Warning: On some versions of MIUI for the Redmi Note 7, the watermarks are reset after the system update.
If the method doesn’t work, move on to the next method – the problem goes deeper than just customizing the interface.
Method 2: Delete date through editing in the MIUI Gallery
The standard Gallery app on Xiaomi has a built-in editor that in some cases allows you to remove overlay text (including date) This method works if the tag is added as a separate layer rather than sewn into the EXIF:
- Open the photo in the Gallery, where you need to remove the date.
- Slip on the icon ✏️ Edit in the bottom menu.
- Select the Crop tool and try to trim the edge with the date (if the label is located on the corner).
- If the trimming doesn’t work, go to the Effects or Settings section and look for the Remove Objects option (available on not all versions of MIUI).
- Manually circle the date with your finger – the system will try to mask it with surrounding pixels.
Limitations of the method:
- ❌ Does not work for tags sewn into EXIF (they are displayed as part of the image).
- ❌ May leave artifacts on monochromatic backgrounds (e.g., sky or walls).
- ✅ Suitable for dates added as a separate text layer (more commonly found in screenshots).
If your version of Gallery does not have a Remove Objects tool, use third-party editors (see Method 4).
Method 3: Using ADB to disable system tags (advanced method)
This is a way for users who have a date stitched into firmware and even when watermarks are turned off. We will edit system settings via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), the only method that is guaranteed to remove the date from photos taken in Document mode on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7.
You'll need:
- 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB-tool.
- 📱 Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap to unlock the developer mode, then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
- 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
Step-by-step:
- Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
- Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with adb.exe.
- Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
- Execute the command to disable watermarks: adb shell settings put global watermark_enabled 0
- Reboot your phone: adb reboot
If the team doesn’t work, try an alternative:
adb shell am start -n com.android.camera/.settings.WatermarkSettingsActivityThis command must open a hidden menu of watermark settings (does not work on all firmware).
| ADB Team Team | Description | Application |
|---|---|---|
| watermark_enabled 0 | Turns off watermarks globally | For all modes of photography |
| persist.camera.watermark.enable 0 | Turns off camera-level tags | Requires root rights |
| am force-stop com.android.camera | Forcedly stops the camera | After the settings change |
⚠️ Warning: Using ADB can cause the camera to run unstable if you type in the wrong commands. Before experimenting, back up your data via Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
If the ADB- method didn’t help, there are two options: upgrade the firmware to the latest version of MIUI (where the problem can be fixed) or use third-party editors for post-processing.
Method 4: Third-Party Date Deletion Applications
If the system methods didn’t work, specialized editors will come to the rescue, and we tested 5 apps and selected the ones that best cope with the dates in the photo with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7:
- 🎨 Snapseed (Google) — Healing is a great tool for masking dates on homogeneous backgrounds. Free, no ads.
- ✏️ Adobe Lightroom – The Healing Brush feature allows you to accurately remove text without traces.
- 🖼️ TouchRetouch specializes in removing objects, including tags. paid (≈200₽), but there is a trial version.
- 📱 Photo Editor by Aviary is a simple interface with the Remove tool.
- 🔍 EXIF Eraser - deletes metadata (including date) but does not touch the visual part.
Step-by-step instructions for Snapseed:
- Open the photo in Snapseed and tap on the Tools icon.
- Select a replacement (Healing).
- zoom in and circle the date with your finger, and the app will automatically fill the area with surrounding pixels.
- If the result is not perfect, use the brush tool for manual correction.
- Save the image in the Gallery (select Export without loss of quality).
For complex backgrounds (for example, if the date is superimposed on the text of the document):
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Before deleting the date, duplicate the layer (the “Layers” icon → “Duplicate”) in Snapseed. This will allow you to cancel the changes if the result does not suit you.
If the tag is stitched into EXIF and displayed as part of the image, no editor can remove it without a trace, in which case only Method 3 (ADB) or flashing the device will help.
Method 5: Manual editing of EXIF- data (for power users)
Sometimes the date is not part of the image, but is stored in the file metadata (EXIF), which is not visible when viewed in most applications, but can be displayed in the MIUI Gallery or when printed.
- Install the EXIF Eraser app or Photo Exif Editor from Google Play.
- Open the photo in the app and find the fields with the date/time (for example, DateTimeOriginal, DateTimeDigitized).
- Clear these fields or replace them with arbitrary values (for example, 0000:00:00:00:00:00).
- Save the changes – this will create a new copy of the photo without metadata.
Alternative method for PC:
- 🖥️ Connect your phone to your computer and copy the photo.
- Use the ExifTool (free) program or the online service exif.tools.
- Run the command to remove all EXIF- tags: exiftool -all= your photo.jpg
- Transfer the processed photo back to your phone.
⚠️ Warning: Deleting EXIF- data erases not only the date, but also other useful information: camera model, shooting settings, geolocation. If you care about that data, save the original photo.
This method will not help if the date is visually superimposed on the image (as in the “Document” mode), in which case combine it with editing in Snapseed or Lightroom.
How to Prevent Date from Appearing in New Photos
To avoid problems in the future, follow these guidelines:
- 📵 Do not use Document mode for normal photos – it is designed to scan and always adds tags.
- 🔄 Update the firmware to the latest version MIUI. In new builds (starting with MIUI 13), the date problem is partially solved.
- 📱 Install an alternative camera, like Google Camera (GCam) — no time stamps added. Open Camera is open source, no watermarks.
- 🔧 Check your camera settings regularly after updates — sometimes they get reset.
If you often take pictures of documents and do not want to lose the functionality of tags, try:
How to save the date in the photo, but remove it when printing?
For users who often encounter a problem, we recommend combining the ADB- method (to disable system tags) and GCam (for shooting without watermarks).
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On the Redmi Note 7 with MIUI 12.5+ firmware, the date problem in Document mode is partially solved - labels are added only when the Watermark function is enabled in the settings.