How to remove the name of the camera on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

Xiaomi’s modern smartphones are equipped with powerful camera modules that can compete with the flagships of famous brands. However, many users face one annoying trifle when viewing their photos in a gallery or when posting pictures on social networks.

This label contains the name of the device model, for example, Shot on Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 or Take by POCO F5. While for some it is a way to demonstrate the technical capabilities of your gadget, for most mobile photography enthusiasts, such a stamp is unnecessary visual noise that spoils the composition of the frame.

Fortunately, the MIUI shell and its current version of HyperOS provide a simple mechanism to disable this feature, you don't need superuser rights or third-party apps, just know where the right switch is hiding in the settings menu to permanently get rid of unnecessary labels in your pictures.

Why manufacturers add watermarks

The automatic addition of a model name to a photo was not an accident, but a marketing goal: every shot that was posted online was a free advertisement for the device, and when users shared quality images on Instagram or VK, they unwittingly promoted the Xiaomi brand.

The stamp was also a kind of quality indicator, with the phrase "Shot on..." to emphasize that the photo was taken with a smartphone, not a professional SLR camera, helping to shape public opinion that mobile photography had reached a new level of development.

But over time, the attitudes of the users have changed, and amateur photographers and professionals have begun to see the watermark as a disruptive element, distracting attention from the main subject and looking unaesthetic, especially in dark or monochromatic backgrounds.

⚠️ Warning: Watermark is inserted into the image file at the time of shooting, which means that you can't change the post-facto settings for the photos you've already taken, you have to manually delete the inscription in the editor.

Where to find watermark settings

The interface of the Camera app on Redmi and POCO smartphones may vary depending on the version of the operating system. However, the logic of the menu layout remains the same for all current models. To remove the inscription, you need to go to the hidden menu of shooting parameters.

To start, run the standard Camera app. On the viewfinder's home screen, look at the top right or left corner (location depends on the version of MIUI), where you'll see an icon consisting of three horizontal bars or gears.

In the list that opens, select Settings (cog icon) and this is where all the basic parameters of the module, including resolution, framing grid, voice control and, of course, watermark settings, are concentrated.

Scroll down the options list. You don't need sections related to professional mode or HDR. Look for the settings block related to the look of the shots. It's usually in the bottom third of the settings list.

The process of disabling the model stamp

Once you're in the settings menu, look carefully at the options available. We're interested in a item that might be called "Watermark," "Time Mark," or "Add Time and Place." In older firmware versions, this switch could be one that combines all types of labels.

In modern versions of HyperOS and new MIUI builds, you can see a separate switchboard called the Model of the device, activate it to go into an inactive state (gray). If there is no such separate item, look for a common watermark switch.

Once the function is turned off, the system won't need to restart. The changes take effect instantly. Take a test shot and check the result in the gallery - there should no longer be text in the corner with the name of your smartphone.

It is important to note that some specific shooting modes, such as Portrait or Night, may have their own independent settings. If the stamp is only in a certain mode, check the settings inside that particular mode through the menu at the top of the viewfinder screen.

Time and geolocation settings

Often, users want to remove not only the model name, but also the date with the shooting time, which can also be displayed in the photo. In the camera settings menu, these parameters are often grouped. Next to the device model switch, there may be a Timetamp option.

If you want to leave a date but remove the phone model (or vice versa), make sure you control each switch separately. In some regions and firmware versions, there is a combined Watermark item that includes both model and time, in which case you can not control separately without using third-party modifications.

Also worth mentioning is the geolocation function, a placement stamp with coordinates or city name added separately, and if you care about privacy, it's recommended that you keep this feature off even if you've removed the camera name, which will prevent your location data from leaking when you post a photo.

Features for different Xiaomi models

Despite the uniform shell, there may be slight differences in the menus of different devices, and here is a table that will help you navigate the item names for popular smartphone series.

Owners of POCO series devices often note that in global firmware versions, menu items may be called differently than in the Chinese versions for the domestic market. If you do not find the right switch from the description, look for synonyms or related settings.

For flagship models like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, the camera interface can be changed by partnering with Leica, in which case watermarks can include the Leica logo and shooting options (focal length, shutter speed) and are removed by the same principle, but can be in the subsection “Leica style”.

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If you use a third-party camera app, such as Open Camera or Google Camera (GCam), the watermark settings are inside the app’s interface, not in Xiaomi’s system menu.

What to do if the settings are not saved

Rarely, there are situations where, after turning off the watermark and rebooting the smartphone, it reappears again, which can be caused by a software failure or application conflict, and first of all, try simply restarting the device after making changes.

If the problem persists, it's possible that the phone has a third-party photo processing app or a camera from another manufacturer that intercepts control. Check which application is the default for image processing.

It’s also worth clearing the Camera app cache. To do this, go to Phone Settings → Apps → All Apps → Find Camera → Memory → Clear the cache. Don’t confuse it with Clear Data, as this will reset all your personal camera settings.

⚠️ Warning: Cleaning the camera app data will reset all settings (resolution, grid, filters) to factory settings. Use this method only if cleaning the cache has not helped.

Removing the stamp from already taken photos

As mentioned earlier, the watermark is baked into the image when saved, and you can't remove it from the image you've already taken through the camera settings. You need retouching tools.

Xiaomi's built-in gallery editor has a "Lastik" or "Retouch" feature. Open a photo, click Change, select the object removal tool, and gently color over the text in the corner. Artificial intelligence will try to restore the background.

For better processing, you can use third-party applications such as Snapseed (the “Dot Tool”) or Adobe Lightroom, which allow you to remove the inscription with almost no trace, especially if the background is homogeneous.

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The watermark is a part of an image file (JPEG), not a separate layer, and can only be removed by retouching, overlapping the background pixels.

There are also online services for automatic watermark removal, but uploading personal photos to unknown servers can be insecure from a data privacy perspective.