How to Remove Noise on Xiaomi Camera: From Simple Methods to Deep Customization

Noise in photos and video from Xiaomi camera is a common problem that spoils even the most successful shots. Grain, color artifacts or blur can appear due to incorrect settings, a contaminated lens, software failures or hardware limitations. In this article, we will analyze all possible causes of noise on the cameras of Redmi, POCO and Mi smartphones, and give step-by-step instructions for their elimination – from basic actions to advanced methods.

It’s important to understand that noise levels are different from the device model. For example, the flagship Xiaomi 13 Ultra or 14 Pro are equipped with advanced sensors and noise reduction algorithms, while the budget Redmi Note 12 or POCO M5 can suffer from graininess in low light conditions. We took these features into account and prepared solutions that work on any Xiaomi device – from the old Mi A1 to the latest models of 2026.

If you've tried cleaning the lens before, but the problem is, don't rush your phone to service. 80 percent of the time, the noise is eliminated by software that doesn't require disassembling the device, and let's start with the simplest ways and gradually move on to the more complex ones.

1. Cleaning the lens: why it's the first thing to do

The most common but often overlooked cause of noise is dirt on the lens, and dust, fingerprints, or micro-scratches scatter light, leading to artifacts in the images, especially when shooting against a light source (such as in the sun or near a lamp).

How to clean the lens correctly:

• 🧴 Use a microfiber wipe (the same as for glasses) - it leaves no villi and does not scratch the glass.
• 💧 If there are greasy spots, lightly moisten the napkin with distilled water or a special optics liquid (e.g., Zeiss).
• ❌ Do not use alcohol, acetone or household detergents - these may damage the protective coating of the lens.
• 🔍 Check if there are microcracks on the glass, and if there are, the noise will appear even after cleaning.

Once cleaned, take a test shot in a well-lit room. If the graininess remains, move on to the next step. If the noise has decreased but has not completely disappeared, the problem may be the software processing (more on this below).

⚠️ Warning: Never blow on the lens with your mouth - saliva contains enzymes that erode the protective coating over time. Also avoid paper wipes or clothing - they scratch the glass.

Camera settings: what parameters affect noise

Incorrect settings of the Camera application can artificially increase noise, especially in automatic mode. Xiaomi often overloads software with post-processing, which in some scenarios backfires.

The main settings that need to be checked:

• 📸 Resolution and aspect ratio: Shooting 48 MP instead of 12 MP increases detail but also increases noise (due to smaller pixel sizes). 12 MP is better for low light.
• 🌙 Night mode: Turns on automatically in low light, but sometimes works worse than manual setting ISO. Try turning it off in Camera Settings → Night mode → Off.
• 🎯 HDR: Useful for contrasting scenes, but can add artifacts at dusk. Turn it off in Settings → HDR → Off.
• 🔄 AI- Scenes: Xiaomi's algorithms sometimes misbalance white, which amplifies color noise. Turn off the Settings → AI- camera → Off.

If you are shooting a video, pay attention to bitrate and stabilization:

• 🎥 In the video settings, select High bitrate – this will reduce compression artifacts.
• 🌀 Turn off Ultrastabilization if you're shooting from a tripod -- it cuts the edges of the frame and can add noise.

After changing the settings, take a few test shots in different conditions. If the noise remains at the same level, the problem may lie in software failures or hardware limitations.

Turn off the AI- camera |

Manually set ISO (max. 800)|

Use a tripod or support |

Shoot in 12 MP | format

Turn off HDR-->

3. Resetting camera settings to factory

If manual adjustment didn't help, it's possible that the Camera app has accumulated configuration errors, and resetting will return all settings to default values, which often solves the noise problem.

How to reset your settings:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Tap on. ⚙️ Settings (cog in the upper right corner).
3. Scroll down and select Restore Default Settings.
4. Confirm the action.

After the reset, check if there's any noise left. If so, move on to the next step. If the problem has gone away, you've used suboptimal settings before. Now you can gradually turn on the functions (HDR, AI, night mode) and see which one is causing the artifacts again.

⚠️ Warning: Resetting does not delete photos or videos, but resets all your preferences (resolution, aspect ratio, filters). Write down your current settings if you want to restore them later.

If the reset didn’t help, the problem could be system failures or conflict with other applications, in which case cleaning the cache or reinstalling the Camera app will help.

4. Cleaning the cache and data of the Camera application

The Camera app cache is clogged with temporary files over time that can affect image processing.Cache clearing is a safe procedure that doesn't delete your photos, but can eliminate software artifacts.

Instructions for Android 12/13/14 (MIUI 13/14):

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the camera on the list and tap it.
3. Select Warehouse and Cache.
4. Press Clear cache.
5. (Optional) If the problem is serious, click Clear Data, it will reset all camera settings.

After cleaning, restart your phone and check the camera.If there is any noise, try updating the app or reinstall it (if possible on your model).

On some Xiaomi devices, the Camera app is system-based and does not update through Google Play. In this case, only a firmware update will help (more about this in the next section).

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If the camera is slowing down after cleaning the cache, don't worry, it's temporary. The system will re-optimize the app for your use cases.

5. Update firmware and camera app

Outdated software is one of the main causes of software artifacts in photos. Xiaomi regularly releases updates that improve image processing, add new noise reduction algorithms and fix bugs. Check the relevance of your firmware:

How to update firmware:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Click Check for updates.
3. If a new version is available, download and install it.

If the update doesn’t solve the problem, try installing the Camera app beta (if it’s available for your model).

• 🔗 Sign up for the Mi Community Beta (Xiaomi account required).
• 📥 Download APK- file from an official source (e.g. APKMirror).
• 🔧 Install the file by allowing installation from unknown sources.

Important: Beta versions may contain bugs. If the camera gets worse after the upgrade, roll back to a stable version.

If the updates didn't help, consider using alternative photography apps like Google Camera (GCam), which often do better at noise cancellation than the standard Xiaomi camera.

6. Checking hardware problems

If the software methods didn't work, the noise could be caused by hardware malfunctions, and here are the most common problems.

What to check:

• 🔍 Dust inside the camera module: If particles are caught under the lens glass, they will scatter light, as you can see when shooting against a bright background (blurred circles appear).
• 💥 Matrix damage: A phone drop or impact can damage the sensor, resulting in persistent noise or broken pixels.
• 🔋 CPU overheating: During long-term video shooting or hot weather, the phone may overheat, which impairs image processing.
• 🔌 Camera plume problems: If the plume has moved away or is damaged, the camera can work with artifacts.

How to diagnose hardware problems:

1. Shoot video in 4K in good light, and if the noise is still in the light, it's a sign of a matrix problem.
2. Light the flashlight on the lens at an angle, and if you see dust or scratches inside, you'll need to disassemble.
3. Check the temperature of your phone after 5-10 minutes of shooting. If it gets too hot, try short sessions.

⚠️ Warning: If you suspect a hardware malfunction, don't try to disassemble the phone yourself - this could lead to a loss of warranty.

Critical: On telephoto lens devices (such as the Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Redmi Note 12 Pro+), zoom noise is often associated with mechanical wear of the lenses. If the artifacts are amplified when approaching, this is a sign of a telephoto lens malfunction.

7. Alternative solutions: GCam and manual processing

If a standard Xiaomi camera can’t handle noise, try alternative shooting and post-processing methods that won’t fix hardware problems, but can improve the result significantly.

1. Google Camera (GCam):

• ✅ Best noise cancellation in low light conditions.
• ✅ Night Sight support (similar to night mode, but often works better).
• ❌ Requires manual adjustment for each model.

Recommendations for setting up GCam:

• 📱 For the Redmi Note 12 Pro+, the BSG GCam version with BigKaka config is suitable.
• 📱 For POCO X5 Pro - Shamim GCam with Sabre disabled.
• 📱 For flagships (Xiaomi 13/14) – Wichaya GCam with support for all modules.

Manual noise cancellation in post-processing:

• 🖼️ Adobe Lightroom (Noise Reduction tool in Details section).
• 🖼️ Topaz Denoise AI (Uses AI to remove noise without losing detail).
• 🖼️ Snapseed (free tool Selective correction for local noise reduction).

Example of settings in Lightroom:

1. Import the photo to Lightroom.
2. Go to the Editing module.
3. In the Details section, move the Noise Reduction slider to 25-40 (no more, otherwise details will be lost).
4. Increase the contrast by 10-15 to compensate for the blur.

These methods won't replace a good camera, but they will help save the images that have been taken, and if the noise comes even after the post-processing, the hardware is the problem.

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The GCam often shows the best results on Xiaomi’s budget (Redmi/POCO), whereas on flagships the difference with the native camera is minimal.

FAQ: Frequent questions about noise on Xiaomi's camera