Watermark with the Xiaomi logo or MIUI Photos are annoying to many users — especially when the image needs to be sent to chat, uploaded to social networks or printed out, POCO X, Mi 11/12/13 The good news is that you can remove the camera icon without the root, without loss of quality and without removing it. EXIF-data.
Complicating the problem is that different versions of MIUI 12, 13 and 14 have different settings, where the option is on the surface and you have to pick it up through the engineering menu, and we tested all the current methods on 2020-2026 devices and selected 4 working methods, from the simplest to the radical (with complete disabling of tags in the system files), and we will also analyze why the sign can return after the update and how to prevent it.
If you're shooting on Xiaomi and you've ever tried to edit a photo in a third-party application, you've probably encountered a situation where a watermark is "imprinted" into a picture at the pixel level. EXIF-So just cropping or erasing it in Photoshop is not always enough: if you zoom in, you'll have traces left, and our instructions will help you remove the sign at the system level so that it doesn't appear in new photos.
1. Disabling the watermark in the camera settings (the easiest way)
On most modern Xiaomi smartphones (with MIUI 12.5+), the option to disable the watermark is placed in the main menu of the Camera app, but its location depends on the firmware version and regional build.
Open the Camera app and tap the settings gear (usually in the upper right corner). In the menu, find the Watermark or Camera Label (Watermark in English firmware). Translate the slider to off. If there is no such item, scroll through the list to the end: sometimes it hides under Additional Settings or Shooting Options.
- 📱 For MIUI 14: Camera settings → Additionally. → Watermark
- 📱 For MIUI 13: Settings → Camera tag (may be called Xiaomi logo)
- 📱 For POCO: Settings → Watermark POCO (Sometimes it is duplicated in the system settings. → Camera)
If the sign still appears in new photos after the shutdown, then the "Copyright Protection" feature (found on Chinese firmware) is activated on your device, in which case move on to the next method.
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Before shooting, check if the Professional or Portrait mode is turned on – the watermark can be added automatically, even if it is turned off in the settings.
2. Reset camera settings to factory
Sometimes the watermark gets stuck in the Camera app cache or conflicts with the user's presets, and resetting the camera settings will help, which won't delete your photos, but will return all the shooting parameters to factory values.
Go to Settings → Applications → App Management and find the Camera. Open its page, click Storage and select Clear Cache and Reset. After rebooting your smartphone, check if the icon has disappeared.
If the reset didn’t work, try removing the camera updates (if they were installed via Google Play):
- Go to Settings → Apps → Camera → Three dots (menu) → Remove updates.
- Reset the device.
- Open the camera and check the watermark settings again.
Clear the Camera app cache
Reset the camera settings to factory
Remove updates (if any)
Reboot your smartphone
Check the shooting in different modes-->
On some models (such as the Redmi Note 10 Pro) you may need to manually disable the Add Location Information option in the camera settings after reset, which sometimes conflicts with tags.
3. editing system files (for advanced users)
If standard methods don’t work, you’ll have to tamper with system files, which requires an unlocked bootloader and root rights (or ADB access), and we’ll look at two options: through MIUI Hidden Settings and manually through Root Explorer.
Method 1: MIUI Hidden Settings (without root)
Download MIUI Hidden Settings (or Activity Launcher) from Google Play, and open the hidden menu of the camera:
- Launch the app and find com.android.camera.
- Open CameraSettings or WatermarkSettings.
- Find the parameter. watermark_enable and set the value 0.
- Save the changes and restart the smartphone.
Method 2: Manual editing (root required) Attention: improperly changing system files can cause the camera to crash! Use Root Explorer or Solid Explorer with superuser rights:
- Go to /system/media/theme/default/watermark/.
- Delete or rename the watermark.png files and watermark_config.xml.
- Change the rights to the watermark folder (must be rwxr-xr-x).
- Reset the device.
| Method | Root is required. | Risk of failure | Retained after update |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camera settings | ❌ No. | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. |
| Cache dumping | ❌ No. | ❌ No. | ⚠️ Partially. |
| MIUI Hidden Settings | ❌ No. | ⚠️ Low. | ❌ No. |
| Editing system files | ✅ Yes. | ⚠️ High-pitched | ❌ No. |
What if the camera stopped working after editing the system files?
Use of third-party cameras (bypass)
If none of the methods worked, you have to install an alternative app for shooting.
- 📸 Google Camera (GCam): Supports all main camera features, but no watermarks. Requires the correct version for your model (see forums for more information). 4PDA or XDA-Developers).
- 📸 Open Camera: Open source with manual settings. Watermarks disabled by default.
- 📸 ProCam X: Paid App with Support RAW and without any slacks.
Before installing a third-party camera, disable the standard app (but don't delete it!):
- Go to Settings → Applications → Camera → Disable.
- Install an alternative camera from Google Play.
- Assign it to the default application for shooting.
The downside of this method is possible problems with HDR, night mode or wide-angle camera, since third-party applications are not always optimized for Xiaomi hardware. For example, on the Redmi Note 11 Pro + GCam may not support macro shooting, and on the POCO F4 - give relights in automatic mode.
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The side of the camera is a reliable way to remove the watermark, but they may not use all the hardware capabilities of the smartphone (for example, the camera’s side is not a good way to remove the watermark, AI-treatment).
5.Why does the watermark return after the MIUI update?
Many users complain that after updating the firmware, the camera icon returns, even if it was turned off in the settings.
- 🔄 Cache reset: Update MIUI Resets some user settings, including watermark settings.
- 📦 New System Files: The firmware can restore deleted tag files to /system/media/theme/.
- 🔒 Xiaomi policy: Chinese and global firmware sometimes forcibly include labels for “copyright protection".
To prevent the return of the sign:
- After the update, immediately check the camera settings and turn off the watermark.
- Use it. MIUI Hidden Settings to lock the parameter watermark_enable.
- If the update is critical, back up /system/media/theme/watermark/ and restore it after the update.
On some devices (for example, Xiaomi 12T) watermark is spelled out in build.prop. To remove it forever, you need to edit the line:
ro.camera.watermark.enable=falseBut it requires root rights and can disrupt other camera features.
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Before updating MIUI, take a screenshot of the current camera settings – so you can quickly restore them after the update.
6. How to remove the watermark from the already finished photos?
If the sign is already imprinted in the pictures, it can be removed by post-processing.
Retouch annexes:
- 🎨 Snapseed: Replacement tool or Healing brush will help to wipe the mark without traces.
- 🎨 Adobe Photoshop Express: Removing objects can handle the logo in 2 clicks.
- 🎨 PicsArt: Use Cloning or Blurring to disguise a sign.
Online services:
- 🌐 Remove.bg: Removes watermarks on a monochromatic background (for example, in the photo of documents).
- 🌐 Inpaint: Upload photos, circle the sign and download the clean version.
3. Manual editing (for advanced):
If the label is translucent, it can be disguised in Photoshop:
- Open the photo and create a new layer.
- With the Clone Stamp Tool, copy the texture next to the sign.
- Overlay the texture on the label and adjust the opacity of the layer.
⚠️ Note: When editing online, your photos are uploaded to third-party servers. Do not use these tools for sensitive photos (passports, tickets, etc.).
Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
When trying to remove a watermark, users often make critical errors that lead to camera crashes or data loss.
- 🚫 Delete system files without backup: If accidentally deleted camera_config.xml, camera will stop launching.
- 🚫 Use Play Market Cleaners: Apps like Watermark Remover often contain viruses or don’t remove the sign completely.
- 🚫 Edit build.prop without knowledge: One extra comma – and the smartphone will not boot.
- 🚫 Update MIUI through OTA Modified Files: This can lead to bootloop (locked download).
If the camera makes an error “I failed to connect to the camera” after manipulation, try:
- Clear the cache and data of the Camera application.
- Reboot your smartphone in Safe Mode (hold the power button → Reboot in Safe Mode).
- Recover deleted files from the backup or reflash the device via Fastboot.
⚠️ Note: On devices with locked bootloader (Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Redmi) K60) editing system files without unlocking will lead to hard brick (irreparable damage).