The front camera on Xiaomi smartphones is a key element for selfies, video calls and streams. But even in the top-end models of the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ or Xiaomi 13 Ultra, users face problems: noise in low-light photos, blurred details, unnatural skin colors or lights. The reasons are both hardware limitations (small sensor, fixed aperture) and software optimization – the MIUI processing algorithms do not always perfectly adapt to the shooting conditions.
In this article, we will discuss 7 Proven Ways to Improve the Front Camera Without Buying a New Phone: From Hidden Settings MIUI And third-party applications to inexpensive accessories and hardware modifications, especially with models with a subscreen camera (for example, Xiaomi Mix). 4 or Redmi K50 Ultra, where quality is often affected by design, all methods tested on current firmware. MIUI 14/15 HyperOS.
1. Optimization of camera settings in MIUI: hidden settings and modes
The first step is to set up the standard Camera app correctly. Many users do not even realize that MIUI has hidden options that can be activated through Settings → Additional or Engineering Menu. For example, the Poco F5 and Redmi Note 12 models have HDR mode disabled for selfies by default, although it significantly improves detail in contrasting scenes.
How to enable hidden settings:
- 🔧 Open the Camera app, go to Settings (⚙️) → Additionally.
- 📱 Click 5 times in a row on the item "Version of the application" - the engineering menu will open.
- 🔍 In the Front Camera section, activate: Auto HDR (automatic HDR for selfie +2 (increased field) Denoise Level: High (enhanced noise reduction)
Important: In models with a subscreen camera (such as the Xiaomi Mix Fold 3), the engineering menu may be missing – instead, use the GCam app with a config for your model.
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If after changes in the engineering menu, the camera began to slow down, reset the settings through Settings → System → Reset application settings by selecting only the Camera application.
GCam Installation: Why It Works Better Than a Standard Camera
Google Camera (GCam) has long been the standard for improving photos on Xiaomi, with its key advantage being HDR+ and Night Sight processing algorithms that are better at handling dynamic range and noise than a standard MIUI camera. For example, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ GCam allows you to take selfies in dark rooms without using flash, while preserving your natural skin colors.
How to install and configure GCam:
- Download the current version of GCam for your model from the Celso Azevedo forum (for example, BSG 8.7 will be suitable for the Poco X5 Pro).
- Install. APK-file by allowing installation from unknown sources.
- Download the config (.xml file) for your model – it adjusts white balance, noise reduction and sharpness specifically for the front camera Xiaomi.
- In GCam, go to Settings → Configuration → Restore Config and select the downloaded file.
Recommended settings for selfies in GCam:
- 📸 Mode: Photo (not Portrait unless background blurring is needed)
- 🌓 HDR+: Auto or On (for contrasting scenes)
- 🔄 AWB (White balance: Cloudy (for warm skin tones)
- 🎯 Focus: Turn on Tap to focus and turn off Face retouch (to avoid excessive retouching).
3. Hardware improvements: ring light, lenses and filters
If software methods do not produce the desired result, it is worth considering inexpensive accessories, such as ring light with adjustable color temperature (5000–6500K) solves the problem of noise and blur in low light. For Xiaomi models with infrared illumination (for example, Redmi). K60) You can use the camera settings → Night mode. → Flash: Auto, but external light will give the best result.
Other useful accessories:
| Accessory | The effect | Compatibility | Price (roughly) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ring light with anchorage | Eliminates shadows, improves color reproduction | All models. | 800–2500 ₽ |
| Macro-lens (clip-on) | Increases sharpness when shooting from close range | Models with a lens diameter of 10-12 mm | 300–600 ₽ |
| Polarization filter | Removes glare, saturates colors | Adapter required for attachment | 500–1200 ₽ |
| External microphone (e.g. Boya BY-M1) | Improves sound in video calls/streams | All models with 3.5 mm or USB-C | 1500–3000 ₽ |
⚠️ Note: When using clip-on lenses on models with a subscreen camera (Xiaomi Mix 4, Redmi) K50 Ultra) may deteriorate due to the extra layer of glass.Before buying, check the reviews for your model.
4.Firmware and kernel updates: when it helps
In some cases, poor front camera quality is due to firmware bugs. For example, in the early versions of MIUI 14 for Xiaomi 12T, there was a defect that caused selfies to turn green when HDR was turned on. The solution is to upgrade to the last stable firmware or switch to custom (for example, LineageOS or Pixel Experience).
How to check and update the firmware:
- Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
- If a new version is available, download and install it.
- For manual verification, use the Xiaomi Firmware Updater app (available on GitHub).
If the official updates don't work, consider custom firmware, like the Pixel Experience porting the Google Pixel photo processing algorithms, which dramatically improves the detail on the front camera.
- 🔄 Requires to unlock the bootloader (fastboot oem unlock).
- 📱 Not all functions. MIUI will work (for example, will work, AI-retouch).
- ⚠️ Risk of "brick" (breakdown) if installed incorrectly.
How to unlock the bootloader on Xiaomi?
5. Cleaning the lens and sensors: why it matters
A polluted lens or sensors (such as ToF or infrared) can significantly impair the quality of a selfie, and dust, fingerprints, or residues of cosmetics on the camera glass can lead to blurring and glare, especially in models with a subscreen camera, where the sensor is protected by an additional layer of display.
How to clean the front camera correctly:
- Turn off your phone to avoid accidental tapping.
- Use a microfiber wipe (as for glasses) and isopropyl alcohol (70%) for degreasing.
- For hard-to-reach places (such as around the Redmi K70 Pro sensors), use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.
- Do not use paper wipes or rough fabrics – they scratch the glass!
⚠️ Note: On models with a subscreen camera (Xiaomi Mix Fold 2, Redmi) K60 Ultra) do not press the screen hard in the camera area – this can damage the matrix or plume!
Turn off the phone.|Use microfiber and alcohol|Clear the sensors. ToF/IR (if)|Check the quality after cleaning (take a test photo)|Do not use abrasive materials-->
6.Alternative apps for selfies and video calls
If a standard MIUI camera doesn't work, try specialized apps that offer advanced hand-picking settings, better processing, and even artificial intelligence for retouching, like Open Camera, which allows you to manually adjust ISO, shutter speed, and white balance, and YouCam Perfect automatically improves skin and lighting.
Top.-5 Apps to improve selfies on Xiaomi:
- 📷 Open Camera – open source, manual settings, support RAW.
- 🎨 YouCam Perfect — AI-retouching, lighting effects, background removal.
- 🌙 Night Camera – Specialized for shooting in the dark.
- 🤳 B612 — A popular application in Asia with hundreds of filters.
- 📹 Footage – for professional video calls (bitrate setting, stabilization).
For video calls (Zoom, WhatsApp, Telegram) use an external camera via the phone. OTG-Adapter. For example, a Logitech webcam. C920 It's going to be a lot better than the built-in Xiaomi front-end:
- Buy it. OTG-adapter (USB-C → USB-A).
- Put the camera on the phone.
- In the call app (such as Zoom), select an external camera in the video settings.
7 Hardware modifications: camera replacement and ISP firmware
If all software methods are exhausted, radical solutions remain: replacing the front camera or the firmware of the image processing (ISP). For example, in the Xiaomi Poco F3 you can install a camera from the Redmi K40 (analogue to the best sensor Sony IMX596).
How to flash ISP (on the example of Xiaomi 11T Pro):
- Unlock the bootloader and install TWRP.
- Download the modified ISP-Configuration for your model (see for the 4PDA).
- Using TWRP, run the file to /vendor.
- Reboot your phone and check the quality of your selfie.
⚠️ Attention: Wrong firmware ISP This can cause the camera to be completely inoperable or the artifacts in the photo. /vendor through TWRP!
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Hardware modifications are the last resort, and 90% of front camera problems are solved by software (GCam, settings, cleaning) or inexpensive accessories (ring light).