How to reduce the quality of video on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a shortage of internal memory, especially if they actively shoot high-resolution videos. Modern matrices and image processing algorithms create huge files that quickly fill the storage. Decreasing the quality of the video stream is an effective way to free up gigabytes of space without losing important visual context.

There are several approaches to this task, from changing the settings before shooting to compressing already finished files. Optimizing bitrate and resolution allows you to adapt content for fast sending through messengers or placement in cloud storage with limited rates. Understanding the technical aspects of how codecs work will help you find a balance between file size and acceptable picture.

In this article, we will take a closer look at MIUI and third-party tools, learn how to manage recording parameters and convert media efficiently, and fine-tune your settings to save your time and disk space.

Configure the recording parameters in the Camera application

The easiest way to get smaller video is to change the settings just before shooting. Xiaomi’s standard camera app offers flexible quality management tools. By default, the system often chooses maximum values, such as 4K or Full HD with high bitrate, which is not always necessary for household needs.

To access the settings, open the app and find the menu in the top corner of the screen. You can change the resolution from 4K to 1080p or even 720p. Decrease in resolution directly affects the number of pixels in a frame, which significantly reduces the total weight of the file. Also worth paying attention to frame rate: choosing 30 fps instead of 60 fps will reduce the video size by almost half without critical loss of smoothness for static scenes.

💡

Use 720p at 30 frames per second to record long lectures or meetings where speech is important, not picture detail.

Don't forget the encoding format. Newer firmware versions offer the option of choosing the HEVC codec (H.265) over the standard H.264. While HEVC provides better compression while maintaining quality, older devices may not play such files. If compatibility is more important than saving space, it's best to stay on the classic standard.

⚠️ Attention: When switching to mode 4K 60 fps camera app can automatically turn off some features, such as stabilization or real-time filters, due to the high load on the processor.

Using third-party compression applications

If the video is already recorded in high quality, specialized applications from Google Play will help reduce its size. Xiaomi's regular file manager does not have a built-in converter, so you will need to install additional software.

The way these utilities work is simple: you pick a file, you specify the size or compression percentage you want, and the algorithm recodes the stream. Compression algorithms remove excess information that's invisible to the human eye. 5-10 Some applications allow you to adjust the bitrate manually, which gives a more predictable result.

When using third-party software, it is important to monitor compression artifacts. Excessive algorithm aggression can lead to "squares" in the image or desynchronization of sound. Compression is considered optimal, in which visual losses are only noticeable when directly compared to the original on a full screen. Always check the result before deleting the source.

• 📱 Video Compressor: a popular application with a simple interface and ready presets for WhatsApp and Instagram.
• 🎬 KineMaster: video editor that allows you to manually set bitrate and frame rate when exporting.
• 📉 Reduce Video Size: a utility focused on reducing the weight of the file with minimal loss of quality.

Conversion via PC and professional software

It's easier to use a computer to process a large archive of video. The HandBrake or FFmpeg software package gives you maximum control over the process. USB-In the file transfer mode, you can process video recordings.

Using dual-pass encoding on a PC allows you to achieve the best quality-size ratio. You can set a target file size, and the program itself will select the desired bitrate parameters, which is especially true if you want to put video within the limits of email attachments or messenger restrictions.

ffmpeg -i input_video.mp4 -vcodec libx264 -crf 28 output_video.mp4

The above command for FFmpeg demonstrates how to change the CRF (Constant Rate Factor) parameter. Increasing the CRF value reduces the quality and size of the file. 28 will give good compression, whereas 18-23 is considered visually lossless. It is a powerful tool for those who are ready to work with the command line.

Table of comparison of video parameters

To better understand how different settings affect the final result, consider a comparison table, which is for one minute of writing using the H.264 codec.

As you can see from the table, switching from 4K to HD reduces file size by almost 10 times. For social networks, where streams are often compressed by the server, shooting in 4K often makes no sense. Full HD at 30 frames remains the optimal standard for most tasks.

Optimization of transmission through messengers

A common reason for the quality decline is the need to send videos via Telegram, WhatsApp, or Viber, which have tight limits on the size of the files you transfer. If you send a video as a Photo/Video, the messenger itself compresses the stream heavily, often making the picture soapy.

To control the process, it is better to send the file as a "Document." However, if the file size limit in the chat is limited (for example, 20 MB in WhatsApp), you will have to compress the video before sending. In Telegram, you can choose the quality "Mediocre" or "Low" when sending, and the application will suggest compressing the file before sending.

⚠️ Note: When sending a video via messengers in the "Document" mode, the original quality is retained completely, but the recipient will not be able to view the preview and will have to download the entire file.

For regular reports or short videos, set up a camera app to shoot at lower resolution, which will save you time to convert. Also remember that lighting plays a key role: well-lit videos at low bitrate look better than dark at high.

Working with cloud storage and streaming

If your goal is to save space in the cloud (Google Photos, Yandex.Disk), use compression functions when downloading. Google Photos offers a mode "Saving space", which automatically reduces the quality of downloaded media files to 15 MP for photos and standard HD for video.

On Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI or HyperOS shells, you can configure sync with the Mi Cloud. There are also download quality settings available. By choosing standard quality over the original, you get almost unlimited storage space for archives.

💡

Automatic sync in “Saving Space” mode is the best way to save years of video archives without buying additional gigabytes in the cloud.

For streaming to platforms like YouTube or Twitch, downloading the original 4K file can take hours. Download the compressed version to Full HD. Platform algorithms will still recode your video for different Internet speeds, so the 4K source will only give you an increase in quality for users with a Premium subscription and fast Internet.