How to reduce the weight of photos on your Xiaomi phone: from built-in tools to professional apps

Photos on Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi and POCO lines) are taking up more space — modern cameras with a resolution of 48 MP, 64 MP or even 200 MP generate files weighing 10-20 MB each. When shooting actively, memory is clogged in a matter of days, and uploading such photos to messengers or social networks becomes a problem due to limitations on file size. Fortunately, you can reduce the weight of the images directly on the phone — without a computer and loss of visual quality.

In this article, we will discuss 7 working methods: from standard MIUI functions to little-known tricks with Google Photos and third-party utilities. You will learn how to compress photos for WhatsApp (limit 16 MB), Telegram (up to 50 MB), VKontakte (up to 25 MB) or Instagram (optimally 1-2 MB), as well as how to automate the process so as not to do it manually every time.

1. Built-in compression in the Xiaomi Gallery (without installing apps)

The easiest way is to use tools already integrated into the MIUI firmware. the compression function is hidden in the photo editing menu, but works effectively: reduces weight by 30-70% without visible loss of quality when viewed on the smartphone screen.

How to do this:

• 📷 Open the gallery and select the photo you want.
• ✏️ Press "Edit" (the pencil icon at the bottom).
• 🔍 Scroll the tools to the right to Size (or Compress in newer versions MIUI).
• 📉 Select the compression level: Small (keeps ~50% quality), Medium (~70%) or High (~90%).
• 💾 Press Save as a Copy to avoid erasing the original.

⚠️ Warning: In some models (e.g., Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi Note 12 Pro+), the compression option may not be available in the standard gallery, in which case use an alternative method via Google Photos (section 2) or third-party apps (section 4).

Comparison of compression results in the built-in gallery:

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Built-in compression in MIUI is the fastest way, but only for single photos. Use Google Photos or specialized applications for batch processing.

2. Automatic compression via Google Photos (with synchronization)

Google Photos offers two modes of storage: “Original quality” (no compression) and “High quality” (with automatic weight reduction); the second option provides unlimited cloud storage for free, but compresses the photo to a resolution of 16 MP (even if the source is 48 or 108 MP).

How to turn on:

1. Install Google Photos from Play Market (unless set by default).
2. Open the app and tap on the avatar in the upper right corner → “Settings Photos”.
3. Select “Backup and Sync” → “Backup Quality”.
4. Activate High Quality (Compression) or Save Space (Even stronger compression, but with a free storage limit).

After that, all new photos will automatically compress when uploaded to the cloud, to compress existing images:

• 🔄 Go to the Library → Device.
• 📤 Select the photo (press your finger) and click "Backup".
• 📥 After sync, download the compressed versions back to your phone (long tap → “Save to Device”).

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If you need to compress a photo to send to the messenger, but do not want to wait for sync with Google Photos, use the option “Send a copy” in the menu (Share) – many applications (for example, Telegram) automatically offer to compress the file before sending.

3. Setup Xiaomi camera to automatically save lightweight photos

Few people know, but in the camera settings Xiaomi can initially set up to save photos in a reduced size, this is true if you shoot a lot, but do not need maximum resolution (for example, for stories on Instagram or posts in Vkontakte).

Instructions:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Tap the gear (⚙️) or swipe up to open the settings.
3. Go to the photo resolution section (or the aspect ratio in some models).
4. Select the lower resolution: 📸 9 MP (4:3) – optimal for social networks; 📸 12 MP (16:9) – balance between quality and weight; 📸 48/64/108 MP – only if you need the original for printing.

Keep compressed copies

⚠️ Warning: On flagships (Xiaomi 13 Ultra, MIX Fold 3), when selecting a resolution below the maximum, Pro or Night Mode mode may be turned off. Check available options after changing the settings.

4. Third-party applications for professional compression

If built-in tools aren’t enough, use specialized utilities that offer flexible compression settings, batch processing, and support for HEIC/HEIF formats (which take up 40% less space than JPEG at the same quality).

Top.-3 apps:

Example of batch compression in Photo & Picture Resizer:

Choose a photo in the gallery →"Open with help" → Photo Resizer|Specify the target size (e.g, 1200×1600 pixel)|Choose the format (JPEG or HEIC)|Press "Squeeze and Save"|The finished photos will be saved in the folder "Resized"-->

For maximum quality control, use manual settings:

• 🎯 JPEG: 80-85% (optimum for social media)
• 📏 Resolution: 1600×1200 for VKontakte, 1080×1080 for Instagram;
• 🔄 Delete EXIF: Turn on if you want to hide metadata (location, camera model).

5. conversion to HEIC/HEIF format (saving up to 50% of space)

The HEIC (or HEIF) format is used by default on the iPhone, but it can be used on Xiaomi to save a lot of space, and HEIC files weigh 1.5 to 2 times less than JPEG, with the same visual quality.

• ✅ Supports Android 9+ (all current Xiaomi smartphones);
• ❌ Not all social networks and messengers process HEIC correctly (e.g., VK converts them to JPEG automatically);
• 🔧 For PC viewing, you may need to install codecs (e.g., HEIF Image Extensions for Windows).

How to convert photos to HEIC on Xiaomi:

1. Install the HEIC Converter app.
2. Select a photo in the gallery → “Open with” → HEIC Converter.
3. Click “Convert to HEIC” and wait for the processing.
4. Finished files will be saved to the HEIC_Images folder.

Comparison of formats (for example, photos with Xiaomi 12T Pro, 12 MP):

6. Optimization for specific services (Instagram, WhatsApp, VK)

Each service has its own limitations and size recommendations, and by following them, you can reduce weight without losing visual quality when viewing in a feed or chat.

Recommended parameters:

• 📸 Instagram: Resolution: 1080×1080 (square) or 1080×1350 (portrait); Weight: up to 1–2MB (optimum for fast loading); Format: JPEG with quality 85–90%.
• 💬 WhatsApp/Telegram: Maximum weight: 16MB (WhatsApp), 50MB (Telegram); Recommended resolution: 1600×1200 (enough to be viewed on screen); Tip: use built-in compression when sending (in Telegram — pin a photo → “Squeeze image”).
• 👥 VK: Maximum weight: 25 MB; Optimal resolution: 2048×1536 (for albums) or 1600×1200 (for walls); VK automatically compresses the photo when it loads, so the source above 2048px on the long side is meaningless.

⚠️ Warning: On Instagram and VKontakte, photos with a resolution above the recommended are cropped or scaled with loss of quality. For example, if you upload a picture to Instagram 4032×3024, the service will reduce it to 1080×1350, but make it worse than specialized apps.

7.Removal of metadata (EXIF) for additional weight loss

Each photo contains metadata (EXIF): information about the camera model, shooting settings, geolocation, and even the serial number of the device, which can take up to 100-200 KB per file, and deleting them will not only reduce weight, but also increase privacy.

How to clean EXIF on Xiaomi:

1. Install EXIF Eraser.
2. Open the app and select a photo from the gallery.
3. Click on “Delete EXIF” → “Save as a new file”.
4. File weight will decrease by 5-15% (depending on the amount of metadata).

Alternative method (without installing applications):

1. Send the photo to your email (e.g. Gmail).


2 Download it back to your phone, and the EXIF will be partially deleted.




3. Repeat the process for complete cleaning.

⚠️ Warning: Delete EXIF is irreversible! If you care about location or settings (for example, for professional processing), save the original to a separate folder.

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Deleting metadata is especially important for photos you plan to post publicly (social media, blogs) that protect your privacy and further reduce the weight of files.

FAQ: Frequent questions about compression photos on Xiaomi