How to enable night shooting on Xiaomi: a complete guide with settings

Night shooting on Xiaomi smartphones is a powerful tool that turns even budget models into almost professional cameras for shooting in low light.Many users do not suspect that their Redmi or the Redmi is a powerful tool. POCO They can take vivid, detailed images at night without flashing -- you just have to turn it on and configure it correctly. Unlike standard automatic mode, nighttime photography uses multisecond shutter speed and complex processing algorithms to pull details out of the darkness.

In this article, we will not only discuss how to turn on the night mode on different Xiaomi models (from flagships to budget), but also reveal the secrets of its fine-tuning. You will learn why sometimes photos are blurry, how to fix it without a tripod, and which models support the “Night 2.0” mode with the help of the new model. AI-And also — compare the results of night shooting on the top Xiaomi 14 Ultra and budget Redmi Note 12, so you understand whether to overpay for the flagship for night photos.

Which Xiaomi models support night photography?

The feature of night shooting appeared in Xiaomi smartphones since 2018, but its implementation varies greatly depending on the model and version. MIUI. Here are the key points:

• 📱 Flagships (series) 11/12/13/14, Mix, Ultra: Full night mode with manual shutter speed settings (up to) 30 seconds, support RAW and AI-Optimization. For example, Xiaomi. 13 Pro uses the 1-Sony inch sensor IMX989, which physically captures more light.
• 💰 Mid-segment (Redmi) K50/60, POCO F4/5): Night mode is available, but shutter speed is limited 3-10 Often there's no manual setting. ISO. For example, POCO F5 Pro automatically selects shutter speed depending on the lighting.
• 🪙 Budget models (Redmi Note) 10/11/12, POCO M5): Simplified night mode with exposure to 3-5 On the Redmi Note. 10 When shooting with your hand often appear artifacts due to the lack of optical stabilization.

To find out exactly if your model supports night shooting, check the specifications on Xiaomi’s official website or open the Camera app – if the mode isn’t on the list, it can be enabled through hidden settings (more on that below).

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Redmi) 9A or POCO M3) Night mode may not be present in the standard camera app, in which case it can be activated via Developer Mode or third-party apps like GCam.

Step-by-step: how to turn on night shooting

Activation of night mode on most Xiaomi smartphones takes less than a minute.

1. Open the standard Camera app.
2. In the lower mode bar, swipe your finger to the left until you see the words Night (or icon). 🌙). On some models, this mode is hidden under the button.
3. Tap Night mode – the camera automatically activates settings for shooting in the dark.
4. Point the lens at the object and hold the smartphone as still as possible. a shutter timer will appear on the screen (for example, 3s or 10s).
5. Press the shutter button and wait until the shooting is over. Don't move the phone while the process is underway!

If the Night mode is not on the list, try:

• 🔄 Update the Camera app via Google Play.
• 📱 Reboot your smartphone – sometimes the mode disappears due to a failure MIUI.
• ⚙️ Enable Developer Mode and activate the option force_night_mode (More in the section on hidden functions).

Clean the lens of prints and dust

Shut down. HDR (It can degrade the quality)

Install the phone on a stable surface or use a tripod

Charge the battery by at least 30% (long exposure consumes a lot of energy)

Select an object with contrasting details (e.g. a illuminated building)

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On flagship models (for example, Xiaomi) 13T Pro) additional settings are available at night:

• 🎚️ Manual shutter speed: you can set the value from 1 to 30 seconds.
• 📸 RAW: saving a raw file for post-processing.
• 🌃 AI-Improvement: Automatic correction of noise and contrast.

⚠️ Attention: On Redmi Note 10 and older, when shooting with a shutter speed of more than 3 seconds without a tripod, software stabilization is activated that can trim the edges of the frame. To avoid this, use a physical support for the phone.

Hidden functions of night mode: how to improve quality

Even if your Xiaomi isn’t a flagship, you can significantly improve night shots with hidden settings and third-party tools.

1. Activation through Developer Mode

In some models (for example, POCO X3 Pro) night mode is hidden but can be switched on:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone and 7 times click on the MIUI version to activate Developer Mode.
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find the option. force_night_mode (Or Camera: turn on night mode) and turn it on.
4. Restart the phone – Night mode will appear in the camera app.

2.Using GCam (Google Camera)

The Google Camera app often handles night shooting better than the standard Xiaomi camera.

• 📲 Download a version of GCam that is optimized for your model (for example, Redmi Note 11 is suitable for your model). BSG GCam).
• 🔧 Install. APK-File (allow installation from unknown sources).
• 🌙 In GCam settings, turn on Night Sight and turn off HDR+ for better results.

3. Manual settings (for advanced users)

If your model supports Pro mode (e.g. Xiaomi) 11T Pro, experiment with parameters:

• 📏 Excerpt: 4-10 seconds, 1-3 dynamic.
• 🎛️ ISO: 800-3200 (The higher, the brighter, but noisier the picture).
• 🔘 White balance: 3500-4500K light-light.

Example of optimal settings for shooting the cityscape at night on Xiaomi 13 Pro:

Mode: Pro


Exposure: 8 seconds




ISO: 1600




Focus: Manual (infinity)




Format: RAW+JPEG




White balance: 4000K

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If shooting is interrupted due to vibration, turn on Delay Descent (2 or 10 seconds) in the camera settings, which will avoid shaking when you press the screen.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even with night mode on, the images can be blurry, noisy or too dark, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to correct them:

• 🤳 Shooting from the hand: Without a tripod or support exposure more 1/10 Solution: use the tools you can use (e.g., put your phone on a parapet) or buy a mini-station for a short time. 300-500 ruble.
• 🌆 Too dark object: Night mode is not magic - if the object is almost unlit, the camera will not be able to "pull out" details. Solution: use an external light source (lantern, street lamp).
• 🔄 Motion in the frame: People or cars in the picture will be blurred. Solution: reduce shutter speed to 1-2 seconds or take a few shots in a row.
• 📱 Dirty lens: Dust and fingerprints degrade quality 30-40%. Solution: Wipe your camera with a microfiber before shooting.

Another common problem is the lights on bright light sources (for example, lights or store windows) to avoid them:

1. Tap the screen in the darkest area of the frame so that the camera adjusts the exposure.
2. Manually reduce ISO before 400-800.
3. Use it. HDR Coupled with night mode (but not on all models it works well).

💡

On Xiaomi with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor (such as Xiaomi 13), the night mode automatically suppresses noise due to hardware acceleration. On budget chips (such as the Snapdragon 680 in Redmi Note 11), there will be more noise – here only post-processing in Lightroom or Snapseed will help.

Comparison of night shooting on different Xiaomi models

To give you an idea of what to expect from your model, we tested the night mode on four Xiaomi smartphones in the same conditions (street at night, lighting from lights).

As you can see from the test, the difference between a flagship and a budgeter is huge, but even on the Redmi Note 12, you can get acceptable pictures if you:

• 📸 Use GCam instead of a standard camera.
• 🔦 Add external light (for example, flashlight).
• ✂️ Cut the frame in post-processing, removing the noisiest edges.

Interesting fact: on Xiaomi 13 Ultra, laser autofocus is used in night mode, which more accurately determines the distance to the object even in complete darkness. On budget models, the camera often misses focus, which makes the pictures appear blurry.

Post-processing of night photos: programs and tips

Even the perfect night shot can be improved with post-processing. Here are the top 3 tools for editing night photos with Xiaomi:

• 📷 Adobe Lightroom (free): Increase exposure to +0.5-1.0. Reduce the Noise (Detail tab). Add Contrast (+15-25) for clarity.
• 🎨 Snapseed (free): Use the Selective Correction tool to lighten only dark areas. Apply the Night filter in the Styles section.
• 🖥️ Topaz Gigapixel AI (Increases lossless resolution, automatically removes noise and artifacts.

An example of editing in Lightroom for a shot with Redmi K50:

1. Import. RAW-file (if the recording was done in this format).
2. In the section Light: Exposition: +0.8 Shadows: +50 Black spot: -15
3. In the section Details: Noise reduction: 30 (color), 15 (light) Sharpness: 40 (mask 60)

If you're filming in JPEG, Avoid increasing exposure too much, which will make noise, and instead work with curves (in Lightroom or Photoshop) to spotlight the areas you want.

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Keep the night photos in format DNG (RAW), If your model supports it, you'll get a 20-30% More details in post-processing than in JPEG.

Alternative ways to shoot in the dark

If your Xiaomi night mode is not working well or is not working well, try these methods:

1. Shooting in Pro mode with manual settings

On most models (except the most budget) there is a Pro-mode, where you can manually set:

• 🕒 Excerpt: 1/10–30 seconds (the longer, the brighter, but the higher the risk of lubrication).
• 📊 ISO: 100–6400 (optimally 800–1600).
• 🎯 Focus: Manual focus on infinity for landscapes.

Example of settings for shooting the starry sky on Xiaomi 12S Ultra:

Mode: Pro


Exposure: 20 seconds




ISO: 3200




Focus: Manual (to the stars)




Format: RAW




White balance: 4000K

2. Night photography applications

If the standard camera doesn’t suit you, install one of these apps:

• 📌 Night Camera (Automatically Processing Photos).
• 📌 Manual Camera (full control of settings).
• 📌 AstroCamera (specializes in shooting stars).

3. Filming in format RAW + processing

Files. RAW They contain raw data from the sensor, which allows you to pull out the parts in the post-processing, to shoot in the image. RAW Xiaomi:

1. Open Pro mode in the camera app.
2. Click on the settings icon (⚙️) and turn on Save in RAW.
3. Take a photo – two files will appear in the gallery: JPEG (ready-made DNG (editable).

For processing RAW fit:

• 🖥️ Adobe Lightroom Classic on PC).
• 📱 Lightroom Mobile (on the phone).
• 🖼️ Darktable (Free analogue of Lightroom).

⚠️ Attention: Shooting in RAW borrow 3-5 more space on the disk than JPEG. On Xiaomi 64 GB memory can be a problem – watch the space or use a memory card.

FAQ: Frequent questions about night shooting on Xiaomi