How to turn on the selfie mode on the Xiaomi smartphone: all the ways and hidden functions

The front camera on Xiaomi smartphones is not just a tool for quick shots, but a real creative laboratory with dozens of hidden features.+ POCO X6, Or the camera turns on, but the photos are blurry and the effects don't work?

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways to activate selfie mode, from basic to advanced, how to turn on the front camera through a standard app, gestures, voice, and even with hidden engineering menus (yes, they are even on budget Xiaomi), and also explain why on some models, selfie mode can be blocked by the system and how to fix it without resetting.

We will focus on the problems with autofocus on the front, customization of portrait mode and activation of night mode for selfies – these features often go unnoticed, although they can dramatically improve the quality of shots. And yes, at the end you will find an exclusive life hack to enable hidden mode “Beauty 2.0” on older Xiaomi models (until 2022), about which even in the official documentation there is not a word.

1. Basic method: Enabling selfies through the standard camera app

Let’s start with the obvious, the standard Camera app, on all Xiaomi smartphones (whether it’s Redmi 12, Mi 11 Ultra or Poco). F5) The algorithm is about the same, but there are nuances depending on the version. MIUI.

To turn on selfie mode:

1. Open the Camera app (the icon is usually on the home screen or in the app menu).
2. In the upper right corner, find a button with two arrows forming a circle (or the words "change cameras"). On some models, this may be an icon of the front camera with a man.
3. Tap this button, the camera will automatically switch to the front.
4. If the button doesn’t respond, try double tapping the screen or swipe your finger from left to right (on some firmware, this is a switching gesture).

In the models with MIUI 14+ (for example, Xiaomi 13T Redmi Note 12 Pro may have a different interface:

• 📱 Swipe up the screen – opens the panel modes, where you can select “Selfie” or “Portrait".
• 🔄 Long-term pressing of the camera switch button will display additional frontal settings (resolution, stabilization).
• 🎭 Icon "Effects" (smiley) - activates beauty modes, filters and AR-mask.

If the camera displays a black screen after switching or if it gives an error “Can’t connect to the camera”, the reasons may be as follows:

• 🚫 The camera app is locked in the resolution settings (check in Settings). → Annexes → Permits → Camera).
• 🔧 Firmware failure – Rebooting or resetting camera settings helps (more on this below).
• 🛠️ Physical damage to the module – if the camera does not work even after reset, the plume may have moved away.

2. Alternative ways to incorporate the front camera

It’s not always convenient to run a standard Camera app, especially if you want to take a selfie straight from a messenger or social network. Fortunately, there are a few alternative methods on Xiaomi.

2.1 Gestures and fast commands

On smartphones with MIUI 12 and later, you can activate the front camera without unlocking the screen:

• 👆 Double pressing the power button (configured in Settings) → Lock screen → Quick camera launch).
• 🗣️ Voice command: Say “OK, Google, take a selfie” or “Hey Mi, turn on the front camera” (requires to turn on the voice assistant in the settings).
• 🤏 The gesture "Tickles" on the locked screen (works on Xiaomi) 12S Ultra and newer).

2.2. Through third-party annexes

If the standard camera is buggy, try alternative apps from Google Play:

• 📸 Google Camera (GCam) – supports all frontal features, including night mode and HDR+. You can download it here (select the version for your model).
• 🤳 BeautyPlus or Snow – Specialized in selfies with AR-effects.
• 🎥 Open Camera - open source with manual settings for frontal.

💡

If the front camera does not work after installing GCam, try to enable the Use auxiliary cameras option in the application settings.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party apps, disable standard optimization MIUI for the camera in the developer settings (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to tap → For developers → Deactivate "Optimization" MIUI"). It's gonna prevent conflict.

Through the engineering menu (for advanced)

If the front camera refuses to turn on, it can be forced to activate through an engineering menu, which is suitable for Xiaomi models on Qualcomm processors (for example, Poco). X3 Pro, Redmi Note 11).

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the combination: ##36446337###
2. Choose Camera → Front Camera.
3. Press Enable (if the button is inactive, the camera is already on at the system level).
4. Reboot your smartphone.

3.Tune selfie modes for the perfect shot

Turning on the front camera is only half the battle, and to make selfies clear and expressive, you have to adjust the settings correctly, and let's look at the key options available on Xiaomi.

Modes of shooting

In the Camera app, swipe your finger across the screen from left to right to open the list of modes.

• 📷 Photo - standard mode with auto settings.
• 🎭 Portrait - blurs the background (bokeh effect) on new models (Xiaomi 13 Pro) 3D-blur.
• 🌙 Night mode - illuminates frames in low light conditions (does not work on all frontal phones).
• 🎥 Video - shooting with permission before 4K@30fps (flagship).
• 🤳 Beauty – Automatic corrections of skin, eyes and facial shape.

Manual settings (for professionals)

To open the extended parameters:

1. Turn on the front camera.
2. Touch the icons ⚙️ (Settings) at the top of the menu.
3. Select Professional Mode (or Manual Settings).

You can set it up here:

✅ Install ISO 800

✅ Insert stabilization (if any)

✅ Turn off Beauty Mode (or lower intensity to 30%)

✅ Use a timer for 3 seconds (avoids hand tremors)

✅ Insert a grid (rule of thirds)-->

3.3 Hidden Frontal Features on Xiaomi

Few people know, but Xiaomi smartphones have hidden options for selfies:

• 🔍 Super Night Selfie Mode – activated by long-term tap on the moon icon in night mode (operates on Mi 11 and newer).
• 🎨 Color profiles – in the camera settings, select Color style → Cinema or live colours.
• 👁️ Eye correction – in Beauty mode, turn on the option to correct your eyes (the camera automatically turns your eyes to the lens).

⚠️ Note: On budget models (Redmi) 10A, Poco M4 Pro) some features may be disabled at the firmware level. Unlocking them requires root access or custom firmware (e.g., Pixel Experience).

4. Solving problems with the front camera

Even on new Xiaomi smartphones, the front camera can malfunction. Consider typical faults and how to fix them.

The camera does not turn on or shows a black screen.

Causes and solutions:

• 📵 Application Conflict – Remove newly installed programs that requested access to the camera.
• 🔄 System failure - restart the smartphone in safe mode (press the power button) → "Safe Mode Reboot. If the camera is running, third-party software is to blame.
• 🛠️ Firmware damage - update MIUI until the latest version or reset through Settings → The phone. → Resetting settings.

4.2 Selfies are blurred or noisy

This is most often due to incorrect settings or hardware limitations:

• 📸 Fixed focus on budget models (Redmi) 9A) The frontal phone has no autofocus. Keep the smartphone at a distance of 20-30 cm from the face.
• 🌡️ Camera overheating -- if the smartphone is hot, the camera automatically reduces quality. Let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
• 🔍 Dirty lens – wipe the front camera with a soft cloth (do not use alcohol!).

💡

If blurring only appears in Portrait mode, try calibrating the camera: open Settings → Annexes → Camera. → Warehouse → Clear the cache.

Error "Cannot connect to the camera"

This error is caused by software failures.

1. Open the Settings. → Annexes → All applications → Camera. → Permissions and turn on all switches.
2. In the same menu, click Warehouse. → Clear the data (this will reset the camera settings to the factory).
3. If it does not help, reset via Fastboot (requires a PC and the Mi Flash Tool utility).

5. Hidden mode Beauty 2.0 on old Xiaomi

On Xiaomi 2020-2022 models (Mi 10, Redmi Note 9 Pro, Poco) X3 NFC) There's an improved beauty mode hidden in the firmware that's not displayed in the standard interface. ADB-commands or editing a configuration file.

Instructions for activation:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and enable debugging USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to tap → For developers → Debugging by USB).
2. Open the command line (Windows) or the terminal (Mac/Linux) Enter: adb shell settings put global beauty_mode_level 2
3. Reboot your smartphone.
4. Open the camera and tap the Beauty icon – an additional slider Improved correction will appear.

⚠️ Note: This team only works on firmware MIUI 12.0-12.5. on newer versions (MIUI 13+) The mode is already built into the standard settings called Natural Beauty.

6.Self Optimization for Social Media

Selfies for Instagram, TikTok or VK We need to take a different approach. Let's look at how to customize Xiaomi's front-facing camera for specific platforms.

6.1 Selfie for Instagram

Instagram compresses photos, so it’s important to:

• 📏 Select 4:5 aspect ratio (in camera settings) → "Ratio").
• 🎨 Filters – Turn off the built-in effects MIUI Add a filter to Instagram (so less quality loss).
• 🔍 Sharpness – increase the contrast parameter to +10% in manual settings.

6.2 Video selfie for TikTok

For short videos:

• 🎬 Permission - set up 1080p@60fps (video-setting).
• 🎤 Sound – Enable Noise Reduction in the microphone settings.
• 💡 Lighting – Use Night Selfie Mode even during the day (it adds soft light).

6.3 Selfie for Stories

For stories on Instagram or VKontakte:

• 📱 Vertical orientation – block the screen avoporotation.
• 🎭 AR-Masks – in the camera app, select Effects → Masks (working on) MIUI 13+).
• ⏱️ Timer – Set a 3 or 10 second delay to prepare.

7.Comparison of front-facing cameras on popular Xiaomi models

Not all front-ends on Xiaomi are the same. In the table below, you can compare key features across devices:

As you can see from the table, even budget models (Redmi) 10C) They have a front camera, but it's very limited. If you care about the quality of the selfie, look at the resolution of the matrix, the presence of autofocus and support for night mode.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the selfie mode on Xiaomi