How to turn on the fish eye lens on Xiaomi smartphones

Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones feature wide-angle modules that allow you to capture much more space in the frame than standard lenses. However, many users do not know that these modules often hide the “fish eye” mode or the possibility of its software emulation. This effect creates a characteristic distortion around the edges of the frame, making the image convex and spherical, which is ideal for creative shooting architecture or group photos.

The inclusion of this feature is not always obvious, as software manufacturers sometimes hide it in the depths of the menu or require the use of third-party solutions. In this article, we will discuss all the available ways to activate Fisheye mode on devices with MIUI shells and the new HyperOS. You will learn not only to find hidden settings, but also use specialized applications to get a professional result.

It is worth noting that the quality of the final image depends on the aperture of your main or ultra-wide module. The optical distortion created by the lens often looks natural and better than digital processing, so we will pay special attention to the hardware capabilities of your model.

Search for built-in mode in the standard Camera app

The first place to look for wide-angle distortion is the standard Camera app preinstalled on your device. Most current Xiaomi models have fish-eye mode integrated into the filter menu or lens settings. To access it, you need to launch the app and go to the Still or More section, where additional shooting modes are often hidden.

If you don't see a separate button in the main menu, try switching to Photo mode and clicking on the filter icon (usually three intersecting circles). Scroll through the list of available effects at the very end: there may be a Fisheye filter or Fish Eye, which is used in real time, allowing you to immediately evaluate the composition of the frame.

⚠️ Attention: Using a fisheye digital filter can reduce image detail around the edges of the frame due to software-based pixel processing.

On some models, such as the Xiaomi 13 or Xiaomi 14, the effect may only be available when using an ultra-wide-angle lens. Switch to the 0.6x module and check the settings for the optional menu (three dots or gear), sometimes called "Distorsion Correction" - you need to turn it off to get a bulge effect, although this depends on the firmware version.

Adjusting the ultra-wide-angle lens

The main tool for creating the fish-eye effect is the ultra-wide-angle camera module. On Xiaomi smartphones, it usually has a focal length of 12-14 mm equivalent to 35 mm matrix. To get the maximum effect, you must forcefully switch to this lens by pressing the 0.5x or 0.6x button in the viewfinder interface.

It's important to understand the difference between software crop and real optics. When you use zoom less than one, the phone can simply crop the image from the main sensor, which degrades the quality. The real effect is achieved only when you activate the physical ultra-wide module. In the camera settings, check if the option to use auxiliary cameras is enabled, if one is present in the Settings → Camera menu.

For creative photography, try to hold the camera as close as possible to the subject, keeping it in the center of the frame. Distortion is most pronounced in this perspective, stretching the edges and leaving the center relatively unchanged, a classic technique for shooting interiors or close-ups of animals.

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Hold the camera strictly horizontally or vertically relative to the ground so that the horizon lines don’t “close” too much unless you’re looking for abstraction.

Using Panorama Mode for 360 Effect

An alternative way to get a spherical image is to use Panorama mode, which, while technically not exactly a fish eye in the classic sense of a single frame, is often used for the same purpose. In Xiaomi smartphones, this mode allows you to create long horizontal shots or, when you turn the phone, spherical projections.

To activate this mode, go to the menu and select Panorama. Some versions of MIUI have Panorama 360, which automatically stitches the image from all sides, and after shooting, you can view the photo as an interactive sphere, rotating the device in space.

• 📸 Select the Panorama mode in the Additional Features menu.
• 🔄 Press the shutter button and slowly turn the phone on the guide arrow.
• 🌐 For full 360 degree coverage, continue rotation until the circle is complete.

The crosslinking quality in Xiaomi's algorithms is quite high, but it requires the immobility of objects in the frame. If people or cars move quickly, artifacts or "doubles" may appear at the joints. Try to shoot in good light so that the shutter speed is short.

Third-party applications for professional photography

If the camera's standard capabilities don't suit you, the market offers a variety of Fisheye-effect applications, which provide more flexible distortion settings, manual focus and exposure, and support for RAW format for later processing. One of the most popular solutions is the Open Camera app.

To install third-party software, you may need to access Google Play or download it. APK-Once you install the Open Camera app, you need to go to the settings (cogs), select the photo settings section, and find the fish-eye filter.

Another powerful tool is the Fisheye Camera app, which emulates lenses from various manufacturers, such as GoPro or Sigma, which allows you to impose real-time effects and even record distorted videos, which Xiaomi’s standard camera often can not do.

Table of comparison of methods of obtaining effect

To make it easier for you to choose the right way, we have prepared a comparison table that will help you assess the pros and cons of each method depending on your tasks and smartphone model.

As you can see from the table, the ultra-wide module remains the middle ground for most users, requiring no additional software installation and providing excellent quality, but for specific tasks, such as shooting highly distorted videos, third-party applications are essential.

⚠️ Warning: Installing apps from unknown sources (not from Google Play) may carry security risks. Always check developer ratings and reviews.

Post-factual misstatement and correction

Sometimes the fish-eye effect is not needed at the time of shooting, but on the finished photo, in which case powerful graphic editors such as Snapseed or Adobe Lightroom Mobile come to the rescue, and these applications allow you to apply distortion to any image, mimicking the work of a wide-angle lens.

In the Snapseed app, you need to open a photo, go to the Tools menu and select Perspective, or use the Double Exposure feature with texture overlay. A more advanced way is to use the Distortion tool in Lightroom, where you can bend the image to the desired extent with a Distortion slider.

The advantage of post-processing is that you save the original photo without distortion, so you can experiment with the power of the Fisheye effect many times over without losing the original file, and you can combine distortion with color correction to create a unique visual style.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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The best way to get a quality fish-eye effect is to use your smartphone’s physical ultra-wide-angle lens combined with a competent frame composition.