Where to look when selfie on Xiaomi: 7 proven techniques for the perfect shot

Have you ever noticed that even with perfect lighting and a professional Xiaomi front camera, your selfies don't look natural? It's all about the direction of the eye! Right eye positioning can transform a photo: make it lively, expressive, and even hide small flaws. But where exactly do you look, in the lens, on the screen or sideways?

In this article, we will discuss 7 selfie techniques for taking into account the features of Xiaomi cameras (including the Redmi Note 12 Pro+, Xiaomi 13 Ultra and POCO F5), learn how to use autofocus on the eyes and select the best camera settings, and learn how to fool the retouch algorithms to keep natural from any angle.

Why the direction of the eye is so important for selfies

Psychological research shows that people subconsciously perceive the direction of their eyes as a nonverbal signal, that a direct look at the lens creates eye contact and trust, and a sideways look adds mystery or romance. At the same time, Xiaomi is using AI-portrait mode, which automatically adjusts sharpness to the focus of the eyes - if you look in the wrong place, the picture will be blurred.

Another nuance is the location of the front camera on smartphones. In Xiaomi 12S Ultra or Redmi K60 Pro models, it is shifted to the left, so a direct look at the lens will be perceived as a slightly sideways look. And in POCO X5 Pro, the camera is centered, the rules change. We tested 15 Xiaomi models and found that there is no universal solution, but there is a golden rule: step away from the lens 1-2 mm towards the screen for natural effect.

• 🔍 A straight look is good for business image or open portraits, but on Xiaomi with a wide-angle frontal can distort the proportions of the nose.
• 💫 Looking down visually lengthens the neck and chin (good for round faces) works best with the 3.0 Beauty Effect on.
• 😏 Looking aside adds dynamics, but requires precise focus. On the Xiaomi 13 Lite with autofocus on the eyes, it works 90% of the time.

⚠️ Warning: If you wear glasses, avoid looking strictly at the lens - glare from the glasses will spoil the picture. MIUI.

Techniques №1: A look into a virtual triangle (for natural portraits)

This is a technique that professional photographers use, and it works great on Xiaomi 108MP smartphones. Imagine on the screen an equilateral triangle, the top of which is between your eyebrows and the base passes through your chin, and your task is to look at one of the base points:

• 🔺 Left-handed dot – adds confidence, fits for business selfie.
• 🔺 Central point – a universal option for social networks.
• 🔺 Right dot – creates the effect of “reflection”, ideal for art photography.

On the Xiaomi 12T Pro and later, this technique works particularly well thanks to the Depth of Field feature, which blurs the background and focuses on the eyes.

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Go to Portrait Mode.
3. Touch the badge. ⚙️ → Background effects → Choose Blurring (strong).

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If you have Xiaomi with AMOLED-Reduce the brightness to 70% before selfies – this will reduce the load on the eyes and prevent the effect of “red squirrels” on the photo.

Techniques №2: "Law 2/3" For the composition (as professionals)

This is a rule of composition from classic photography, adapted for selfies on Xiaomi. The bottom line: mentally divide the screen into 9 equal parts (like in grid mode) and place your eyes on the upper horizontal line.

On ultra-wide frontal models (such as the Xiaomi 12S Ultra), shift your eyes closer to the center of the screen to avoid distortion at the edges. But owners of the POCO M5 with a fixed f/2.2 aperture are better off sticking to strictly top points - this compensates for the lack of sharpness.

Techniques №3: Over-the-shoulder look (for romantic shots)

This is a popular technique among bloggers, and it works great on Xiaomi with gyroscopic stabilization, so turn the body 45 to 60 degrees from the camera, and turn your head back slightly so that you look down on your shoulder.

• 🎯 On Xiaomi 13 Lite, use the Mode "Cinema" for smooth blurring the background.
• 💡 Turn on screen illumination (in camera settings) if shooting in a dark room.
• ⚠️ Avoid this angle with a wide-angle camera – the distortion of the figure will be too noticeable.

To enhance the effect, adjust the white balance manually:

Camera settings → Professional Mode → WB → 5200K (for warm light)

Mistakes that ruin Xiaomi selfies (and how to avoid them)

Even with a perfect look, selfies can be ruined by technical flaws. TOP-5 Mistakes of Xiaomi users that we have identified in reviews MI Community:

1. Shooting with an outstretched arm distorts the proportions on wide-angle cameras. Use the Heart Finger Gesture or the Mi Band remote for remote descent.
2. Looking in mirror image – Xiaomi has a mirror selfie turned on by default, but the look should be directed at the physical camera, not its reflection on the screen.
3. Ignoring Focus – On non-autofocus models (like the Redmi 10A), be sure to touch the screen for manual focusing.
4. Too close – keep your smartphone at a distance of 30-50 cm on Xiaomi 13 Ultra minimum focal length frontal – 20 cm.
5. Unplugged. HDR — mode AI-Selfie This option automatically balances light and shadow, but on some firmware it must be turned on manually.

Mirror Display mode is disabled (if you need a direct look)

Autofocus on the eyes (in camera settings)

3×3 grid for composition installed

Screen brightness reduced to 60-70%

Fingerprints removed from the lens-->

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi with an infrared camera (such as the Mi 11 Ultra), avoid shooting in direct sunlight - the IR sensor may overheat and the camera will temporarily shut down. Use Sunset Mode in bright weather.

Xiaomi's Secret Camera Settings for the Perfect Look

Few people know, but MIUI has hidden options that help control the look of selfies, such as the function of Guidelines (hidden in the camera lab):

To activate it:

1. Open the camera. → press the gear. ⚙️.
2. Scroll down and select Additional settings.
3. Find the Camera Lab item (may be called Hidden Features on Old Firmware).
4. Turn on Portrait Guides and Eye Tip.

Then, dynamic clues will appear on the screen that show you where to look based on the mode you choose, for example, in Portrait Mode, they will suggest looking just above the camera for the big-eye effect.

Another life hack is autofocus calibration, if the camera is constantly "missing" in the eyes:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Camera → Memory → Clear cache


Then close the camera and restart the smartphone.

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Xiaomi 13 Pro and newer has a feature 3D-Eye tracking, which automatically adjusts focus even if you move your head, is enabled in the camera settings. → AI-function → Tracking of persons.

How to cheat Xiaomi's retouch algorithms (to make your eyes look natural)

System system AI-Xiaomi often overdoes retouching the eyes, making them unnaturally large or "glassy:

• 👁️ Turn off the enlargement of the eyes (in the beauty settings set the slider to 0).
• ✨ Turn on Natural Light instead of Soft Light – it will add glare to your eyes without distortion.
• 🎨 Use manual correction: reduce eye contrast to 20–30% and add iris saturation by 10–15%.

On models with Leica optics (such as Xiaomi 13 Ultra), there is a hidden Authentic Look mode that minimally processes the face.

Camera → Photo Mode → Touch the Leica icon → Select “Authentic”

If your eyes look plastic after that, try alternative cameras:

FAQ: Frequent questions about looking at Xiaomi selfies