Why the camera on Xiaomi is lagging: all the reasons and ways to fix

You open the camera on your Xiaomi to capture a moment, but instead of taking a smooth shot, you see the freezes, jerks or black screen? The problem with the camera brakes is one of the most common among the owners of smartphones brand, and it is found both on the budget Redmi and flagship Xiaomi. 13/14. V 80% In some cases, it is not the hardware that is to blame, but software failures or incorrect settings.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible reasons why a Xiaomi camera can lag, from trivial overheating to hidden firmware errors, how to diagnose a problem in 2 minutes, what settings are worth checking first, and when it’s time to bring your phone to service. We also collected up-to-date data on models of 2022-2026, where the problem manifests itself most often (spoiler: Redmi Note 12 Pro)+ and POCO F5 risk-prone).

Important: If the camera is not just slowing down, but completely refusing to turn on or showing artifacts (green stripes, blur), it can be a hardware malfunction of the matrix or the plume - such cases require repair.

1. CPU overheating is the main cause of camera lags

To start with, the most common reason is that 9 out of 10 camera freezes on Xiaomi are due to overheating, because camera modules (especially multi-lens ones) and a Qualcomm Snapdragon or MediaTek Dimensity processor are used in the shooting. 4K Or using AI filters, loading it 100 percent, if the chip temperature is above 50 to 55.°C, the system begins trottling (forced performance decline), which causes jerks.

How to check:

• 🔥 Install the app AIDA64 or CPU Monitor and look at the CPU temperature during the shooting.°C is the critical value.
• 📱 Try to shoot a video in Full HD (1080p) instead 4K — If the lags are gone, it is the overheating that is to blame.
• ☀️ Run the camera outside in temperatures above 25°C or after charging – if the problem gets worse, this confirms the diagnosis.

Decisions:

• ❄️ Remove the case (especially silicone or thick) – it blocks the heat sink.
• 🔄 Close all background apps before shooting (use Settings) → Annexes → Clean up).
• ⚡ Disable AI enhancements in camera settings (item) AI Scene Detection or Smart Filters).
• 🔋 Do not shoot video while charging – this increases the load on the processor by 20-30%.

⚠️ Note: If the processor temperature rises above 70°C even for simple tasks (e.g., on the menu), this may indicate a thermal paste malfunction or damage to the radiator.

Lack of RAM (RAM)

The camera on Xiaomi is one of the most voracious applications. 4K@60fps switched-on HDR and the stabilization may take up to 1.5–2 GB RAM. If you have a budget model with 4 GB RAM (Like Redmi. 10A or POCO M4 Pro, the system begins to hang when instant messengers, social networks or games are working in the background.

How to check:

• 📊 Open the Settings. → The phone. → Memory and see how much RAM is used in normal mode. If it's less than 1 GB free, that's critical.
• 🎥 Launch the camera and open Task Manager at the same time (hold the Home button or swipe up). If the camera app “flys” or brakes when switching to it, the fault is the lack of RAM.

Decisions:

Close all background apps (especially games and social networks)

Disable the autoload of unnecessary programs in Settings → Annexes → Auto-start

Reboot your phone before taking an important photo

Use Light Mode in the camera settings (if available)

Remove the camera cache in Settings → Annexes → Camera. → Warehouse-->

If you have a model with 6 GB of RAM and higher, but the problem remains, try turning off the system animation:

1. Activate Developer Mode (7 times click on the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone).
2. Go to Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Find the items Window animation scale, transition animation scale and animator duration - set the value off..

⚠️ Note: On models with MediaTek Helio (e.g. Redmi) 9A or POCO C31) Camera lags may be associated with unoptimized drivers, in which case only a firmware update or phone replacement will help.

3. Firmware failures and errors MIUI

Firmware MIUI It's known for its features, but it's also known for bugs, and often after the upgrade, the camera starts to brake because of the fact that it's not good:

• 🐛 Conflicts with the camera module (especially after major updates, for example, with the camera module) MIUI 13 on MIUI 14).
• 🔄 Incomplete update installation (if the phone is turned off during the process).
• 📱 Regional restrictions (some models for China camera is more stable than on global firmware).

How to check:

• 🔍 Check out the firmware version in Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI. If it ends in.0.0.X (For example, 14.0.0.1), this may be the first “raw” build with bugs.
• 📋 Check the reviews on the forums (for example, 4PDA Xiaomi Community – if users of your model complain about the camera lag after the update, the problem is the firmware.

Decisions:

1. Reset the camera settings: Settings → Annexes → Camera. → Warehouse → Reset the settings
2. Clear the firmware cache: Settings → Warehouse → Clean up → Cash firmware
3. Reverse to the old version MIUI (If the lags appeared after the update. For this: Download the archive with the firmware from the site Xiaomi Firmware. Go to Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Three points. → Select a firmware file.

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If the camera not only slows down but doesn’t save photos after the update, try disabling Google Photos as the default storage app. MIUI Gallery and Google Photos are causing the hangs.

4. Conflict with other applications

Xiaomi camera may be lagging due to conflict with:

• 📸 Third-party cameras (such as GCam, Open Camera or Snapchat).
• 🔒 Antiviruses (such as Avast or 360 Security) that block access to the camera).
• 🎮 Games with camera resolution (e.g, PUBG Mobile or Free Fire that can take resources).
• 🔄 Automation applications (e.g. MacroDroid or Tasker).

How to check:

• 🛑 Launch your phone in Safe Mode (hold the power button) → If the camera is working normally, one of the installed applications is to blame.
• 🔍 See which programs requested access to the camera in Settings → Confidentiality → Permits → Camera.

Decisions:

• 🚫 Remove or disable all third-party cameras (especially GCam – it often conflicts with the native camera). MIUI).
• 🔧 Turn off battery optimization for the camera app: Settings → Annexes → Camera. → Battery → No restrictions.
• 🔄 Reinstall problematic apps (like Instagram or TikTok if the lags only appear in them).

5.Store and cache problems

If the phone’s internal memory is crammed, the camera starts to slow down while storing photos and videos, especially for models with 64 GB of memory (for example, the Redmi Note 11 or the Redmi Note 11). POCO X3 NFC), where after installing applications and updates there is less than 10 GB of free space.

How to check:

• 📊 Open the Settings. → Storage. If it's less than 5GB free, that's critical.
• 🗑️ See how much the camera cache takes: Settings → Annexes → Camera. → Warehouse → If the cache is more than 500 MB, it should be cleaned.

Decisions:

• 🧹 Clear the camera cache (see path above).
• 📁 Transfer the photo and video to SD-Map or cloud (Google Photos, Mi Cloud).
• 🔄 Change the format of saving photos with HEIF on JPEG (It is less loading processor: camera → Settings → Image format → JPEG
• 🗃️ Delete unnecessary files with the help of MIUI Cleaner (Security) → Cleanup).

⚠️ Attention: If you are using SD-Class 4 or Class 6 card, which can slow down video recording in the 4K. A map is needed for stable operation UHS-I (Class 10 or higher.

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If the camera is only lagging while saving the photo/video, but the shooting is smooth, the problem is exactly in the storage, cleaning the cache and freeing up space solves the problem in 95% of cases.

Hardware malfunctions

If all software methods have been tried, but the camera on Xiaomi is still slowing down, it may be physical damage:

• 🔌 Camera plume damaged (a common problem after falling or disassembling the phone).
• 🔥 Thermopaste on the processor has detached (leads to constant overheating).
• 📱 The matrix is faulty (if, in addition to lags, there are artifacts: stripes, spots, blurring).
• 🔋 The battery has soared (presses on the motherboard and causes failures).

How to check:

• 🔍 Check your phone for battery bloating (the body may be deformed).
• 📸 See if the lags appear on the main and front camera when you shoot, unless there's a problem in the camera module.
• 🔊 Look, if there are any extraneous sounds (squeaking, coding) when tilting the phone - this may indicate damage to the plume.

Decisions:

• 🛠️ Contact the Xiaomi service center (if the phone is guaranteed).
• 🔧 If there is no guarantee, find a trusted service with good reviews (for example, on the Internet). 2GIS or Yandex Kartach).
• 💰 Cost of repair: Replacement of the camera plume: 1,500–3,000 ₽. Replacement of the matrix: 3000-8000 ₽ (Thermopaste gluing: 1,000 to 2,000 ₽.

Warning: If you decide to repair your phone yourself, remember that:

• 🛑 Opening the case deprives the guarantee (if it is still valid).
• ⚡ Incorrect replacement of the plume can lead to the loss of the camera completely.
• 🔥 Overheating during soldering can damage the motherboard.

7. Features of specific Xiaomi models

Some Xiaomi models have unique camera issues related to their hardware or firmware, and we've collected data on the most problematic devices:

For owners. POCO Redmi with MediaTek processors (for example, Helio) G96 Dimensity 700 is another life hack: disable the function. AI Scene Detection. It's a lot of CPU load, but it's not really good for the quality of the shot.

8 Additional Advice and Prevention

To ensure that the camera on Xiaomi works stably, follow these recommendations:

• 🔄 Update your firmware regularly, but don’t put bat versions on the platform. MIUI — They often contain bugs.
• 🧹 Clean the camera cache once a month (see instructions above).
• 📵 Do not use cases with metal inserts - they worsen the heat sink.
• 🔋 Charge up to 80% if you’re going to take a long shot – it will reduce the load on the processor.
• 📸 Turn off live photos and moving pictures – they take up a lot of resources.

If you often shoot videos, consider buying an external phone cooler (like Black Shark FunCooler Pro).°C, which virtually eliminates the lags.

For GCam fans, if your native camera is lagging and Google Camera is stable, try the optimized configs for your model.

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On models with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (like Xiaomi 13), the camera lags are often associated with incorrect power saving settings.

FAQ: Frequent questions about camera lags on Xiaomi