Why the camera on the Xiaomi phone has become worse to shoot: reasons and ways to fix

Have you noticed that your Xiaomi camera is getting less sharp than before? photos are blurry, noisy or with the wrong color rendering, when everything used to be perfect? This problem is common for many users, from owners of budget Redmi Note to flagship Xiaomi 13 Ultra. The causes of deterioration in shooting quality can be both software (software failures, incorrect settings) and hardware (wear module, lens contamination).

In this article, we'll look at the top 10 reasons why Xiaomi's camera has gotten worse, and give you step-by-step instructions on how to fix it, how to diagnose the problem, what settings to check first, and when to contact the service center. And if you're not sure you can handle it yourself, at the end of this article, there's an FAQ that answers to frequent questions and tips on prevention.

1. Camera lens contamination is the most obvious cause

The first thing to check is the cleanness of the lens, and even a small layer of dust, a greasy fingerprint or a micro-scratch on the glass can significantly degrade the quality of the photo, especially when shooting against light or in low light conditions, when dirt creates glare and reduces contrast.

How to check:

• 🔍 Examine the lens carefully in good light. Use a magnifying glass or flashlight to see small particles.
• 📸 Take a test shot on a white surface (like a piece of paper) and if you see any stains or dark spots, the lens is dirty.
• 💧 Try blowing off the dust with a pear to clean the optics or gently wipe with a microfiber wipe (without alcohol!).

⚠️ Warning: Never use wet wipes, paper towels or abrasives to clean the lens, which can leave scratches on the protective glass that can no longer be repaired.

2. Software failures: when the software is to blame, not the hardware

If the lens is clean, but the camera still doesn't shoot well, the problem can be in the software, and failures in the camera application, conflicts with other programs, or corrupted configuration files all lead to poor image quality, most often manifested as:

• 📉 A sharp drop in detail (photos look "soapy").
• 🎨 Incorrect color reproduction (green or purple shade).
• 🔄 Spontaneous switching of shooting modes.

How to fix it:

1. Reboot your smartphone – sometimes it helps to reset temporary errors.
2. Clear the Camera App Cache: Settings → Apps → App Management → Camera → Storage → Clear the Cache
3. Update the camera app via Google Play or Mi App Store.
4. If the problem remains, reset the camera settings to factory: Settings → System → Resetting → Resetting app settings

3.Old firmware: why MIUI updates affect the camera

Xiaomi regularly releases updates for its MIUI shell, which include improvements to the camera: new image processing algorithms, support for additional shooting modes and bug fixes. If you haven’t updated your smartphone in a long time, this can be the reason for the deterioration of the photo quality.

How to check the relevance of the firmware:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Click "Check Updates." If a new version is available, install it.
3. After the update, restart the device and check the camera.

⚠️ Note: Sometimes after major updates MIUI The camera gets worse because of errors in the new algorithms, in which case you can roll back to the previous firmware version (if you have the bootloader unlocked) or wait for the next patch.

Wear of hardware: when the camera physically fails

If your Xiaomi is already serving you 2-3 In the year ahead, the problem may be the physical wear of the camera, and over time, the moving parts (e.g., autofocus) wear out and the sensors lose sensitivity:

• 🔍 Continuous defocusing (even after several attempts to target).
• 📷 Appearance of vertical or horizontal stripes in the photo.
• 🔊 Extraneous sounds (squeaking, coding) when switching between modules.

A critical sign of hardware failure: the camera stopped focusing at all, or the focus "walks" even in manual mode, in which case self-repair is impossible - you need to replace the camera module in the service center.

How to check the hardware serviceability:

1. Run the camera test through the engineering menu: ##4636## → Equipment Testing → Camera (on some Xiaomi models, the code may not work).
2. If the test shows an error (e.g., Camera failed), the module is faulty.
3. Try connecting an external camera via USB-C (if your model supports USB OTG). If the external camera is working properly, the problem is with the hardware of the smartphone.

Check focus manually | Test all modules (main, wide-angle, macro) | Listen to any extraneous sounds when zoom | Run the engineering menu for diagnostics-->

5. Camera Settings Wrong: What You May Have Missed

Often users will degrade the quality of their images by unconsciously changing the camera settings, for example, when HDR is turned on in low light conditions, it can cause noise, and a high ISO can cause graininess.

• 📏 Photo resolution: Make sure the maximum resolution is selected (e.g. 48 MP instead of 12 MP). → Settings → Photo permission.
• 🌓 Regime. HDR: Turn it off when shooting in the dark or when the object is moving.
• 🎯 Focus Mode: If Macro or Manual Focus is enabled, the camera may not be properly got stuck at objects.
• 🔄 Resetting: Return all settings to factory settings (Camera) → Settings → Reset).

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro) have an option in the camera settings to “Improving” AI". Turning it on can lead to overprocessing and loss of naturalness. Try turning it off and compare the results.

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If you shoot frequently in poorly lit areas, manually set the ISO to 400-800, which will reduce noise compared to automatic settings that sometimes raise the ISO to 3200+.

6. Smartphone overheating: why the camera "dulls" in the heat

Xiaomi, like other smartphones on Qualcomm Snapdragon, tends to overheat when it’s working hard.°C, the system starts trottling, which is a forced performance reduction to avoid chip damage:

• 🐢 Autofocus slows down.
• 📉 The frequency of the video is falling.
• 🔥 Artifacts appear in the photo (colored spots, stripes).

How to prevent overheating:

• 🌡️ Don't shoot the video in 4K@60fps longer 10–15 minute.
• ☀️ Avoid direct sunlight on the body of the smartphone.
• 🔋 Close background apps before shooting (especially games and navigators).
• 🧊 Use a cooling cover or fan (for long sessions).

If the smartphone is already overheated:

1. Turn off the camera and let the device cool for 10-15 minutes.
2. Remove the cover (if any) – it will improve the heat sink.
3. Don't put your phone in the fridge! A sudden temperature drop can cause condensation inside the case.

7.Battery problems: how the battery affects the camera

Few people know, but a worn-out battery can indirectly impair camera performance. When the battery is discharged below 15-20% or its capacity is greatly reduced (for example, after 500+ charging cycles), the smartphone begins to save energy by limiting the performance of the processor.

• 🐢 Slow processing of photos (more pictures are saved).
• 🔍 Problems with autofocus (camera "does not have time" to purify).
• 📵 Unintentional shutdown of the camera when shooting video.

How to check the status of the battery:

1. Install the AccuBattery app (available on Google Play).
2. Check the current battery capacity and the number of charging cycles.
3. If the capacity has fallen below 80% of the original - the battery needs to be replaced.

⚠️ Warning: If a smartphone turns off at 30 to 40 percent charge, it's a sign of a lot of battery wear, and in this case, the camera can be unstable even when it's fully charged.

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If your Xiaomi is 2 years old and is rapidly discharged, the problem with the camera may be related to the battery.

8.The impact of third-party applications and viruses

Some applications (especially those that request access to the camera) may conflict with the underlying software, causing crashes, and viruses or malware can change the settings of the camera or use its resources in the background.

• 📱 The camera spontaneously turns on or off.
• 🔄 Settings are reset after rebooting.
• 📵 When shooting, there are error messages (for example, "Camera is busy").

How to check and eliminate:

1. Run an antivirus scan (for example, via Malwarebytes or the built-in MIUI scanner).
2. Check the list of apps with camera access: Settings → Privacy → Permissions → Camera Disable access for suspicious programs.
3. Remove the recently installed applications that have caused problems.
4. Perform a reset to factory settings (pre-save data!).

If the problem persists, it may have been embedded in the system files, in which case only a complete flashing of the device will help.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions