The smart camera from Yandex is an innovative tool that turns a regular smartphone into an advanced device for recognizing objects, text and even solving mathematical problems in real time. MIUI Often faced with the question: how to activate this feature if it is not in the standard settings of the camera? The problem is complicated by the fact that Yandex does not pre-installe its software on Xiaomi devices, and integration with the camera is not a problem. MIUI nuanced.
In this article, we will analyze all ways to enable a smart camera Yandex on smartphones Redmi, POCO and Mi – from installing the official application to manually configuring through ADB. You will learn which models support the function "natively", how to get around the limitations MIUI 12/13/14, What to do if the camera does not recognize the text or QR-We will also analyze alternative solutions (e.g. Google Lens) and compare them with Yandex technology in key parameters: speed, accuracy of recognition and power consumption.
What is a smart camera Yandex and why it is needed on Xiaomi
The Yandex Smart Camera is a set of computer vision technologies built into the Yandex app (formerly Yandex.Search).
- 📄 Scan documents with automatic alignment and quality improvement (analogue CamScanner);
- 🔍 Recognise text at 100+ Languages (including Cyrillic) and translate it in real time;
- 🛒 Reading barcodes and QR With instant search of goods in online stores;
- 🧮 Solve mathematical equations by drawing them by hand (integrals, logarithms, trigonometry are supported);
- 🌿 Identify plants, animals and attractions through the Yandex.Pictures database.
On the iPhone, the function is integrated into the standard camera through the Yandex.Search widget, and on Android its implementation depends on the manufacturer. On Xiaomi, the smart camera Yandex is disabled by default due to a conflict with proprietary software MIUI Camera and Google's policy of pre-installation, but it can be activated manually.
⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note) 10 pro POCO X3 Pro) Yandex's smart camera may conflict with miui.camera, manifesting itself as a camera-occupied error" (ERROR_CAMERA_IN_USE). The solution is to close all the camera’s background processes through Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
Does your Xiaomi support a smart camera Yandex: compatibility check
Before you try to enable the feature, make sure your device meets the minimum requirements:
| Parameter | Minimum requirement | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Android version | 8.0 Oreo | 10.0 and higher |
| MIUI version | 11 | 12.5/13/14 |
| RAM | 3GB | 4 GB or more |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 6xx / MediaTek Helio Gxx | Snapdragon 7xx/8xx or Dimensity 900+ |
| Camera. | Any (even 8 MP) | 48 MP and higher (for better recognition) |
To check the compatibility:
- Open the Settings. → About the phone and write down the device model and version MIUI.
- Install the Yandex app from Google Play.
- Run the app and try to open the camera through the icon in the search bar. If the button is active, your device is supported.
If the camera does not open, the reasons may be as follows:
- 🔴 An outdated version MIUI (Update through Settings → Updating the system);
- 🔴 No camera rights (check Settings) → Annexes → Yandex → Permits);
- 🔴 Conflict with Google Camera or other modified firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience).
Method 1: Enabling a smart camera through the official Yandex app
The easiest method is to use the standard Yandex application.
- Install or update the app: Download the latest version from Google Play or Yandex.Browser (if Play Market is blocked). APK from third-party sources – they may contain viruses or outdated versions API camera.
- Grant permissions: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Yandex → Permissions Activate: 📸 Camera; 📁 Storage (to preserve scans); 📍 Geolocation (optional, to search for goods by QR-code).
Launch the smart camera:
- Open the Yandex app.
- Slip on the camera icon in the search bar (right).
- Select mode: Text, Documents, QR-code or objects.
Install the latest version of Yandex from an official source|
Provide all the requested permits (camera, storage)|
Close background applications using the camera (Instagram, TikTok)|
Connect to Wi-Fi to download additional recognition modules-->
If the camera does not open after this action, try:
- 🔄 Reboot the phone;
- 🧹 Clear the cache of the Yandex application in the settings;
- 📱 Disable battery optimization for Yandex (Settings) → Battery → Optimizing the battery → All applications → Yandex → No restrictions).
💡
If the smart camera is slowing down on Xiaomi with a MediaTek processor, try turning on performance mode in Settings → Special facilities → Performance mode. This will speed up the processing of images on the 15-20%.
Method 2: Manual connection through ADB (for advanced users)
If the standard method does not work, you can resort to manual activation through ADB. This method is suitable for devices with MIUI 12.5+, where Yandex is locked at the system level!
What you need:
- 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux;
- 🔌 Cable USB Type-C (original);
- 🛠️ Utility. ADB Tools;
- 🔓 Included debugging by USB phone-on.
Step-by-step:
- Activate debugging via USB: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (Tap 7 times) Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging by USB
- Connect your phone to your PC and confirm your trust in your computer.
- Open the command line in the ADB folder and type: Adb devices Make sure the device is identified (serial number should appear).
- Issue permission to the camera for Yandex: adb shell pm grant ru.yandex.searchplugin android.permission.CAMERA adb shell pm grant en.yandex.searchplugin android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE adb shell pm grant ru.yandex.searchplugin android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
- Reboot your phone: adb reboot
After restarting, check the smart camera. If the problem persists, follow the additional command:
adb shell settings put global hidden_api_policy 1⚠️ Warning: This team will unlock hidden API Android, which can affect the stability of the work MIUI. Use it only if other methods have not worked. After setting it, return it to 0:
adb shell settings put global hidden_api_policy 0Method 3: Use of alternative applications with smart camera function
If Yandex’s smart camera never worked, consider alternatives. Below is a comparison of popular solutions for Xiaomi:
| Annex | Text recognition | Scanning of documents | QR/Barcodes | Energy consumption |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Lens | ✅ 100+ languages | ❌ No car-cutting. | ✅ Yes. | 🔋 Average. |
| CamScanner | ❌ Only in the paid version. | ✅ Auto-trimming, improvement | ❌ No. | 🔋 Low. |
| Microsoft Lens | ✅ 60+ language | ✅ Yes. | ❌ No. | 🔋 Low. |
| Yandex (smart camera) | ✅ 100+ language + translation | ✅ Yes. | ✅ Yes. | 🔋 High (due to background processes) |
For the installation of alternatives:
- Download the app from Google Play (links above).
- Permit the camera and storage.
- For Google Lens, integration is possible through Google Assistant (hold the Home button). → camera icon).
How to Remove the Built-in Camera MIUI rootless?
Solving Common Smart Camera Errors on Xiaomi
Even after successful customization, Xiaomi users are faced with bugs. Consider typical problems and their solutions:
Mistake. 1: "The camera is occupied by another app" (ERROR_CAMERA_IN_USE)
Cause: Conflict with MIUI Camera or background processes (e.g. Snapchat, TikTok).
Decision:
- Close all applications through Recent → Close all.
- Reboot the phone.
- If the error repeats, disable auto-start for conflicting applications: Settings → Annexes → Application management → [Annex] → Auto-start
Error 2: The smart camera doesn’t recognize text or QR-code
Reasons:
- 📶 Weak Internet connection (recognition occurs on Yandex servers);
- 📷 Low quality camera (less than 12 MP);
- 🔦 Poor lighting or blurred image.
Decision:
- 🌐 Connect to Wi-Fi or turn on mobile internet;
- 💡 Use an additional light source;
- 📏 Keep the camera at a distance. 15-30 sm;
- 🔄 Update the Yandex app to the latest version.
Error 3: Yandex App crashes when camera is opened
Cause: Conflict with MIUI Optimization or corrupted cache files.
Decision:
- Clear the cache and application data: Settings → Annexes → Yandex → Warehouse → Clear the cache / Clear the data
- Turn off battery optimization for Yandex (see Method 1).
- Install. APK From ApkMirror (select the version) arm64-v8a Xiaomi).
💡
If the smart camera of Yandex does not work on Xiaomi with custom firmware (for example, LineageOS or Pixel Experience), the reason may be the lack of Google services. ML Kit by Google.
Comparison of the smart camera Yandex and Google Lens on Xiaomi: which is better?
Both services offer similar features, but there are key differences:
| Criteria | Yandex | Google Lens |
|---|---|---|
| Recognition of Russian Text | ✅ Better (specializes in Cyrillic) | ⚠️ Worse (frequent errors with legibility) |
| Real-time translation | ✅ Yes, 100.+ language) | ✅ Yes, but only through Google Translate) |
| Scanning of documents | ✅ Car trimming, quality improvement | ❌ Only hand-pruning. |
| Energy consumption | 🔋 High (background processes) | 🔋 Average. |
| Integration with MIUI | ❌ Requires manual adjustment | ✅ Works through Google Assistant |
Conclusion:
- 📌 Yandex is better suited for recognizing Russian text and documents;
- 📌 For quick search by image and integration with Google Photos more convenient Lens;
- 📌 On weak devices (Redmi) 8A, Redmi 9C) Google Lens is more stable.