Xiaomi’s camera flicker: what it is and how to fix the problem forever

You open up your Xiaomi camera to take a picture, but instead of a clear image, you see the annoying flickering of the screen — stripes, ripples or flashing artifacts? This problem is familiar to many owners of the brand’s smartphones, from the budget Redmi Note to the flagship Xiaomi 13 Ultra. The flicker can manifest in both photo and video mode, spoiling the quality of content and causing discomfort when used.

80 percent of the time, it's not hardware failures, it's software failures or settings that are wrong, but you can't ignore the problem: not only does the constant flickering interfere with the shooting, it can also signal that the processor is overheating or the camera plume is failing, which is the risk of the module completely failing. In this guide, we'll look at all the possible causes, from the banal to the critical, and give clear instructions for fixing them, without going to the service center.

What is a camera flicker and why does it occur

The blinking in Xiaomi’s camera is a visual artifact that manifests as:

• 🔹 Horizontal or vertical bars on the screen when viewed through the viewfinder
• 🔹 Blinking spots or "snow" (especially in dark scenes)
• 🔹 ripples or waves that distort the image
• 🔹 Color shifts (e.g. green/purple shades)

The causes fall into two groups: software (fixed independently) and hardware (required repairs), the former related to firmware, settings or application conflicts, the latter to physical damage to the camera module, plume or motherboard. 12T Pro and Redmi Note 11 Pro+ frequent reason - incompatibility of the screen refresh rate and the speed of reading the camera sensor.

Interestingly, flickering can appear selectively: only in certain applications (like Google Camera, but not in a standard camera), in specific lighting (fluorescent lamps), or after an update. MIUI. It's the key to diagnosis!

Top.-7 Reasons for the camera flicker on Xiaomi

Let’s look at all possible sources of the problem, starting with the simplest ones:

1. Screen-camera frequency conflict: If the refresh rate of the display (60 Hz, 90 Hz, 120 Hz) is not synchronized with the read rate of the camera sensor, a "stroboscope" effect occurs. AMOLED-screen.
2. Firmware failures MIUI. Especially after updates when the camera drivers are not optimized for the new OS version.
3. Overheating of the processor. When you're working hard (games, multitasking), the camera starts to "glut" because of the trottling.
4. Damage to the camera plume, often after falling or disassembling the phone.
5. Incompatible with GCam.Google Camera mods may conflict with Xiaomi's hardware.
6. Artificial lighting. Fluorescent lamps or LED-pulsation-panel >5% cause flickering in video.
7. Hardware defect of the module. Found in Redmi 10 and Poco batches X3 Pro 2021-2022 release.

According to the statistics of service centers, in 60% of cases software failures are to blame (paragraphs 1-3), in 30% - hardware problems (paragraphs 4, 7), and only 10% are external factors (paragraph 6).

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If the swelling is only visible when it is turned on. HDR or night mode, the problem is 90% software and is solved by resetting the camera settings.

How to eliminate camera flicker: step-by-step instructions

Start with simple methods and move on to complex ones only if the problem persists.

1.Sync the frequency of the screen and camera

In the models with AMOLED-displays (Xiaomi) 12/13, Redmi K50):

1. Go to Settings → Display → Update frequency.
2. Choose 60Hz (even if the screen supports 120Hz).
3. Open the camera and check for flickering.

If the problem has disappeared, turn on Adaptive Frequency or leave 60Hz for the shot.

2.Reset camera settings

Reset the camera app settings to factory:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the camera, press Warehouse → Clear the data.
3. Reboot the phone.

Cleared cache and camera data|All modifications are disabled (GCam, Xposed)|Screen frequency checked|Phone rebooted-->

3. Firmware update

Outdated camera drivers are a common cause of flickering.Update MIUI:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. If an update is available, install it.
3. After the update, reset the camera settings (see paragraph 2).

For Poco models X3 Pro and Redmi Note 10 with flicker after updating to MIUI 14 will help roll back on MIUI 13.5 via Fastboot.

4. Overheating check

If the flicker appears after 10-15 minutes of use:

• 🔥 Close all background applications.
• 🔥 Reduce the brightness of the screen to 50%.
• 🔥 Take off your cover and let the phone cool down.
• 🔥 Use the app. CPU Monitor to check the temperature of the processor.

⚠️ Warning: If the temperature is above 60°C in camera mode, this indicates a thermal paste defect or radiator contamination.

5. Diagnostics of the plume and the camera module

Hardware problems are determined by the following signs:

• 📱 The flicker persists even after resetting and updating.
• 📱 Artifacts are visible in photos (not only in the viewfinder).
• 📱 The problem is aggravated by pressing the body near the camera.

In this case:

1. Check if there were any falls or bumps.
2. If the phone is being disassembled, make sure the camera plume is tightly connected.
3. Contact the service for multimeter diagnostics (testing the resistance of the plume).

Flickering in video shooting: individual cases

If the problem only manifests itself when recording a video, the causes may be specific:

1. Conflict with video codec

In Xiaomi models 11T Pro and 12 Pro flickering in video linked to hardware coding H.265 (HEVC). Decision:

1. Open the camera, go to Settings → Video resolution.
2. Choose. 1080p 30fps instead 4K.
3. Turn it off. HEVC manually (if there is an option).

Lighting pulse

LED-The lights and fluorescent light sources are flickering at 100 to 120 Hz, which is captured in the video frames:

• 💡 Take a video in natural light.
• 💡 Use the Light Meter app to measure the pulsation of light.
• 💡 If the flicker is gone, the problem is with the lights, not the phone.

For professional photography, use sources with a pulsation coefficient <10% or adjust the shutter speed manually (1/50 or 1/60 sack).

Specific models: Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Redmi Note 12 Pro+, Poco F5

Some models have unique causes of flickering:

Xiaomi 13 Ultra

Owners complain of flickering when using a telephoto lens 5x. The reason is a conflict with stabilization algorithms:

1. Turn off Ultrastabilization in the video settings.
2. Update the firmware to MIUI 14.0.18+ (corrected in the patch of 05.2026).

Redmi Note 12 Pro+

The glimmer appears when filming in 50MP-The system is overloaded with the Mediatek Dimensity 1080 processor:

• 📸 Use it. 12MP-default.
• 📸 Turn it off. AI-Improvement in camera settings.

Poco F5

The problem is related to incorrect work. OIS (optical stabilization, temporary solution:

adb shell setprop persist.camera.ois.enable 0

After the reboot. OIS It's going to shut down, but the flicker will disappear.

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If the flicker appeared after installing the custom Recovery (TWRP), return the stock boot.img via Fastboot.Command: fastboot flash boot stock_boot.img

When to contact the service: signs of hardware malfunctions

If all software methods have been tried, but the flicker remains, this indicates a physical breakdown.

• 🛠️ Artifacts are visible in photos (not only in the viewfinder).
• 🛠️ Flickering is accompanied by extraneous sounds (squeaking, crackling) when focusing.
• 🛠️ The problem is aggravated by pressing the body near the camera.
• 🛠️ The phone fell or was exposed to moisture.

Cost of repair in official Xiaomi services (2026):

⚠️ Warning: Unofficial services often install unoriginal camera modules that can impair the quality of the shooting.

FAQ: Frequent Questions About Xiaomi Camera Shimmer