Video shot on a smartphone is played upside down or sideways, a familiar situation for many Android device owners, often due to a failure of the accelerometer at the time of recording or the features of third-party applications that ignore the system metadata orientations. On Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones running the shells MIUI and HyperOS, this issue is solved quickly enough, but requires understanding the differences between the rotation of the file and changing the settings of the screen.
Unlike simply rotating the screen, which changes the interface, rotating the video stream is a process of editing metadata or transcoding an image. The MIUI Gallery and the standard video editor allow you to do this in a few touches without losing quality. However, in some cases, especially when working with files from messengers or downloads from the Internet, built-in tools cannot be done, and a deeper approach is required.
In this article, we will take a look at all the available methods for correcting video orientation, learn how to use the built-in functionality of the system, use third-party tools for batch processing, and understand why video may not be displayed correctly on other devices. The key point is the difference between turning the preview and actually changing the geometry of the frame while saving.
Using the built-in MIUI Gallery for a turn
The fastest and most affordable way to fix the orientation of the video is to use the standard Gallery app, which is preinstalled on all Xiaomi smartphones. In the latest versions of the HyperOS shell and MIUI 14, the editor has been significantly improved, allowing you to perform basic framing and rotation operations without artifacts and loss of quality of the original file.
To get started, you need to open the desired video in the application. Note that if the video is shot in high resolution (for example, 4K at 60 frames per second), the process of applying the effects can take several seconds.
- 📱 Open the video in the Gallery app and click the Change button (pencil or slider icon) in the lower menu.
- ✂️ In the editor that opens, select the Crop tab, where the tools for trimming and turning are located.
- 🔄 Click on the turn icon (square with arrow) until the video takes the correct vertical or horizontal orientation.
- 💾 Click Save a copy so you don’t overwrite the original file, or Save to apply changes to the current file.
It's important to note that the copy saving function is critical to archiving originals, and if you get the angle wrong or you get the framing wrong, the source will stay the same, and this is especially true for family records, where re-filming is not possible.
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When you save the edited version of the video, a new file is created in the MIUI Gallery. Make sure that the device has enough free memory, as the size of the new file can be comparable to the original.
Work with Xiaomi Video Editor (Mi Video Editor)
If the Gallery’s standard tools aren’t enough or you need more fine-tuning, a separate Xiaomi Video Editor app (often called Mi Video) comes to the rescue, a more powerful tool that lets you not only turn the image, but also add effects, music and transitions, creating full-fledged content for social networks.
The editor interface is focused on horizontal work, which is convenient for landscape videos, but it also copes with vertical rollers for TikTok or Reels. When importing a file, the program automatically reads metadata, but allows you to forcefully change the projection of the image.
☑️ Checking before exporting video
Unlike the quick processing in the Gallery, the video editor offers real-time previews of changes. You can rotate the clip to any angle, not just a multiple of 90 degrees, which is useful for correcting the blocky horizon. Once you finish editing, you need to select export options.
When exporting, pay attention to frame rate. If the original video is shot at 60 FPS and you export at 30 FPS, the movement may become less smooth. Quality settings are available in the save menu before the final rendering.
Rotate videos via Google Photos and third-party apps
Xiaomi smartphones often use Google Photos as an alternative or main gallery.This app also has a built-in editor that syncs with the cloud.This means you can start editing on your phone and finish on a tablet or computer.
To turn a video in Google Photos, open a file, click Change and select the Cast tool. The mechanics of action are similar to the system gallery: clicking on the turn button changes orientation. The advantage of Google Photos is the quality improvement algorithms that can be applied simultaneously with the rotation.
However, if the built-in tools fail or the file has a non-standard codec (e.g., a codec, HEVC With variable bitrate, you should turn to specialized applications from the Google Play Store. VLC for Android (for playback with rotation) and Video Transcoder (for conversion).
⚠️ Note: When using third-party free video converters, keep a close eye on the installation process. Some applications may attempt to install additional adware or request excessive permissions to access contacts and file system.
Third-party converters often allow you to change not only the orientation, but also the file container (for example, repackage MKV to MP4), which increases the compatibility of video with older TVs or media players. This is especially useful if you plan to broadcast content to the big screen.
The problem of inverted video when recording from the screen
Special attention should be paid to the situation when you record a screen screen of a smartphone (screencast), and the final video is turned upside down, a common problem on Xiaomi, related to how the system handles the orientation of the interface at the time of recording.
If you turn on the screen recording while the phone is lying horizontally and then rotate it vertically, the metadata can capture the initial position, and the video will be displayed sideways in most players, except the system, which is able to ignore these tags.
To avoid this, always start recording the screen in the orientation you plan to work in, or immediately after starting the screen recorder, turn the device in the desired position and pause to update the sensor settings, and it also helps to turn off the autorotation of the screen before recording begins.
| Use case scenario | Probability of error | Recommended solution |
|---|---|---|
| Recording with autoturn on | Tall. | Set orientation in the curtain |
| Recording a horizontal game | Medium | Use the "No interference" mode |
| Recording vertical scrolling | Low. | Hold the phone vertically at start |
| Broadcasting on PC | Tall. | Set up orientation in Mi PC Suite |
Technical causes of incorrect orientation
Understanding why the video is upside down helps prevent future problems, based on the accelerometer and the gyroscope, and when the recording begins, the camera reads the position of the gravitational vector and writes the orientation tag (0, 90, 180 or 270 degrees) into the file header.
If the phone was lying on the table or in an unconventional position, the tag will be written incorrectly. Some video players (for example, on Smart TVs or old Windows) ignore this tag and show a raw image from the matrix, which is often inverted relative to what was intended.
How does the orientation tag work?
Another reason could be a software failure of the camera itself. In rare cases, the Camera app can get stuck in macro shooting or other specific mode where the rotation logic works differently.
Package processing and conversion to PC
If you have dozens of inverted videos, it's a long and inconvenient process on your phone, and it's much more efficient to transfer files to your computer and use powerful conversion tools. For Windows and macOS, the free HandBrake program or the FFmpeg console utility is a great solution.
In HandBrake, you just add files, go to the Dimensions tab, and select the right angle of rotation in the Rotation section. The program allows you to queue tasks and process hundreds of files at a time while you do other things.
For advanced users familiar with the command line, the ideal solution is FFmpeg, which allows you to rewrite metadata without transcoding the video stream, which takes seconds and does not lose a drop of quality.
ffmpeg -i input_video.mp4 -c copy -metadata:s:v:0 rotate="90" output_video.mp4This approach ensures that bitrate, soundtrack and compression remain identical to the original, a professional technique that editors and videographers use to prepare materials from drones or action cameras, which also often sin with the wrong orientation.
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Using command line (FFmpeg) or batch processing on a PC is the only way to quickly fix hundreds of videos without losing quality and time.