How to make a scan on Xiaomi Redmi 5: the complete guide

A modern smartphone has long since ceased to be just a means of communication, turning into a powerful pocket office that can replace a bulky printer and scanner. The owner of Xiaomi Redmi 5 can at any time create a high-quality digital copy of a passport, contract or note using only the built-in camera and the right software. This is especially true for students, office employees and anyone who values their time and does not want to search for a copy center.

The process of creating scans based on Android, in particular on the shell of MIUI, has become as automated as possible. You do not need to have the skills of a photographer or install heavy professional programs. You just need to understand the basic functions of the system to get clear, aligned and readable images of documents, ready to be sent by email or print.

In this article, we will take a look at all the available ways to digitize papers, from native tools to third-party solutions, and we will touch on the nuances of focus setting, lighting and post-processing, so that your Redmi 5 will produce results that are indistinguishable from the operation of a stationary device.

Use of the built-in scanner in MIUI

The first and most obvious tool for the owner of Xiaomi Redmi 5 is the built-in Scanner app, which is deeply integrated into the system and is accessible directly from the camera interface or through a separate icon in the Tools folder, which does not require an Internet connection and additional software installation, making it ideal for quick use.

To activate the feature, run the Camera app and find the Scanner or Document mode in the bottom menu. If you use a search widget or a separate Scanner app, the system automatically recognizes the text and prompts you to take a picture. MIUI algorithms independently determine the boundaries of the sheet, cutting the excess edges of the table or background.

⚠️ Note: When using the built-in scanner, make sure that the document is placed against a contrasting background. If you put a white sheet on a white tablecloth, automatic border determination may not work correctly.

After pressing the shutter button, the phone will offer several processing options: save as an image, recognize text or translate it. To create a full scan, select the option of saving in JPG or PDF format. The quality of the final file depends on the purity of the lens and the uniformity of the lighting.

Set up camera settings for the perfect scan

The Redmi 5 camera has a 13MP module, which is enough for detailed scanning of text documents. However, to avoid blurring and distortion, you need to adjust the shooting parameters correctly. Automotive mode often miscalculates white balance, making the background gray or yellow, so manual correction may be necessary.

Before you start, wipe the lens with a soft cloth. Even microscopic fatty fingerprints create a fog effect that cannot be removed programmatically. In the camera settings, make sure that HDR (High Dynamic Range) is enabled, which helps to save details in both light and dark areas of the document.

• 📸 Place the phone strictly parallel to the document to avoid prospective trapezoidal distortions.
• 💡 Use natural light or scattered artificial lighting, avoiding direct glare on glossy paper.
• 🔒 Lock your hands or use a tripod, as even minimal trembling will smear small letters.

If the built-in app doesn't give you the control you need, you can use Pro mode, where you can manually set the ISO to a minimum (usually 100) for noise reduction and adjust the focal length to make the text as sharp as possible, which is especially useful when scanning old faded documents.

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To scan books or crosslinked documents, use Panorama mode or take a few pictures, then connect them in a scanner app to save the pages’ curvature.

Scanning through Google Drive and Google Photos

Google’s ecosystem offers great alternatives to Xiaomi’s standard tools. Google Drive has a built-in crawling feature that often works more stable and defines document boundaries more accurately than some third-party solutions.

To get started, open the Google Drive app, click Add (plus in the corner) and select Scan. The camera will go to a special mode where you will see a getting stuck frame. Point the camera at the document, wait for autofocus and take a picture. The system will suggest cropping the image and select a color filter: color, black and white or automatic.

The advantage of using Google services lies in the powerful Google Lens algorithm, which is able not only to take pictures, but also to highlight text, tables or even handwritten notes. Once scanned, the document can be immediately sent by mail or shared a link, which speeds up the workflow.

Third-party applications for professionals

If Xiaomi Redmi 5’s built-in tools and Google’s don’t suit you, the market offers a plethora of customized applications, led by CamScanner, Adobe Scan, and Microsoft Lens, which provide advanced image processing features such as shadow removal, color alignment, and pale text readability improvements.

Adobe Scan, for example, automatically finds the edges of a document, removes glare and turns a photo into a clean one. PDF-It also uses machine learning to recognize text, which allows you to search the contents of scanned documents, and it's an indispensable tool for archiving large amounts of paper.

⚠️ Note: Many free versions of popular scanners add watermarks to the final file or have a limit on the number of scans per day.

Installing third-party software requires attention to permissions, the app will need access to camera, memory and sometimes contacts (to organize files), download programs only from the official Google Play store to avoid malware that can steal your personal data.

Processing and improving the quality of the scan

Even after a successful scan, the image may need to be reworked. Redmi 5 can use a built-in editor in the gallery or features inside scanner applications. The first step is always framing — trimming the extra fields so that the document occupies the entire A4 sheet when printing.

Then there's color correction. The best way to do text documents is to use a black and white or document filter, which increases contrast by making the letters black and the background perfectly white, and it also reduces the weight of the file, which is important when sent through size-limited messengers.

• ✂️ Use the “Rectification” function if the photo was taken at an angle.
• 🎨 Use the Magic or Enhance filter to remove stains and noises on paper.
• 📝 Add watermarks or signatures if the document requires proof of authorship.

If the scan is for printing, make sure that the resolution is set at least 300 DPI (dots per inch). Digitally, this is of high quality, allowing you to zoom in without losing the readability of small fonts. Save the originals in a separate folder in case you need to reprocess.

Organization and storage of scanned documents

Once you create digital copies, you have to keep them. The random accumulation of files in the DCIM/Camera folder will quickly lead to confusion. It is recommended to create a separate folder structure, for example, Documents/2026/Passport or Work/Agreements. Xiaomi Redmi 5 allows you to sort files by date, name or type.

For secure storage, use cloud services like Google Drive, Yandex.Disk or Dropbox. Not only do they save data when you lose your phone, but they also allow you to synchronize scans between devices. Set up an automatic scan folder to the cloud so you don't have to worry about backing up.

Regularly review your archives, remove duplicates and files that have become obsolete, and free up Redmi 5’s internal memory, which is not extensible in all versions, and speed up the file manager.

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Proper file organization and cloud backup are more important than the scanning process itself, as they ensure the long-term safety and availability of your documents.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)