How to set up a video call on Xiaomi: a complete guide from camera to network

Video calls have become an integral part of everyday communication, from work meetings to family conversations. Xiaomi smartphone owners often face questions about why the image “slows down”, how to improve the sound or why the interlocutor does not see the video. The problem is not always in a weak Internet — often the fault of the wrong camera settings, microphone or even energy saving in MIUI.

In this article, we will look at all the steps of setting up video calls on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, from choosing the optimal application to fine-tuning camera and network settings. We will focus on the typical errors that cause video communication to work unstable, and give specific recommendations for different scenarios – at home, on a trip or with a weak 4G signal. If you want your video calls to be always clear and without delay, read on.

1. Choosing a video calling app: which is best for Xiaomi

Xiaomi smartphones do not have a built-in video calling app by default (except Mi Video Call on some models in China), so users have to choose among third-party solutions, which determines not only the quality of communication, but also the battery load, the availability of functions such as blurring the background or recording a conversation.

The most popular options and their features for devices on MIUI:

• 📱 WhatsApp is simple and versatile, but limited in functionality (no background blur, maximum resolution — 720p). It is suitable for quick calls, but not for professional meetings.
• 💼 Zoom is the best choice for work: 1080p, It requires more resources, so on a budget Redmi can "slow down».
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Google Meet — optimized for weak networks, automatically reduces bitrate when the connection is poor. Minus — sometimes “hangs” sound on Xiaomi with custom firmware.
• 🌍 Skype is stable but outdated: high battery consumption and does not always work correctly with Xiaomi front cameras (especially on models with a cutout in the screen).
• 🔒 Telegram is lightweight, with minimal latency, but no advanced features.

For most Xiaomi users, the optimal balance between quality and performance is Google Meet (for stability) or Zoom (for professional tasks).

2.Photo optimisation before video call

Video quality on Xiaomi is not only dependent on the app, but also on the camera settings. Many users are unaware that MIUI automatically reduces the resolution of the front camera in some applications to save resources.

Follow this algorithm:

1. Open the standard Camera app and switch to the front camera.
2. Touch the gear badge (⚙️) Or swipe up to open the settings.
3. Find the video resolution option and select the maximum available (1080p or 4K if supported).
4. Activate Video Stabilization – this will reduce the “shaking” of the picture when moving.
5. Turn on HDR (if any) for better color rendering, but remember: this will increase the workload on the processor.

For multi-front camera models (such as the Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Redmi Note 12 Pro+), check which camera is the default. Sometimes video calling apps choose a wide-angle module over the main one, which degrades detail.

Settings → Applications → Permissions Management → [Calling App Name] → Camera → Select the Main Module

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If the video call image is too dark, turn on Night Shooting or increase the exposure manually, especially for devices with small front-facing cameras (such as the POCO X3 or Redmi 9A).

3. Microphone setup: how to avoid echoes and noises

Bad sound is one of the most common problems with video calls on Xiaomi, most often due to automatic noise cancellation, which in MIUI does not always work correctly, or using the wrong microphone (for example, the bottom instead of the main one).

So that the sound is clear:

• 🎤 Check which microphone the app uses. In Zoom or Google Meet, you can do this in the audio settings. For video calls, you'd better choose the Microphone (built-in) rather than the Noise Reduction Microphone.
• 🔇 Turn off Voice Improvement in the app settings (if any).This feature often adds artificial distortions.
• 📵 If the person hears an echo, activate the MIUI Feedback suppression mode: Settings → Sound. → Noise suppression → Turn it on.
• 🎧 Use headphones with a microphone (even the simplest ones) to prevent the capture of extraneous noises and echoes.

Some Xiaomi models (such as the Mi 11 or Redmi K50) have two microphones built in to suppress noise. If the sound gets distorted, try turning off the second microphone in the engineering menu:

##36446337## → Hardware Testing → Audio → Microphone → Select Primary Mic Only

⚠️ Warning: Changes to the engineering menu may cause the microphone to malfunction. If the sound is gone after settings, reboot or reset the sound settings to Settings → System system → Resetting settings → Resetting the sound settings.

4. Network optimization: Wi-Fi vs mobile internet

Video call quality is 80 percent dependent on the stability of your Internet connection, and even if you have a high-speed data rate, MIUI can limit traffic to save battery life, which leads to stuttering of video, and let's figure out how to set up the network for maximum stability.

Comparison of connection types for video calls:

Recommendations for network setup:

• 📶 For Wi-Fi: Connect to a 5GHz network (if the router supports). In your router settings, set the channel manually (for example, 36 or 149) instead of Auto to avoid interference.
• 📱 For mobile Internet: Turn off traffic savings MIUI: Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Transfer of data → Saving traffic → Shut down.
• ⚡ Enable High Performance Mode for Video Call Application: Settings → Annexes → Application management → [Annex] → Battery → No restrictions.

5 Energy Saving and Productivity: Why Video Calls Are “Hanging”

MIUI aggressively optimizes background processes, often leading to video hanging or communication interruption, especially on budget models (Redmi 10A, POCO M4) or devices with a severely worn battery, to avoid problems:

List of critical settings:

Turn off auto-cleaning memory | Set performance mode for the application | Turn off background restriction for microphone and camera | Turn off adaptive brightness-->

Detailed instructions:

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Power management applications.
2. Find a video calling app and select No Limits.
3. Enable Prohibit Automatic Cleaning for this application.
4. In Settings → Display → Brightness turn off Adaptive Brightness – it can cause the screen to flicker during a call.
5. If the device is heated, activate Performance Mode in Settings → Special Opportunities → Performance Mode.

For devices with Snapdragon 6xx/7xx processors (e.g. Redmi Note 11, POCO X5), it is also recommended to disable MIUI Optimization via ADB (power users only):

adb shell settings put global miui_optimization 0

⚠️ Attention: Disconnection MIUI Optimization can cause some functions to function unstable (such as gestures or notifications.

6 Additional functions: background blur, recording, subtitles

Modern video calling apps offer a number of useful features that can be used on Xiaomi, but some require additional customization or even third-party utilities.

Blurring background (Portrait Mode effect):

• In Zoom or Google Meet, this feature is available by default, but it needs a good front-facing camera (from 8 MP) to work.
• If blurring doesn’t work well, try third-party apps like Background Blur for Video Calls (available on Google Play).
• On Xiaomi with Dimensity processors (like the Redmi K60), blur works better thanks to the hardware acceleration of the APU 580.

Video call recording:

• In Zoom, recording is available by default (a subscription is required for cloud storage).
• In Google Meet, you can only enable a recording from a corporate account.
• To record on Xiaomi without restrictions use Screen Recorder (built into MIUI), but warn the interlocutor – it is ethical and sometimes required by law.

Subtitles in real time:

• In Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, subtitles are included in accessibility settings.
• For Xiaomi with MIUI 14+, Live Caption is available (included in Settings → Special Features → Signatures).

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Functions like background blur or subtitles put a lot of strain on the processor, so if the device starts to warm or slow down during the call, turn off those effects or close the background apps.

7. Solving Typical Video Calling Problems on Xiaomi

Even when set up correctly, Xiaomi users may face typical problems, including the most common and ways to solve them.

If the problem is not solved, try:

1. Update the video calling app and MIUI to the latest version.
2. Reset network settings (Settings → System → Resetting → Network settings reset).
3. Check your device for viruses (sometimes malware blocks your camera or microphone).

On Xiaomi devices with MediaTek Helio processors (e.g. Redmi 9, POCO M3), video calls can be unstable due to poor optimization of camera drivers, in which case only replacing the device or using lightweight applications like Telegram will help.

FAQ: Frequent questions about video calls on Xiaomi