How to Shoot Star Trails and Long Exposure Photography on Xiaomi Phone

Xiaomi phones with Pro Mode and the Long Exposure camera feature can capture breathtaking star trails, light paintings, and silky waterfalls. No DSLR needed — just patience and a stable surface.

Two Xiaomi Camera Modes for Long Exposure

Method 1 — Long Exposure Mode (Easiest)

1. Open Camera → More → Long Exposure.
2. Choose a preset:
- Star Trails: automatically stacks multiple frames for star-trail effect
- Light Trails: captures car headlights/taillights as streaks
- Silky Water: smooths waterfalls and rivers
- Neon Nights: vibrant city-light streaks
3. Place your phone on a tripod or stable surface — any movement ruins the shot.
4. Tap shutter. The mode captures automatically (10–30 seconds).
5. Review the result in Gallery.

Method 2 — Pro Mode (Full Control)

For maximum quality and creative control:

1. Open Camera → Pro.
2. Set:
- ISO: 100–400 (lower = less noise)
- Shutter speed (S): 15–30 seconds for star trails
- WB: Daylight (5500K) or Custom
- Focus: Manual — set to infinity (∞ icon)
3. Mount on a tripod.
4. Use the 2-second timer (tap clock icon) to avoid camera shake from your finger tap.
5. Shoot and review.

Settings for Star Trails Specifically

Essential Gear

• Tripod (a small $10 mini tripod works fine)
• Dark location: Use the Light Pollution Map app to find dark sky areas near you
• Fully charged battery — a 30-minute star trail session uses 15–20% battery

Stacking for Epic Star Trails

Xiaomi's built-in Long Exposure auto-stacks frames. For longer trails (1 hour+):
1. Shoot 30+ individual Pro-mode frames (30s each).
2. Use StarStaX (free PC app) or SkySafari to stack them.

Pro Tip

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra with its 1-inch sensor and wide aperture (f/1.63) produces noticeably cleaner star shots than smaller-sensor Xiaomi models. If star photography matters to you, it is the strongest Xiaomi phone for astrophotography in 2025.