The watermark feature in the MIUI camera app adds a small visual stamp to the lower-left corner of your photos. Depending on the option you choose, this stamp can show the device model and camera details, or a custom line of text that you define yourself.
The function exists for two practical reasons. First, it lets you brand photos automatically, which matters if you sell products online, run a small shop account, or share images where the source device should be visible. Second, it works as a lightweight authenticity marker, since a stamped photo is harder to pass off as coming from a different camera or person.
Device watermark vs. custom watermark
The device watermark is generated automatically from information the camera app already knows, such as the phone model. You do not type anything yourself; the app fills in the text and applies a consistent style.
The custom watermark works differently. You define the text that gets stamped onto the photo, which is useful for a shop name, a photographer credit, or any short label you want repeated across every shot. Some camera versions also let you adjust position details or combine text with a small icon, though the exact options depend on your camera app version.
Where the watermark applies
Watermarks only affect photos taken after you turn the setting on. Existing pictures in your gallery keep whatever state they were saved in, so switching the toggle later never edits older shots retroactively.
Most standard shooting modes support the watermark, but some special modes, like certain filters, portrait styles, or third-party camera apps, may ignore the setting entirely. If a stamped photo suddenly appears without a watermark, check which app or mode captured it before assuming the setting failed.
Practical things to check
- A watermark is burned into the image itself, so removing it later means cropping or editing the photo, not just disabling the setting.
- If you plan to share photos for print or professional use, preview a test shot first, since the stamp becomes part of the file permanently.
- Custom watermark text length can be limited by the camera app, so keep labels short to avoid the text getting cut off or overlapping the shot.
Because the stamp sits in a fixed corner, framing shots with enough space at the bottom-left avoids the watermark covering important details like a face or product edge. This becomes more noticeable in close-up or portrait shots, where the frame is tighter.