Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone users often face the challenge of capturing what's happening on the display, whether it's an app bug, an interesting moment in the game, or correspondence to save for a report. MIUI device owners know that standard methods can be different from the usual Android smartphones of other brands.
In this article, we will explore all the available ways to create screenshots, from physical buttons to advanced gestures, you will learn to take ordinary screenshots, create long scrolling web pages and customize user-friendly control buttons, and also touch on the topic of using a hardware camera to photograph the screen itself, which is sometimes necessary for specific diagnostic tasks.
Modern MIUI and HyperOS shells offer a wide range of tools for working with images, and understanding these features will save you time and make the interaction with the device more comfortable.
Using physical buttons to screenshot
The most common and time-tested method of creating a screenshot on Xiaomi is a combination of physical buttons, which works on all models, regardless of the version of the operating system or the type of screen, you need to simultaneously press and release the buttons Volume down and Power.
It's important to press them synchronously, but not hold them too long so as not to trigger the shutdown menu or voice assistant. On side-locked devices like the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S or Redmi Note 8 Pro, this action is done on the right side of the case. On front-button models like the Redmi Note 4, the power button is on the right and the volume is on the left.
Once you've done the action, you'll hear the characteristic shutter sound of the camera, and in the upper right corner you'll see a thumbnail. If the device is in silent mode, the sound may be absent, but the vibration and visual notification will confirm success, a basic skill that every smartphone owner should know.
⚠️ Attention: If you press buttons too hard or hold them for longer than a second, the emergency call menu or Google Assistant voice assistant may activate.
Physical buttons remain the most reliable way to react when the touch screen is delayed. Even if the system interface is getting stuck, the key combination often allows you to take a snapshot of an error, which is critical for contacting technical support or preserving evidence of a software failure.
⚠️ Note: On some global firmware versions, a long press of the power and volume button may trigger Google Assistant mode instead of a screenshot.
For those who prefer visual instructions, we have prepared a table of matching actions for different scenarios.
| Action. | The result | Where applicable |
|---|---|---|
| Loudness down + Nutrition (short) | A typical screenshot. | All Xiaomi models |
| Loudness down + Nutrition (long) | Shutdown menu/Assistant | Depends on the settings. |
| Triple push back | Screenshot (if included) | Extended gesture settings |
| Swipe with three fingers | Screenshot. | With function on |
Tweaking gestures with three fingers
The MIUI shell is famous for its customization capabilities, and one of the most popular features is to create screenshots with a swipe. To activate this option, go to Settings → Additional Features → Screenshots. Here you must tick the box against the "Swipe three fingers down."
Once activated, simply swipe your three fingers from top to bottom across any part of the screen, instantly recognizes the gesture and saves the image. This is especially convenient on the big screens of Mi Note or Xiaomi 13 Ultra smartphones, where reaching the top buttons with one hand can be difficult.
There is also a variation of this gesture, "Triple tap" or "Long tap," depending on the version of MIUI. However, swipe remains the most intuitive.
☑️ Checking the setting of gestures
Some users complain of false positives, where a random three-finger touch causes a screenshot to be taken while playing or reading. If this interferes, the function can be disabled in the same menu. Alternatively, you can adjust the sensitivity or the trigger area, if this option is available in your version of the software.
The function "Long shot" (Scroll shot)
Often, a single screen is not enough to store all the information, such as a long correspondence in a messenger or an article in a browser. Xiaomi has a “Long shot” feature. After creating a normal screenshot (by buttons or gesture), a preview will appear in the corner.
Click the Scrolling button (the icon with the arrows down) on the panel that appears. The screen will automatically scroll down, capturing the content. When the information you need is over, press the Stop button or just tap the screen.
The system will automatically glue multiple images into one long image, the quality of the final file remains high, and the text is readable, and it is the perfect tool for saving checks, navigation routes, or contact lists.
What to do if a long photo is taken?
It's worth noting that it doesn't work in all applications, and in some banking clients or DRM-protected video services, screenshots can be blocked at the security level, and in those cases, you'll see a black square instead of an image.
Use of notification curtain and menu
If the physical buttons are busy or damaged and the gestures are not working, you can always use the software interface. Swipe from top to bottom to open the Control Center (curtain).
Clicking on this icon is like pressing physical buttons, and you can also add this button to your favorites if you use it often, and then click on the edit pencil in the corner of the curtain and drag the screenshot icon into the active zone.
Another way is through the recent apps menu, where some versions of MIUI swipe up to view running apps, and at the top of the app card, there's a screenshot button, which is convenient when you want to capture a particular application without opening it completely.
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Add the Screenshot widget to your desktop for instant access, which is especially useful if you have a broken volume button.
Software techniques can be slower, but they do help in critical situations, such as when the screen is flooded with water and the sensor is not working well, but responds to light touches in the curtain area.
Voice control and assistants
Today's Xiaomi smartphones are equipped with powerful voice assistants. You can just say, "OK, Google, take a screenshot," or activate Xiao AI (in Chinese versions) if it's configured. It's a completely contactless way.
Voice control is especially important for people with disabilities or in situations where hands are busy. One voice command is enough and the device will perform the action. The accuracy of command recognition in MIUI is quite high.
However, this method requires an active Internet connection and voice search enabled, and in flight mode or when the signal is bad, this will not work, and it is worth considering that the phone can recognize the command by accident if you discuss technology loudly next to the device.
- 🗣️ Make sure that the Google Assistant settings include Voice Match».
- 📱 Speak the command clearly and loudly, while standing next to the microphone.
- ⚙️ Check the language of the system, it must match the language of the spoken command.
How to take a screen photo with a camera (hardware)
Sometimes software methods are not available, and the only way out is to take a picture of the phone screen with another device or a front camera (if it sees the screen, which is rare), but more often the question of "how to take a picture on the screen" is confused with "how to take a picture of the screen with a camera."
If you need to take a photo of the contents of the screen through the camera (for example, to show the highlights of the matrix or broken pixels), just open the Camera app and hover the lens over the display. However, the quality will be low due to moire and reflections.
A more useful scenario is using Documents or Text mode in Xiaomi's camera, which allows you to scan text from another device's screen and turn it into PDF, and it's not a screenshot, but a full scan.
⚠️ Warning: Never use a flash when taking a picture of another device's screen, this will create a strong reflection (glare) that will completely overshadow the image.
In the context of diagnostics, the camera is sometimes asked to take a photo of the screen in service centers to assess the nature of the damage to the matrix (cracks, spots) without connecting to a PC.
Where to look and how to edit saved photos
Once you've taken a screenshot, the file is saved to the gallery. Open the Gallery app and find Screenshots, which stores all the images taken by software and hardware.
MIUI offers a built-in editor. You can click on a screenshot and cut it right away, add text, paint over sensitive data with a tag, or put a sticker on it, and these tools are at the bottom of the menu.
For quick submission, use the Share button immediately after you have created the image. You can send the file to Telegram, WhatsApp or email without saving it to the gallery, if this option is selected in the privacy settings.
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All screenshots are automatically sorted by creation date in a separate album, making it easier to find the desired image among thousands of photos.
Remember to clean this album periodically, as screenshots can take up a significant amount of memory, especially if you often take "long shots" in high resolution.