How to take a photo of a page on a Xiaomi phone: the complete guide

Modern Xiaomi smartphones, which run on the shell of MIUI or the new HyperOS, offer users incredibly wide opportunities to interact with content. One of the most popular features is to create screenshots, or screenshots, which is necessary when you need to save correspondence, capture an error in the application, save a recipe or share an interesting moment from a social network with friends.

Many users still use the standard button method without even knowing that their device can do much more, such as creating a "long" screenshot that automatically scrolls down the page and glues all the parts into one long picture, and the system allows you to use gestures, voice commands and even drawing on the screen to create a picture.

In this detailed guide, we’ll take a look at all the ways you can capture the contents of your display, learn about hidden settings that will make your life easier, and understand where files are saved once you’re created. We’ll look at the nuances of working with models ranging from budget Redmis to Xiaomi’s flagship 13 and 14 series.

Standard methods for creating screenshots

The most obvious and familiar way for most Android smartphone owners is to use physical buttons. On all Xiaomi devices, this combination works by default and does not require additional adjustment. You need to simultaneously press the on button (located on the side edge) and the volume button.

It is crucial to keep the right timing: the tap should be short and simultaneous, resembling a light click. If you hold the buttons too long, the phone may perceive this as a command to call the off menu or reboot. The screenshot will be created in a split second, and you will hear the characteristic sound of the camera shutter if the system sound is on.

⚠️ Note: Some models with very sensitive buttons or tight button protective cases may require a slightly stronger, but still short-term press to allow the system to register both signals at the same time.

Once you've successfully created an image, you'll see a special notification plaque at the top of the screen, which contains a thumbnail of the image you took and a few action buttons, and there's usually options for editing, deleting, or sending the file to the messenger, and ignoring that plaque will make it disappear in a few seconds, but the file will remain in memory.

An alternative to mechanical buttons is a software method through the control panel, which is a top-down swipe that opens the notification curtain and the control center, and among the quick access icons, you need to find an element called a screenshot.

This method is particularly handy when the side buttons of the smartphone are faulty, stuck, or when the phone is installed in a dock and there is no access to the buttons. Visually, the process looks the same: you hear a click, the screen flashes, and a new file appears in the gallery. This is a standard Android feature adapted by Xiaomi engineers for their interfaces.

Creating long screenshots (Scrollshots)

One of the most useful features in Xiaomi's ecosystem is the ability to create long screenshots, or scrolling shots, which is indispensable when you want to save a complete WhatsApp chat, a long article in your browser or a list of products in an online store. A simple snapshot clips the content, and a scrolling snapshot allows you to capture the entire page.

To activate this mode, first take a regular screenshot in any convenient way (buttons or menus). Once a preview plate appears in the corner of the screen, click the "Scroll" button on it (usually indicated by down arrows or a dashed line).

You can stop the scrolling process at any time by touching the screen or by pressing the stop button that appears on the interface, which allows you to save only the right part of the long page without going to the bottom, and after the system stops, the image will be processed, and you can go to editing or saving it.

Consider that the quality of the final image may depend on the number of pixels traversed. If the page is very long, the vertical resolution will be huge, which can lead to an increase in file size. Some applications, especially banking or DRM-protected content, can block the creation of scrolling photos for security purposes.

Gesture management and additional methods

The MIUI shell is famous for its convenience, and one of the most striking examples is gesture control. You can set up your smartphone so that a screenshot is created by simply swiping three fingers from top to bottom across the screen, an action that is done with one hand or two, but requires some skill.

To activate this feature, go to the settings, select "Additional" or "Extended settings", then look for "Screenshots". Here you need to tick the option "Three fingers", and then the gesture will work in all applications where screen capture is allowed.

⚠️ Attention: A three-finger gesture can conflict with other functions, such as app switching or one-hand mode. If screenshots are created by accident, try changing the sensor's response rate or turning off the gesture.

Another interesting way is to use a sidebar (if activated in your version of the software), and if you put up the toolbar, you can find a camera icon or scissors that will also take a picture of the current screen. In addition, on models that support the Xiaomi Smart Pen stylus, you can create a screenshot by tapping the stylus on the screen twice or selecting the corresponding command in the pen menu.

For those who prefer voice control, the Google Assistant or Xiao AI (in Chinese versions) can also take screenshots on command. Just say, "Ok Google, take a screenshot," and the phone will execute the command, which is especially handy when the user's hands are busy or dirty.

Customization and editing of screenshots

Once you've created a screenshot, it suggests you go into editing mode, which is a powerful built-in tool that allows you not only to save the image, but also to prepare it for sending, and the editor has tools to trim the frame, which helps to remove unnecessary interface elements, such as the status bar with time and battery power.

Blurring is one of the most popular functions, and it hides sensitive information, like card numbers, addresses, private messages or passwords that are captured, and you just paint over the area with your finger, and the system uses a blur or a paint over effect.

In addition, the editor allows you to add textual comments, arrows and shapes to highlight important details. Once you have made all the edits, the image can be saved as a new file or rewritten as the original file. All changes are applied in a non-destructive manner until the final save.

Where screenshots and work with files are stored

Understanding the structure of the Android file system is essential to quickly search for stored data. By default, all screenshots on Xiaomi devices are stored in internal memory in a special folder. The path to it is usually: Internal memory → DCIM → Screenshots.

In the Gallery app, these images are automatically sorted into a separate album called Screenshots, which allows you to avoid mixing them with photos taken with the main camera, and assigns names to the files that contain the date and time of creation, for example, the system gives the files names that contain the date and time of creation, Screenshot_20231025_143005.jpg, This makes it easier to search chronologically.

If you connect your phone to your computer through USB-And you can see this folder structure, and it's convenient for fast transferring a lot of images to the hard drive for archiving — JPEG, but in some cases (for example, when recording a screen or in certain modes) can be used PNG maintain quality without loss.

The solution: Why you can’t take a photo

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where screenshots are not created, most often due to security restrictions of specific applications, banking applications, incognito modes in browsers and some streaming services (Netflix, Kinopoisk) block screen capture to protect copyright and user data.

In these cases, instead of an image, you might see a black screen or a message that says no, it's not a phone malfunction or a system bug, but a regular Android security feature, and it's impossible and unsafe to get around this restriction with standard root-enabled tools.

Another reason may be a lack of free memory: if the internal storage is crowded, the system simply cannot save the new file, in which case you need to clear the cache or delete unnecessary files, and the problem may lie in the failure of the system process "System UI", which is solved by a normal reboot of the device.

💡

If screenshots are no longer saved, try clearing the Gallery and Google System Services cache through the app settings, which often solves the problem of saving media files.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

💡

Screenshots on Xiaomi are not just a picture, but a powerful tool for working with information, which, when used correctly, saves a lot of time.