How to take a screenshot on a Xiaomi phone: all the ways for MIUI 12-14

Taking screenshots on Xiaomi smartphones seems like a simple task โ€” until you encounter unexpected nuances. Some models require you to pinch physical buttons, others support gestures on the screen, and in some versions of MIUI the function is hidden in the menu of quick settings. If your Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5 ignores the standard keyboard combinations, or you want to learn how to take long screenshots of pages โ€” this guide will help you understand all the subtleties.

We tested all the current methods on devices with MIUI 12-14 (including global and Chinese firmware) and identified which methods worked consistently and where problems might arise. AMOLED-The three-finger swipe gesture is disabled by default due to false positives, and you'll learn how to get around the restrictions in games where system keyboard shortcuts are blocked, and why screenshots are sometimes saved in.png and sometimes in.jpg.

1. Standard method: power and volume buttons

Itโ€™s a universal method that works on all Xiaomi smartphones, regardless of the MIUI version or model.

  1. Open the screen you want to lock (application, web page, settings).
  2. At the same time, press the power button (on/lock) and the volume down button.
  3. Hold them for 1-2 seconds until you hear the sound of the camera shutter and see the animation of the screenshot.

On most models (Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 11, POCO F4), the screenshot will be saved in the gallery in the Screenshots folder.

  • ๐Ÿ”‹ Check if the battery is under 5% discharged โ€“ some models block screenshots at critical charge levels.
  • ๐ŸŽฎ In games (e.g. Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile) combination may conflict with game controls. Try other ways.
  • ๐Ÿ”„ If the buttons are contaminated, clean them with an alcohol wipe โ€“ sometimes they donโ€™t work due to dust.

โš ๏ธ Note: On Xiaomi Black Shark (game series), the power button can be reassigned to start the game mode. To return standard behavior, go to Settings โ†’ Special facilities โ†’ Power button.

๐Ÿ“Š What kind of screenshots do you use more often?
Power and volume buttons
Swipe gesture
Voice assistant
Quick settings panel
Other

2.The "three-finger swipe" gesture down

The Triple-Tap Screenshot feature is available on most devices with MIUI 10 and later, but it is often disabled by default.

  1. Go to Settings โ†’ Additional โ†’ Buttons and gestures โ†’ Screenshot gestures.
  2. Turn on the switch opposite "Three-finger swipe down."
  3. (Optional) Adjust the sensitivity of the gesture if the screenshots are triggered by accident.

Now you just swipe your three fingers across the screen from top to bottom (as if you swipe the screen down).

  • ๐Ÿ‘† It works with one hand (comfortable for large smartphones like Xiaomi). 12T Pro).
  • ๐ŸŽฏ More precisely, standard buttons โ€“ you can take a screenshot of a specific moment in a video or animation.
  • ๐Ÿ”‡ Silent (no shutter sound).

If the gesture doesn't work:

  • ๐Ÿงน Make sure there are no greasy spots on the screen โ€“ the touch sensor may not recognize all three fingers.
  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ On some models (Redmi) 9A, POCO M3) Swipe is strictly vertical, diagonal movement does not work.
  • ๐Ÿ”ง After updating MIUI Sign settings may be reset โ€“ check them again.

Make sure the function is enabled in the settings | Check screen cleanliness |Try swipe from different parts of the display |Turn off other gestures (e.g., โ€œtriple tap for scaleโ€)

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3. Screenshot through the Quick Settings panel

If the physical buttons are broken or you prefer visual control, use the notification bar:

  1. Deploy the Quick Settings Panel (swipe down from the top edge of the screen).
  2. Find the screenshot icon (usually a scissors icon or a framed camera icon).
  3. Slip on it โ€“ the screenshot will be taken in 1-2 seconds.

If the icon is missing:

  • ๐Ÿ”ง Click on the pencil ("Edit") in the notification bar and add it manually.
  • ๐Ÿ“ฒ On some firmware (MIUI The function is called Screen capture.
  • ๐Ÿ”„ After resetting the settings, the Quick Settings Panel is reset to a default view - check its contents.

This method is convenient for:

  • ๐Ÿ“ธ Creating screenshots in applications where buttons are blocked (for example, in banking programs).
  • ๐ŸŽฅ Screen fixation during video recording (gestures may interfere with the recording).
  • ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ’ป Users with limited motor skills (no need to press buttons).

โš ๏ธ Note: On Xiaomi Pad 5 and other tablets, the Quick Settings Panel is divided into two parts - the Screenshot icon can be on the second page (swipe to the left).

4.Voice Assistant and Google Assistant

If you have Google Assistant enabled or XiaoAI (on Chinese firmware), you can take a screenshot with a voice command:

  • ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ For Google Assistant: Say โ€œOK Google, take a screenshotโ€ (in English and Russian).
  • ๐Ÿค– For XiaoAI: Say "" (Chinese version only) MIUI).

Features of the method:

  • ๐ŸŽค It works even with a locked screen (if the โ€œOK, Googleโ€ option is enabled in the locked state).
  • ๐Ÿ”Š You can use screenshots in games where buttons are locked.
  • ๐ŸŒ On some models (Redmi) K50) Voice screenshot is saved to a separate folder Assistant_Screenshots.

If the voice command is not working:

  • ๐Ÿ”Š Check if you have microphone access enabled for Google or XiaoAI in the app settings.
  • ๐Ÿ“ถ Make sure your device is connected to the internet โ€“ some voice commands require cloud processing.
  • ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ XiaoAI may not understand Russian on Chinese firmware โ€“ switch to Chinese or English.

๐Ÿ’ก

If the voice assistant doesn't recognize the command, try to pronounce it more clearly or reformulate it. For example, instead of "take a screenshot," say "take a screenshot."

5. Long screenshot (scrollable)

Scrolling Screenshot (or Scrolling Screenshot) allows you to capture an entire web page, a chat in a Telegram, or a list in an app.

  1. Take a regular screenshot of any of the above methods.
  2. Immediately after the appearance of the screenshot in the lower right corner, tap it.
  3. In the editor that opens, select the Scrolling icon (two arrows down).
  4. Wait until the screen automatically scrolls to the end, or stop the process manually.

Limitations and nuances:

Annex/ScenarioIs it supported?Notes
Web pages (Chrome, Mi Browser)โœ… Yes.It works best, but can crop dynamic content (like Instagram feed).
Chats on Telegram/WhatsAppโœ… Yes.Capture only uploaded messages (will not scroll through the story automatically).
Social networks (Vkontakte, Facebook)โš ๏ธ Partially.It can be blocked due to content protection (for example, TikTok does not work).
PDF-fileโŒ No.The scroll function is not supported in most viewers.
Games and 3D-applicationsโŒ No.Technically impossible due to the nature of the rendering.

If a long screenshot is not available:

  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ Update. MIUI until the latest version โ€“ in old firmware function worked unstable.
  • ๐Ÿ”„ Try a different browser (e.g. Firefox instead of Chrome).
  • ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ In some applications (such as AliExpress) you must first allow screenshots in the application settings.
Why is the long screenshot being cut off?
If the screenshot you are scrolling in the middle is cut off, it is due to the MIUI limiting the amount of content you capture (usually up to 10 screens) and to get around this, take screenshots piece by piece and glue them together in the editor (e.g., in Google Photos or Collage Maker).

6 Screenshot in games and secure applications

Many games (Call of Duty Mobile, Free Fire) and applications (banks, encrypted messengers) block the standard ways to create screenshots.

  • ๐ŸŽฎ Xiaomi Game Mode: Open Settings โ†’ Special facilities โ†’ Game turbo mode and enable the option "Screenshots in gamesยป.
  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ External Devices: Connect your phone to your PC and use ADB For screen capture by command: adb exec-out screencap -p > screenshot.png

For banking applications (SberBank Online, Tinkoff):

  • ๐Ÿฆ Some banks allow screenshots only after confirmation of the SMS fingerprint.
  • ๐Ÿ“ธ V MIUI 14 appeared the function โ€œSafe screenshotโ€ โ€“ it automatically blurs sensitive data (card numbers, passwords).

โš ๏ธ Attention: Screenshots of screens with payment data (CVV-code, PIN) You can save it to the Mi Cloud. To avoid leaks, turn off screenshot sync in Settings. โ†’ Xiaomi account โ†’ Mi Cloud โ†’ Synchronization.

๐Ÿ’ก

In games with anticheat (for example, PUBG Mobile) using third-party screenshot software can lead to account ban. MIUI.

7 Where screenshots are stored and how to manage them

By default, screenshots are saved to:

  • ๐Ÿ“ folder DCIM โ†’ Screenshots (for standard screenshots).
  • ๐Ÿ“ Pictures folder โ†’ Scrolling_screenshots (long-screen).
  • โ˜๏ธ Mi Cloud (if synchronization is enabled).

To change the place of conservation:

  1. Install a file manager with ROOT support (e.g. Solid Explorer).
  2. Go to /storage/emulated/0/ and create a new folder (like MyScreenshots).
  3. Use it. ADB Redesigned for: Adb shell settings put system screenshot_save_path /storage/emulated/0/MyScreenshots

Management advice:

  • ๐Ÿ—‘๏ธ To quickly remove all screenshots, use the command: adb shell rm -rf /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Screenshots/*
  • ๐Ÿ” To search for screenshots by date, type:screenshot.
  • ๐Ÿ“ค To disable screenshot previews in the lower left corner, go to Settings โ†’ Notifications โ†’ Screenshot preview.

FAQ: Frequent questions about screenshots on Xiaomi

โ“ Why screenshots are kept in low quality?
This is due to the compression settings in MIUI. To fix: Go to Settings โ†’ Annexes โ†’ gallery โ†’ Storage. Turn off the screenshot compression option. Also check if Traffic Saving mode is enabled in the settings. SIM-If the problem persists, try taking a screenshot through Google Assistant, which saves images without compression.
โ“ Can I take a screenshot from the screen off?
No, it's technically impossible without ROOT-There is a workaround, however: Turn on Always On Display (if supported by your model); set up time/notifications on the locked screen; take a screenshot in the standard way; capture the current state AOD. On some models (Xiaomi 13 Ultra), you can use the voice command โ€œOK, Google, show the screenโ€ to wake the display and immediately take a screenshot.
โ“ How to take a screenshot if the sensor is not working?
If the screen does not respond to touch, but the image is displayed: ๐Ÿ”Œ Connect your phone to your PC and use it. ADB: adb shell input keyevent 26 (emulates pressing the power button) + adb shell input keyevent 25 (reduce volume). ๐Ÿ–ฑ๏ธ Connect. USB-mouse-wise OTG-Adapter and use it to navigate the Quick Settings Panel. ๐Ÿ“ž Call your phone from another device and press the power buttons during the call. + Volume (sometimes it works even when the screen is locked).
โ“ Why screenshots are not saved in the gallery?
Possible causes and solutions: ๐Ÿ“ Screenshots folder is damaged. Screenshots_old โ€” The system will create a new one at the next screenshot. ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ No recording permissions. Check permissions for the Gallery app in Settings โ†’ Annexes โ†’ Permits. ๐Ÿ”„ Media Provider crash.Reboot your phone or execute the command: adb shell pm clear com.android.providers.media
โ“ Can I edit the screenshot immediately after creation?
Yes, MIUI offers a basic editor: After you create a screenshot, tap on the thumbnail in the bottom left corner. The editor has tools: cropping, drawing, adding text, blurring, mosaic. To save the changes, click "Done" (checkmark icon). For advanced editing (for example, adding arrows or stickers), use Google Photo or Snapseed.