How to take a screenshot on Xiaomi Redmi 9: all ways + secret chips

Why screenshots on Redmi 9 aren’t as easy as they seem

Xiaomi Redmi 9 (and its 9A, 9C, 9T variants) runs on MIUI’s proprietary shell, which offers 5 different ways to create screenshots. But here’s the paradox: the more options, the more users get confused. Some can’t find a button combination, others don’t know about gestures, and still others wonder why a screenshot isn’t saved in the gallery. This article closes all the gaps, from basic methods to little-known life hacks.

It's important to understand that Redmi 9 came with different MIUI versions (11 to 14), and each version had slightly different interfaces, so we took all the nuances into account and put together the current instructions for any firmware, including the global and Chinese versions, and we'll also look at common bugs, like why the screenshot turns black or doesn't save.

If you want to not just take a screenshot, but edit it right after you've created it, automatically send it to the messenger or save it to the cloud, read it all. There are tricks here that are not even written in the official documentation of Xiaomi.

Method 1: Classic button combination (always working)

It’s a universal method that works on any Xiaomi smartphone, including the Redmi 9. It doesn’t depend on the MIUI version and doesn’t require additional features.

1. Open on the screen what you want to capture (message, page in the browser, map, etc.).
2. Press two buttons at the same time: 🔊 Loudness down (left side button) 🔄 Power (right side button)

1-2 seconds

⚠️ Attention: If you press the buttons too long (more than 3 seconds), a forced reboot or call Fastboot will work. On the Redmi 9, this happens less often than on Xiaomi flagships, but there is a risk. The optimal retention time is exactly until the white bezels appear on the edges of the screen.

Where do I look for the screenshot? It's saved by default in the folder:

Internal Memory → Pictures → Screenshots

Or through the gallery: open the Gallery app → Screenshots album.

Make sure the buttons are not stuck or contaminated.

Fingers should not close the screen (otherwise the screen will be dark)

There is no confidential information on the screen (passwords, codes)

The sound on the phone is turned on (to hear the shooting signal)-->

Method 2: Trifine gesture (the fastest, but you need to adjust)

This is a technique that users love for its speed: just swipe three fingers across the screen, and the screenshot is ready. But by default, the gesture is turned off, you need to activate it in the settings. Here's how to do this:

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Special features → Gesture for a screenshot.
2. Activate the swipe switch with three fingers down.
3. (Optional) Enable the screenshot Preview option to edit the picture immediately.

Now to take a screenshot:

1. Place three fingers on the screen (for example, index, middle and ring fingers).
2. Swipe them down quickly (as if you were swiping the screen).
3. Wait for the sound signal and vibration.

Method 3: Notification panel (if buttons are broken or uncomfortable)

If the physical buttons on your Redmi 9 don’t work well (or you just prefer not to use them), you can take a screenshot through the Quick Settings Panel, a method that is particularly convenient for users with limited motor skills or when using the phone with one hand.

Instructions:

1. Open the screen that you want to capture.
2. Swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the notification bar.
3. Find the screenshot icon (usually scissors) 🖇️ If you don't have one, swipe the panel to the left to see all the icons.
4. Put the badge on, and in a second, the screenshot will be ready.

⚠️ Note: On some versions MIUI 12 screenshot icon hidden by default:

Settings → Notification Panel → Change the order → Drag “Screenshot” to the active area

Advantages of this method:

• 🔧 No need to remember button combinations.
• 🖼️ You can take a screenshot even with locked physical buttons.
• 🔄 It is easy to cancel an action if pressed accidentally (within 2 seconds).

💡

If the screenshot icon is missing after the MIUI update, reset the notification panel settings: Settings → Applications → Application Management → System → Notification Panel → Storage → Clear the data.

Method 4: Google Voice Assistant (for those who like to control voice)

Few people know, but Redmi 9 supports voice-guided screenshots, which is convenient if your hands are busy or your screen is dirty, and requires a Google Assistant installed (the default is on global versions of MIUI).

How it works:

1. Activate voice assistant: Long press home (if enabled). or say OK Google (if voice activation is configured).

• Take a screenshot.
• Screenshot.
• Take a picture of the screen.
• Wait for confirmation ("Screenshot taken") and an audible signal.

Limitations of the method:

• 🗣️ It only works when you connect to the Internet (the team is processed by Google cloud).
• 🔇 In noisy places, the assistant may not recognize the team.
• 📵 On the Chinese versions. MIUI Without Google Services, the method is not available.

🔹 Alternative: Chinese firmware can use XiaoAI (XiaoAI built-in assistant), but this requires a separate language setting.

Method 5: Script with scrolling (long pages in one click)

A standard screenshot will only capture the part of the screen that is visible at the moment. But what if you want to save an entire web page, WhatsApp correspondence or a long list in the application? Redmi 9 has a scrolling screenshot feature (also known as "extended screenshot").

How it works:

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 option (or Long Screenshot).
4. Wait until the phone automatically scrolls down the page and combines the footage.
5. Press Ready to save the result.

📊 Comparison of screenshots on Redmi 9:

💡

For scrolling screenshots, it is important that the content is uploaded in full. For example, on Instagram or Twitter, wait for all posts to be uploaded first, otherwise they won't make it to the final shot.

Typical Problems and How to Solve Them

Even with simple actions like screenshots, Redmi 9 users are experiencing errors, and here are some of the most common ways to fix them:

Problem 1: The screenshot is black.

• 🖤 Check if your finger is covering the front camera or sensors (on Redmi 9, they are located on top of the camera).
• 🔦 Increase the brightness of the screen – sometimes the automatic adjustment is knocked down.
• 🔄 Restart your phone if the error repeats.

Problem 2: Screenshots are not saved in the gallery.

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Gallery → Rights → Allow access to storage

Also check the Pictures/Screenshots folder through the file manager – sometimes screenshots are saved but not displayed in the gallery due to a cache failure.

Problem 3: The three-finger gesture doesn't work.

• 🔧 Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Special facilities → Gesture for screenshot and turn on the function again.
• 📱 Make sure there is no low-sensitivity protective film on the screen.
• 🔄 Update the firmware - in older versions MIUI 11 were gesture recognition bugs.

⚠️ Note: If after the update MIUI all ways to create screenshots have stopped working, reset the settings only for the system (without deleting data):

Settings → About the phone → Resetting settings → Resetting all settings

This will return the standard gesture settings and notification panel.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions