How to take a screenshot on a Xiaomi smartphone: all the ways for Redmi, POCO and Mi

You can take a screenshot on Xiaomi in seconds — if you know the right key combinations or hidden MIUI functions. But what if the standard way Volume Down + Power doesn't work? Or if you have a broken power button? In this article, we'll break down 5 proven methods, including gestures, voice commands and even Google Assistant capabilities.

Important: the instruction is relevant for all modern models, from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra. But some methods (for example, a three-toed swipe) may not be available on older versions of MIUI below 12. Check the shell version in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version.

1. Standard method: Volume and power buttons

It is the most reliable and versatile method, working on all Xiaomi smartphones, including POCO and Black Shark.

• 📱 Simultaneously press the volume down button (bottom of the sidebar) and the power button.
• 🕒 Hold them down. 1-2 seconds until the screen blinks and the screenshot animation appears.
• 🔊 You will hear the characteristic sound of the camera shutter (unless the sound is turned off).

Where to look for a screenshot? All screenshots are automatically saved to the gallery in the Screenshots folder (or Screenshots on Russian firmware).

/storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Screenshots/

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T) If you don't get a screenshot, try pressing it at the same time, but with minimal delay (volume first, power after 0.3 seconds).

2. Three-toed swipe gesture (hidden MIUI function)

Few people know, but MIUI 12 and later has a hidden ability to take screenshots without buttons — with gestures — a technique that is particularly useful for users with faulty physical keys or those who often take screenshots in games.

How to turn on:

1. Open Settings → Additional → Special features → Gestures.
2. Find the option “Scream with three-toed swipe”** and activate the switch.
3. Test: swipe your fingers from top to bottom across the screen (as if you were swiping down).

On some models (e.g. POCO F5), this gesture conflicts with the camera’s Quick Open function. If the swipe doesn’t work, turn off the camera gesture in the settings.

Make sure the screen is unlocked | Turn off other gestures in the settings |Try swipe from different parts of the screen |Check if the gesture is blocking the running app-->

3. Screenshot using the notification panel

If you don't feel comfortable remembering button combinations or gestures, use the Quick Settings Panel, which works on all versions of MIUI and doesn't require any additional settings.

Instructions:

• 📲 Swipe your finger down to open the notification bar.
• 🔧 Click on the screenshot icon** (usually located in the front row next to the flashlight).
• 🖼️ If there is no icon, expand the panel completely (swipe down twice) and find it in the list.

The advantage of this method is that you can take a screenshot with one hand without blocking the screen, and the disadvantage is that on some firmwares the icon is hidden by default, and you need to add it manually:

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

4. Voice commands: Google Assistant and Xiao AI

You can even take a screenshot with your voice, without touching the screen, which is suitable for Xiaomi owners with a Google Assistant or Xiao AI brand assistant installed.

Method 1: Google Assistant (works on all models with Google Play):

• 🎤 Say “OK Google” or hold the Home button (if you have one).

Method 2: Xiao AI (for Chinese firmware or global firmware with an installed application only):

• 🔊 Hold the Home button or say, Hey, Xiao. AI».

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Redmi Note 11 Pro)+) voice commands may not work in games or applications with microphone lock (such as banking programs). → Annexes → Permits.

5. Delayed screenshot (for scrollable pages)

What do you do if you want to capture a long chat, a web page, or a list in an app? A standard screenshot will crop up content. MIUI has a hidden feature called Scrolling Screenshot (or Long Screenshot) that allows you to capture the entire screen from top to bottom.

How to do this:

1. Take a regular screenshot of any of the above methods.
2. Immediately after the thumbnail appears in the lower right corner, click on it.
3. In the editor that opens, tap the “Scroll” icon** (two arrows down).
4. Wait until the system automatically scrolls the page and connects the frames.

Limitations of the method:

💡

If a long screenshot is cut where it is needed – after automatic scrolling manually edit the boundaries with a built-in editor (scissors icon).

Editing and fast processing of screenshots

Once you've created the screenshot, MIUI offers instant editing -- without having to open the gallery. In the thumbnail that appears in the bottom right corner, you can have the tools:

• ✏️ Drawing (brushes, markers, eraser).
• 📝 Text (addition of text with font selection).
• 🔲 Trimming (change of frame boundaries).
• 🖼️ Mosaic (blurring of personal data).
• 📤 Share (fast sending to messengers).

If the thumbnail is gone, that's no problem! Open the screenshot in the gallery and tap the Edit icon. Xiaomi has a unique Smart Text Recognition (OCR) feature:

• Open the screenshot with the text.
• Click "Text Text"** in the editing menu.
• The system automatically copies all text to the clipboard.

💡

OCR works offline and supports more than 20 languages, including Russian, English and Chinese, with a recognition accuracy of up to 98% for sharp images.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Sometimes screenshots on Xiaomi don't work for a variety of reasons, so let's look at the common mistakes and how to fix them.

Problem 1: Buttons do not respond to pressing

• 🔋 Check if the battery is discharged (at the charge level) < 5% Some functions are turned off).
• 🔄 Restart the phone - pinch the power + Volume up for 10 seconds.
• 🛠️ If the power button is broken, use a three-toed swipe gesture or voice commands.

Problem 2: Screenshots are not saved

• 📁 Check the space in the memory (minimum 50MB required).
• 🚫 Make sure the app doesn’t block screenshots (like Netflix or banking programs).
• 🔧 Reset permissions for the Gallery app** in Settings → Annexes → gallery → Permits.

Problem 3: Black screen instead of screenshot

• 🎮 This is normal for games with protection (like Call of Duty Mobile).Use an external camera or Google Play Games to record the screen.
• 🔒 In banking applications, screenshots are blocked by default (security requirement).

Problem 4: Low quality screenshot

• 📏 Check the screen resolution in Settings → Display. → Permission (should be) FHD+ or QHD+).
• 🎨 In the screenshot editor, select "Save in original quality»**.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions