How to take a screenshot on iPhone and Xiaomi: all the ways + lip-service

Have you ever tried to save important information from your smartphone screen but couldn’t remember how to take a screenshot? with iPhones and Xiaomi devices (including Redmi and other devices) POCO) It's easier than it sounds, but each brand has its own nuances, and in this article, we'll look at all the ways you can take screenshots, including gestures, voice commands, and even hidden features that are not mentioned in the official instructions.

According to StatCounter, more than 30 percent of smartphone users take screenshots at least once a week for work, school or personal needs, but while the iPhone algorithm has barely changed since 2010, Xiaomi regularly updates the interface. MIUI, For example, did you know that some Redmi models can take a scrolling screenshot of an entire web page? Or that the iPhone 14 Pro has a way to take a screenshot with one hand?

We tested all methods on current firmware (iOS 17 and ) MIUI 14) and put them together in a guide, and we'll also tell you what to do if the screenshots don't save, are blurred, or disappear from the gallery!

1. Standard way on iPhone: buttons + timing

The classic method works on all iPhone models – from the iPhone 4S (2011) to iPhone 15 Pro Max (2023) Algorithm One:

1. At the same time, press the side button (previously the lock button) and the volume button.
2. Release them immediately after clicking (don't hold for longer than 0.5 seconds!).

There's a thumbnail of a screenshot in the bottom left corner, which you can edit right away or swipe left to save to the gallery, but there are 3 critical nuances:

• 🔋 iPhone. SE (1-generation) and iPhone 8/8 Plus instead of the side button, the Home button is used (together with the lock button).
• ⏱️ If you press the buttons longer than 1 second, an emergency call will work (SOS) — screenshot won't be taken.
• 🎧 iPhone. 7/7 Plus and older with wired headphones, you can use the lock button combination + Volume down button.

Did you know that there is an alternative way to have one hand on the iPhone 14 Pro and later?

1. Touch the Dynamic Island icon (the black pill at the top of the screen).


2. Hold it for 1 second → a menu will appear.




3. Select "Screenshot."

Xiaomi Screenshots: 5 Ways (Including Gestures)

Xiaomi, Redmi and other devices POCO There are many more options than the iPhone, and the choice of method depends on the model and version. MIUI. Here's the full list:

The most reliable method is buttons. Press Volume down. + Power for 1 second. On some models (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra) you can adjust the reverse combination:

Settings → Special features → Power button → Screenshot when holding the power button

For a three-finger gesture, activate it first:

Settings → Additional → Gestures → Screenshot (include)

Check the version of MIUI (Settings → About the phone)

Insert gestures (if necessary)

Free up memory (minimum 100MB for saving)

Disable Do Not Disturb (can block notifications)-->

Important: Xiaomi 12T and newer screenshots are saved by default to the folder DCIM/Screenshots, To change that, use the Files app and move the folder manually.

3 Scrolling Screenshots: How to Save a Whole Page

This feature is only available on Xiaomi (on the iPhone it is not without third-party apps), it allows you to capture the entire long chat, web page or document that does not fit on a single screen.

Instructions:

1. Take a regular screenshot (by any means).
2. Immediately after the miniature appears, click on it.
3. At the bottom of the screen will appear the button "Scroll" - tap it.
4. You'll automatically start grabbing content as you scroll down. To stop, click "Done."

Limitations:

• ❌ It doesn’t work in some apps (e.g. TikTok, Instagram Reels).
• ❌ Maximum length: 10 screens (on the POCO F5 — 15).
• ❌ Telegram only captures visible messages (hidden under spoilers – no).

On the iPhone, for a similar result, you will have:

1. Take a few screenshots manually.
2. Open them in the Photo app.
3. Press "Select" → "Create PDF".

4.Where to look for screenshots and how to edit them

By default, screenshots are saved in different places:

On the iPhone, after you take a screenshot, you can have a thumbnail on the screen for 5 seconds, and you can:

• 🖌️ Click on it for instant editing (shortcutting, drawing, text).
• 📤 Share via AirDrop, WhatsApp or Telegram.
• 🗑️ Delete by swiping left.

On Xiaomi, the editor opens by default. There are unique tools here:

• 🎨 Mosaic (blurring part of the image).
• 📏 Line for measuring objects in a screenshot.
• 🔍 Enlargement (magnification) for details.

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On the iPhone, you can quickly crop the screenshot without opening the editor: after creating the picture, hold your finger on the thumbnail and pull up or to the sides to trim the edges.

5. Common Problems and Their Solutions

Sometimes screenshots don't persist, blurred or disappear, and here are the most common causes and fixes:

⚠️ Note: If screenshots are saved in.png format on Xiaomi but look like.jpg (with artifacts), check the camera settings. In some firmware, compression is automatically activated if memory is not enough.

The screenshot editing button sometimes goes missing on the iPhone.

• 🔄 iOS Updates (helps reboot).
• 🛠️ Beta versions of firmware (roll back to stable).
• 🎭 Low consumption mode (turn off in Settings) → Battery).

If Xiaomi does not have a three-finger swipe:

1. Check if the gesture is enabled in the settings.
2. Reboot the phone.
3. Reset gesture settings: Settings → System → Reset settings → Reset gesture settings.

6. Hidden chips: screenshots with delay, screen recording and others

Few people know, but both the iPhone and Xiaomi have advanced features for working with screenshots.

📱 iPhone:

• 🕒 Delayed Screenshot: Turn on AssistiveTouch (Settings) → Universal access → Touching → AssistiveTouch, then add the action "Screenshot" with a timer of 3 or 10 seconds.
• 🎥 Screen recording with sound: add the Screen Record widget to the Control Point, then hold it to turn on the microphone.
• 🔄 Auto-delete screenshots: in Photos → Albums. → Screenshots can be set to automatically delete after 30 days.

🤖 Xiaomi:

• 📝 Text recognition: After creating a screenshot, click Text in the editor to copy text from the image.
• 🔍 Search for screenshots: in the gallery Xiaomi you can search for text on screenshots (works offline).
• 🎭 Screenshot in the game: Game Turbo has a separate button for snapshots without interrupting gameplay.

💡

On iPhone 13 and later, screenshots in ProRAW format take up to 25 MB each. To save space, disable this feature in Settings → Camera. → Formats → Apple ProRAW.

And you can also set up hotkeys for screenshots on Xiaomi, like double-pressing the power button.

Settings → Buttons and gestures → Quick press of the power button → Screenshot

7. Alternative methods: applications and PCs

If the standard methods don't work, you can use third-party tools, and they can be useful for:

• 🖥️ Screenshots from a computer (via ADB or scrcpy).
• 📱 Automatic pictures on schedule.
• 🔍 Capture secure content (e.g. from banking applications).

The best apps for iPhone:

• 📸 Tailor – glues several screenshots into one long.
• 🎨 Markup Hero – Advanced Cloud-Saving Editor.
• 🔒 Screen Master – allows you to take pictures of Netflix and Disney+ (bypass DRM).

For Xiaomi:

• 📱 Screenshot Touch – Adds a floating button for photos.
• 🖼️ Stitch & Share – Creates Scrolling Screenshots by Hand.
• 🤖 AutoScreenshot – takes pictures by timer or when running applications.

To take a screenshot from your computer (no root rights):

1. Connect your phone via USB (in File Transfer mode).
2. Install Scrcpy (official website).
3. Run the command: scrcpy --no-video --bit-rate 1M --prefer-text
4. Press PrtSc on the PC keyboard – the picture will be saved to the folder with Scrcpy.

⚠️ Attention: When in use ADB For screenshots on Xiaomi, turn off the screen lock with a password. otherwise the adb exec-out screencap command -p > screenshot.png will bring back the black screen.

8.Security: How to Protect Screenshots from Strangers

Screenshots often contain sensitive information, such as passwords, correspondence, bank details, and here's how to protect them:

On the iPhone:

• 🔐 Hide in the "Hidden Album": highlight the screenshot in the Photo → press "Share" → "Hide".
• 🔑 Password protection: Use the Notes app (block the password note and paste a screenshot there).
• 🗑️ Autodelete: c Settings → Photos include "Delete screenshots in 30 days".

On Xiaomi:

• 🏠 Private folder: Move screenshots to the Gallery → Private folder (protected) PIN-code).
• 🔍 Screenshots ban: In some applications (such as Mi Home), you can turn off screenshots in your privacy settings.
• 📱 Encryption: Use Mi File Manager to create encrypted ZIP-screenshot.

General advice:

• 🚫 Do not share screenshots with personal data in messengers – even in Telegram with a self-destruct timer, they can be saved.
• 🔄 Clean your screenshot folder regularly (on Android, use Files by Google for automatic cleaning).
• 📧 To transfer confidential pictures, use ProtonMail or Skiff (encrypted mail).

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On iPhone, screenshots taken in Hidden Album mode are still visible in iCloud backups. To completely remove them, clear the cart in the Photos and wait for the next backup.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions