How to take a screenshot on Xiaomi Poco X3: all the ways from standard to hidden

Xiaomi Poco X3 is one of the most popular smartphones in the budget segment, but even its owners sometimes have difficulty creating screenshots. Depending on the version of MIUI (12, 13 or 14) and the installed shell (Poco Launcher or standard), the methods may differ. In this article, we will analyze not only the basic methods, but also little-known chips, from a three-finger gesture to voice commands through Google Assistant.

Poco X3 features a physical Power button and a touchscreen fingerprint scanner, which affects keyboard combinations. For example, on some firmware, the standard Power + Volume Down combination may conflict with the Google Pay call. We tested all methods on current versions of software and identified those that work consistently.

1. Standard method: power and volume buttons

It’s a versatile method that works on all Xiaomi smartphones, including the Poco X3.

1. Open the screen you want to capture (for example, a dialog in the messenger or a page in the browser).
2. At the same time, press the Power button (on/off) and the Volume Down button.
3. Hold them no longer than 1 second – otherwise, turn off the screen or call the voice assistant.

If you do this successfully, you'll see an animation of the screenshot (the shadow running across the screen) and hear the characteristic shutter sound (if the system's sound is on). DCIM → Screenshots or Pictures → Screenshots.

⚠️ Note: On some custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience), this combination may cause a reboot menu. If you have unofficial firmware installed, check the button settings in the System section → Gestures → Buttons.

Screen unlocked and active |

App not in the background |

System sound on (for audible confirmation)|

Memory is not full (minimum 50 MB free)-->

2. Three-finger gesture: quick screenshot without buttons

MIUI's signature feature is the ability to take screenshots with a simple Conductus gesture, which is convenient when one hand is busy or the power/volume buttons are faulty.

1. Go to Settings → Additional Features → Gestures → Screenshot of three fingers.
2. Activate the switch (should turn blue).
3. Select the type of gesture: 👉 Swipe down - standard option (fingers move from top to bottom on the screen). 👉 Touch and hold - less reliable, may work accidentally.

Once set up, simply swipe your three fingers across the screen from top to bottom (as if you were swiping the contents). The speed of movement should be medium - too slow or fast conduct may not work. This method is especially useful in games where pressing buttons can interrupt gameplay.

3. Screenshot with Quick Ball (virtual button)

Quick Ball is a floating toolbar from Xiaomi that makes it easier to access frequently used features to customize it for screenshots:

1. Open Settings → Additional features → Quick Ball
2. Turn on the Quick Ball slider.
3. Click Quick Ball Settings → Functions and add the Screenshot icon (scissors icon).
4. Select the position of the ball on the screen (left or right) and its transparency.

Now, to take a picture, just tap Quick Ball and select the screenshot icon, and the advantage of this method is that you can quickly take a series of pictures (for example, to create a step-by-step instruction), and you can add a screen recording to Quick Ball, which is convenient for creating video tutorials.

Standard buttons |

Three finger gesture |

Quick Ball|

Voice command |

Another option-->

4. Voice commands: "Okay, Google, take a screenshot."

If you have Google Assistant on, you can take screenshots with your voice, which is useful when your hands are busy (e.g., while you're cooking a prescription or repairing machinery).

1. Activate Google Assistant: Settings → Google → Settings for Google apps → Search, Assistant and Voice → Voice Assistant.
2. Say the phrase, “OK Google, take a screenshot” (in English: “Hey Google, take a screenshot”).

⚠️ Attention: On Poco X3 firmware MIUI 12.5 And below, voice screenshots can be saved in.png with artifacts (the strip at the bottom of the screen). MIUI 13/14, avoidance.

5. Screenshot of the page being scrolled (long screenshot)

If you want to capture the entire web page, chat in Telegram or a long list in the application, use the Scrolling Screenshot feature. It is available in the standard MIUI tool:

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

It doesn't work in all applications, and here's a list of supported apps.

• 🌐 Browsers: Chrome, Mi Browser, Firefox.
• 💬 Messengers: Telegram, WhatsApp (only in chats, not in statuses).
• 📄 Social networks: Facebook, VKontakte (not working in Instagram Stories).

💡

If a long screenshot is cropped, try scrolling the page manually before saving. Sometimes the automatic scrolling "forgets" some content because of the slow loading of elements.

6.Alternative methods: ADB and third-party applications

If standard methods don’t work (for example, because of a button break or a firmware failure), you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) or third-party utilities, these methods require additional settings, but are guaranteed to work even on a broken device.

Method 1: Screenshot via ADB

Suitable for advanced users, you will need a computer with Xiaomi drivers installed and USB debugging enabled:

adb devices


adb shell screencap -p /sdcard/screenshot.png




adb pull /sdcard/screenshot.png C:\Users\YourName\Desktop

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Developer Mode (7 times click on the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone).
2. Activate Debugging by USB in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect Poco X3 to your PC and execute the commands above.

Method 2: Screenshot applications

If you don’t want to mess with ADB, install one of the proven apps:

• 📱 Screen Master – Supports gestures, timer and editing.
• 🎨 Screenshot Touch – allows you to draw on a screenshot before saving.
• 🔄 LongShot – specializes in scrollable shots.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party apps, turn off battery optimization for them (Settings) → Annexes → Permits → Auto-run, otherwise they may not work in the background.

7. Problem Solving: Screenshots are not saved or distorted

Sometimes screenshots are not saved or displayed with artifacts, and here are the typical reasons and ways to fix them:

If the problem persists, try resetting the Gallery app settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Gallery.
2. Press Warehouse. → Clear the data.
3. Reset the device.

💡

On Poco X3 with MIUI 14, screenshots are saved in.jpeg format by default (rather than.png), saving up to 30% of space. To return.png, use the Screenshot Format Changer app from Google Play.

FAQ: Frequent questions about screenshots on Poco X3