How to take a screenshot on Xiaomi Mi 5: all ways + life hacks for MIUI

Xiaomi Mi 5 is the legendary smartphone of 2016, which is still used by many users due to its performance and support for MIUI updates. However, not all owners know that there are as many as 5 ways to take a screenshot on this device, including hidden shell functions. In this article, you will find not only standard methods, but also little-known tricks that will make it easier to take screenshots.

The Mi 5 feature is the lack of a physical Menu button, which forces many users to look for alternative combinations, and we'll take a look at all the current options, including three-finger gestures, voice commands, and even creating screenshots through ADB for advanced users, and you'll also learn how to edit screenshots immediately after creation and where they are stored in the file system.

1. Standard method: power and volume buttons

This is the most versatile method that works on all Xiaomi smartphones, including the Mi 5. The button combination works even on a locked screen (if the appropriate setting is enabled).

• 🔘 At the same time, press the power button (right) and the volume reduction button (left).
• 🕒 Hold them for at least 1 second, but no longer than 2 – otherwise the smartphone may reboot.
• 📸 You will hear the characteristic shutter sound (if the sound is not turned off) and see an animation of saving a screenshot.

If you don't succeed the first time, try pressing the buttons at a minimum interval (power first, then volume) to avoid accidentally rebooting.

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If the screenshot is not saved, check for free space in memory – MIUI requires a minimum of 50 MB to take screenshots.

2. Three finger gesture: the fastest way

MIUI's signature feature is the ability to take screenshots with a simple wire with three fingers across the screen, which works even in games and full-screen applications where buttons are not available. Here's how to set it up and use it:

1. Open Settings → Additional → Special features → Screenshot gesture.
2. Activate the switch "Gestural Screenshot".
3. Choose the gesture direction: Top down or bottom up (we recommend the former so as not to conflict with navigation).

Now, to take a screenshot, just swipe your three fingers across the screen in the right direction. Importantly, the gesture must be smooth but fast enough, otherwise the system will perceive it as a casual touch, a method that is particularly useful for long screenshots (scrollable pages) that MIUI automatically glues into a single file.

3. Screenshot via notification panel

If you're uncomfortable remembering button combinations or gestures, you can add a screenshot shortcut to the notification bar, which is especially useful for users who often take screenshots on social media or messengers.

• 📱 Open the notification panel (swipe from top to bottom).
• 🔧 Click on the "Edit" icon (pencil in the lower right corner).
• 🖼️ Find the Screenshot tile and drag it to the active area.
• 💾 Save the changes.

Now, when swiping down, you'll always have a single-tape button for screenshots, which is convenient because it doesn't require memorizing combinations, but has a limitation: In some applications (e.g. banking), the notification bar can be blocked for security reasons.

⚠️ Attention: Mi 5 with version MIUI Below 10 tile, the Screenshot may not be available, in which case update the firmware or use alternative methods.

4.Voice assistant: screenshot on command

Few people know, but the Xiaomi Mi 5 supports voice control of screenshots through the built-in Xiao AI assistant (on Chinese firmware) or Google Assistant, which is ideal for situations where hands are busy or buttons are not working.

For Google Assistant:

1. Download the Google app from the Play Market (if removed).
2. Activate the voice assistant: Settings → Google → Google Assistant settings → Voice input.
3. Say, "OK, Google, take a screenshot."

For Xiao AI (only on Chinese firmware):

• 🎤 Hold the Home button (if physical) or swipe diagonally from the bottom corner.
• 🗣️ Tell me: "" (Jié tú —"Screenshot in Chinese or Make a Screenshot".

The voice method is convenient, but has two disadvantages:

1. It only works when connected to the Internet (for command processing).
2. It can accidentally work in noisy places.

5. Advanced method: screenshot via ADB (for developers)

If standard methods don't work (for example, because of a button breakage), you can take a screenshot through ADB, the Android debugging tool, which requires a developer mode on and a PC connection, but it works 100% of the time.

1. 🖥️ Install. ADB Tools on the computer.
2. 📱 On Mi 5, activate the settings. → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Press 7 times to unlock the developer mode).
3. 🔌 Connect your phone to the PC by USB and select the File Transfer Mode.
4. 🐍 Open the command line (Windows) or the terminal (Mac/Linux) and type: Adb devices Make sure the device is defined.
5. 📸 Exec-out screencap command: adb exec-out screencap -p > screenshot.png The file will be saved in the folder from where the command was launched.

This method also allows you to take screenshots without notifications (useful for covert monitoring) or automate the process through scripts, for example, you can set up automatic screenshots every 5 minutes to record screen activity.

⚠️ Attention: Teams ADB They give you full access to the system. Don't use them on other people's devices without permission, it violates privacy and can be considered a hack.

Developer mode is on|Xiaomi drivers installed|USB-debugging activated|ADB Tools downloaded on PC|Phone connected in "File Transfer" mode"-->

6 Where screenshots are saved and how to edit them

By default, all screenshots on Xiaomi Mi 5 are saved in the folder: /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Screenshots/

or

/DCIM/Screenshots/

(depending on the version MIUI). Files have a.png format and a name of the type Screenshot_20260515-123456.png, where the date and time of creation are indicated.

Immediately after creating the screenshot, a thumbnail with action buttons appears in the lower right corner:

• ✏️ Edit – cropping, drawing, adding text.
• 📤 Share - quick sending to messengers.
• 🗑️ Delete – if you don’t need a screenshot.

For advanced editing, we recommend using the MIUI Gallery app (built-in gallery), where:

• 🎨 Filters and color correction.
• 🔍 Identity blurring.
• 📏 Fixed proportion cropping (for example, for Instagram stories).
• 🖌️ Brushes and stickers.

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Screenshots on Xiaomi Mi 5 are automatically optimized for the web: their weight rarely exceeds 500 KB, which is convenient for fast sending in messengers.

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

Even on a device as robust as the Mi 5, there are sometimes screenshot issues. TOP-5 problems and ways of eliminating them:

If none of the methods work, try resetting your gesture settings: Settings → System → Resetting → Reset gesture settings.

This will return all customizations to factory values without losing data.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions