How to Take a Screenshot of Xiaomi Mi A3: All Ways (2026)

Why are the screenshots on the Mi A3 different from other Xiaomis?

The Xiaomi Mi A3 is a unique smartphone in the company’s lineup that runs on pure Android One instead of the branded MIUI shell. This means that the standard button combinations for screenshots here may not match up with other models of the brand. For example, devices with MIUI often use a three-finger swipe down, but on the Mi A3 this gesture is disabled by default.

Another feature is that there is no built-in screenshot editor immediately after you take a picture. In MIUI, after you capture the screen, you have a trimming and drawing toolbar, and in Android One you have to use separate applications (for example, Google Photos or Gallery Go), but there is no restriction on saving screenshots to the cloud - all pictures are automatically synced with Google Drive if you have the appropriate setting.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to create screenshots on the Mi A3, including hidden features and workarounds for unusual situations (for example, if physical buttons don’t work), and learn how to configure the saving of pictures in the desired folder and why sometimes screenshots are black.

Method 1: Classic button combination (Power + Volume Down)

It’s a versatile method that works on 99% of Android devices, including the Xiaomi Mi A3.

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 (right) and the Volume Down button (left).
3. Hold them for 1-2 seconds until you hear the camera shutter sound and see the save animation.

⚠️ Attention: On Mi A3 With worn buttons, only one tap can work (for example, turning off the screen instead of a screenshot:

• 🔧 Press buttons with a slight time shift: first Volume Down, after 0.5 seconds - Power.
• 🧹 Clean the buttons of dust with compressed air or a soft brush.
• 🔄 Restart the phone – sometimes system lags block the processing of combinations.

On Mi. A3 Screenshots are saved by default to the folder /Pictures/Screenshots/, But if you use a memory card, the path may change. /storage/XXXX-XXXX/Screenshots/ (where XXXX — ID yours SD-map).

Method 2: Three fingers down gesture (requires settings)

Unlike smartphones with MIUI, the Mi A3 gesture is disabled by default to activate it:

1. Go to Settings → System → Gestures.
2. Select Screenshot with a swipe (or Quick Ball in some versions of Android).
3. Turn on the switch and select the option Three fingers down.
4. Test the gesture on any screen – swipe top-down with three fingers at the same time.

🔹 Why the gesture doesn’t work?

• 📱 Mode turned on for left-handed - gestures mirror, try swipe from bottom up.
• 👆 Notifications or navigation bars are active on the screen – they block recognition.
• 🔒 Third-party gesture blocking software is installed (e.g. Nova Launcher or Gesture Control).

Method 3: Voice command via Google Assistant

If the physical buttons are broken or you are busy (for example, playing a game), you can take a screenshot with your voice.

1. Activate Google Assistant with a long press on the Home button or a voice command, OK, Google.
2. Say, Take a screenshot or a screenshot.
3. Confirm the action in the window that appears (required only at the first use).

⚠️ Note: This method does not work in some applications (e.g., banking programs or overlay-blocking games) and Google Assistant may refuse to execute a command if the user is not able to do so:

• 🔇 The microphone for the Google app is disabled in the privacy settings.
• 🌐 No Internet connection (teams are processed on Google servers).
• 🔒 Do Not Disturb with Block Notifications.

Advantage of voice method: you can take a screenshot even from a locked screen (if you have voice unlock settings in Settings → Security).

Where to find the screenshots and how to edit them?

By default, all screenshots on the Xiaomi Mi A3 are saved in the Pictures/Screenshots folder.

• 📁 Google files (the application by default).
• 🖼️ Google Photos (automatic synchronization when connecting to Wi-Fi).
• 🔌 Conductor on the PC when connecting the phone USB (File transfer mode).

To edit screenshots:

1. Open the photo in Google Photos and click Edit (pencil icon).
2. Possible actions: cropping, turning, adding text, drawing, color correction.
3. For advanced editing (such as blurring personal data), use Snapseed or Lightroom Mobile.

💡

If the screenshots don't show up in the gallery, check the /DCIM/.thumbnails folder - sometimes thumbnails are cached separately. Delete the files in this folder and restart the phone.

🔹 How to Change the Conservation Folder?

Android One doesn’t have a built-in option to change the way you save screenshots.

1. Use third-party apps (such as Screenshot Easy or Super Screenshot) where you can manually select a folder.
2. Create a symbolic link via ADB (requires PC and USB debugging): adb shell ln -s /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Screenshots /storage/emulated/0/Download/MyScreenshots

What to do if the screenshots are black?

The problem of black screenshots on the Mi A3 is usually related to a graphics driver conflict or application limitations. Common causes and solutions are:

🔧 Diagnostics of the problem:

1. Try taking a screenshot on the home screen – if it’s normal, the problem is in a particular app.
2. Check the logs of the system through ADB Logcat (adb logcat | grep SurfaceFlinger command).
3. Update the graphics drivers through Settings → System → Update the components.

💡

If black screenshots only appear in games, try turning off Game Turbo mode in MIUI settings (if it is installed through third-party launchers).

Hidden screenshot features on Mi A3

Few people know that Xiaomi Mi A3 can:

• 📏 Take a long screenshot (scroll screen): after a normal screenshot, click on the thumbnail in the notification and select Scroll. Works in browsers and instant messengers.
• 🔍 Find text in the screenshot: open the picture in Google Photos → Google lens → highlight the text for copying.
• 📤 Share a screenshot instantly: after creating a picture, hold its thumbnail in the notification and drag it to the application (for example, Telegram).
• 🔒 Hide screenshots from the gallery: Move them to the.nomedia folder or use Google Photos with Archive feature.

💡 Expert Lifehack: If you need to take a screenshot of a timer (for example, to record a process), use Screenshot Delay. It allows you to set the delay up to 10 seconds before taking a screen - convenient for preparing the interface.

FAQ: Frequent questions about screenshots on Xiaomi Mi A3