How to take a screenshot on the phone Xiaomi Mi: all the ways of 2026

Taking screenshots on Xiaomi Mi smartphones (including the Redmi and POCO lines) seems like a simple task - until you encounter unexpected nuances. Official documentation often keeps silent about alternative methods, and the standard combination of buttons Loudness down + Power does not work on all models the same. For example, on Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra with a curved screen, random touch can interrupt the process, and on the budget Redmi Note 12 sometimes only works on the third attempt.

In this article, we will explore all the current ways to create screenshots, from classic to hidden MIUI 14/15 features, including gestures, voice commands and even automation through Google Assistant. We will focus on the typical errors: why a screenshot is not saved in the gallery, how to take a picture of a long page (scroll screenshot) and what to do if the phone does not respond to the press of buttons. For convenience, we have compiled a table of methods compatibility with popular models from Xiaomi Mi 9 to Xiaomi 14 Pro.

1. Standard method: button combination

The most versatile method is the simultaneous pressing of Volume Down + Power Button. It works on all Xiaomi models since MIUI 8 (2016), but there are important nuances:

• 🔘 On Xiaomi Mi. 10/11/12/13/14 s MIUI 12+ hold the buttons 1-1.5 Seconds – pressing too short will only cause the screen to lock.
• 📱 On models with a physical home button (e.g. Redmi) 4A) This may be in conflict with the Double Tap to Wake function.
• ⚡ Nana POCO F5 The new Redmi Note 13 works even when you press Volume Up. + Food is not a mistake, but a feature of firmware.
• 🔊 If you hear the shutter sound after pressing, but the screenshot is not saved, check the permissions for the Screenshots app in Settings → Annexes → Permit management.

How do you know if a screenshot is taken? An animation thumbnail will appear on the screen (in MIUI 14/15, in the lower right corner), and in the top notification bar, there's a saved image icon. If the thumbnail doesn't appear, but there's sound, check the DCIM/Screenshots folder through the file manager.

2. "Three fingers down" gesture (scroll screenshot)

The Screenshot Gesture feature allows you to take a screenshot with three fingers from top to bottom, a technique that is particularly convenient for Xiaomi with large screens (such as the Mi Max 3 or Mi 11 Ultra), where it is inconvenient to reach the power and volume buttons, and it is this gesture that activates a scrolling screenshot – capturing a long page (such as a chat on Telegram or Instagram feed).

How to turn on:

1. Go to Settings → Additional settings → Buttons and gestures → Screenshot gesture.
2. Activate the Three Fingers Down switch.
3. (Optional) Enable a Long Screenshot to automatically capture the scrollable content.

Important: On some models (e.g. Redmi 9A), the gesture conflicts with the Swipe Back feature. If the screenshot does not work, turn off the swipe navigation in Settings → System → Gestures.

3. Voice command via Google Assistant

If your hands are busy or your physical buttons are not working, you can take a voice screenshot.

• 🎤 Activated Google Assistant (set by default on all Xiaomi with Google services).
• 📶 Internet connections (team handled by cloud service).
• 🔊 The microphone is on (check in Settings) → Annexes → Permits → Microphone).

Instructions:

1. Say, “OK Google, take a screenshot” or “Hey Google, take a screenshot.”
2. Confirm permission to access the screen (required only at first use).
3. Wait for the beep and the save notification.

⚠️ Note: For Xiaomi, this method doesn’t work for the Chinese market (without Google services). AI with the command (only on Chinese firmware).

4. Screenshot through the Quick Settings panel

A little-known way is to use a notification bar, which is useful if buttons or gestures don't work:

1. Swipe your finger down to open the notification panel.
2. Swipe again to open the full panel.
3. Find the Screenshot icon (usually next to the Lantern and Mode on the plane).
4. Slip it on it - the picture will be taken in 1 second.

If the badge is not:

• 🔧 Press on. ⚙️ Edit in the upper right corner of the panel.
• 📱 Drag the screenshot icon to the active area.
• 🔄 Restart your phone if the changes don’t apply.

The advantage of the method is that it works even with locked physical buttons (for example, when the power key breaks), the disadvantage is that it requires two swipes, which is longer than a combination of buttons.

5. Screenshot via the power menu (for MIUI 13+)

In the firmware MIUI 13 and later (for example, on Xiaomi 12T or Redmi Note 12 Pro+), the option to create a screenshot through the power menu has appeared. This is convenient if you often lock the screen and want to combine actions.

How to use:

1. Hold the power button for 2-3 seconds until the menu appears.
2. Slip on the Screenshot icon (near Turn Off and Reboot).
3. Confirm the action – the picture will be taken in 0.5 seconds.

If there is no option:

• 🔧 Go to Settings. → System system → Power button → Additional functions.
• 📲 Turn on the screenshot switch in the power menu.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO X5 Pro) this function is disabled by default due to conflict with Game Turbo mode. Before activation, turn off game accelerations in the settings.

6 Special cases: games, safe mode, recovery

Not all methods work in non-standard modes.

💡

If you want to take a screenshot in a game where all methods are disabled, try connecting your phone to your PC and using scrcpy (free, no root) which allows you to take screenshots even in blocked applications.

7 Automation: Screenshots by schedule or event

For advanced users, Xiaomi offers automatic screenshots through:

• 🤖 MacroDroid (Actomation Application): You can customize a screenshot when you open a particular application or by time.
• 📱 Tasker + AutoInput plugin: allows you to take pictures by geolocation, SMS or other triggers.
• 🔄 ADB-Teams (for developers): sending an adb shell screencap command -p /sdcard/screen.png Wi-Fi.

Example of settings in MacroDroid:

1. Create a new macro.
2. Trigger: Open App → Select an app (like WhatsApp).
3. Action: Take a screenshot (root or root required) ADB-permit).
4. Restriction: Only when connected to Wi-Fi (optional).

⚠️ Note: Automatic screenshots using ADB or root may violate the security policies of some applications (for example, banking applications.

8 Where screenshots are stored and how to find them

By default, all screenshots on Xiaomi are saved in the folder:

/storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Screenshots/

But there are nuances:

• 📁 On some models (e.g., Mi). 9 SE) screenshots are duplicated in /Pictures/Screenshots.
• 🔍 If the folder is empty, check the settings. → Warehouse → Files. → Categories → Images → Screenshots.
• ☁️ When synchronized with Mi Cloud, screenshots are automatically uploaded to the Screenshots album (you can turn off Settings). → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery).

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If screenshots don’t show up in the gallery but take up space in memory, clear the Gallery app cache in the settings or restart the phone.

FAQ: Frequent questions about screenshots on Xiaomi