How to take a screenshot on Xiaomi Mi A1: all ways with photos and videos

Why screenshots on the Mi A1 are different from other Xiaomi

Xiaomi Mi A1 is a unique smartphone in the company’s lineup, released in 2017. Unlike most of the brand’s devices running on the MIUI brand shell, this model received a pure Android One without additional add-ons, which is why the standard methods of creating screenshots, familiar to owners of Redmi or POCO, may not work here.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to take a screenshot on Mi. A1, including button combinations, gestures and hidden features of Android 8.1 Oreo (the original firmware of the device). MIUI, such as “Quick Screenshots” or “Scrolling Page».

If you upgraded your device to a newer version of Android (like 9 Pie or 10 Q through custom firmware), some methods may be different – we’ll mention that too.

Method 1: Standard button combination (always working)

The most reliable and versatile method that is guaranteed to work on any version of the firmware Mi A1, suitable even if the smartphone “hangs” or does not respond to the touch screen.

Algorithm of action:

1. Open the screen you want to capture (for example, a dialog in the messenger or a page in the browser).
2. Press two buttons at the same time: 🔘 Power button (right) 🔽 Volume reduction button (left)

1-2 seconds

The finished screenshot is automatically saved to the Pictures → Screenshots folder (or DCIM → Screenshots on some firmware). To quickly find it, open the gallery and select the Screenshots album.

Heard shutter sound | Saving animation appears | File displayed in gallery | File size ~1-3 MB (depending on screen resolution)

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⚠️ Attention: If you hold the buttons for too long (more than 3 seconds), the smartphone can interpret this as a command to force a reboot or call the Fastboot menu.

Method 2: Hand swipe gesture (requires settings)

On pure Android One, the default default is missing the palm swipe feature that MIUI users are used to, but it can be activated through hidden settings or third-party apps. Let's look at both.

Option A: through the developer settings

This method works on Android firmware 8.1-9.0:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → System → About Phone. 7 times click on the Build Number line.

For developers

Screenshot swipe

Palm swipe to capture

Now, to take a screenshot, swipe your hand across the screen from left to right or right to left (depending on the settings), and the gesture should be sharp and fast, and the slow movement will be ignored by the system.

Option B: Using Screenshot Easy

If your firmware doesn't have a swipe option, install the utility from Google Play.

• 🖐️ Device shake gesture
• 👆 Swipe on the notification panel
• 🔄 Scrolling long pages (similar to Scrolling Screenshot) MIUI)

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If the swipe gesture doesn't work, check the sensor sensitivity in the app settings, sometimes helping to increase speed or turn off the charge saving function.

Method 3: via the notification panel (Android 9.0 and later)

Starting with Android 9 Pie, the Mi A1 has a built-in screenshot button in the Quick Settings Bar, but it can be hidden by default to add:

1. Pull the notification bar down twice to reveal all the icons.
2. Click on the icon. ⚙️ («Edit or hold any icon for 2 seconds.
3. In the list of available tiles, find a Screenshot (or Screenshot) and drag it to the active area.

Now to create a screenshot is enough:

1. Open the notification panel.
2. Press the Screenshot icon.

The advantage of this method is the ability to edit a screenshot immediately after creation (short, add text or a picture), minus it does not work on a locked screen.

Method 4: Voice command (for Android 10+)

If you upgraded the Mi A1 to Android 10 or later (via custom firmware like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), you can use Google Assistant:

1. Activate the Assistant with your voice (say OK, Google, or hold the Home button).
2. Tell the command: Take a screenshot or Make a screenshot.

The system automatically saves the picture to the gallery, which is convenient if your hands are busy or your physical buttons are not working.

⚠️ Attention: On stock firmware Mi A1 (Android 8.1) voice commands for screenshots are not supported. Trying to use them will lead to the error "This feature is not available on your device».

Where screenshots are stored and how to manage them

By default, all screenshots are saved in the folder:

/storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Screenshots/

To get access to them quickly:

• 📁 Open the Gallery app → screenshot.
• 🔍 Use a file manager (e.g. Files by Google) and follow the path above.
• 🖥️ Connect your smartphone to your PC through USB Find the folder in the Internal Memory section.

If screenshots are not saved, check:

Common mistakes and their solution

Even if you follow the instructions correctly, Mi A1 users sometimes run into problems, and let's look at the typical cases and how to fix them.

Error 1: Screenshot is not saved

If, after clicking buttons or gesture, the file is not in the gallery:

• 📱 Check the free space on the device (need a minimum of 50 MB on the system partition).
• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone – sometimes the media scanner “forgets” to update the database.
• 🛠️ Install a file manager (such as Solid Explorer) and manually check the folder Pictures/Screenshots.

Mistake 2: The button combination doesn’t work

Possible causes:

• 🔋 Battery discharged (less than 5%) – the system blocks “extra” functions.
• 🔒 Screen is blocked – on some firmware screenshots from the locked screen are disabled by default.
• 🤖 Launcher failure – try using another launcher (like Nova Launcher).

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If none of these works, check firmware integrity. On some custom builds (like Resurrection Remix), screenshots can be disabled in the kernel, in which case only firmware will help.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions