How to take a screenshot on Xiaomi Mi3: all ways with photos and videos

Xiaomi Mi3 is the legendary smartphone, Released in 2013, which is still used by many users due to its reliability and performance. However, with the release of new versions of MIUI and Android, some features, including taking screenshots, may have changed or become less intuitive. If you are still using this device or just bought it in the secondary market, you will surely need to know how to quickly and effortlessly take a screenshot.

In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to create screenshots on Xiaomi. Mi3, This includes standard button combinations, gestures (if supported by your firmware) and third-party apps, and you’ll learn where screenshots are saved, how to edit and share them, and what to do if standard methods don’t work. Special attention will be paid to the nuances associated with different versions MIUI (5 to 9), as the availability of certain functions depends on it.

1. Standard method: button combination

The most versatile and reliable way to take a screenshot on the Xiaomi Mi3 is to use a combination of physical buttons, which works on all versions of MIUI and does not require additional settings.

1. Open on the screen what you want to capture (page in the browser, message in the messenger, game moment, etc.).
2. Press two buttons at the same time: Volume down (lower left) and Power down (right side).
3. Hold them for 1-2 seconds until you hear the characteristic sound of the camera shutter and see the animation of saving the screenshot.

If done correctly, a notification will appear at the top of the screen to create the image, and the screenshot will be saved in the gallery, which works even on a locked phone (if you want to take a picture of the lock screen).

The buttons are not stuck and properly pressed |

Screen not darkened (no active low charge notifications)|

The phone has enough free memory (minimum 50 MB) |

Power saving modes are disabled (they can block screenshots)-->

Important: Some custom firmware or heavily outdated versions of MIUI (below 7) may require holding buttons longer, up to 3-4 seconds. If a screenshot is not created, try pressing buttons with a slight delay: first, Volume Down, and after a split second, Power.

2. Alternative method: notification menu (for MIUI 8 and later)

If your Xiaomi Mi3 is running MIUI 8 or later, you can use the notification panel to create screenshots, which is convenient because it doesn’t require remembering button combinations and works in a single touch.

1. Turn the notification bar around by swiping your finger from the top edge of the screen down.
2. Find the Screenshot icon (usually it looks like a scissor or a rectangle with lightning).If it's not there, click on Edit (the pencil icon) and add it to the panel.
3. Slip the icon - the screenshot will be taken instantly.

This is especially useful if the physical buttons on your phone are worn out or not working well, but note that MIUI 5-7 may not have such a feature, in which case use the first method or update the firmware (if possible).

MIUI 5 or lower |

MIUI 6-7|

MIUI 8-9|

Custom firmware (LineageOS, Pixel Experience, etc.)|I don't know-->

Tip: If the screenshot icon is missing from the notification panel, check if it is disabled in the settings. Go to Settings → Notification Panel → Edit the tiles and find the Screenshot option there.

3. Screenshot gestures (only for MIUI 9 and custom firmware)

Since MIUI 9, Xiaomi has been able to support gestures to create screenshots, but on the Mi3, this feature may not work well due to hardware constraints. If your phone is upgraded to the current firmware version, try the following method:

1. Activate the function in the settings: go to Settings → Additional → Buttons and gestures → Gesture for a screenshot.
2. Turn on the swipe option with three fingers.
3. Now, to take a screenshot, swipe three fingers across the screen from top to bottom (as if you were swiping the content down).

This method is convenient for creating screenshots of scrollable pages (for example, in a browser or chat rooms), as it allows you to capture more content at a time. However, on the Mi3, due to the small amount of RAM (2 GB), long screenshots can be stored in low resolution or with artifacts.

Warning: If screenshots are stored with distortions (blurred or cropped) after activation of the gesture, disable the function and return to the classic method.This is due to the fact that the Mi3 is not optimized for processing complex gestures at the firmware level.

4. Screenshots using third-party apps

If standard methods don’t work for some reason (for example, a broken power button or an unofficial firmware installed), you can use third-party apps from Google Play.

• 📱 Screenshot Easy is a simple app that supports gestures, timer and screenshot editing.
• 🖼️ Screen Master – allows you to take long screenshots (scroll screenshots) and add annotations.
• 🔧 Super Screenshot – supports cloud-based saving and has a built-in image editor.

To install any of these applications:

1. Open the Google Play Market.
2. Enter the name of the application in the search bar.
3. Click Install and wait for the download to be completed.
4. Launch the app and follow the on-screen instructions (usually you need to grant permission to access the screen).

Important: on the Xiaomi Mi3, some screenshot apps may require root rights, as older versions of Android (4.4-6.0) restrict access to system features. If you don’t want to get root, choose apps marked No Root in the description.

💡

Before installing a third-party app, check user reviews with the same device. Some programs may slow down on the Xiaomi Mi3 due to the small amount of RAM.

5 Where screenshots are saved and how to find them

By default, all screenshots on the Xiaomi Mi3 are saved in the Pictures/Screenshots folder (or DCIM/Screenshots in some firmware) to quickly find them:

1. Open the Gallery (or Files) app.
2. Go to the Albums or Folders section.
3. Find the Screenshots folder, and all your screenshots will be there.

If screenshots don't show up in the gallery, check them through a file manager (such as Mi File Explorer or Total Commander). Sometimes they can be saved to the Pictures root folder without a separate directory.

If you want to change the location of your screenshots, you'll either need to use a third-party app (like Screenshot Easy) or get root rights and manually edit your system settings.

6.Editing and sending screenshots

Once you have created a screenshot, you can edit or share it immediately. Here’s how to do it:

• 🖌️ Editing: Immediately after you create a screenshot, a toolbar will appear at the top of the screen (trimming, drawing, adding text). If the panel is not, open the screenshot in the gallery and click Edit.
• 📤 Submit: Tap the screenshot creation notification and select Share, or open the screenshot in the gallery and click on the send icon (usually in the upper right corner).
• 🔄 Delete: To delete a screenshot, hold your finger on it in the gallery and select Delete.

On the Xiaomi Mi3, the built-in screenshot editor is fairly simple and doesn’t support complex effects. If you need to add blur, arrows or other elements, use third-party apps, such as:

• Photo Editor by Aviary – for basic processing.
• PicsArt – to add stickers and text.
• Snapseed is for professional correction.

Tip: If you share screenshots often, set up quick access to the send features. To do this, open a screenshot in the gallery, click Share and select Affix for commonly used instant messengers (such as WhatsApp or Telegram).

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

Sometimes, Xiaomi Mi3 users have difficulty taking screenshots, and here are the most common problems and ways to fix them:

• 🔇 The button combination does not work: Check if the buttons are stuck (clean them with alcohol or compressed air).Reset the phone - sometimes this helps restore the buttons. If the power button is broken, use the notification menu or third-party apps.
• 📵 Screenshots are not saved: Check the available space on your phone (need a minimum of 100MB). Make sure the gallery has storage access rights (Settings) → Annexes → gallery → Permissions. Reinstall updates for the Gallery app in Google Play.
• 🖥️ Screenshots are black or broken: Turn off energy saving mode (Settings) → Battery → Power saving mode. Update the firmware to the latest available version for Mi3. If the problem persists, reset your phone settings to factory ().

💡

If screenshots are saved in low resolution, check the screen settings: go to Settings → Screen → Resolution and set the maximum value (usually 1920×1080).

⚠️ Note: if you use custom firmware (e.g. LineageOS), some screenshot features may not work properly. MIUI or use third-party applications.

8 Additional features: long screenshots and screen recording

On the Xiaomi Mi3, you can take not only regular screenshots, but also so-called long screenshots (scroll screenshots), as well as record video from the screen.

• 📜 Long screenshots: Take a normal screenshot of the page you want to capture in its entirety (like a chat or a web page). Immediately after you create the screenshot, a scroll button (or Scroll) will appear at the bottom. Click on it. The screen will automatically scroll down and the screenshot will "glue together." To stop the process, tap the screen. Note: this function only works in the MIUI 8–9 and may not be supported on custom firmware.
• 🎥 Screen recording: Deploy the notification bar and find the Screen recording icon (if not, add via Edit).Tap the icon to start recording.To stop, click on it again or use the notification bar.The video will be saved in the folder Movies/ScreenRecords.

On the Mi3, screen recording can be slowed by a weak processor. For smooth video, close all background apps.

⚠️ Note: when recording the screen on Xiaomi Mi3 Artifacts or slowdowns can occur, especially in games or resource-intensive applications. 1280×720 customized.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions