How to take a screenshot of a message on a Xiaomi phone: all ways for MIUI

Taking a screenshot on Xiaomi smartphones seems like a simple task — until you get nuanced. Some users can't find the saved images, others are unaware of the existence of advanced features like scrolling screenshots or editing immediately after capture. And owners of new Redmi or POCO models sometimes wonder why standard keyboard shortcuts don't work, all because of the features of MIUI firmware.

In this article, we will analyze not only the basic ways to create screenshots (including a unique gesture for Xiaomi with MIUI 12+), but also advanced chips: how to take a picture of a long chat in Telegram, where screenshots are stored by default, and why sometimes screens are saved in.png format, and sometimes in.jpg. We will separately dwell on typical errors due to which screenshots are obtained in black or not saved at all.

Standard ways to create a screenshot on Xiaomi

Most Xiaomi users are aware of the classic button combination, but not everyone realizes that it can be replaced with more convenient alternatives. Consider all the official methods supported by MIUI firmware (relevant to versions 11-14).

It's important. POCO F5, Redmi Note 12 or other model with AMOLED-Check your gesture settings, sometimes they conflict with standard combinations, and some devices (like Black Shark) may have their own proprietary ways.

• 🔘 Power buttons + Volume down: simultaneously press both keys for 1-2 seconds, save animation will appear on the screen, and in the upper panel - a notification.
• 👆 Gesture "three-finger swipe down": swipe three fingers from the top edge of the screen down (works on the screen) MIUI 12 and later. The sensitivity of the gesture is adjusted to Settings → Special facilities → Gestures.
• 📱 Quick Settings Panel: Swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the curtain and tap the Screenshot icon (if not, add through panel editing).
• 🎮 Game Turbo Mode: During the game, swipe left to right on the Game Turbo floating panel and select the screenshot icon (available on the Game Turbo Floating Panel). POCO and Black Shark).

On models with a physical Menu button (for example, Redmi 4X), the Power + Menu combination sometimes works, but this method is outdated and is not supported in new versions of MIUI. If none of the methods work, check if screenshots in the security settings are disabled (for more details in the section on errors).

Where are screenshots stored on Xiaomi and how to find them

By default, all screenshots on Xiaomi are saved in the DCIM/Screenshots or Pictures/Screenshots folder (depending on the MIUI version).However, many users can not find them due to the features of the Mi File Explorer file manager or third-party galleries.

1. Open the Gallery app (standard or Google Photos).
2. Go to Albums → Screenshots (in some versions of MIUI the album is called Screenshots).
3. If screenshots don't show, tap the three dots in the top right corner and select Show Hidden Files.

On devices with MIUI 14 and later screenshots can automatically sync with Mi Cloud if Settings is enabled → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Synchronize gallery. It's convenient, but it takes up space in the cloud -- check your storage settings.

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If screenshots are missing after the MIUI update, check the /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.miui.gallery/ folder – sometimes files are temporarily moved there.

How to take a screenshot of a long message or chat

A typical screenshot will only capture the visible part of the screen, but what if you want to save the entire WhatsApp dialogue, a long web page or correspondence on Telegram? MIUI has a built-in scrolling screenshot feature, but it doesn't work in all apps. Here's how to use it:

1. Take a regular screenshot of any of the ways (buttons or gestures).
2. Immediately after the thumbnail appears in the lower right corner of the screen, tap it.
3. In the editor that opens, select the Scroll option (an icon with two down arrows).
4. Wait for the system to automatically scroll through the page and connect the pieces into one long shot.

The function is:

• 🌐 Mi Browser and Google Chrome (but not in all versions).
• 💬 Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber (for chats only, not for media files).
• 📄 Annexes WPS Office, Google Docs (for long documents).

If the screenshot you are scrolling is cropped or with artifacts, try:

1. Reduce the scroll speed (some versions of MIUI have a sensitivity slider in their settings).
2. Turn off animations in Settings → About Phone → Additional → Windows animation (select No Animation).
3. Use the mode for developers with hardware acceleration disabled (only for experienced users).

Editing and annotating screenshots

Once a screenshot is created, MIUI offers to edit it immediately, which is convenient if you need to quickly circle an important part of a message or smear personal data.

• ✏️ Drawing: brushes of different thickness and color, eraser.
• 📝 Text: Adding inscriptions with choice of font and size.
• 🔲 Figures: arrows, rectangles, circles (useful for highlighting elements).
• 🖼️ Blurring: a tool to hide confidential information (phone numbers, addresses).
• 🎨 Filters: basic correction of brightness, contrast, saturation.

To open the editor:

1. Immediately after creating a screenshot, tap on its thumbnail in the lower right corner.
2. Or find a screenshot in the gallery, open it and click Edit.

Make sure there is no personal data in the picture.|Check if screenshots are allowed (not all messengers support sending.png)|Cut off unnecessary parts of the screen|Compress the file if it is too large (use the format: JPG save-up)-->

If the built-in editor isn’t enough, install third-party apps:

• Snapseed (from Google) – for professional processing.
• PhotoRoom – to remove background and create collages.
• Markup Hero – for annotation with cloud-based saves.

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Screenshots in.png format weigh more than.jpg, but retain quality. If you need to save space, convert them through Gallery Settings → Storage Optimization.

Typical errors and their solutions

Even experienced Xiaomi users sometimes have problems creating screenshots, and here are the most common situations and ways to fix them:

⚠️ Note: If screenshots are saved in black, check if Dark Theme mode is enabled for screenshots in Settings. → Screen. → Dark subject. → This feature may conflict with some applications.

If after the MIUI update, screenshots stopped working, try:

1. Clear the cache of the Gallery app (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Gallery → Clear the cache).
2. Reset the Special Opportunities settings (Settings → Special Opportunities → Reset).
3. Install a patch through MIUI bootloader (for power users).

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note) 10 Pro) after root access or unlocking the bootloader, screenshots can be saved in an encrypted folder /data/media/0/. Access to them will require superuser rights.

Hidden screenshot features in MIUI

MIUI hides some useful things that few people know about.

• 📌 Secure screenshots: after creating a picture, hold its thumbnail and drag it to the upper left corner - it will be fixed as a floating window (works on the left side of the picture). MIUI 13+).
• 🔍 Search for text on a screenshot: open the picture in the gallery, tap the icon of the magnifier - the system recognizes the text and allows you to copy it (you need an Internet connection to download fonts).
• 🔄 Quick Submit: Immediately after you create a screenshot, swipe the thumbnail left or right to send it to the last used app (such as Telegram or WhatsApp).
• 🎬 Screenshot recording: while recording the screen (Notification Panel) → Screen recording can be taken without stopping the video – they will be saved to the same folder.

On devices with MIUI 14, the Smart Screenshots feature has been introduced, which automatically recognizes the type of content (text, table, graph) and offers the appropriate editing tools, for example, if there is a table in the picture, the Excel export option will appear.

Third-party applications for extended screenshots

If MIUI's built-in capabilities aren't enough, try specialized tools that let you take latency screenshots, capture GIF videos, or automatically upload images to the cloud.

Before installing third-party apps, check their permissions – some utilities request access to Special Features or Overlay over other windows, which can conflict with MIUI. The most secure option is Screenshot Easy (from Xiaomi developers for the domestic market of China).

⚠️ Attention: Apps like AZ Screen Recorder or DU Recorders may block screenshots from banking applications (e.g. SberBank Online or Tinkoff) due to security policies. MIUI.

FAQ: Frequent questions about screenshots on Xiaomi