Why Xiaomi screenshots are bad quality – we’ll discuss 7 main reasons

You took a screenshot of a big moment in the game, saved correspondence or payment confirmation, but instead of a clear image you got blurred porridge, pixels or strange artifacts? The problem of poor quality screenshots on Xiaomi smartphones is one of the most common complaints of users, and it is not always associated with “crooked hands.” Even flagship models like Xiaomi 14 Ultra or Redmi Note 13 Pro+ can give screenshots with lost details, except for a few nuances.

In this article, we'll not just list the possible causes, but we'll take them from the technical side, from the Snapdragon processor to the hidden MIUI settings that affect the final quality, you'll learn how the screenshot algorithm differs across Xiaomi models, why the image breaks in games, and what to do if even after all the manipulations, the resolution remains low, and at the end, a checklist for quick diagnosis and an FAQ answering the most obscure questions.

1. Hardware Limitations: Why Iron Affects Screenshots

The quality of a screenshot is directly dependent on how the smartphone handles the graphics at the time of its creation. Xiaomi devices have two key hardware features that can spoil the result:

• 🔧 Processor and GPU: Budget models (e.g. Redmi) 12C or POCO M6 Pro) use weak chips like Helio G85 or Snapdragon 4 Gen 1, which can't render highly detailed scenes (especially in games), resulting in a screenshot being saved with reduced resolution or compression to avoid overloading the system.
• 🖥️ Screen resolution: If your Xiaomi has a display HD+ (720p) (like Redmi. A2), And the screenshots can't be physically sharper than the screen itself, but even on Full. HD+ or QHD+ There may be problems because...

...Incorrectly operating the display driver, for example, in models with AMOLED-screens (such as Xiaomi) 13T) Sometimes a bug works, in which the screenshot is saved in the format RGB565 standard ARGB8888. This reduces the color depth from 24 to 16 bits, which causes stripes on gradients and shades to be lost.

Another hardware nuance is the amount of RAM, which is that if you don't have enough RAM (like 3 to 4 GB on the Redmi 9A), the system can force you to compress screenshots to free up resources, which is especially noticeable if you're trying to take a screenshot while you're:

• 🎮 Genshin Impact (Call of Duty Mobile);
• 📺 High-resolution streaming video (YouTube, Netflix);
• 🔄 Multitasking (for example, Telegram, browser and camera are open simultaneously).

⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi models (e.g, POCO X5 Pro) screenshots in games are automatically saved in.jpg format with strong compression, even if the settings are.png. This is done to save space, but degrades the detail.

MIUI software settings: where to look for hidden options

The MIUI operating shell (even in the latest versions 14-15) has a number of “optimizations” that can spoil screenshots, most often the problem lies in the following settings:

1. Save format: By default, Xiaomi saves screenshots in.jpg with a quality of ~80%.This leads to compression artifacts (blurred edges, "squares" on single-colored areas).

Settings → Additional → Screenshots → File Format → Select PNG

But there's a catch: some firmware (especially global ones) may not have this item, so you'll have to use workarounds, which we'll cover in the solution section.

1. Restriction of authorization: B MIUI is a hidden function force_screen_capture_downsampling, which reduces the resolution of screenshots to 75% It's designed to save space, but it often works even on flagships. ADB:

adb shell settings get global force_screen_capture_downsampling

If the command returns 1, the function is active.

adb shell settings put global force_screen_capture_downsampling 0

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Before use ADB-Commands, turn on Debugging. USB In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (tap 7 times on the assembly number).

MIUI also has a bug that saves screenshots of web pages in Mi Browser or Chrome with cropped edges or low resolution, because it doesn't capture all content, but only the visible area of the screen, so the solution is to use third-party utilities like LongShot or Scroll Capture.

3. Features of screenshots in games and videos

If you notice that screenshots only get worse in games or while watching videos, the problem lies in the fact that the screenshots are not good. DRM-Digital Rights Management and optimizations for performance. Here's what happens:

• 🎮 Game mode: In games with high demands (e.g, PUBG Xiaomi automatically lowers render resolution to save FPS. The screenshot captures the already “simplified” picture, not the original.
• 🔒 DRM Video: Services like Netflix, Disney+ or Tencent Video blocks the ability to take a high-quality screenshot because of the protection of the content, instead you get a black screen or a resolution image. 480p.
• 🖼️ HDR-Content: On models with support HDR10+ (Xiaomi 13 Pro: Screenshots can be saved without HDR-The data that makes the colors look faded.

To get around the limitations of games, try:

1. Turn off the game mode in the MIUI settings (Settings → Special features → Game turbo mode).
2. Use external screen recording via ADB or apps like AZ Screen Recorder (the screenshot can be cut from the video).
3. Set a firmware mod (e.g., Pixel Experience) where there are no MIUI restrictions on screenshots in games.

4. Comparison of models: who is to blame - the state or the flagship?

Not all Xiaomi smartphones are equally bad (or good) in terms of screenshots, and we tested several models and made a table with typical problems:

Interesting fact: even flagships like Xiaomi 14 can lose screenshots in quality to screenshots on iPhone or Samsung Galaxy, because MIUI uses its own compression algorithm, which is optimized for speed, not for detail. For example, when saving in PNG, Xiaomi still uses post-processing, which removes the “extra” pixels.

If you often take screenshots for work (for example, designers or programmers), it is better to choose a model with a high-quality design. AMOLED-screen QHD+-permission (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T Pro or Mix Fold 3. But even those will have to manually adjust the settings — more on that.

5. Step-by-step solution: how to improve the quality of screenshots

If you are tired of blurred or spoiled screenshots, follow this algorithm (from simple to complex):

Check the save format (PNG instead of JPG)

Turn off compression via ADB

Update MIUI to the latest version

Use third-party apps for screenshots

Reset your camera settings (sometimes affecting processing)

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Step 1. Check the basic settings:

1. Open the settings → Additional → Screenshots.
2. Set the PNG format (if available).
3. Turn off the Quick Saving option (it speeds up the process but degrades the quality).

Step 2. Use ADB for deep settings:

If the menu does not have the necessary options, connect the phone to the PC and do:

adb shell settings put global screenshot_save_as_png 1


adb shell settings put global force_screen_capture_downsampling 0




adb shell settings put global screenshot_quality 100

Step 3: Third-party annexes:

If system settings do not help, install:

• 📱 Screen Master – allows you to save screenshots in the original resolution;
• 🎨 LongShot – for long screenshots (e.g. correspondence);
• 🖥️ AZ Screen Recorder – Screen recording followed by frame extraction.

Step 4: Alternative methods:

• 📷 Take a picture of the screen with another camera (if you need it urgently and without artifacts).
• 🖥️ Connect your phone to your PC and take a screenshot via scrcpy or Vysor.
• 🔧 Install custom firmware (such as LineageOS) where there are no restrictions MIUI.

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The best quality screenshots are achieved by a combination: PNG + ADB-setting + third-party.

6. Frequent User Errors (and How to Avoid Them)

Many people complain about bad screenshots, not knowing that they themselves are causing the problem.-5 mistake:

1. Screenshot during animation: If you take a screenshot while scrolling, switching apps or downloading, the system captures an incomplete frame. Solution: wait for the content to stop completely.
2. Memory shortage: If the phone has less than 1GB of free space, MIUI automatically compresses screenshots.Solution: clear the cache or transfer files to the memory card.
3. Gesture use: On some models, a screenshot through a three-finger swipe works worse than through a button. Solution: Use the Volume Down + Power combination.
4. Battery savings: In Ultra-saving mode, MIUI limits performance, which affects the quality of screenshots. Solution: turn off mode or connect charging.
5. MIUI Updates: After major updates (e.g., MIUI 13 to 14), screenshot settings are reset. Solution: check the settings after the update.

⚠️ Note: If you use Xiaomi with global firmware (e.g. Redmi Note 11 Global), then some screenshot settings may be blocked. EEA china ROM (But it's risky without experience).

7 When it's not the phone's fault: external factors

Sometimes the problem is not in the smartphone, but in:

• 🌐 Sites/apps: Some services (e.g. banking apps or TikTok) block screenshots for security reasons. Instead of an image, you will receive a notification saying “Screenshots are prohibited».
• 🔄 Cloud Services: If you upload a screenshot to Google Photos or Mi Cloud, the service can automatically compress it.Solution: Turn off Traffic Savings in Download Settings.
• 🖨️ Print/Sending: When you send a screenshot through messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram), they are compressed. Solution: send a file or through the cloud.

It’s also worth checking if your phone has memory optimizers or cache cleaners (such as Xiaomi’s Clean Master or Security) that can delete temporary files needed to properly capture screenshots.

If you tried everything, but the problem remained — perhaps a physical defect in the screen (such as a plume detachment or damage to the matrix) — in which case the screenshots will be distorted by hardware artifacts, and you can check this by taking a screen photo with another camera — if the photo also shows stripes or blurs, bring the phone to the service.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions