Screenshot with your fingers on Xiaomi: secret gestures, settings and life hacks

Not only can you take a screenshot on Xiaomi in the classic way of holding down the power and volume buttons, but the brand’s modern smartphones support a hidden feature that creates screenshots with finger gestures, which works even on a locked device, which is especially useful if the physical buttons are broken, or you want to take a screenshot with one hand.

The feature is available on all devices with MIUI 12 and later (including Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13T, etc.), but by default it is disabled. In this article, you will learn how to activate gestures for screenshots, which models support the feature, and what to do if it does not work. And we will reveal a secret way to take a screenshot on a locked screen without unlocking!

⚠️ Note: On some models (POCO F4, Redmi K50) The screenshot gesture conflicts with other features (e.g., calling Google Assistant) and check before setting up if you are using the screen swipe for other actions.

1. How to turn on a screenshot gesture on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

To activate the creation of screenshots with your fingers, you need to go to the hidden settings of MIUI.

1. Open the Settings. → Additional functions.
2. Select the Power button and gestures (on some firmware - gesture management).
3. Scroll down to the Screenshot section and tap it.
4. Activate the swipe switch with three fingers down.

Then you can test the function: swipe the screen with three fingers from top to bottom (not necessarily vertically, a small angle is allowed). If everything is set up correctly, you will hear the shutter sound and see the animation of saving the screenshot.

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi 12/13 In a series with curved screens, the gesture can be falsely triggered when scrolling through the feed on social networks. To avoid random screenshots, turn off the function for specific applications in the settings Special permissions.

Swipe three fingers from top to bottom on the main screen.

Try to take a screenshot in the app (for example, in Telegram)

Make sure the shutter sound is enabled in Settings → Sounds and vibrations

Check out the Screenshots folder in the gallery-->

2.What Xiaomi models support screenshots with gestures?

The feature is available on all devices with MIUI 12+ and Android 10+, but there are nuances:

• 📱 Full support: Xiaomi 11/12/13/14 series, Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO F3/F4/F5, Mi 10/11.
• ⚠️ Restrictions: On Redmi 9/9A and POCO M3 The gesture only works after updating to MIUI 13.
• ❌ Not supported: Outdated models (Redmi 8, Mi) A3) and Android Go devices.

To find out if your smartphone supports the feature, check out the MIUI version:

Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI

If the version is below 12.0.3.0, update the firmware through Settings → System Update.

Xiaomi 13/14 Series

Redmi Note 10/11/12

POCO F3/F4/F5

Other Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO models

Not Xiaomi.-->

3. Secret method: screenshot on locked screen

On devices with MIUI 14 and later, you can take screenshots with a gesture even when the screen is locked, without entering a password or fingerprint, a feature that is useful if you need to quickly capture a notification or error on the lock screen.

To activate it:

1. Go to Settings → Lock the screen.
2. Select Additional Settings.
3. Enable the Screenshots option on the locked screen.

Now, a three-finger swipe will work even when the phone is locked. Limit: screenshots of sensitive information notifications (SMS, messengers) will be blurred - this is a MIUI security measure.

💡

If the gesture does not work on the locked screen, check if the Black Notifications list is enabled in the privacy settings.

4.Why is the screenshot with your fingers not working? 5 reasons and solutions

If the gesture doesn’t work, the problem may be one of these reasons:

• 🔧 Shutter sound turned off: Without the beep, it's easy to miss the moment the screen is created. → Sounds and vibrations → Systemic sounds.
• 📱 Conflict with other gestures: POCO And Redmi swipe with three fingers can be busy calling Google Assistant or Split Screen.
• 🔄 Outdated firmware: On MIUI below 12.0.3, the gesture is not working.
• 🛠️ Sensor damaged: If the screen doesn't respond to touches at the top, try swiping closer to the center.
• 🔒 Application limitations: Some games (PUBG, Genshin Impact: block screenshots. Use power buttons. + volume.

If the problem persists, reset your gesture settings:

Settings → Additional features → Power button and gestures → Reset settings

5. Alternative ways to take a screenshot on Xiaomi

If your finger gesture is uncomfortable or doesn’t work, use one of these methods:

• 🔘 Classical method: Press the power button + Turning down the volume by 1-2 seconds.
• 🖱️ Through the notification panel: Swipe down from the top edge of the screen and tap the Screenshot icon (if any).
• 🤖 Voice Assistant: Say “OK Google, take a screenshot” (requires Google Assistant enabled).
• 💻 Through ADB (Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: Adb shell screencap -p /sdcard/screen.png

On Xiaomi Pad 6 and other tablets of the brand, a three-finger gesture often conflicts with multi-touch gestures, in which case it is more convenient to use a virtual screenshot button in the Quick Settings panel.

💡

On Xiaomi with Android 14, a new way has appeared: hold the app icon in Recent and select Screenshot in the context menu.

6. Where are the screenshots stored and how to edit them?

All screenshots are automatically saved in the folder:

/storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Screenshots/

To find them quickly:

1. Open the Gallery app.
2. Go to the Screenshots (or Screenshots) album.
3. To sort, tap by icon. ⋮ → Sort by date.

On MIUI 14+, after creating the screenshot, a thumbnail with buttons for quick editing appears:

• ✏️ Cutting: Change the boundaries of the shot.
• 📝 Drawing: Add text or draw arrows.
• 📤 Share: Send a screenshot to the messenger or cloud.
• 🗑️ Delete: Delete the unnecessary photo.

⚠️ Note: If you use Google Photos to back up, screenshots can automatically upload to the cloud.To turn this off, go to Google Photo Settings → Backup → Exclude folders and add Screenshots to the exclusion list.

7. Life hacks: how to take screenshots more effectively

Here are some secrets that will make it easier to work with screenshots on Xiaomi:

• 🔄 Scrolling Screenshot: After creating a regular screen tap the thumbnail and select Scrolling to capture a long page (works in the browser and instant messengers).
• 📲 Quick access: Add a Screenshot widget to the home screen: clamp the empty space → Widgets → Tools.
• 🔍 Search by text: On MIUI 14 you can copy the text from the screenshot: open the picture in the gallery and tap the icon.
• 🎨 Dark topic for screenshots: Enable Dark Mode before creating a screen - so the text will be better read.

If you share screenshots often, set up a quick send:

1. Take a screenshot.
2. Slip the thumbnail and hold the app icon (e.g. Telegram).
3. Always choose to automatically open the screen in this messenger next time.

Several times a day

1-2 times a week

Rarely, only when necessary.

Never use.-->

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions