How to take a screenshot on a Xiaomi laptop: all the ways for RedmiBook and Mi Notebook

Xiaomi laptops are a popular choice among users who value the combination of performance and affordable price. However, many owners of RedmiBook or Mi Notebook are faced with the question: how to take a screenshot on a device if standard key combinations do not work or there are no familiar buttons like PrtSc? In this article, we will examine all possible ways, from classic hotkeys to specialized programs and built-in Windows tools.

Xiaomi laptops have a compact keyboard where some feature keys (like Print Screen) may be combined with other buttons or not at all. In addition, some models with pre-installed MIUI for PC (phone sync mode) the screenshot creation process may be different. We took into account all the nuances and prepared a universal guide that will be suitable for both Windows 10/11 and hybrid solutions from Xiaomi.

1. Standard Hotkeys for Screenshots on Xiaomi

The fastest way to take a screenshot is to use keyboard combinations, which on Xiaomi laptops may differ from the usual PrtSc because of the layout features.

• 🖥️ Full screenshot: press Fn + PrtSc (if the PrtSc key is paired with another function) or simply PrtSc if it is highlighted separately. The image will be saved in the clipboard - paste it into Paint or another editor via Ctrl + V.
• 📂 Saving Screenshots to File: Use Win + PrtSc. The screen will darken for a second, and the picture will automatically be saved in the Images folder. → Screenshots.
• 🎯 Screenshot of the active window: press Alt + PrtSc. This will only copy the current window (such as a browser or program) to the buffer, without a desktop background.

On some RedmiBook models (e.g. RedmiBook 14/15), the PrtSc key can be paired with SysRq or Insert. In this case, be sure to hold Fn, otherwise another function will work. If the combination does not work, check if the Fn key in the BIOS is disabled - this is a common problem on new devices.

2. The Scissors Tool in Windows

If the hotkeys are uncomfortable or not working, use the built-in Scissors Tool, which lets you take late screenshots, highlight an arbitrary area, or capture a window.

1. Open the Start menu and enter Scissors (or Snipping Tool).
2. Launch the application and select the mode: 📐 Arbitrary form - circle the desired area with a mouse. 🖼️ Rectangle - Standard allocated fragment. 🪟 Window - screenshot of the active window. 🌐 The whole screen - full shot.

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The advantage of Scissors is that it allows you to take a delayed screenshot (up to 5 seconds late), which is useful if you want to capture a drop-down menu or a context window that disappears when you press the keys. To turn on the delay, click the Delay button in the upper right corner of the program.

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If the Scissors don't open, check the integrity of the system files. Run the command prompt on behalf of the administrator and type sfc /scannow.

3. Screenshot via Windows Game Bar (Xbox Game Bar)

Windows 10/11 has a built-in gamebar that was originally designed to record gameplay, but it's also great for screenshots, and it's advantageous to work even in full-screen applications (like games or videos).

1. Open the desired window or program.
2. Press Win + G to call the game panel.
3. In the window that appears, click on the camera icon (or use the Win + Alt + PrtSc combination).
4. The screenshot will be saved in the Video → Capture in PNG format.

If the game panel does not open, check its settings:

1. Go to the settings → Games → Game panel.
2. Make sure that the slider Record game clips, screenshots are turned on.
3. Add the desired app to the list of “Games” (even if it is not a game) to make the panel work in it.

4. Specialized programs for screenshots

If you don't like Windows' built-in tools, try third-party tools that offer advanced features like editing, annotations, uploading to the cloud, and even recording video from the screen.

For Xiaomi laptops, we recommend ShareX — the program supports Russian, has a minimalist interface and does not load the system. Once installed, configure the hotkeys in Settings → Hotkeys to take screenshots in one click. For example, you can assign Ctrl + Shift + S to capture the area.

5. Screenshot via MIUI for PC (for laptops with synchronization)

Some Xiaomi models (such as the Mi Notebook Pro X) support MIUI for PC, a proprietary shell that syncs a laptop to a Xiaomi phone, and you can take screenshots with gestures or voice commands like you do on a smartphone.

• 📱 Phone Sync: Connect your Xiaomi laptop and smartphone to one Mi Account and activate it MIUI+ customized.
• 👆 Three-finger gesture: swipe down the touchpad with three fingers to take a screenshot (similar to a smartphone).
• 🎤 Voice command: Say “OK, Google, take a screenshot” (if voice assistant is enabled).

On Xiaomi laptops with MIUI for PC, screenshots taken through gestures are automatically saved to the Mi Cloud cloud and synced with your phone. This is convenient if you switch between devices often. However, the feature does not work on all models - check for MIUI+ support in your laptop's specs.

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MIUI for PC is only available on select Xiaomi models (e.g. Mi Notebook Pro X 2022).If this feature is not in the settings, your laptop does not support it.

6. Solving screenshot problems on Xiaomi

If neither of these methods works, the causes can range from services that are disabled to software conflicts, and let's look at typical problems and solutions.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi RedmiBook 16 (2023) sometimes resets settings BIOS, What causes the PrtSc key to stop working. To fix this, go to the BIOS (F2 When booting) and enable Function Key Behavior in Multimedia Key.

• 🔄 PrtSc key doesn't work: Check if it's disabled in Device Manager (keyboard section) Update the keyboard driver through Device Manager or from Xiaomi's site. Try an external keyboard - if it's screenshotd, the hardware problem is.
• 🖼️ Screenshot not saved to folder: Make sure there is enough space on disk C. Check permissions to folder Images → Screenshots. Change the default save folder in the system or program settings.
• 🚫 Game Bar won't open: Enable Xbox Game Monitoring in Windows Services (services.msc). Update Windows to the latest version - in older builds, the panel may not work.

If the problem persists, try resetting the keyboard settings:

1. Open the settings → Devices → Keyboard.
2. Press the Additional Keyboard settings and reset the settings to factory settings.
3. Reboot the laptop.

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi laptops with dual-core processors (e.g. RedmiBook 14) II) Sometimes there are conflicts between keyboard drivers and screenshot software, in which case it will help to clean Windows boot (without third-party services) or reinstall drivers from the official website.

FAQ: Frequent questions about screenshots on Xiaomi