How to take a screenshot on a Xiaomi smartphone: The complete guide

Users of modern smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO often face the need to save the information displayed on the display, whether it is correspondence in the messenger, a screenshot of an application error or an interesting frame from a video. Standard methods familiar to other Android devices work here, but the proprietary shell MIUI or the new HyperOS offers a significantly expanded functionality for working with screen images. Understanding all available methods allows you to save time and make the process of creating images as convenient as possible.

In this article, we will take a closer look at not only basic keyboard shortcuts, but also advanced features such as long-screenshots, timer usage, and control through the control panel. You will learn to instantly respond to the need to capture content using the method that is most suitable for your situation.

Many Chinese brand owners don’t even realize that their phone can automatically scroll through a page to capture an entire news feed or take a screenshot by double tapping. We’ll explore these hidden capabilities so you can make the most of your technology.

Classical Method: A Combination of Physical Buttons

The most versatile and time-tested method that works on the vast majority of Android devices, including Xiaomi smartphones. It requires no pre-setting and is available immediately after the phone is turned on. To create a screenshot, you need to simultaneously press and briefly hold the Volume Down and the Power button. Pressing must be synchronous, but not too long, otherwise the off menu or voice assistant can be activated.

If done correctly, you will hear the characteristic sound of the camera shutter (unless the sound is turned off in the system), and a thumbnail of the image created will appear at the top of the screen for a split second. This method is ideal in situations where the screen responds to touch slowly or when the phone is in gesture-blocking mode. Physical buttons provide a reliable response even when the interface is getting stuck.

It's worth noting that on some side-fingerprint models, the power button can be combined with the sensor, but the algorithm of actions remains the same. It's important not to pinch the buttons too hard so as not to damage the mechanical elements of the structure. Regular use of this method generates muscle memory, allowing you to take screenshots literally by touch.

Sometimes users complain that the screenshot doesn't work the first time, often due to the de-synchronization of the two keys, and that the finger-to-finger training helps you get the rhythm you need, and in most cases, the problem is solved by simple practice.

Control via Quick Access Panel

The second most popular method, which is particularly convenient when it is difficult to press a button combination with one hand or when the physical keys are not comfortable. There is a special label in the shell of MIUI and HyperOS in the notification curtain. To use it, you need to swipe from top to bottom to open the control panel (curtain) and find an icon called "Screenshot" or a picture of scissors.

If you don't see this icon among the active buttons, you can add it manually. To do this, click on the panel edit button (usually the pencil or gear icon in the corner of the curtain) and drag the Screenshot icon from the list of available widgets to the active element area. After this one-time setting, the feature will always be at hand. This is especially true for users with large smartphones, where reaching the top buttons is physically difficult.

⚠️ Note: On some custom builds or Chinese firmware versions, the icon may be called a Screenshot or have a different graphic than the standard one. If standard search fails, carefully study all available widgets in the curtain editor.

Using the software button also allows you to take screenshots on Xiaomi Pad tablets, where physical buttons can be difficult to access in a horizontal position.In addition, this method eliminates the risk of accidental change in the volume of the media file at the time of image creation.

There is another nuance associated with the control panel: if you use third-party launchers or themes, the standard curtain can be replaced, in which case the functionality may differ, and it is recommended to use standard themes to ensure full compatibility of system functions.

The Three Fingers gesture and other navigational techniques

One of the most convenient features of the Xiaomi ecosystem is the ability to create a screenshot with a simple swipe of three fingers from top to bottom of the screen. This feature is not activated by default on all devices, so it needs to be enabled in the settings. The path to settings is: Settings → Additional settings → Screenshot (or Advanced Settings → Screenshots in new versions).

Once activated, you just need to swipe your three fingers around the center of the screen anywhere to get a snapshot instantly, which is spectacular and very fast, which is especially appreciated by gamers or those who often save content from social networks. However, it is worth considering that on large screens or when using protective glasses with oleophobic coatings of low quality, the swipe may not always be recognized the first time.

In addition to triple swipe, some versions of the firmware have a "Enlarged Area" feature that allows you to choose a mode where you don't take a screenshot of the entire screen, but only the selected area, or activate the area selection menu immediately after you create the image, which gives you more control over what goes into the clipboard, and the flexibility of the interface settings allows each user to choose the most comfortable interaction option.

If you notice that in certain programs, the swipe has stopped working or causes unwanted actions, it makes sense to temporarily disable this feature or use alternative methods.

Long Screenshot: Creating long screenshots

One of the most popular features in Xiaomi smartphones is the ability to create so-called “long screenshots” or Long Screenshot. It is indispensable when you need to save long correspondence on WhatsApp or Telegram, an article in a browser or a news feed that does not fit on a single screen. After creating a regular screenshot (any of the ways described above), a floating window with a thumbnail appears in the upper right corner.

Right below the thumbnail is a button with a "down arrow" symbol or a "Scroll" sign, and when you click on it, the system automatically starts to scroll down the screen, stitching multiple images into one long image, and it continues until you hit the stop button or reach the end of the page, which allows you to maintain the integrity of the information context.

Note that scrolling doesn't work in all apps, like YouTube or when you view static images in a gallery, the scroll button may not appear or be inactive, because the content in these apps is not a scrollable list in the traditional sense of the system, and in such cases, you won't be able to take a long screenshot.

Editing and markup immediately after creation

Once you've created a screenshot, regardless of the method you've chosen, you'll see a quick editing toolbar, a powerful built-in editor that allows you to avoid going to a separate Gallery app, which can cut edges, draw arrows, add text, or blur sensitive information (such as card numbers or addresses).

The Magic or AI tool in the newer versions of HyperOS allows you to automatically align your horizon, improve readability of text, or even extract text from an image (OCR), which makes your smartphone a full-fledged office tool, so you can isolate an important piece and copy it only by sending it to the messenger without unnecessary visual noise, and this functionality greatly improves productivity.

The blur tool is particularly noteworthy, allowing the selective blurring of a piece of image by hiding personal data before sending a screenshot to third parties, a critical security feature in the digital age that allows users to adjust blur intensity and exposure area.

⚠️ Note: When using editing tools, the original screenshot may be overwritten if you click Save instead of Save as a Copy.

The built-in editor also supports the addition of date and time stamps, which can be useful for documenting events. All changes are instant and displayed in real time.

Setting up format, quality and timer

In the depth of system settings Settings → Additional settings → Screenshot hides parameters that allow you to fine-tune the behavior of the function. Here you can choose the format of saved files: JPG (smaller size, compression) or PNG (maximum quality, lossless, but more weight). For screenshots with text and graphs, it is better to choose PNG to avoid compression artifacts.

And it also has a Timer feature that allows you to set a 3 or 5 second delay before you take a picture, and it's a really useful option if you want to capture a pop-up menu, a context window, or an error that disappears immediately after you touch the screen, you press the creation button, you have a few seconds to trigger the event, and the phone takes the picture at the moment.

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Use the format. PNG for screenshots of documents and QR-codes to ensure maximum clarity and readability of data during subsequent scanning or printing.

Another important setting is, "Show the preview window." If you turn it off, the screenshot thumbnail won't pop up in the corner of the screen, and the image will immediately be saved to the gallery. This can be convenient if you take a series of screenshots in a row and the pop-up interferes with the view, but in this case you lose the ability to edit quickly.

Remember to clean the screenshot folder periodically, as long images and the PNG format can quickly take up space in the device's memory. Regular cleaning helps keep the system running. Storage management is an important part of smartphone care.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)