How to take a screenshot on Xiaomi: all the ways

Modern Xiaomi smartphones and sub-brands Redmi and POCO offer users many ways to capture information from the screen. In an era where data is exchanged instantly, the ability to quickly take a quality snapshot of the interface becomes a basic skill. The standard button combination is familiar to many, but the MIUI ecosystem and the new HyperOS provide much more flexible tools for working with images.

In this article, we’ll explore not only classic techniques, but also hidden features that will make your life much easier: you’ll learn to take long screenshots of pages, use voice controls, and adjust quick gestures, and understanding these mechanisms will allow you to manage content on your device more efficiently without unnecessary body movements.

Many users don't even know that their phone can detect triple tapping or shaking response, and we'll study the system settings in detail so you can choose the most convenient option, especially for models with large diagonals, where it's difficult to reach physical buttons.

Classical Method: Using Physical Buttons

The most common and reliable way to work on all firmware versions, including the old MIUI 12 and the latest HyperOS, is to press two keys simultaneously. You need to press the Power button and Volume Down. It is important to keep synchronization: if you press them with a long delay, you can activate the switch-off menu or adjust the sound instead of taking a screenshot.

If you do that successfully, you'll hear the characteristic snap of the camera shutter, and in the upper right corner you'll see a thumbnail of the image you've taken, and the system will automatically save the file in the gallery to the Screenshot folder, and this is universal and works even in applications where other methods can be blocked by security policies.

But physical buttons have their own peculiarities: On some models, such as the Xiaomi 13 or Redmi Note 12, buttons can be placed in an awkward way to grab with one hand, and frequent mechanical loads on keys can eventually lead to wear and tear, which is why developers have implemented alternative software solutions.

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Use the button method only as a last resort if other methods do not work to extend the life of the mechanical elements of the smartphone.

It is worth noting that in some game modes or when viewing protected DRM-A screenshot of content (like Netflix) can be blocked at the system level and you'll see a black image. This is normal behavior by the Android operating system to protect copyright.

Control of three fingers: gestures and settings

One of the most popular features in Xiaomi shells is to create a screenshot using a three-finger swipe, which is ideal for situations where the phone is lying on the table or when the second hand is busy.

The path to function may vary slightly depending on the software version, but it usually looks like this: Settings → Additional settings → Screenshots. Here you need to find the switch "Swipe with three fingers" and activate it. Once turned on, just swipe three fingers from top to bottom in the center of the screen.

• 🖐️ Instant reaction: the system responds to touch almost without delay.
• ⚙️ Setting flexibility: you can choose an action for a long clamping or a regular swipe.
• 🚫 Limitations: The method doesn’t work in some full-screen games or in the Recovery menu.

If you find a three-finger swipe uncomfortable, you can activate "Three-finger long press" in the same settings menu, which will eliminate random screenshots when you normally swipe through your browser or social media, a setting that is especially useful for users with large palms who may accidentally touch the screen when you grab a device.

On budget devices in the Redmi A or Poco M series, you may need to move more confidently and quickly than on the flagship Xiaomi 14. If the gesture does not work the first time, try to increase the speed of your fingers.

Notification curtain and floating menu

For those who prefer visual control, the system provides a convenient quick action menu. Swipe from top to bottom to open the control center, and find the Screenshot icon. In new versions of HyperOS, this icon can be hidden in an additional menu that opens with a swipe to the left.

An even more advanced tool is the floating Sidebar (or Floating Windows) menu. To add a screenshot feature to it, go to Settings → Additional Settings → Sidebar. From the app list, you can select All Apps or add specific programs where you often need to take pictures.

The advantage of the sidebar is that it allows you not only to take a picture, but also to immediately open the editing tools. You can cut out an object, add text or blur sensitive data without switching between applications. This greatly speeds up the workflow.

Using desktop widgets is another option that many users forget about. By adding a Tools widget or a specific screenshot widget to the home screen, you get access to the feature in one tap, which is especially true for older people or those who don't like to remember complex combinations.

Voice control and Google Assistant

When your hands are busy or dirty, voice control comes to the rescue, and the Google Assistant or the built-in Mi Assistant can take screenshots on command, just say, "Ok Google, take a screenshot," or "Take a screenshot," and the system will execute the request.

To activate this feature, make sure that the voice assistant is enabled in your Google account settings, and check your language and speech recognition settings to ensure that your phone understands Russian commands correctly. In noisy rooms, this method may work less effectively, requiring clear diction.

⚠️ Attention: Voice control does not work if the phone screen is turned off or is in lock mode. To activate the assistant, the screen must be on and the device must be unlocked.

Some users prefer to customize voice commands through the Shortcuts app to create their own scripts, such as creating a phrase called "Secure" that will take a screenshot and send it to the messenger immediately, which takes time to set up initially, but saves a lot of action in the future.

Note that when using voice commands, the phone can voice the answer ("I'm taking a screenshot"), which is not always convenient in quiet places such as a library or a meeting.

Long screenshot and extended functions

One of the most popular features is to create a "long" screenshot that allows you to capture the entire page of the site or long correspondence in the messenger. After you have taken a regular screenshot by any means, a thumbnail will appear in the upper corner.

The system will automatically start scrolling down the screen, stitching the frames into one long picture. You can stop the process at any time by touching the screen, or wait for the end of the page. The maximum length of this image is limited to the resolution of the matrix and is usually several thousand pixels in height.

• 📜 Ideal for articles: Keeps the structure of text and image in one file.
• 💬 Chats: convenient for saving the history of correspondence in WhatsApp or Telegram.
• 🛒 Checks: Allows you to fit the entire shopping list or online store check in one image.

The newer versions of MIUI 14 and HyperOS have a text recognition (OCR) feature right from the screenshot preview. Once you've created the image, click Text on the edit menu and the system will highlight all the text fields, allowing you to copy or translate them, eliminating the need to print text manually.

However, be careful with sensitive information: a long screenshot can accidentally capture notifications or personal data that surfaced during the scrolling process. Always check the final image before sending.

Where to look and how to edit pictures

All images created are automatically saved in the Gallery system app, and they are stored in a separate album called Screenshots, which sorts files by date of creation, allowing you to quickly find the material you want.

Xiaomi's built-in gallery editor offers powerful tools. Once you've created a screenshot, if you click on a thumbnail, you'll be taken to the editing menu. There are tools available for cropping, drawing, adding stickers and blurring. Magical erasure allows you to remove redundant objects from the background using artificial intelligence algorithms.

Screenshot files take up space in the device’s memory. If you’re actively using this feature, it’s recommended to periodically clean the folder or set up automatic sync with the Mi Cloud or Google Photos cloud, which will free up internal memory and protect data from loss when your phone breaks.

⚠️ Note: When you delete screenshots through the “Recently Deleted” menu, remember that recovery is only possible within 30 days.

Third-party applications can be used for professional image work, but Xiaomi’s built-in tools are more than enough for 95% of tasks. System optimization allows fast processing of even heavy panoramic images.

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The built-in editing tools in MIUI/HyperOS often outperform third-party applications in speed and system integration.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)