How to take a screenshot on Xiaomi Redmi: a complete guide

Screenshots on Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones are a basic feature that every user needs to save important information, correspondence or game moments. Despite their apparent simplicity, the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS offer many ways to do this that many do not even know. Standard methods may not work in certain situations, such as using some banking applications or in games with a special display mode.

In this article, we’ll look at all the options available, from classic keyboard shortcuts to advanced gesture settings, how to set up automatic scrolling of long pages and where to look for finished images after you create them, and understanding these nuances will allow you to manage content more effectively on your device.

The thing to note is that the algorithms can block screenshots for security purposes, which is normal behavior on Android, which protects your sensitive data from being intercepted, but for most standard tasks, you'll have full control over the image capture function.

The classic method with the help of buttons

The most common and reliable way, which works on the vast majority of models, including the Redmi Note, Redmi 12 and older series, it requires no pre-tuning and is available immediately after the device is turned on. The mechanics of action are simple and intuitive even for beginners.

You have to press two physical buttons at the same time: turn down and lock the screen. The key is the synchrony of the press. If you press the volume button sooner or later, the power button, the phone will simply change the sound level or turn off the display.

Successful execution of the action is accompanied by the characteristic sound of the camera shutter (if the sound is not turned off) and visual animation of the compression of the image in the corner of the screen. At this point, the system creates an image file and saves it in the gallery. In the lower corner, a thumbnail will appear, allowing you to quickly move to editing.

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If the buttons are physical and tight, try to press them with your finger pads rather than your nails to avoid slipping and inadvertently turning on other features.

Importantly, on some models with touch-sensitive volume buttons (located on the screen in early versions of MIUI), this method may have been different, but modern devices use physical mechanical or tactile response, making the method universal.

Using three-finger gestures

For those who are uncomfortable reaching for buttons or holding their phone with both hands, Xiaomi has introduced a handy gesture that allows you to take a screenshot in one movement, which is especially true when watching videos or reading books in a horizontal position.

To activate this feature, you must first enable it in the settings. By default, it can be disabled to prevent accidental positives. The path to setting is as follows: go to Settings → Additional Features → Screenshots.

In the menu that opens, find the "Three-finger Screenshot" switch and activate it. Then just swipe your three fingers from top to bottom down the center of the screen, and the system instantly responds to the touch and saves the current image on the display.

⚠️ Warning: Make sure that the screen is not covered with thick protective film or glass of poor quality, which can reduce the sensitivity of the touch screen. In such cases, the gesture may not work the first time, and you will need a more confident touch.

This method is especially useful when one hand is occupied, for example, you hold the handrail in a transport. In addition, the gesture can be combined with other actions, since it does not require the release of the side faces of the body. If the gesture stopped working after updating the system, check if it was accidentally disabled in the settings menu.

Voice control and Google Assistant

Today’s Xiaomi smartphones have powerful voice controls that allow you to interact with the system without touching, ideal when the user’s hands are dirty or busy. Google Assistant or built-in Mi AI (depending on the region) can execute a screen capture command.

To use this method, make sure you have a voice assistant set up. Usually, just say the phrase "OK, Google" or press the home button for a long time (if it is assigned) to activate the listening. After the waiting indicator appears, say the command "Take a screenshot" or "Screenshot of the screen."

It recognizes the voice command and does the same thing as pressing buttons, and you see a flash of the screen and you hear a sound, and it also works through the Google app if you run a voice search, and the advantage of this is that it's completely independent of the physical integrity of the device's buttons.

Commands for activation:


- "Ok Google, take a screenshot"




- "OK Google, take a screenshot."




- "Hey Google, capture screen"

It is worth considering that voice control requires an active Internet connection, since the request is often processed on the company's servers, and in conditions of poor network coverage, the command may not execute or be executed with a delay.

Control Panel and Quick Settings

There's another hidden, but very useful way to use the MIUI shell, which is through the control panel, but by default, the screenshot button may not be there, and you need to add it manually, which will take only a few seconds, but will make life much easier in the future.

Unwrap the top notification curtain and pull down again to reveal the full Quick Settings menu.In the top right corner (or bottom, depending on the MIUI version), find the pencil icon or the three dots for editing the panel.In the list of available widgets, find the Scissors or Screenshot icon.

Drag this icon into the active panel area. Now, when you need to save an image, just swipe open the curtain and tap that icon. This is especially convenient on Xiaomi tablets or when using the phone in a horizontal orientation when the volume buttons are uncomfortable.

In addition, some versions of the firmware have a screenshot function through the menu of running applications. If you click on the button "Menu" (square or swipe from the bottom with a delay) and hold your finger on the thumbnail of the application, the context menu that appears may be a "Screenshot" item, which allows you to quickly save the content of a particular application without opening it.

Long screenshot and scrolling

One of the most popular features in modern smartphones is the ability to create a “long” screenshot that combines several screens into one scrolling tape, which is indispensable for saving correspondence in messengers, long articles or lists of goods in online stores.

First, take a normal screenshot of any of the ways described above, and immediately after that, in the upper right corner of the thumbnail that appears (preview), you will see a button with an arrow down or a "Scroll" sign that says "Scroll" and click on it until all the necessary content is displayed on the screen.

The system will automatically glue the images together. When you release your finger or reach the end of the page, the image will be saved as one long file. If the content is too long, the system can stop scrolling automatically to avoid loss of quality or buffer overflow.

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The long screenshot function only works in applications that support scrolling content. On static screens (such as desktop), the scroll button will not appear.

It is also worth considering that the final file can have a large resolution and take up more space in the device’s memory.

Special features and assistant menu

For users who have difficulty doing quick actions or using multi-touch, Android and MIUI have a special feature menu built in, a virtual on-screen button that duplicates the basic functions of the device, including taking screenshots.

To turn this tool on, go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Special Options → Special Options Menu. Activate the switch. A floating button will appear on the screen (usually in the corner).

This is a completely software-based approach that doesn't depend on the physical state of the buttons, and it's also useful if the touchscreen in the gesture area is unstable, because the button area is usually very responsive, and you can adjust the size and transparency of that button for convenience.

Where to look and how to edit screenshots

Once you've taken a screenshot, the system saves it to a standard gallery, and you can find the file by opening the Gallery app and going to Screenshots, which stores all images taken by any means.

Right from the preview that comes right after you take a screenshot, you have a basic editor that allows you to crop an image, blur sensitive information, add text or draw arrows, and that eliminates the need to install third-party apps for easy processing.

If you want to send a screenshot immediately after you create it without removing your finger from the preview, you can drag the thumbnail into the icon of the desired application (for example, Telegram or WhatsApp), and the image will automatically attach to the message, which speeds up the exchange of information several times.

⚠️ Note: When editing screenshots with sensitive data (passwords, SMS codes, addresses), use blur rather than just black marker paint. Black is easy to remove programmatically by restoring the source code, and blurring makes recovery almost impossible.

To clean up the space on the device, you can use the built-in Cleanup tool, which often suggests removing old or similar screenshots.The system analyzes the content and may suggest removing duplicates or images you have already sent in chats.

Possible problems and solutions

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where screenshots are not created, most often due to security restrictions, banking applications, incognito modes in browsers and some streaming services (Netflix, Kinopoisk) block the creation of screenshots at the system level to protect copyright and user data.

In such cases, the screen may simply blink, but the image will not save, or a message will appear that the action is prohibited by security policy, it is impossible to bypass this by standard means, and attempts to install third-party screen recorders can lead to the blocking of the banking application itself.

Another problem is a lack of free memory: if the phone's storage is full, the system will not be able to save the new file, in which case you need to make room by removing unnecessary videos or applications, and it is also worth checking the permissions for the Gallery app or the system component responsible for screenshots.

If neither method works, check for system updates, older versions of MIUI may have bugs fixed in newer security patches, and resetting special features settings may help if conflicting modes have been activated.