Screenshots are one of the most basic but sought-after features in today’s smartphone. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices often face the need to quickly save information from correspondence, an error in the application or an interesting moment from the game. The MIUI shell and its modern version of HyperOS offer users many ways to accomplish this task, far beyond the standard button combination.
Many users do not even realize that their phone can take “smart” screenshots, automatically scroll through long pages of sites or record video from the screen immediately after creating an image. Understanding all the available methods can significantly improve productivity with the gadget and save time in critical situations.
In this article, we will take a look at every screenshot method available, from classic physical buttons to advanced sidebar features, and learn how to customize the hotkeys for yourself, where to look for saved images, and what to do if standard methods stop working.
The Classic Method Through a Button Combination
The fastest and most familiar way to run on the vast majority of Android smartphones, including the Redmi series budget models and Xiaomi flagships. The mechanics of the action are simple: you need to press and hold two buttons simultaneously for a short time, usually a volume down key and a power button.
It is important to keep the timing right: pressing should be simultaneous, but not too long. If you keep the buttons clamped for more than 2-3 seconds, the phone may perceive this as a command to force a reset or call a voice assistant, depending on the system settings.
The success of the operation is confirmed by the characteristic sound of the camera shutter (if the sound is on) and the appearance of a thumbnail in the upper right corner of the display. It is at this point that the system buffer saves the image, and you have a few seconds to edit or send immediately.
- 📱 Press the “Loudness Down” and “Nutrition” buttons at the same time.
- ⏱️ Hold for about 0.5-1 seconds without letting go immediately.
- 🔊 Expect audible signal and visual confirmation.
- 🖼️ Touch the appeared thumbnail for editing.
It is worth noting that on some models with hardware buttons located on different sides of the case, it is physically inconvenient to press them simultaneously with one hand, in such cases it is better to use alternative methods described below, or use the second hand for reliability.
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If you have thumbs, try pressing the volume button first, and then adding a power button without letting go – this method of “ladder” often works more stable than simultaneous impact.
Use of sidebar and screenshot menu
The MIUI shell is famous for its unique convenience features, and one of them is the Screenshot Panel, which is a floating window that comes in immediately after you create an image and offers advanced processing capabilities, but the panel itself is called not only by buttons, but also through a special control interface.
To access additional features, you can use the Sidebar (formerly known as Floating Windows) and activate this tool with a swipe from the edge of the screen, you can access the screenshot creation shortcut, which is especially convenient when physical buttons are busy or damaged.
Inside the Screenshot Panel, you can create a long screenshot that automatically scrolls down and glues multiple images into one, and you can also use Partial Screenshot, which allows you to cut only the desired area of the screen at once without any further cropping.
☑️ Setting up the sidebar
If the standard panel doesn't show up, check the notification settings. Sometimes the system blocks pop-ups to save battery power or in "Do Not Disturb" mode. Make sure notifications are allowed for the system's Screenshots app.
Screenshots with three fingers and gestures
One of the most elegant ways that users with large Redmi Note or Mi smartphones will appreciate. The Three Fingers feature allows you to take a screenshot by simply swiping from top to bottom of the display. This action does not require the use of physical buttons and is performed with one hand.
To activate this feature, you need to go to the system settings. The path may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but it's usually in the optional feature section. Once enabled, you can take screenshots in any interface except for some secure applications, such as bank clients.
You can set your three-finger gesture to perform other actions, like opening the multitasking menu, so if you accidentally swipe three fingers and instead of a screenshot, you see a list of running apps, just change the purpose of the gesture in the settings menu.
⚠️ Attention: A three-finger gesture may conflict with special features or third-party launchers. If a screenshot is not created, check if another application overlaps the input layer.
There is also a lesser-known gesture called knuckle-toe tapping (KnockON), although it is less common on modern Xiaomi models and often requires the installation of third-party modules.
Voice control and Google Assistant
When hands are busy or the phone is on the table, voice commands come to the rescue, and the Google Assistant or the built-in Mi AI (depending on the region and version of the firmware) can take a screenshot of a voice request, which is especially true for people with disabilities.
To use this method, you just need to say an activating phrase, like "OK, Google," and then say "Take a screenshot" or "Take a picture of the screen," and the system instantly executes the request and saves the image to the gallery.
You can also use voice input to find commands, and if you don't remember the exact phrase, just ask your assistant how to take a screenshot, and they'll suggest options or run the command automatically.
- 🗣️ Activate the assistant with a phrase or long button.
- 📸 Say the command "Take a screenshot».
- 📂 Check the gallery or thumbnail on the screen.
- 🔇 The method works even in silent mode.
The effectiveness of voice control depends on the quality of speech recognition and the presence of an active Internet connection. In a poor network, the command may not be executed the first time, so it is recommended to have a backup option with buttons.
Long screenshot and page scrolling
Often, you need to save not just one screen, but an entire article, a messenger or a news feed. A standard snapshot will cut the information, but the Long Screenshot feature solves this problem, and it is available immediately after you have created a normal shot through the toolbar.
Once you have taken a basic screenshot, select a button with two down arrows or a scroll icon from the menu that appears. The phone will automatically start scrolling the content down, taking new pictures and gluing them into a single image.
You can stop scrolling at any time by touching the screen, automatically trimming the joints and creating a smooth picture, but remember that images that are too long may not open in some galleries or messengers due to file resolution restrictions.
| Parameter | A typical screenshot. | Long screenshot. |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Small (up to 1MB) | Medium/Large (2-10 MB) |
| Format | PNG/JPG | PNG (most often) |
| Use of the | Quick correspondence | Articles, checks, dialogues |
| Difficulty | Minimum | Requires a stable interface |
When creating long screenshots, it is important that the content on the screen is static. If an ad pops up or a dynamic tape changes during the scrolling process, the final image may be with artifacts or tears.
Why can a long screenshot be interrupted?
Where to look and how to edit saved images
Once created, the screenshot is automatically saved to the gallery, and in the standard Gallery app on Xiaomi, they are allocated a separate folder or album called Screenshots, which makes it easier to find and manage files, separating them from personal photos.
The built-in image editor offers basic but sufficient functionality: you can cut the edges, draw arrows, add text or blur sensitive data (such as card numbers or addresses) before sending. The blur feature is especially useful for protecting personal information.
Files are also accessible through a file manager. The path to them usually looks like Internal Memory → DCIM → Screenshots or MIUI → Gallery → Cloud, depending on the version of the shell. Knowing the exact path, you can quickly transfer files over USB or clear space on the disk.
⚠️ Warning: When cleaning memory through system utilities, be careful: automatic cleaning can remove old screenshots you planned to save. Always check the file list before deleting. For professional work with images, it is better to use third-party applications, since the built-in editor does not support layering or complex retouching. 💡All screenshots are saved by default to the Screenshots folder inside the directory DCIM or MIUI, Sometimes users are faced with a situation where a screenshot is not created, this can be caused by a software failure, overflowing memory or security limitations of a particular application. For example, in banking applications or incognito mode, screenshots are blocked at the system level. If the problem is systemic, try restarting the device. Often this resolves temporary process conflicts. MIUI, Because newer versions of firmware often fix clipboard and graphics bugs, and in rare cases, it helps to reset the interface settings or clear the cache of the Screenshots system application. → Annexes → All applications → Screenshots → Clear the data. This will bring the image-making functions back to factory parameters. 🔒 Check if the application blocks the creation of pictures (banks, incognito). 💾 Make sure there is a free space on the phone. 🔄 Reboot the device to reset system processes. 🛠️ Update the firmware to the latest version. If neither method works, the problem may be the hardware of the buttons or touchscreen, so you should use voice control or connect an external keyboard/mouse via a voice control. OTG Why isn't the screenshot saved in the gallery? Most often it's due to lack of space in the internal memory or damage to the file system. Also check the permissions for the Gallery app - it should have access to the storage. Can I take split-screen screenshots? Yes, MIUI It allows you to take pictures even when you're running two apps at once, and the screenshot will capture both windows, but the long screenshot features in this mode may not be available. How do you turn off the shutter sound when you take a screenshot? Completely turn off the sound system is impossible without root rights, but you can transfer the phone to silent mode or mode "Do not disturb" before creating a picture. What format are screenshots saved in? The default format is PNG for maximum lossless quality. In some cases, the system can convert the image to JPG to save space if the file is too large. How much does one screenshot weigh? The weight depends on the screen resolution and the number of details in the image. For a FullHD+ screen, the average weight is from 300 Kb to 1.5 MB. Long screenshots can weigh 5-10 MB.