How to Take a Screenshot on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

Smartphone owners of the Chinese brand often face the need to quickly capture the contents of the display, whether it is correspondence in the messenger, an error in the application or an interesting moment in the game. The standard procedure for creating a picture on devices running the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS can differ from the usual actions on other Android devices. Understanding all available methods will save you time and not search for information on the Internet every time you need to save information.

Xiaomi’s modern gadgets offer a variety of image tools that go far beyond just fixing a picture. You can create long screenshots, automatically edit them, or customize handy gestures. In this article, we’ll take a look at each method in detail so you can choose the most suitable one for your model and situation.

Using a combination of physical buttons

The fastest and most versatile method, which works on the vast majority of models, including Redmi and POCO, is to press two buttons simultaneously. You need to press the volume down and lock the screen button. You need to do this almost simultaneously, with minimal delay between presses. If you press the power button too hard or hold it longer, you can start the off menu, rather than create a screenshot.

Once you've done the action, you'll hear the characteristic snap of the camera shutter, and at the top of the screen you'll see a thumbnail of the image you've taken. Xiaomi's shell-based Android system instantly processes the image and stores it in the gallery. This is the perfect technique for fast action, and it doesn't require any pre-tuning.

⚠️ Note: On some models with very thin frames or specific location of sensors too strong mechanical impact on the side face can be perceived as an attempt to extract the SIM-Be careful with the force of pressing.

If the standard combination doesn't work, check if the volume key is locked programmatically or physically. In rare cases, on custom firmware, the button assignment can be changed by the user. Return the input settings to factory values to restore functionality.

Creating a screenshot through the notification curtain

An alternative method that is particularly convenient if physical buttons are busy or damaged involves using a control panel, which requires a swipe from top to bottom to open the control center (curtain).

If you don't see the icon right away, try swiping left or clicking on the menu edit button (usually a pencil or tripod icon). In the list of available widgets, find Screenshot and drag it to the active zone, which will add the tool to quick access, and next time it will be at your fingertips.

This is useful because it visually confirms the action: once you press the preview, you can choose what to do with the image next — send, edit or save — and this eliminates the random taps that sometimes happen when you use physical keys in your pocket.

Three-finger gesture control

One of the most convenient features in the Xiaomi ecosystem is the ability to create screenshots with a three-finger swipe. This option is not active by default and requires manual activation in the system settings. To enable it, go to the Settings menu → Additional Features → Screenshots.

In the window that opens, find the three-finger swipe switch and activate it, and then simply swipe three fingers down the screen and get an instant snapshot of the current area, a technique that is particularly popular with users with large screen sizes, as the top buttons are not always easy to reach.

• 🖐️ The gesture works even on a locked screen if the screenshot on a locked screen is enabled in the same settings.
• ⚙️ You can configure the capture area: full screen or dedicated area.
• 📱 The method does not require the use of side faces of the body, which reduces the risk of accidental fall of the device.

It is important to note that in some applications, especially banking or DRM-protected content, this gesture may not work for security reasons.The system blocks the creation of images of sensitive data, and instead of a picture you can see a black field or a restriction notice.

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If the three-finger swipe doesn’t work, check to see if the “High Sensitivity” mode is enabled in the display settings, which may conflict with multi-touch gesture recognition.

Voice Control and Google Assistant

For those who prefer voice control or have busy hands, a great solution is to use a voice assistant. On Xiaomi smartphones, Google Assistant is pre-installed, which is great at taking screenshots on command. Just say "OK, Google" or hold the assistant button for a long time.

Once activated, say "Take a screenshot" or "Take a picture of the screen." The assistant will run the command and show the preview, which works consistently, but requires an Internet connection to handle the voice request, because speech recognition often occurs on servers.

You can also use Xiao AI's built-in voice input (in Chinese firmware versions) or Google Assistant to automate. You can create a script where a screenshot is taken by hand-clap or other audible signal if your phone supports advanced accessibility features.

⚠️ Warning: Voice commands may not work in Do Not Disturb mode or if the microphone is busy with another application, such as a voice recorder or video call.

Extended screenshot function (scroll)

Often you need to save a long article, a correspondence in the messenger or the entire web page. A normal picture captures only the visible part, but MIUI offers the function "Extended screenshot." Immediately after you create a regular screenshot (by any means) in the upper corner of the preview appears button with arrows down or icon scroll.

By pressing this button, you start scrolling. The screen will automatically move downwards, capturing new areas of the image. You can stop the process at any time by touching the screen, or wait for the end of the page. The system will automatically glue all the parts together into one long picture.

The quality of the final image remains high, but it is worth considering that very long panoramas can take up a significant amount of memory. In addition, dynamic content (video, animation) when glued may not be displayed correctly, since different parts of the image are captured at different points in time.

Editing and management of pictures

Once you've created a screenshot, the system offers basic editing tools, so you can cut edges, draw arrows, add text, or blur sensitive information (such as card numbers or addresses) that are built into the shell and don't require third-party apps.

Files are saved to a standard DCIM/Screenshots folder in internal memory, and there's an action log that allows you to track the time each file was created, and if you accidentally deleted a screenshot, you can find it in the gallery basket for 30 days.

For advanced users, the automatic screenshot removal feature is available after viewing in some versions of the firmware, which helps save space, and you can also customize the save format, although the default is a universal PNG, which provides high quality lossless.

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Using cloud sync Mi Cloud or Google Photos is the best way to protect your screenshots from loss when you change or break your device.