How to take a screenshot on Xiaomi buttons: detailed instructions with photos

Taking screenshots on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones is a basic feature that will be useful to every user. But even in 2026, many people are facing problems: buttons don’t work, the picture is saved in the wrong place, the screen says “I couldn’t take a picture.” In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to create screens with buttons, including combinations for different versions of MIUI and Android, and also tell you how to fix typical errors.

Xiaomi devices have a variety of screenshot techniques, but the classic physical button method is the most reliable, works even when the touch screen is jammed or the system is hanging, but not everyone knows that new models (such as the Xiaomi 14 or Redmi Note 13 Pro+) may have a different combination of buttons than older smartphones, and we tested all options on current firmware and put together a checklist to help make the screen the first time.

1. Classical way: Loudness down + Nutrition buttons

It’s a versatile method that works on 99% of Xiaomi devices, including budget Redmis and flagship Xiaomi/POCO. The algorithm is simple, but there are nuances that many people don’t know about.

How to take a screenshot:

1. Open the screen you want to shoot (application, web page, settings).
2. Press two buttons at the same time: Volume down (left side button) Power (right side button)

Hold them for 1-2 seconds until you hear the sound of the camera shutter and see the screen saving animation.

Important: On some models (e.g., POCO F5 or Redmi K60), the power button may be touch-sensitive, in which case press it with a little effort, the system must register the press as physical, not as touch.

Make sure you press the buttons simultaneously, not alternately.|Check if screenshots are blocked in security settings|Restart your smartphone if the buttons don’t respond|Update. MIUI Up to the latest version (there are bugs in old firmware)-->

2. Alternative combination: "Loudness up" + "Nutrition"

On some Xiaomi models (especially those released before 2021), the combination “Loudness up” is responsible for creating screenshots» + «This is the case with these devices, for example:

• 📱 Xiaomi Mi 9, Mi 10, Mi 11
• 📱 Redmi Note 8 Pro, Note 9 Pro
• 📱 POCO X3 NFC, POCO F2 Pro

How do you check which combination works on your smartphone? Try both in turn. If after pressing Volume down + Power nothing happens, but Volume up + Power is triggered, remember this option. On new models (2022 and later), this combination is usually disabled, because conflicts with calling a voice assistant.

If none of the combinations work, the reasons may be as follows:

• 🔧 One of the buttons is damaged (check whether the volume/power response is in other situations)
• 🔧 Screenshots feature is disabled in the settings (see Section 5)
• 🔧 Installed third-party software that blocks the creation of screenshots

3. Screenshot on Xiaomi with gestures (if the buttons don't work)

If the physical buttons on your Xiaomi are out of order or you prefer to control your smartphone without them, you can take a screenshot using the Three-toed Hold Down gesture, which is available on all devices with MIUI 12 and later.

How to turn on and use:

1. Go to Settings → Additional functions → Gestures.
2. Find the screenshot option with a three-toed gesture and activate it.
3. Return to the screen you want to shoot and swipe three fingers from top to bottom across the display.

Advantages of this method:

• ✅ It works even with faulty buttons.
• ✅ Faster than the button combination (after getting used to it)
• ✅ You can do screening with one hand (on small screens)

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Sometimes it works by accident (for example, when scrolling the tape in social networks)
• ❌ Does not work in some games and apps with gesture blocking

Volume and power buttons|Three-toed gesture|Quick settings panel|Voice assistant-->

4.Where screenshots are saved on Xiaomi and how to find them

By default, all screenshots on Xiaomi smartphones are saved in the DCIM → Screenshots folder (or Pictures → Screenshots in some firmware).

• 📁 Versions MIUI (into MIUI The 14 folder is called Screenshots and the MIUI 15 — ScreenCapture)
• 📁 Smartphone models (on some of them) POCO Screens are saved in Pictures → POCO Screenshots)
• 📁 Availability of a memory card (if inserted, screens can be stored on it)

How to quickly find the last screenshot:

1. Immediately after creating the picture, click on the notification “Screenshot saved” – it will open the image.
2. Use the built-in Explorer (Menu → Files) and go to the Images → Screenshots section.
3. In the Gallery, select the album "Screenshots" (it is created automatically).

⚠️ Note: If you use Google Photos to back up, screenshots can automatically upload to the cloud and take up space in your account. To turn this off, go to Google Photos settings and exclude Screenshots from sync.

5.Why it is not possible to take a screenshot on Xiaomi and how to fix it

If nothing happens when you press the buttons or there is an error, the reasons may be as follows:

1. Screenshots feature disabled in settings

In some firmware (especially corporate or custom), screenshots may be blocked to check:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Permissions → More.
2. Find the Screenshots item and make sure it's turned on.

2. Conflict with the annexes

Some programs (e.g., banking or privacy-protected messengers) block screenshots. If you try to take a picture in such an app, a notice will appear, "Screenshots are prohibited."

• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone and try again.
• 🔄 Use the incognito mode in the browser to screenshot a web page.
• 🔄 Take a screen photo with another device (if it is critical information).

3. Damage to system files

If screenshots are no longer created after a MIUI update or reset, the system service may have been damaged to fix:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → System Update and check for patches.
2. Perform a reset via Settings → Additional → Restore and reset (data will not be deleted, but system settings will return to factory settings).

6. Additional chips: Scrolling screenshot and editing

Xiaomi smartphones not only allow you to take regular screenshots, but also create scrolling shots (long screens of web pages or chats), a feature available in MIUI 12 and later.

How to take a scrolling screenshot:

1. Take a regular screenshot (buttons or gestures).
2. Immediately after the thumbnail appears in the lower right corner, click on it.
3. In the editor that opens, select the Scroll option (an icon with two down arrows).
4. Wait until the system automatically scrolls the page and combines the screens into one file.

The screenshot editor also has tools available:

• ✏️ Drawing (brushes, markers, eraser)
• 📝 Text (addition of inscriptions)
• 🔍 Trimming (size change)
• 🎨 Filters (change in brightness, contrast)
• 🔗 Exchange (fast sending to messengers)

Tip: If you often have to take screenshots and edit them, add an editor shortcut to the home screen, and then hold the last screenshot icon in the notification curtain and drag it to the desktop.

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To quickly share a screenshot, after you create it, click on the thumbnail in the notification and select "Send." The system will offer options: Telegram, WhatsApp, Mail, etc.

7.Screenshots on Xiaomi with a Broken Screen or a Broken Sensor

If your Xiaomi screen is cracked or the sensor has stopped responding to touch, but the display itself still shows the image, you can take a screenshot in one of the following ways:

Method 1: Connecting the mouse over OTG

If USB-Port is good, connect to your smartphone USB-mouse-wise OTG-adapter:

1. Use your mouse to navigate the menu.
2. Open Settings → Additional Features → Gestures and turn on Screenshot with a three-toed gesture.
3. Make a screen with your mouse (swipe three fingers down the touchpad or mouse wheel).

Method 2: Control via PC (ADB)

If you have access to a computer, you can take a screenshot through ADB (Android Debug Bridge).

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC via USB and enable debugging over USB in the developer settings.
2. Open the command line on PC and type in: adb shell screencap -p /sdcard/screen.png
3. Copy the file to your computer: adb pull /sdcard/screen.png

Method 3: Google Voice Assistant

If you have Google Assistant on your smartphone, you can say:

• 🎤 «Okay, Google, take a screenshot»
• 🎤 «Take a screenshot»

The voice command will work even if the sensor is not working, if the microphone is working.

⚠️ Warning: If the screen is completely black, but the smartphone is turned on (you hear boot sounds), try connecting it to an external monitor via the phone. USB-C to HDMI This is an adapter, and it's going to help you see the image and take a screenshot of one of the ways I described it.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions

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On new Xiaomi models (2023-2026), the Volume Down + Power button combination is more stable than gestures. If screenshots are not created, check the physical state of the buttons and MIUI updates first.