How to take a screenshot on Xiaomi: all the ways to MIUI 12/13/14

Screenshots on Xiaomi smartphones are one of the most popular features that can be used to save important information, share data or fix errors in the device. Despite the apparent simplicity, many users face difficulties: standard button combinations do not work, gestures are inactive or screenshots are stored in an unknown place. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to create screenshots on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices – from classic to little-known.

Xiaomi’s smartphone features are the MIUI shell, which is regularly updated and changes standard Android features. For example, MIUI 14 has the ability to take screenshots with long pages scrolling, and some models (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra) have unique gestures. We took into account all the nuances and prepared instructions that work on devices from Redmi Note 8 to Xiaomi 14 flagships.

1. Standard method: button combination

The most reliable and versatile method is the use of hardware buttons, which works on all Xiaomi models, regardless of the MIUI or Android version.

1. Open the screen that needs to be fixed.
2. Simultaneously press the Power (on/lock) button and the Volume Down button.
3. Hold them 1-2 seconds until the screenshot animation and shutter sound appear.

If the combination does not work:

• 🔧 Check if the Volume Up button is clamped – this blocks the creation of a screenshot.
• 📱 In some models (for example, POCO F5) You need to hold the buttons longer – up to 3 seconds.
• ⚙️ In the settings MIUI Screenshots may be disabled (see Section 5).

After successful creation, the screenshot is saved in the gallery in the Screenshots folder or Screenshots. MIUI 14 has a notification with a thumbnail that allows you to immediately edit or share the picture.

⚠️ Note: On devices with mechanical buttons (e.g. Redmi) 9A) Pressing too much can cause the screen to accidentally turn off.Push smoothly but confidently.

2. Three-finger gesture - quick way without buttons

MIUI's signature feature is a gesture screenshot, which allows you to take a screenshot with three fingers down on it, which is useful if the hardware buttons are faulty or you often take screenshots with one hand.

How to turn on:

1. Go to Settings → Additional functions → Gestures.
2. Find the screenshot of three fingers and activate the switch.
3. (Optional) Enable the Long Screenshot option to capture the scrollable pages.

The nuances of work:

• 👆 The gesture must be fast and clear – slow movement will not work.
• 📲 On some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T) The gesture works only in portrait orientation.
• ✋ If you have one hand mode enabled, the three-finger gesture may conflict with it.

Gesture enabled in settings|Screen unlocked|Finger doesn't touch the edges of the display|No active gestures from other apps-->

In MIUI 13/14, after you create a screenshot, you gesture up a toolbar for quick editing or cropping. If the panel doesn't appear, check the settings in Settings → System → Screenshot Toolbar.

3. Screenshot via notification panel

A less well-known, but equally convenient, way to do this is to use a button in the notification curtain, which is a good way to do this if you don't have buttons or gestures working.

Instructions:

1. Open the screen that you need to lock.
2. Swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the notification bar.
3. Find the Screenshot button (usually located in the first row of quick settings).
4. Click on it, the picture will be taken instantly.

If the button is not in the curtain:

• 🔄 Flick the notification bar to the left – the button may be on the second page.
• ⚙️ Add it manually: click on the pencil icon (Edit) and drag the Screenshot to the active buttons.
• 📱 In some models (for example, POCO X5) The button is hidden – you need to turn it on in Settings → Notification panel → Quick setups.

💡

If the Screenshot button is missing after the MIUI update, try resetting the notification bar settings: Settings → Applications → App Management → Three Dots → Reset notification settings.

The advantage of this method is the ability to take a screenshot without unnecessary movements, for example, when you hold the phone with one hand. However, on some devices (for example, Redmi Note 11), the button may be missing due to manufacturer restrictions.

4. Voice Commands and Google Assistant

If you have trouble using buttons or gestures, you can take a screenshot using a voice assistant, which works on all Xiaomi devices with Google Assistant or Xiao AI.

Methods of activation:

• 🎤 For Google Assistant: Say “OK Google, take a screenshot” or “Take a screenshot".
• 🤖 For Xiao. AI (on Chinese firmware: say " (on Russian firmware may not work).
• 📱 On some models (such as Xiaomi 13 Pro) voice command is available after settings → Voice assistant.

Limitations of the method:

• 🔇 Voice commands do not work if the microphone is turned off or Do not disturb mode is turned on.
• 🌐 On devices without Google services (for example, on Chinese firmware), Google Assistant is not available.
• ⚠️ In some applications (banking, secure messengers), voice commands may be blocked for security reasons.

Once the command is completed, the screenshot is saved to a standard folder, and the notification curtain provides an option for quick editing, which is especially convenient for people with disabilities or with busy hands.

5. Long screenshot (scrolling page)

The long screenshot (or Scrolling Screenshot) feature captures not only the visible part of the screen, but also the part hidden behind the scrolling, which is useful for saving web pages, chats or long documents. In MIUI 12-14, this option works as follows:

How to do this:

1. Take a regular screenshot of any of the above methods.
2. Immediately after the thumbnail appears in the lower right corner, click on the Scrolling button (or Long Screenshot).
3. Wait for the page to automatically scroll down, and click Ready when you capture the desired snippet.

Limitations and nuances:

If the scroll button does not appear:

• 🔄 Try to take a screenshot with a three-finger gesture – in some firmware, a long screenshot works only with it.
• ⚙️ Check the settings in Settings → Additional functions → Long screenshot.
• 📱 On some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 11T) Update to the latest version is required.

6. Screenshot via ADB (for advanced users)

If standard methods don’t work (for example, because of a button break or a MIUI crash), you can take a screenshot via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting the phone to a computer and basic command line knowledge.

Instructions:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on your phone: go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional Features → For Developers and enable USB Debugging.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command:

adb shell screencap -p /sdcard/screen.png

Once you've done this, the screenshot will be saved to the root folder of the internal memory called screen.png. To download it to your computer, use the command:

adb pull /sdcard/screen.png

Limitations of the method:

• 🖥️ Requires a computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and package ADB Tools.
• 🔒 Some of the scaling (for example, Chinese) USB may be blocked.
• ⚠️ Does not work on a locked screen (you need to unlock the device).

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB This can cause a warranty reset if you modify system files.For a simple screenshot, the risks are minimal, but it is not recommended to use this method without the need to.

7.Where to find and how to manage screenshots

By default, all screenshots on Xiaomi are saved in the folder. Pictures/Screenshots (or Pictures/Screenshots in Russian-language firmware. However, depending on the model and version MIUI location.

How to find screenshots:

• 📁 Through the Gallery: Open the Gallery app → Albums. → Screenshots.
• 🔍 Through the Explorer: Go to Internal Memory → Pictures → Screenshots.
• 🌐 Google Photos: If sync is enabled, screenshots are automatically uploaded to the cloud.

Additional management functions:

If screenshots are not saved:

• 📲 Check the free space on the device – if there is a lack of memory, screenshots may not be created.
• ⚙️ Make sure that the camera or gallery settings do not include automatic screenshot removal.
• 🔄 Restart the device – sometimes helps with failures MIUI.

💡

Screenshots on Xiaomi are automatically optimized: in MIUI 14 they are compressed without loss of quality, which saves up to 30% of space compared to conventional PNGs.

FAQ: Frequent questions about screenshots on Xiaomi