How to take a screenshot of the buttons on Xiaomi: full instruction

Xiaomi’s modern smartphones and Redmi’s sub-brand are equipped with powerful cameras and advanced displays, making screenshots a daily necessity for millions of users. Saving correspondence, a check from an online store or an interesting moment from the game requires quick access to the image capture function. Device owners often look for an answer to the question of how to take a screenshot with buttons on Xiaomi, since this is the most reliable and versatile method that works even when the touch layer is hanging.

MIUI shells and the new HyperOS offer a variety of options for doing this, from classic physical combinations to smart gestures. Understanding all the ways available allows you to choose the most convenient for a particular situation, whether it is one-handed or high-performance. In this article, we will discuss in detail the mechanics of the buttons, possible problems and alternative methods that can be useful to every smartphone owner.

Regardless of your device model, whether it’s a budget Redmi Note or a flagship Xiaomi 14, the basic principles of creating screenshots remain the same throughout the ecosystem. However, there are nuances related to the location of controls and software versions that you need to consider for a successful result.

Classical Method: A Combination of Physical Buttons

The most common and time-tested way to capture a screenshot is by simultaneously pressing two physical keys, which works on the vast majority of Android smartphones, including the Chinese giant, and you need to locate the volume buttons and power button, which are usually located on the side of the device’s body.

To get a result, you need to press the volume down button (Down) and the lock button at the same time. You don't need to hold them for long, just a short but clear press lasting about one second. If you press too long, the smartphone may perceive this as a command to call the emergency call menu or activate the voice assistant, which will lead to a different result.

Successful execution of the action is accompanied by the characteristic sound of the camera shutter (if the sound is not turned off) and a visual flash of the screen. In the upper corner of the display, a thumbnail of the created image will appear, which can be immediately edited or sent. It is important to press the buttons simultaneously, not sequentially, since the system reads this signal as a single trigger.

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If the screenshot doesn’t work the first time, try changing the rhythm of the press: click a little faster, almost like a keystroke on the piano, so that the system has time to register a simultaneous event.

It’s worth noting that on some models with curved screens or specific body ergonomics, it can be inconvenient to reach both buttons at the same time. In such cases, manufacturers often provide alternative options, but the physical combination remains the fastest to respond to rapidly changing content.

Alternative combinations and one-handed control

Not everyone knows that the Android architecture in conjunction with the shell from Xiaomi allows you to use other combinations to achieve the same goal, this is especially true if one of the volume buttons is occupied or damaged, or if the device is large and cover it with one hand is problematic.

The second option is to combine the volume button (Up) and the power button, and the logic is identical to the first one: a short simultaneous tap saves the image of the current contents of the display, a method that is less popular, but a complete replacement if the lower volume swing is uncomfortable for you.

• 📸 Combination "Loudness Down" + Food is the standard method for all models.
• 🔊 Combination "Loudness Up" + Powering is an alternative method that works on most versions MIUI.
• 🔒 Double-press on the back cover – available only on models with support for the function “Double Tap” (rarely encountered and requires customization).

The use of alternative combinations can be a salvation in situations where the main circuit does not work due to software failures or the features of a particular case of software. The priority system in HyperOS is designed so that it recognizes both options of pressing as a command to capture the screen.

Configure and use the menu of additional functions

If physical buttons seem uncomfortable to you or you are often in situations where you need to hold your phone a certain way, software tools come to the rescue. The system settings have a special section that allows you to display the screenshot button directly on the screen or into the notification curtain.

To activate this feature, you need to go to the settings menu, find the "Additional Features" section, and select "Screenshot" option. Here you can activate the "Add button" or "Floating button" option. Once turned on, a translucent icon will appear on the screen, clicking on which instantly takes a screenshot.

Settings → Additional features → Screenshot → Add a button

Also available on this menu is the “Three Fingers” feature, which we will talk about in more detail in the next sections. Xiaomi’s flexibility allows you to adapt the interface to your habits, making the process of capturing the image as seamless as possible.

Using software buttons eliminates the risk of random volume changes or locking of the device at the time of creating a screenshot, which is especially useful when recording video from the screen or in games where every fraction of a second and accuracy of actions are important.

Gestures and advanced capture techniques

Modern Redmi and Poco smartphones are famous for their customization capabilities, and one of the most elegant solutions is to take a screenshot with your hand moving across the screen, which requires pre-activation in the settings, but becomes the fastest way to get used to it.

To enable the function, go to Settings → Additional Features → Screenshot and activate “Three fingers.” After that, swiping three fingers from top to bottom in the center of the screen will instantly create a picture, and the vibration and sound will confirm the successful execution of the command.

⚠️ Attention: Sensitivity can vary across different models. If the gesture doesn't work the first time, try swiping your fingers faster or slower, and make sure you touch the screen with your entire finger area, not just your tips.

Another powerful feature is "Extended Screenshot" or "Long Screenshot." Once you've created a normal shot (by button or gesture) in the preview menu that appears, you've got to select an icon that looks like a scroll or a down arrow, and the phone automatically scrolls through the page and glues several images into one long picture.

• 🖐 Three finger gestures are the quickest way for those who are used to it.
• 📜 Long screenshot – ideal for saving correspondence and articles.
• 🎤 Voice command – activation via Google Assistant or Xiao AI.

Voice control also remains in the user's arsenal, and when you say, "OK, Google, take a screenshot," you start the process of grabbing the screen without touching the device, which is convenient when your hands are busy or dirty.

Comparison of methods: characteristic table

To make it easier for you to choose the best way to do it, we've created a comparison table that will help you understand where each method will work best and what the limitations of each method are.

And as you look at the data, you can see that physical buttons are more reliable than they are, because they don't depend on the touchscreen, and if the screen is contaminated, whether it's in water or in gloves, mechanical pressing is the only way to work.

At the same time, gestures provide the best user experience in normal conditions, and are intuitive and keep the grip of the device intact, which is especially valuable when using large diagonals of smartphones with one hand.

Where to find and how to edit saved images

Once you've figured out how to take a screenshot of Xiaomi with buttons or other means, it's important to know where the result goes. By default, all screenshots are automatically saved to the device's gallery, to a specially created album.

Open the Gallery app and find an album called Screenshots or Screenshots, which stores all your captures in chronological order, and MIUI also allows you to sort them by date of creation or content recognition.

Once you've created a screenshot, if you click on the thumbnail in the corner of the screen, it opens up a built-in editor, and it offers basic tools like cropping, drawing, adding text and stickers, and it allows you to quickly prepare the image for sending to instant messengers without having to open third-party apps.

⚠️ Attention: Protected applications DRM (For example, Netflix, incognito banking apps, can block screenshots, in which case you will receive a black image or a notification that you cannot save for security reasons.

The Android file system on Xiaomi devices also allows you to find these files through Explorer.The path usually looks like Internal Memory → DCIM → Screenshots or MIUI → gallery → cloud → screenshots, depending on the system version and sync settings.

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Automatic sorting of screenshots into a separate album occurs at the system level, so even when resetting the settings of the gallery, the folder structure will remain if the memory is not formatted completely.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)