Modern Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones offer many ways to capture the contents of the display, far beyond the standard methods. Users often search for the answer to the question of how to take a screen photo on Xiaomi to save important correspondence, capture a bug in the game or share an interesting moment from social networks. In the MIUI operating system and its new version of HyperOS, this process is as automated as possible, but has many hidden nuances.
Screenshots are a basic feature that can be required at any time. However, not everyone is aware of the existence of handy gestures or the ability to voice control the camera screen. In this article, we will discuss in detail all available methods, from classic buttons to advanced tools for creating long screenshots, you will learn where files are stored and how to configure the system to instantly access this feature.
The variety of models from budget Redmi to flagship Mi means that physical buttons can be placed in different ways, but the software part remains the same. We'll look at the versatile solutions that work on most of the brand's devices. This will allow you to effectively manage content regardless of what model of phone you have.
Classical Method: A Combination of Physical Buttons
The most common and quick way to take a screenshot on any MIUI-enclosed device is to use hardware keys, which works even when the touch screen is temporarily unresponsive or blocked by a third-party app, and you need to press the Volume Down button and the Power button at the same time.
It's important to keep the timing right: you press the buttons simultaneously and briefly, literally for a split second. If you hold them too long, the phone may perceive this as a command to call the emergency menu or turn off the device. Once you successfully complete the action, you will hear the characteristic sound of the camera shutter, and in the upper right corner a thumbnail of the image will appear.
⚠️ Note: Some models with mechanical volume buttons (such as older versions of the Redmi Note) may have tight pressing. Make sure you press the volume rocker instead of the body frame, otherwise the screenshot won't work.
For users who often work with one hand, this method may seem inconvenient, as it requires the coverage of the device. However, it remains the most reliable option if the program gestures are disabled or not working in a particular application for some reason.
☑️ Checking the efficiency of buttons
Use of the Additional Functions Menu
If physical buttons are busy or uncomfortable to use, Xiaomi's shell offers a software alternative. In the notification curtain (Control Panel) is a special shortcut to create screenshots. To get to it, swipe from the top edge of the screen down. If the icon is not visible immediately, click on the edit button (usually a pencil icon or three dots) and add the Screenshot widget to the active area.
The second option is in the Additional Features menu, which is called by swipe from the corner of the screen or through a special floating button if it is activated in the settings. Inside, you will find a scissor icon. Pressing it instantly creates an image of the current contents of the display. This method is especially useful when the volume buttons are physically damaged.
The advantage of using the menu is that it often offers additional options immediately after you create a picture, for example, you can quickly go to edit, add notes or immediately send the file to the messenger, which eliminates the need to search the file in the gallery for basic operations.
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Add the Screenshot widget to the top of the control panel so that access to it is always at hand, even if the phone's main buttons stop working.
Screenshots with three fingers and other gestures
One of the most convenient features in Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones is the ability to create screenshots using gestures. By default, this feature can be disabled, so you need to activate it. To do this, go to Settings, select the Additional Features (or Advanced Settings) section, and find the Screenshot with three fingers. Turn on the switch.
Once activated, just swipe your three fingers down the center of the screen, instantly recognizes the gesture and saves the image, ideal for those who like to use a smartphone with one hand or hold it in an uncomfortable position where it is difficult to reach the power buttons.
- 🖐️ A three-finger gesture works in most apps, but can be blocked in some games or banking apps for security reasons.
- ⚙️ In the same settings menu, you can change the sensitivity of the gesture or select the area of the screen that will be captured.
- 📱 On Pad tablets, this method is also active and is often the primary way to navigate and create content.
It's worth noting that in recent versions of HyperOS, gesture recognition algorithms have been improved, and now the system is less likely to mistake random touch for command, and if the gesture doesn't work, try swiping your fingers faster and tighter to hold them against the display.
Voice control and Mi AI assistant
Artificial intelligence has also made it to screenshots. The built-in Mi AI assistant (or Google Assistant if it's set up as the main one) can execute the "Take a Screenshot" command, and you need to set up voice control in the appropriate settings section of the phone to activate this method.
To use the feature, just say a word (usually "Xiao Ai" or "OK, Google"), and then command. The smartphone recognizes speech and performs an action. This is especially true in situations where the user's hands are busy, dirty or wearing gloves, and physical contact with the screen is undesirable.
Voice control requires a stable Internet connection to handle a request on servers, although basic commands can work offline if the language pack is loaded, and the accuracy of recognition depends on the user's diction and ambient noise level.
Creating long screenshots (scrolling)
Often, you need to save not one screen, but an entire article, a correspondence in the messenger or a web page as a whole. To do this, MIUI implements the Long Screenshot (or “Scroll”) function. After you take a regular screenshot in any of the ways described above, a thumbnail will appear in the upper corner.
Click the Scroll button (the icon with the arrows down) in this thumbnail.The screen will automatically scroll down, capturing new content and "stitching" it with the previous frame.The process continues until you hit the stop button or reach the end of the page.
| Parameter | Description | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum length | Up to 100 screens | Depends on the permit. |
| File format | JPG or PNG | Automatic choice |
| Quality. | High. | It may decrease with very long screens. |
| Support for applications | Browsers, Gallery, Chats | Doesn't work in some games |
⚠️ Warning: When you take a long screenshot, don't touch the screen or change the orientation of the device. Any interference will interrupt the process and you will get a cropped result.
This feature is essential for storing instructions, recipes or correspondence, and the file is saved as a single image, which is convenient for forwarding, but it is worth remembering that very long images can take up a significant amount of memory and weigh several megabytes.
What to do if a long screenshot “floats”?
Quality and preservation formats
In advanced Xiaomi system settings, you can adjust the parameters of stored images. Although the basic settings are hidden from the average user, there are hidden menus and features through the Engineering Menu (not available on all models) where you can change the bitrate or compression format.
By default, the system chooses the optimal balance between quality and file size. For normal screenshots of the interface, a format with less compression is used to keep the text clear. For long screenshots, the algorithm can compress the image more strongly so that the file does not become too heavy.
- 📂 All screenshots are automatically saved to the Screenshots folder in the device’s internal memory.
- 🗑️ The gallery has a smart sorting: screenshots are separated from photos taken by the camera in a separate tab.
- 📤 When sending a file via Bluetooth or messengers, the system may suggest compressing the image again for fast transfer.
Users who are critically important to maximum quality (for example, to save scans of documents), it is recommended to use RAW mode (if supported by the application of the camera for documents) or special applications-scanners, since the standard screenshot is still a raster image of the screen.
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A standard screenshot saves exactly what you see on the screen, including system fonts and interface scalability.
Where to look and how to edit saved files
Once you've created the image, it's instantly accessed by the system gallery, and you can find it by opening the Gallery app and going to the Album tab, and there's a separate Screenshot folder, and the files are sorted by date of creation, and the most recent ones are on top.
Xiaomi’s built-in image editor allows you to quickly process a file: cropping excess, adding text, blurring sensitive data (such as card numbers or passwords) or drawing arrows. The Blurring tool is especially useful for protecting personal information before being published online.
If you delete a screenshot accidentally, it ends up in the gallery cart for 30 days, and then you can't recover without a backup of Mi Cloud or Google Photos, and you can't sync it regularly to avoid losing important data.