Modern smartphone users are constantly exchanging visual information, whether it’s a messaging messaging, an interesting moment from the game or an error in the application. Owners of Chinese brand devices often face the need to quickly capture the contents of the display, but standard methods may not be obvious to beginners. Understanding how to take a screen photo on a Xiaomi phone is a basic skill that greatly simplifies interaction with the gadget.
The MIUI shell interface and its modern version of HyperOS offer a variety of image tools that go far beyond just a button. You can use gestures, voice control, or even tapping on the body of the device, and it's important to master these techniques so that in a critical situation you don't waste time finding the right key combination.
In this article, we will take a detailed look at all the available ways to create screenshots, customize quality and formats, and also look at solving common problems. You will learn how to take scrollshots to save long pages and where to look for ready-made files in the memory of the device.
Standard methods for creating screenshots
The simplest and most common way that Android users know works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models without exception, and it requires pressing two physical buttons simultaneously: Volume down and Power. Pressing must be short and simultaneous, otherwise the switch-off menu or audio adjustment can be activated.
⚠️ Warning: Do not hold the buttons too long, as prolonged clamping of the combination may cause the device to be forced to restart instead of taking a snapshot.
Once you've done the action, you'll hear the characteristic snap of the camera shutter, and in the upper right corner you'll see a thumbnail of the image you've taken, which is universal and works even when the touch screen is temporarily unresponsive to touch.
An alternative option for those who are uncomfortable reaching for the side edges is to use the control panel. Swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the notification curtain, and find the Screenshot icon. If it's not on the first screen, scroll through the widget list to the right.
- 📱 The button combination works on a locked screen.
- 🔔 The notification curtain allows you to take a picture without using physical keys.
- 🖼️ The miniature in the corner allows you to immediately go to editing.
- ⚙️ The sound signal can be turned off in the system settings.
Both methods save the image to a standard gallery, but if you often take screenshots with one hand, the physical power button may not be comfortable, so you should pay attention to software management methods.
Use of the Three Dots menu and sidebar
The MIUI shell is famous for its functionality, and one of the handy tools is the menu called by the three-finger swipe. By default, this feature can be disabled, so it must be activated in the settings. Go to Settings → Additional settings → Screenshots and turn on the option.
There's also a floating menu method, where some versions of the firmware swipe down and the notification area displays a "More" button (three dots) where the screenshot icon hides, which is especially convenient on larger screens where reaching the top corners is physically difficult.
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Adjust the swipe sensitivity with three fingers in the settings menu if screenshots are created too often or, conversely, do not work the first time.
For advanced users, a Sidebar (or Floating Window) is available, which allows you to run the screenshot creation as a standalone mini-app. This menu can be called by swipe from the edge of the screen if the function is activated in Settings → Special Features.
- 🖐️ Swipe three fingers down is the fastest software method.
- 🧩 Floating menu is convenient for large smartphones.
- ⚙️ Flexible adjustment of gesture sensitivity.
- 🚀 Access to the function without unlocking the buttons.
The use of software buttons reduces wear of the physical elements of the device. The power button and volume swing have a limited resource of pressing, so transferring some of the functions to the touch screen prolongs the life of the gadget.
Voice control and Google Assistant
Owners of modern Xiaomi smartphones can use voice commands to create screenshots, which is especially true when hands are busy or the device is in an uncomfortable position.
To keep the method running, make sure the voice assistant is activated and has the necessary permissions. In some cases, language and region settings are required, as Russian-language commands may vary depending on the version of Android.
Voice control also allows you to do related activities, like sending a picture to a chat or saving it to the cloud if you use appropriate automation scenarios, which makes the process of interacting with the device truly hands-free.
- 🗣️ Complete lack of need to touch the screen.
- 🌍 Dependence of recognition quality on diction and noise.
- 🔌 Requires an active internet connection to process the request.
- ⚡ Instant activation when properly configured.
Despite the seeming complexity of the setup, voice control is becoming more accurate. Google Assistant algorithms are constantly being trained, understanding even whispers or commands in noisy environments.
The function "Long screenshot" (Scrollshot)
One of the most sought-after features in Xiaomi’s ecosystem is the ability to create long screenshots, or scrollshots, which are indispensable tools for saving correspondence, long articles or lists of goods that do not fit on a single screen.
Immediately after you take a normal screenshot (in any of the ways described above), a thumbnail appears in the upper right corner, and it will have a button with an arrow down or a "Scroll" sign on it, and the system will automatically scroll down, stitching the image into one long picture.
⚠️ Note: The long screenshot function does not work in applications where scroll content is blocked or implemented in a non-standard way (for example, in some games or maps).
You can stop scrolling at any time by touching the screen, or wait for the automatic stop at the end of the page. The finished image will be saved in the gallery as a single file in PNG or JPG format.
☑️ Algorithm for creating a scrolling shot
The quality of the final image depends on the resolution of the screen and the density of the pixels. On modern AMOLED displays, text remains readable even with a strong reduction in scale when viewed.
Customization of format, quality and hot keys
The system allows you to flexibly adjust the settings of the images you create. From the Settings menu → Additional settings → Screenshots, you can choose the save format. By default, you use JPG, which takes up less space, but for screenshots with text, you better choose PNG, since it does not lose quality when compressed.
And you can also set up the display of additional information on the image itself, so you can add the screenshot time or the device model directly to the picture, which is useful for technical support or blogging, where you want to show the exact model of the phone.
| Parameter | Description | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| JPG format | Condensed image, less weight | For quick sending to messengers |
| PNG format | No loss of quality, clear text | For instructions and documents |
| Add time | Time stamp in the photo | To fix the moment of error |
| Shutter sound | The audio signal from the photo | Turn off in quiet places |
So, you have to focus on the setting of the sound, and if you take screenshots in a movie theater or in a meeting, the clicking sound can be heard by the people around you, and in the sound and vibration settings, you can turn off the camera and the screenshots, making the process completely silent.
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The choice of PNG format is critical if you plan to edit a screenshot or use text from it for recognition (OCR).
Where to look and how to edit ready-made pictures
Once created, the screenshot is automatically saved to the Gallery app, usually a separate album called Screenshots or Screenshots, and the path to the file system looks like Internal Storage/DCIM/Screenshots.
The built-in MIUI editor allows you to quickly process an image: cropping, adding text, arrows or blurring sensitive information. The Blurring tool is especially useful when you need to hide passwords, card numbers or personal correspondence before sending.
Files can be sent immediately via Mi Share, Bluetooth, or any messenger using the Share button in the lower left corner of the preview.The system also offers the Send as a File option so that the messenger does not compress the image.
How to clean the folder of screenshots?
Cleaning the screenshot folder regularly helps free up space in the device’s memory, as high-resolution screenshots can take up a significant amount of space, especially if you take them frequently.
Problem Solving: Why the Screenshot Doesn't Work
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where screenshots are not created, most often due to security restrictions of Android, for example, in banking applications, incognito browser mode or when viewing protected content (Netflix, Kinopoisk), the system blocks the creation of screenshots.
⚠️ Warning: In secure applications, when you try to take a screenshot, you will see a black screen or a notification that you cannot perform an action.
Another reason could be a lack of RAM or overcrowded storage: If there is less than 100 MB left on the drive, the system may not save a new file, and it is also worth checking whether a third-party launcher or theme is installed that conflicts with system gestures.
If the problem is seen in all applications, try restarting the device. In rare cases, you need to reset the interface settings or update the firmware to the current version through the About Phone menu.