How to take a screenshot on Xiaomi: the full guide

Screenshots are a basic feature that smartphone owners use every day, but on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, this process has many nuances, depending on the version of the MIUI or HyperOS shell. Users often look for a way to capture long correspondence, save a recipe or fix an error in the application, but standard methods may not be obvious to beginners. In this article, we will discuss in detail all available options for creating screenshots, including hidden features of the system.

Modern smartphones from the Chinese manufacturer offer not just a picture capture, but a powerful toolkit for working with an image. You can instantly edit a picture, blur sensitive data or take a long screenshot of the entire web page. Understanding these features greatly speeds up the work with the device and saves time.

Regardless of which model you have – the flagship Xiaomi 14 or the budget Redmi Note, the algorithms for taking pictures remain similar, but have their own characteristics depending on the year of release of the gadget.

Classical Method: A Combination of Physical Buttons

The fastest and most reliable way to run on 100% of devices is to use a physical button combination, which requires no setup and is available even after you turn on your phone, and you need to press the volume down and the power button at the same time.

It's important to press the buttons briefly and synchronously. If you hold them too long, the smartphone may perceive this as a command to call the emergency call menu or turn off the device. A light touch is enough to trigger the function.

⚠️ Note: Do not exert excessive force when pressing buttons, especially on older models, so as not to damage the mechanical elements of the body or plumes.

Once you've successfully captured the image, you'll hear the characteristic snap of the camera shutter, and a thumbnail will appear in the top corner of the screen, which confirms that the image is saved in the gallery. If the screenshot is not taken, check if this feature is blocked in parental control or special modes.

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If the volume buttons on your smartphone are not comfortable or tightly pressed, use the alternative methods described below to avoid mechanical wear of the buttons.

Three finger control and other gestures

MIUI is famous for its convenience, and one of the most popular ways to create screenshots is the "three fingers" gesture, which allows you to take pictures with one hand movement, which is especially convenient when you control one hand.

Before you use this method, you need to make sure that it is enabled in the system settings. Often by default it can be disabled to prevent accidental positives. The path to setting is as follows: Settings → Additional features → Screenshots.

In this menu, you'll find a three-finger switch, and when you activate it, you can instantly capture the contents of the screen, and you can also set the capture area if you want only a part of the image, not the entire screen.

• 📱 Swipe three fingers from top to bottom for an instant snapshot.
• ⚙️ Set the sensitivity of the gesture in the menu of special features.
• 🖼️ Use the area allocation to create non-standard size screenshots.

Gestures are not only convenient, they're modern, and they eliminate the need to reach for buttons on the end of the case, but it's worth remembering that on screens with low-quality protective film or with wet hands, the sensor may not respond correctly.

Creating long screenshots (scrolling)

One of the most sought-after features in the Xiaomi ecosystem is the ability to create long screenshots, or “scrollshots,” which is an indispensable tool for saving long correspondence in messengers, articles in the browser or contact lists.

The process starts as a normal screenshot. Once you've taken a picture in any convenient way (buttons or gestures), a thumbnail will appear in the upper right corner, underneath it will be a button with a down arrow or a Scrolling icon. When you press it, you'll scroll down the contents of the screen, and the system will automatically glue all the pieces into one long image.

⚠️ Note: The scroll function may not work in apps where the content does not have a continuous structure, such as some games or YouTube app.

The system will automatically stop scrolling when it reaches the end of the page or detects repetitive interface elements, and you can manually stop the process at any time by touching the screen.

The finished image is saved as a single file in the gallery, making it easy to send long texts or instructions in a single file without breaking them into many separate pictures, which is especially valuable when texting on Telegram or WhatsApp.

Use the Quick Settings Menu (Stork)

If physical buttons are faulty or gestures seem inconvenient, there is always a proven method through the notification curtain, which requires more action but guarantees results in any situation.

To do this, swipe from top to bottom to open the control center. Find an icon called "Screenshot" (usually looks like scissors). If you don't see it on the first page, swipe left or click on the edit button (three dots or a pencil) to add the icon to a prominent place.

This method is especially useful when the smartphone screen is fully occupied and pressing buttons can accidentally activate game features or other overlays. Through the curtain, you get a clean snapshot of the current state of the interface.

• 🔽 Swipe from top to bottom to open the curtains.
• ✂️ Find the screenshot icon among the labels.
• 📸 Click to instantly create a snapshot of the current screen.

Once you click on the icon, the system will make a sound and show a preview, just like when you use the buttons, and the image will immediately enter the Screenshots album in the gallery.

Voice control via Google Assistant

For those who prefer voice control, Xiaomi offers full integration with Google Assistant.This allows you to take screenshots without touching the screen, which can be useful when hands are busy or contaminated.

Just activate the assistant with the phrase "Ok Google" or a long press of the home button (if configured) and say "Take a screenshot" or "Screenshot of the screen." The assistant will execute the command instantly.

Team: OK Google, take a screenshot

This method works even in applications where physical buttons are blocked (although this is rare), but it is worth considering that it requires a stable Internet and an activated Google account to work.

Customization and editing of screenshots in MIUI

Once you've created a picture, it offers powerful editing tools. Unlike standard Android, the MIUI shell allows you to edit the image immediately without opening the gallery. You can add text, stickers, blur personal data, or crop the frame.

Special attention should be paid to the function "Long press" in the thumbnail. If after creating a screenshot for a long time to keep your finger on the preview, opens an extended menu where you can immediately send the file to the messenger or delete it if the picture failed.

You can also turn off the shutter sound if it annoys you, or change the format of the saved files, using the JPG format by default, but PNG is better for text documents for keeping clarity.

The ability to properly configure these settings will make working with screenshots as comfortable as possible. Do not ignore the possibilities of preview, as they save time for subsequent processing in third-party applications.

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The built-in MIUI editor allows you to perform 90% of the necessary actions with the image immediately after its creation, without requiring the installation of additional applications.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)