Screenshots are one of the most basic but critical features in a smartphone today. Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO users often face the challenge of quickly capturing a text, an in-app bug, or an interesting moment in the game. However, the MIUI shell (and its new version of HyperOS) offers far more tools than the standard Android system. Understanding all available methods saves time and makes interaction with the device much more comfortable.
In this article, we will explore in detail not only the classic methods, but also the hidden possibilities that not all owners of Chinese equipment know. You will learn to take long screenshots, use voice commands and adjust quick gestures. This guide will help you master the multimedia capabilities of your gadget at a professional level.
Regardless of which model you have – the flagship Xiaomi 14 or the budget Redmi Note 13 – the instructions below will be relevant. We will look at the nuances of working with different versions of the firmware and tell you what to do if the standard buttons stop responding.
Classical Method: A Combination of Physical Buttons
The most common and reliable way that every smartphone owner knows is to press the power buttons and reduce the volume simultaneously. On Xiaomi devices, this method works almost flawlessly in all situations, even if the touchscreen is temporarily locked or frozen. To take a picture, you need to press the Power and Volume Down button at the same time and release them in a split second.
It's important not to hold the buttons tight for too long. If you hold them for more than one second, the system might think of it as a command to call the reboot menu or to start Fastboot mode. A short, confident tap is the key to success. After a successful action, you'll hear the characteristic sound of the camera shutter, and at the top of the screen a thumbnail of the image you've taken will appear.
⚠️ Note: On some custom firmware or game modes (Game Turbo), the button combination may be reassigned to other features. If a screenshot is not created, check the settings of the game accelerator.
It's universal and doesn't require any pre-setting, it's perfect for instant action, but for those who take dozens of screenshots a day, pulling on the side buttons can be uncomfortable.
Comfortable gestures: screenshot with three fingers
The MIUI shell is famous for its convenience, and one of the most popular is to create a screenshot with a three-finger swipe. This feature requires pre-activation in the system settings, since by default it can be disabled to prevent accidental clicks. To enable it, go to the Settings menu → Additional features → Screenshots.
Once you activate the three-finger swipe option, it's a matter of a second to create a picture. Just swipe your three fingers down the center of the screen. The system will instantly respond to the gesture by snapping a snapshot of the current contents of the display. This is especially convenient on the big screens of flagship models, where reaching the top buttons can be physically difficult.
There's also a variation of this gesture to create long screenshots, so if you don't take them off the screen with your three fingers and keep going down, you start scrolling, and you can capture entire articles, instant messengers, or social media feeds in one file.
☑️ Customization of gestures
Using gestures makes smartphone interaction more modern and lively, and you don't have to look for physical buttons, which is especially true when using a device with one hand, but it's worth remembering that on protective glasses with poor oleophobic coating or with moisture on your hands, the gesture may not work the first time.
Managing through menu and notification curtain
If physical buttons are busy or damaged, software interfaces come to the rescue. Xiaomi has multiple levels of access to the screenshot feature via menus. The fastest software method is to use the "Storki" (control center). Swipe from top to bottom to open the quick access panel, and find the Screenshot icon (usually looks like a scissor or a piece of paper).
The second software method is available through the multitasking menu, and if you swipe from the bottom up (or click the menu button) to view open applications, you'll see a number of icons underneath each window, and often there's a screenshot button, and clicking on it saves the current state of the application without having to fold it.
The third option is to use a floating window. In some versions of HyperOS, when you call a side menu (swipe from the corner of the screen), you can drag the Screenshot icon to any application, which creates an instant snapshot without interrupting the current task, an approach often used by streamers or players who need to quickly capture the result.
| Method | Speed. | Convenience | Dependence on settings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buttons (Power + Vol-) | Tall. | Average. | No. |
| Gesture (3 fingers) | Very high. | High. | Yes (must be included) |
| Notification curtain | Medium | High. | No. |
| Voice control | Low. | Average. | Yeah (we need internet)/Google) |
Why is the screenshot not working in some apps?
Voice Commands and Google Assistant
For those who prefer voice control, Xiaomi provides excellent integration with Google Assistant.This method is especially useful when the user’s hands are busy (for example, while cooking or working with documents) or are wearing gloves.
The assistant will immediately execute the command by saving the image to the gallery. It is important that the Google Assistant settings allow the lock screen and personal results to work, and some models that support XiaoAI (Chinese Assistant) have similar commands available in Chinese or English.
Voice control also allows you to perform complex scenarios, such as, "Take a screenshot and send it to Ivan's Telegram contact," and the system will execute the chain of action automatically, an example of how artificial intelligence simplifies routine tasks.
⚠️ Warning: Voice commands require an active Internet connection and a microphone on, and in Flight mode, this will not work.
Using voice may seem slower than pressing buttons, but in certain situations it is the only option available, and it reduces wear and tear on physical volume buttons, which are one of the most vulnerable elements of a smartphone’s design.
Long screenshot and extended functions
The Long Screenshot feature is a killer feature of the MIUI shell, which allows you to create images that are several screens high, automatically stitching the content, and you can activate it after a normal screenshot: when a thumbnail appears, click on it, and then select the icon with the down arrow or the Scroll option.
The system will automatically scroll down the page, take pictures and combine them into a single whole. You can stop the process at any time by touching the screen. The resulting file is saved as a single high-resolution image. It is an indispensable tool for saving articles, recipes, correspondence and error codes.
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When creating a long screenshot, try to keep the content on the screen static. Pop-up ads or autoplay videos can violate the correctness of the "linking" of the image.
In addition, the Xiaomi gallery has a built-in editor that allows you to add annotations, crop or blur sensitive data (such as card numbers or addresses) immediately after you create a screenshot.
There's also a Triple tap, which is called triple tapping on the screen, and you can set that gesture to a Screenshot, which is an alternative to a three-finger swipe that might be more convenient for users with large thumbs.
Screenshots in Game Turbo mode and apps
Gamers often wonder how to take a screenshot from the comfort of the game and without folding the application. In Xiaomi, Game Turbo mode is responsible for this. When you start a game, the side menu (called by a swipe from the corner) contains special buttons to create a screenshot and record the screen.
Using buttons inside the Game Turbo ensures that the game will not roll back and you will not lose progress or get disqualified online.Screenshots taken through Game Turbo are often marked with a special frame or watermark indicating the device model and FPS at the time of shooting.
In some banking applications and secure video players (Netflix, Disney)+) Screenshots are blocked at the level DRM-In this case, the screen will turn black and you will receive a notification that you cannot save, and it is impossible and unsafe to circumvent this by standard methods, since this is a violation of content protection protocols.
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Game Turbo is the only safe way to take screenshots in games without the risk of an app crashing or losing progress.
Frequent problems and their solution
Despite the system's fine-tuning, users may run into problems, and the most common is that the screenshot is not created and the screen just flashes, which may be due to overflowing RAM, in which case close the background applications or restart the device.
Another problem is that there's no shutter sound. Check the system's sound settings: Settings → Sound and vibration → Additional audio settings. Make sure the System Sound slider isn't twisted to zero. Also, the sound can be turned off in Do Not Disturb mode.
If screenshots are saved but not in the gallery, check the access permissions of the Gallery or Explorer app to the device’s memory. In rare cases, cleaning the Gallery app’s cache through the App menu → All Apps → Gallery → Memory → Clear the cache helps.