How to take a screenshot on Xiaomi: a step-by-step guide

Xiaomi’s current smartphones, including the Redmi and POCO series, offer users many ways to save images from the screen, which may be required to capture important correspondence in the messenger, save a transport ticket or assemble furniture. Regardless of your device model, the basic principles of operating a MIUI or the new HyperOS remain similar, which makes learning easier.

In this article, we will take a look at all the available screenshot techniques, from classic buttons to advanced features like long screenshots, and learn how to customize handy gestures that allow you to take screenshots with one touch, without distracting from the main activity, and also touch the nuances of working with the clipboard and gallery, where all your pictures are stored.

Sometimes standard methods may not work due to software failures or specific security settings in some applications. So it's important to understand not only how to make a screen, but also how troubleshoot the situation if the function has stopped responding to commands. We have prepared a comprehensive guide that will help you become a real master of managing the interface of your gadget.

The classic method using buttons

The most common and time-tested way to capture a screenshot on any Android device, including Xiaomi smartphones, is to press physical buttons simultaneously. You need to press the volume button (Loudness Down) and the power button (Block) simultaneously. You don't need to hold them for long, just a brief but confident press lasting about one second.

Once you've done the action, you'll hear the characteristic snap of the camera shutter, and at the top of the screen you'll see a thumbnail of the image you've taken, which is a signal that the image is stored in the memory of the device, and if you're using one hand, this method may seem uncomfortable, because it requires finger coordination on opposite sides of the body.

⚠️ Note: Do not press the buttons for too long (more than that). 3-5 Seconds), otherwise instead of a screenshot, the power-off menu or the voice assistant Google Assistant can be activated, depending on the system settings.

Importantly, on some models with a side fingerprint scanner built into the power button, the mechanics may be slightly different, in which case the system reads the fingerprint first, and only after unlocking (if the phone has been locked) responds to the key combination.

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If the volume or power buttons are tight, try not to push them too hard to damage the mechanism.

Using the Quick Settings Panel

For those who prefer software management to physical, Xiaomi has put a handy feature in the notification curtain. To use this method, you need to unlock the screen and swipe from top to bottom to open the control center. Here you will find many icons, among which you need to find an icon called "Screenshot" or a picture of scissors.

After you click on this icon, the same thing happens when you use the buttons: the screen blinks and you hear the save sound. This is especially convenient when the buttons on the smartphone body are faulty or when you hold the phone in the dock. However, if the icon is not in the top row, you can add it by pressing the edit button (usually a pencil icon or a tripodle) and dragging the desired element to the active panel.

• 📱 Open the notification curtain with the swipe down.
• ✂️ Find the screenshot icon among the shortcuts.
• 👆 Click on it to save the image instantly.
• ⚙️ If there is no icon, add it through the panel editing menu.

Remember that some versions of the MIUI shell may change the location of the elements. If you update the firmware and do not find the usual button, check the "Additional" section or search by settings, this method guarantees the creation of a picture even if the touch buttons on the screen do not respond.

Gesture control and triple tapping

One of the most convenient features that MIUI offers is to create screenshots with gestures. You can set the phone to respond to triple tapping on the screen or swiping three fingers down, which makes the process almost instantaneous and doesn't require distraction from finding buttons or menus.

To activate this feature, you need to go to the system settings. The path is as follows: Settings → Additional settings → Screenshots. Here you will see switches for different methods. It is recommended to choose "Three fingers", since this gesture is less often performed randomly in your pocket or in normal use than a triple tap.

Once you turn on the function, just swipe your three fingers from top to bottom over any part of the screen you want to take a picture. The system will instantly respond. If you choose the triple tap option, be careful: accidentally tapping the screen while reading or watching a video can lead to a lot of extra garbage in the gallery.

⚠️ Attention: Triple tapping gestures may conflict with special features or games that require frequent touchscreen work.

For users who often work with documents or long web pages, this method is a real salvation: it allows you to quickly capture information without having to aim at small physical buttons, and it prolongs the life of the mechanical elements of your Xiaomi case.

The function of a long screenshot (Scrollshot)

Often, you need to save not just one screen, but an entire article, correspondence in the messenger or news feed. A regular screenshot will crop up information, but Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones have an integrated feature called “Extended Screenshot” (or Scrollen Shot). After creating a normal shot (buttons or gestures) in the upper right corner of the thumbnail appears a special icon with arrows down.

By clicking on this icon, the system will automatically scroll down the page, stitching the image into one long image. You can stop the process at any time by touching the screen, or wait for the end of the page. The maximum length of this image is limited by screen resolution and RAM, but usually enough to save several pages of text.

It is important to understand that not all applications are scrollable, for example, in secure banking applications or incognito browser mode, the function may be blocked by the security system, in which case the screenshot thumbnail will either not appear, or the expansion button will be inactive.

Voice control and additional methods

For users who are uncomfortable using their hands, or in situations where the phone is far away, voice control becomes relevant. The built-in Google Assistant or Xiao AI (in Chinese versions) can execute the command "Take a screenshot" or "Take a screenshot." Activation usually requires saying "OK, Google" or pressing the assistant button for a long time.

Another interesting method available on some models is to use the multitasking menu, so if you click the Menu button (square or latency swipe) to view open applications, additional buttons can appear above each window, including a screenshot creation button, which allows you to quickly save the state of the application before closing it.

• 🎙️ Activate Google Assistant with a command or button.
• 🗣️ Say the phrase “take a screenshot” clearly and loudly.
• 🖼️ Wait for confirmation and characteristic sound.
• 📂 Check the gallery to save the result.

There are also third-party apps from Google Play that offer advanced functionality, such as taking screenshots by shaking a device or on a schedule. However, the built-in Android features on Xiaomi devices are usually more stable and do not require unnecessary permissions, which is more important for data privacy.

Where to look and how to edit saved photos

Once you've taken a screenshot, it's automatically saved to the gallery. The standard Gallery app on Xiaomi has a separate album called Screenshots, which stores all the images created by this method, which makes it easy to separate them from photos taken by the camera or uploaded from the Internet.

Once you've created a picture, if you click on the thumbnail, you open up the built-in editor, and you can do basic things like cut the edges, add text, cross out sensitive data (like card numbers or passwords), or draw an arrow, and these tools are very useful if you're planning to send a screenshot to someone else.

Files are also available through the file manager along the Internal Memory path. → DCIM → Screenshots (or sometimes) MIUI → gallery_cloud → screenshots if synchronization is enabled. By knowing the exact path, you can quickly transfer files to your computer via a computer. USB-cable or find them to clean the place if the phone's memory is full.

⚠️ Warning: When cleaning your memory through the standard Cleanup tool, be careful: screenshots are often labeled as “junk” but may contain important information. Always check the contents before deleting them.

If you take screenshots frequently, it is recommended to periodically sort them or transfer them to cloud storage.This will not only free up space on the device, but also protect data from loss in the event of a smartphone breakdown. Built-in sync with Xiaomi Cloud or Google Photos can do this automatically.

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Regular sorting of screenshots and deleting unnecessary files helps to maintain the performance of the smartphone and saves precious space of internal memory.

Possible problems and solutions

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where screenshots are not taken, and the most common reason is security restrictions in specific applications, such as banking applications (Sberbank Online, Tinkoff) or when watching videos in incognito mode (Netflix, Kinopoisk), the system blocks the creation of screenshots, in which case you will receive a black square or a notification of impossibility of action instead of an image.

Another reason may be a software failure: If all methods (buttons, gestures, menus) fail, try restarting the device. Often this solves the problem of the SystemUI process, which is responsible for rendering the interface and capturing the image, and it is also worth checking for system updates, since newer versions of MIUI often fix such bugs.

In rare cases, the problem may be due to a lack of free RAM: If the phone is heavily loaded with heavy games or a lot of background processes, it may ignore the command to take a screenshot.