How to take a screenshot on Xiaomi: a full guide

Capturing the current content of the display is one of the basic functions that every smartphone owner needs. On Xiaomi devices, this process is implemented with the most flexibility, allowing the user to choose the most convenient method, whether it is fixing important correspondence, saving gameplay moment or copying text, the system offers tools for any scenario.

The MIUI Operating Shell and the new HyperOS offer several ways to activate this feature: you can use physical buttons, special gestures, voice controls, or notification curtain interface elements. Understanding all the options available will allow you to work with the device much faster and more efficiently.

In this article, we will go into detail on each method, explain how to set up automatic scrolling for long pages, and where to look for saved images, and we will also touch on advanced features such as text recognition that turn a regular screenshot into a working tool.

Use of hardware buttons

The most common and reliable way to capture an image on a screen is a combination of physical keys, which works even when the touch layer is temporarily unresponsive or the system is under stress, and you need to press the Volume Down button and Power buttons simultaneously to perform the action.

It's important to keep the order and duration of the pressing right, press the buttons simultaneously and briefly, releasing them immediately, and if you hold your finger longer than one second, your smartphone might perceive this as a command to call the off menu or voice assistant, depending on the settings.

Once successful, you will hear the characteristic shutter sound of the camera (if the sound is on), and a thumbnail will appear at the top of the screen, at which point the system automatically saves the file to the gallery. This method is universal and works on all models, from old Redmi to Xiaomi 14 flagships.

⚠️ Note: If you have a high-sided case installed, make sure it doesn’t block access to the buttons, otherwise pressing it at the same time may not work the first time.

There is also an alternative combination for those accustomed to iOS logic: In the settings, you can activate the option to take a picture with triple tapping on the back, but the standard for Android remains unchanged. Physical buttons guarantee the result 100% of the time, regardless of the application running.

Screenshots via menu and curtain

If the buttons are inconvenient for some reason, MIUI offers software alternatives, one of which is to call a special menu, which requires you to press the Power button (or swipe down in the corner of the screen if the corresponding function is enabled) to appear lock/off menu.

In the window that opens, along with the off and reboot buttons, there will be an icon with a picture of scissors, pressing it instantly creates a screenshot, which is especially useful when the volume buttons are physically damaged or locked in a particular application.

The second software method involves using the control center. Swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to open the notification curtain and switches. Among the shortcuts, look for the screenshot button. If it's not in the first row, click on the pencil or edit button to add it to the active area.

• 📱 Press and hold the scissors icon in the off menu for quick access.
• 🔽 Add the Screenshot widget to the notification curtain for instant call.
• ⚙️ Use search in the settings on request "screenshot" to find hidden switches.

Using software methods avoids mechanical wear of buttons, which is true for older devices, and it is convenient when the phone is lying on the table and you do not want to take it in your hands to press side keys.

Gestures and complementary techniques

Modern Xiaomi smartphones are equipped with advanced sensors and software algorithms that allow you to control the device without touching the buttons. One of the most popular methods is using three fingers. Swipe three fingers from top to bottom in the center of the screen to take a picture.

To activate this function, you need to go to settings. The path usually looks like: Settings → Additional features → Screenshots. Here you need to turn on the "Three Finger Screenshot" switch, which works in almost all applications and interfaces of the system.

Another interesting method is voice control, and if you have Google Assistant or Xiao AI activated, you can just say, "Take a screenshot," and it recognizes the command and performs the action, which is especially useful in situations where your hands are busy.

Some users prefer to use a floating window, and in the multitasking menu or in the interface settings, you can turn on a button that will hang over all the windows, and clicking on it captures the image, which is a less common but useful tool for those who often work with documents.

⚠️ Note: A three-finger gesture may conflict with the control gestures in some games or drawing apps.

Set up long screenshots

Often, you need to save not just one screen, but an entire article, a correspondence in a messenger or a page of a site. A standard shot cuts the content, but Xiaomi offers the feature “Extended screenshot” (or “Scroll”). After you create a regular picture, a thumbnail appears in the corner.

Click the "Scroll" button below the thumbnail. The screen will automatically scroll down, capturing new areas and combining them into one long image. The process will stop when you touch the screen or reach the end of the page.

The length of this image can be limited by system parameters, usually multiple screens. If the content is too long, the system will suggest saving the current segment and starting a new one, which is the perfect tool for saving instructions, checks or long dialogues.

The quality of the final file remains high, the text remains readable, but it is worth considering that very long panoramas can take up more space in memory and incorrectly appear in some messengers that compress images.

Working with clipboard and text

The latest versions of HyperOS and MIUI 14/15 have a powerful text extraction feature, and after you create a screenshot, you can see the editing menu or preview button, "Text" or "Recognise Text," and the system analyzes the image and highlights all the text blocks.

You can copy the entire text, or you can pick out specific snippets, phone numbers, addresses, or links, so you don't have to reprint the information manually, and recognition works even with handwriting if the handwriting is clear enough.

In addition, the screenshot can be immediately sent to the clipboard as an image, and in the screenshot settings there is an option "Copy to the buffer", when activated after the image is created, the image is not saved to the gallery (or saved additionally), but is immediately ready for insertion into the chat or document.

• 📝 Use the text function to quickly copy data from pictures.
• 📋 Copy the screenshot to the clipboard so as not to clog the gallery with temporary files.
• 🔍 The system automatically recognizes QR-codes in screenshots and suggests clicking on the link.

This functionality makes your smartphone a powerful working tool, and you no longer need third-party apps for OCR (Optical Character Recognition), as Xiaomi’s built-in algorithms do this quickly and without an internet connection.

Where to look and how to edit pictures

All images that are created are automatically saved in the Gallery system app, and they're in a separate album called Screenshots, which allows you to keep them separate from the personal photos that the camera took.

Immediately after you create a picture, if you click on the thumbnail, the built-in editor opens, which allows you to cut off the extra edges, draw over the image, add text, stickers, or blur sensitive data (for example, card numbers or addresses).

The editor also supports batch processing. You can select multiple screenshots in the album, delete them, send them or resize them. Files are stored in the DCIM/Screenshots folder in internal memory, which makes it easy to find them through the file manager when you connect to a PC.

Problem Solving and FAQ

Despite the simplicity of the feature, users may encounter difficulties, sometimes screenshots are not created in certain applications (bank clients, incognito mode) for security reasons.

If screenshots are no longer saved or are missing from the gallery, check the device's memory space, reboot your smartphone to reset temporary system service errors, and in rare cases, cleaning the Gallery app's cache helps.

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To quickly find a screenshot in a gallery, search for the word “screenshot” or filter albums by date of creation, as they are often lost among thousands of photos.

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Screenshots are not just pictures, they're information tools, and use built-in text recognition and editing to save time.

In conclusion, mastering all the screenshot techniques on Xiaomi makes it much easier to interact with your smartphone: Combine gestures, buttons and voice commands depending on the situation, so that you always have the right information at hand.