How to take a screenshot of the phone Xiaomi Redmi 4

Modern smartphone users often face the need to capture the contents of the display. Whether it is an important correspondence, an interesting moment in the game or a recipe for a delicious dish, saving a picture of the screen becomes a daily routine. For owners of budget but reliable devices of the Redmi series from Xiaomi, this process can have its own features, depending on the version of the MIUI shell and the model of the processor.

Owners of the Redmi 4 (including the Prime and Pro versions) often look for quick ways to capture images, as standard methods may not be obvious to beginners. The device has a 5-inch screen and requires accuracy. In this article, we will discuss all the available options for taking pictures, from the classic keyboard combination to advanced gestures that make using a smartphone much more convenient.

It's worth noting that MIUI software provides a wide range of tools for working with graphics. Understanding how to take a screenshot correctly will allow you not only to save images, but also immediately edit them by overlaying text or cutting out unnecessary snippets. Let's take a detailed look at each method so you can choose the most suitable for your situation.

Classical Method Through Physical Buttons

The most common and versatile way that works on the vast majority of Android smartphones, including the Xiaomi Redmi 4. It requires no pre-tuning and is available immediately after the device is turned on. The mechanics are simple: you need to press two specific buttons on the gadget body at the same time.

To do this successfully, press the volume button and the power button, which are on the right side of the body, pressing it short but sure, and if you press them too long, the phone can go into select mode (switch off, reboot) or start the voice assistant.

The success of the operation is confirmed by the characteristic sound of the camera shutter (if the sound is not turned off in the settings) and a short flash of the screen. In the upper corner of the display, a notification will appear that the picture is saved in the gallery, this method is especially convenient when you need to quickly react and save the frame.

  • πŸ“Έ Press the Volume Down and Power button at the same time.
  • ⏱ Hold the buttons for no more than one second to avoid switching to the off menu.
  • πŸ”” Expect audio and visual confirmation in the form of a smaller screen copy.
  • πŸ–Ό Check the save in the Gallery or Explorer app.

β˜‘οΈ Checking readiness for screenshot

Done: 0 / 4

It's important to remember the physical state of the buttons. On models that have been in use for several years, mechanical elements may become inactive or require a stronger press. If the screenshot doesn't work the first time, try changing the angle of pressing or the pressure on the keys.

Using the "Three Fingers" gesture

MIUI is famous for its easy-to-use features for one-hand or non-physical keys. One of these features is to take a three-finger swipe screenshot, which can be disabled by default, so you need to activate it in the system settings.

To enable this option, go to the Settings menu, then select the Additional section and find the Screenshot. Here you need to activate the switch that allows you to take pictures by gesture. Once turned on, just swipe three fingers from top to bottom across the screen in any area of the interface.

This technique is especially useful when physical smartphone buttons are damaged or crashed, which is not uncommon for devices with a solid lifespan, and the three-finger gesture is often used by gamers who are uncomfortable reaching for buttons during active gameplay.

⚠️ Attention: The gesture may not work if you swipe your fingers too slowly or, conversely, too quickly.The movement should be smooth, confident and cover the middle of the screen.

In addition, the system allows you to adjust the capture area. In some versions of MIUI, you can choose whether to take a screenshot immediately after touching or after finishing the swipe. Experiment with speed to find the perfect rhythm for your Redmi 4.

  • πŸ– Open the Settings. β†’ Additionally. β†’ Screenshot.
  • βœ… Activate the switchboard "Screenshot with three fingersΒ».
  • πŸ‘† Swipe three fingers down the center of the screen.
  • πŸ›  The method is ideal for faulty physical buttons.
πŸ“Š What kind of screenshot do you use more often?
Buttons (Loudness + Nutrition)
Gesture (Three fingers)
Through the Quick Access Menu
Voice assistant.

It's worth mentioning that the touchscreen sensitivity on the Redmi 4 is quite high, but the protective glass or film can make adjustments to the recognition of multi-touch gestures. If the screen is dirty or wet, the gesture may not work, so keep the display clean for stable operation.

Create a picture through the Quick Access menu

A third software method that is often overlooked is the use of notification curtains, which is convenient because it doesn't require memorizing key combinations or performing complex gestures, but it takes a little longer.

To implement this, lower the swipe notification curtain from top to bottom. In the quick settings menu that opens, find an icon called Screenshot (usually looks like scissors or a screen image). If the icon is not on the first page, swipe left to reveal the full list of available tools.

Once you click on the icon, the system automatically creates a snapshot of the current desktop content or open application, which also allows you to take screenshots when hardware buttons are locked software in certain applications, although this is rare on Android.

MethodSpeed.Dependence on buttonsConvenience
ButtonsTall.Required.High.
Three fingers.MediumNot requiredVery high.
Menu (Stork)Low.Not requiredAverage.

The quick access menu is a fallback, and it's good in situations where you're in the settings menu looking for a screenshot, or when other methods are temporarily unavailable, but you'd better learn the first two ways to work quickly.

Editing and a long screenshot

The unique feature of the MIUI shell is the ability to create β€œlong” screenshots (or scrolling), which allows you to capture a whole web page, long correspondence in a messenger or an article in a news app in one file.

Immediately after you create a normal screenshot (in any of the ways described above), a thumbnail will appear at the top of the screen, it will have several control buttons, and you are interested in a button with the image of a scroll or arrow down, signed as "Scroll" or "Long screenshot".

Press this button, and the device will automatically scroll down the screen, stitching the frames into one long tape. The process will stop when you touch the screen or reach the end of the page. It is an indispensable tool for saving checks, tickets or instructions.

What to do if a long screenshot is cut?
If the scroll stops ahead of time, it may be due to protecting the content in the application or dynamically loading elements. Try to take a screenshot again when the content is fully loaded, or use the browser read mode to display text statically.

Once you save a long screenshot, you can go to the gallery and edit it. The built-in editor allows you to cut edges, add text, arrows, or blur sensitive data (such as card numbers or addresses).

  • πŸ“œ Create a regular screenshot in any way.
  • πŸ”½ Click on the thumbnail that appears and select β€œScrollΒ».
  • πŸ›‘ Tap the screen to stop recording a long image.
  • βœ‚οΈ Use the built-in editor for final processing.

⚠️ Note: When creating long screenshots in applications with video ads or dynamic banners, the final image may contain artifacts or "broken" pieces.

The quality of the final image depends on the screen resolution of your Redmi 4. In the Prime version, it is 1920Γ—1080 pixels, which ensures excellent readability of the text even after zooming. The standard version with a resolution of 1280Γ—720 also gives an acceptable result for documents.

Where to look and how to delete saved screenshots

All images are automatically stored in the device's internal memory. Android organizes files into folders, and screenshots are no exception. Understanding the structure of the file system will help you find the files you want or transfer them to your computer faster.

The default path to the folder is: Internal Memory β†’ MIUI β†’ Gallery β†’ Cloud β†’ Screenshots. Also often used is the standard path DCIM β†’ Screenshots or just the root folder Screenshots. The Gallery app has a separate album for them.

If your phone's memory is full, old screenshots can take up a lot of space, especially if you take long shots a lot. Regular cleaning of this album will help make room for new photos and apps. You can delete files right in the gallery, highlighting them one by one or in groups.

πŸ’‘

Use Mi Cloud or Google Photos to automatically sync your screenshots, which will save your data in the event of loss or breakage of your smartphone.

To transfer files to the computer, connect the phone through USB-cable, file transfer mode (MTP) You can copy a whole folder of screenshots to your hard drive, which is especially useful when you're creating instructions or reports that require a lot of illustrations.

Solving Screenshot Problems

Despite the simplicity of the process, users of Xiaomi Redmi 4 may encounter situations where a screenshot is not created, this can be caused by a software failure, memory shortage or limitations of a particular application.

Often the problem is overflowing RAM, and if the phone is slowing down a lot, the system can simply ignore the command to take the picture, in which case close the background apps and try again, and a simple reboot of the device helps.

Another common reason is content protection: Some apps (like banking or streaming services like Netflix) block screenshots for security reasons, and in those cases, you'll see a black screen instead of an image or a message to ban them.

  • 🚫 Check the free space in the phone memory.
  • πŸ”„ Reboot the device with frequent failures.
  • πŸ”’ Consider application security policies (banks, movies).
  • πŸ›‘ Make sure that the settings do not prohibit screen recording.

πŸ’‘

If screenshots stop being created suddenly, check for system updates or reset the interface settings, as this often resolves software conflicts.

In rare cases, you may need to reset the interface or even completely reset to factory settings, but this is an extreme measure. Usually, just check the settings of special features or update system components through the built-in updater.

Why does the screenshot turn black?
A black screenshot usually means that the app you’re in prohibits recording the contents of the screen (DRM-This is normal for banking applications and video services, and it's impossible to get around this with standard tools without root rights.
Can I take a screenshot in incognito mode?
In Chrome and some others, incognito, screenshots can be blocked by Android security, in which case the system will issue a notification that it is not possible to capture the image.
Where are the screenshots from WhatsApp stored?
Screenshots taken inside WhatsApp (if the function is enabled in the chat settings) are saved to the shared folder of screenshots of the system, but can be duplicated in the folder of the messenger media files: WhatsApp β†’ Media β†’ WhatsApp Images.
How to take a screenshot without buttons if the sensor is not working?
If the touchscreen is partially broken, use the voice assistant Google Assistant or Mi Assistant. Say "Take a screenshot" and the system will execute the command. You can also use a PC connection and a control emulator.
Does the screenshot affect the quality of the image?
The screenshot saves the image exactly as it appears on the matrix. For Redmi 4, it will be a screen resolution (720p or 1080p) in PNG or JPG format. Quality is not lost, nor does it become better than the original.