Creating a screenshot on Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi and POCO lines) is a basic but critical feature for any user. Screenshot allows you to instantly save information, correspondence, an application error or an interesting moment from the game. Unlike many other manufacturers, the Chinese giant has implemented many unique tools for working with screen images in its MIUI shell and the new HyperOS.
However, standard methods may not work in specific situations, such as when trying to capture protected content or while making a call. Understanding all the options available, from physical buttons to gestures to voice controls, will make you feel confident in any situation. Below we will take a detailed look at each method available and answer complex questions.
Many users don't even realize that their device can take long screenshots (scroll through the page) or recognize text in an image automatically. These features are built into the default system, but often hidden from the eyes of an inexperienced owner. Let's fix this situation and explore the full arsenal of your gadget.
Classical method: button combination
The most reliable and fast way, which works on 100% of devices regardless of the firmware version or phone model, it uses a physical control mechanism, so it works even when the touch screen is temporarily unresponsive or freezes.
To implement this method, you need to press two keys simultaneously: the Power button and the Volume Down button. Pressing must be short-term, almost instantaneous. If you hold the buttons too long, the phone can go into off mode or start the voice assistant.
⚠️ Note: On some models with very sensitive buttons, simultaneous pressing may be perceived as randomly starting Google Assistant or the off menu.In this case, try changing the rhythm of pressing or using alternative methods described below.
Once you've done the action, you'll hear the characteristic shutter sound of the camera (if the sound is on), and a thumbnail of the image will appear in the top corner of the screen for a split second, confirming that the screenshot is saved in the gallery, which is universal and does not require any pre-setting of the system.
In such cases, software solutions and interface settings come to the rescue.
Use of notification curtain and control menu
If the physical impact on the buttons is impossible or uncomfortable, MIUI offers a software analogue through the Control Panel, which is especially convenient when the phone is lying on the table or connected to the computer, and you do not want to reach the buttons from the side.
To access the feature, you need to unlock the screen and swipe from the top right corner down (or just top down, depending on the navigation settings). In the icon menu that opens, find a button called "Screenshot." It usually looks like a scissor or a screen image. One tap of this icon will instantly create a snapshot.
Sometimes users can't find this button among the many, and that's done by editing a set of widgets, clicking on the pencil icon (usually at the top or bottom of the list), or simply dragging the icon into the active zone, and now the function is always on hand.
The advantage of this is that it's visually obvious, you don't have to remember the combinations, you just have to see the icon you want, but if the screen is broken and the touchscreen is intermittent, it might not be useful, and you'd have to rely on physical buttons or voice control.
Screenshots with three fingers (Gestural)
One of the most popular features in Xiaomi’s ecosystem is to take screenshots with a three-finger gesture, which seems magical and looks very spectacular, but is often disabled by default to avoid accidental positives when using a phone.
To activate this feature, you need to go to the system settings. Go along: Settings → Additional settings → Screenshot. In the menu that opens, find the "Three Finger Screenshot" switch and activate it. After that, the system will track the specific touches of the screen.
☑️ Tweaking the gesture with three fingers
The technique is simple: swipe three fingers simultaneously from top to bottom down the center of the screen, the movement should be sure, but not too fast. If done correctly, you will see the animation and hear the sound confirming the creation of the image.
This method is ideal for devices with damaged volume buttons, and it also allows you to take screenshots with one hand if the phone is on the surface, but be careful: in some games or applications with a horizontal orientation, a gesture can accidentally cause a screenshot to be taken while you are actively using the interface.
In newer versions of HyperOS, gesture recognition algorithms have become smarter, reducing false positives, and now the system better distinguishes deliberate gesture from conventional touching of the screen while scrolling through tape.
Voice control and Google Assistant
In the age of smart technology, you can control your smartphone without a single touch. Google Assistant or built-in Mi AI (depending on the region) can command you to take a screenshot at your request, especially when your hands are busy or dirty.
To use this feature, make sure you have a voice assistant set up. Just say "OK, Google, take a screenshot" or "Hey Google, take a screenshot." The system recognizes the command and instantly saves the current screen image to the gallery.
This method has its limitations, and it may not work if the application that is currently open has security restrictions (e.g. banking apps or incognito mode), and it also requires a stable Internet to work, as voice processing often takes place on servers.
⚠️ Attention: Voice control may be useless in noisy environments or if the phone microphone is covered with a cover.In addition, in No Sound mode, the phone may not voice an action confirmation, which will create the illusion of a failure.
Using voice commands is a matter of habit. For those who are already using a smart home or a navigator, it will be a natural extension of smartphone interaction. It's also a great way to showcase the power of artificial intelligence to your friends.
Long screenshot and extended functions
Modern Xiaomi smartphones can create so-called panoramic or long screenshots, a feature that is indispensable when you need to save an entire article, correspondence in the messenger or a long list of products that does not fit on one screen.
Immediately after you create a normal screenshot (in any of the ways described above), a small preview panel appears at the top of the screen, and it has a scroll button (or an icon with arrows down), and you click on it, you start the long screenshot creation mode.
The phone will automatically scroll down the page, stitching the image into one long band, and you can stop the process at any time by touching the screen or pressing the stop button, and the system will automatically trim the extra one and save the result.
Why can a long screenshot be cut off?
In addition, the screenshot editing menu (which opens immediately after creation) has OCR (Optical Character Recognition) tools available, so you can select text from a picture and copy it to the clipboard, which is incredibly convenient for working with documents or links.
Also worth noting is the possibility of adding watermarks, which can automatically add the phone model and time to create a picture to the bottom corner of the image in the screenshot settings, which gives the screenshots a professional look, but can interfere if you plan to edit the photo.
Where screenshots are stored and how to manage them
Understanding the Android file system and MIUI shell will help you quickly find the right images. All screenshots taken are automatically saved in the standard Gallery or Google Photos app.
The folder structure is as follows: Internal Memory → DCIM → Screenshots. In some versions of the firmware, the folder may simply be called Screenshots at the root of internal memory. Knowledge of this path is useful when connecting the phone to a computer for mass file transfer.
In the Gallery app, screenshots are usually highlighted in a separate album, which makes navigation easier, since you don't have to search for the desired image among the thousands of photos taken by the camera, you can quickly delete failed attempts or send files through messengers.
| Parameter | Description | Location. |
|---|---|---|
| File format | Image without loss of quality | .png |
| Memory. | Internal storage | DCIM/Screenshots |
| Permission | Depends on the screen. | For example, 2400×1080 |
| Long screenshot. | Panoramic image | Same folder, prefix. long_screenshot |
If you use cloud services like Google Photos or Mi Cloud, your screenshots can be automatically synced, which ensures data is kept safe even if your device is lost or broken. Check your sync settings to make sure your data is secure.
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Use third-party file managers (such as Mi File Manager) to quickly sort screenshots by creation date or file size if the standard gallery seems uncomfortable.
Frequent problems and their solutions
Despite the system's fine-tuning, users sometimes face situations where screenshots fail, most often due to application-specific security policies, banking programs, online cinema apps (Netflix, Kinopoisk) and incognito modes in browsers block screenshots from being taken.
In such cases, instead of an image, you will receive a black screen or a notification that the action is prohibited by the security policy, which is not a phone error, but a necessary level of protection of your personal data and copyright.
Another common problem is a lack of free memory, where if the internal storage is crowded, the system simply cannot save the new file, in which case you need to make room by deleting old files or applications.
⚠️ Note: Attempts to circumvent screenshot protection in banking applications using third-party software can lead to account blocking or malware installation.
Also, in Screen Split mode (when two apps are open at the same time), a screenshot will be taken for the entire screen, including both apps running, which can be useful for preserving the context of the work, but sometimes creates inconvenience.
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If the screenshot cannot be taken in any way, check for system updates in the About Phone menu - often interface bugs are fixed with security patches.