Modern Xiaomi Redmi smartphones have become an integral part of digital life, allowing you not only to communicate, but also to instantly capture important information from the screen. Often there is a situation when you need to save correspondence, a recipe, a travel map or a funny moment from a video. Understanding how to take a screenshot on Xiaomi Redmi is a basic skill that significantly speeds up interaction with the device. In this article, we will examine all available methods, from standard buttons to advanced features of the MIUI shell.
The MIUI shell on Redmi smartphones offers users a wide range of tools to capture images. It's not just a static picture, but often a whole process with the possibility of editing. Regardless of the model, whether it's a budget Redmi Note or the flagship Redmi K, the principles of creating screenshots remain similar, although they may differ in the small details of the interface.
You don't have to be a technician to learn these techniques, you just have to know the right sequence, and we're going to look at both the classic time-tested techniques and the hidden features that not all Chinese smartphone owners know about, and that will allow you to choose the most convenient option for a particular situation.
The classic method using buttons
The most common and common way to do this, which works on most Android devices, including Xiaomi, is to press two physical keys on the body of a smartphone at the same time, usually an on button and a volume button, which guarantees results even if the touch screen temporarily stops responding or freezes.
To take a picture, you need to press the Volume down and Power button at the same time. You don't need to hold them for long, you just need to press them very short and sharp, about one second, and if you hear a characteristic camera shutter click or vibration, and a smaller copy of the image appears in the corner of the screen, the screenshot is successfully created.
It's important to keep the pressing synchronized. If you press one button first and then the second, a smartphone can perceive this as a command to call the switch menu or change the volume. Practice shows that it is most convenient to use the thumb of one hand for the power button and the index finger of the same hand for the volume key, or act with both hands for maximum accuracy.
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If the screenshot does not work the first time, try to slightly change the angle of pressing or remove the protective case if its edges block access to the buttons.
Once you create an image, a floating notification will appear at the top of the screen for a few seconds, and it contains a thumbnail and a few quick action buttons, and you can immediately send the file to the messenger, edit it, or delete it if the picture fails, and if you do nothing, the notification will disappear and the file will be saved to the gallery.
Use of the Additional Functions Menu
For those who are physically uncomfortable reaching for buttons or who are afraid of damaging keys, MIUI has a software solution, a floating menu that is always at hand, that allows you to take screenshots with one touch, which is especially true when using a smartphone with one hand.
To activate this tool, you need to open the swipe notification curtain from top to bottom. At the top of the Quick Settings panel, find an icon called Screenshot or Scissors. If the icon isn't on the first screen, swipe left to open the additional pages of the control panel. Clicking on this icon instantly captures the current content of the screen.
To keep this feature in the open, you can add it to the frequently used switch area, just press the icon and drag it to the top of the list, and now it's a matter of one finger movement to create screenshots on Xiaomi Redmi, which is especially useful when you need to take a series of pictures in a row.
There's also an extended menu called by the swipe from the corner of the screen. To set it up, go to Settings → Additional Features → Side Menu Bar. Here you can add a screenshot shortcut. Call the swipe menu from the edge of the screen and select the icon you want. This solution is often overlooked, but it's very effective when working with apps in full screen mode.
Handling gestures and three fingers
MIUI is famous for its customization capabilities, and one of the most popular features is to take a screenshot with a three-finger gesture, which is spectacular and allows you to capture an image instantly without looking for buttons or menus.
To activate this option, you need to go to the settings. The path looks like: Settings → Additional features → Screenshots. In the menu that opens, find the Screenshot with three fingers and activate the switch. Now, swipe three fingers from top to bottom across the screen, you will get a finished shot.
The gesture must be confident and pass through the center of the screen, and if you swipe your fingers too close to the edge, the system may not recognize the command, and it is also worth considering that in some games or applications with a horizontal orientation, this gesture can conflict with game control, so it sometimes has to be turned off.
☑️ Customization of gestures
In the same settings menu, you can find the Long Screenshot function, and if you click on the Scroll button after you've created a normal shot, the phone will automatically scroll down the page, take a series of pictures and glue them together into one long picture, which is ideal for saving long correspondence or articles.
Voice control and Google Assistant
In the age of smart assistants, it often doesn't even require touching. If your hands are busy or you're in a situation where it's uncomfortable to manipulate your device, a voice assistant will come to the rescue. On Redmi smartphones, Google Assistant is usually pre-installed, which is great at doing this.
To take a screenshot with your voice, just say, "OK, Google, take a screenshot," or "Take a screenshot." The assistant recognizes the command, emits the shutter sound, and saves the image to the gallery, which works even if the screen is locked, provided that the assistant settings allow you to perform actions without unlocking.
This method is especially useful for people with disabilities or when the phone is on the table and the user’s hands are busy with other things. Voice control on Xiaomi works consistently, but requires an active Internet connection to recognize speech in some versions of the shell.
Secrets of Voice Search
Set up and edit screenshots
And so image-making is only half the story. MIUI offers powerful built-in processing tools. Right after you take a screenshot, if you click on a thumbnail, you open an editor, you can cut the edges, add text, draw arrows, or blur sensitive information.
One of the unique functions is the ability to create GIF-Animations from a series of screenshots or screen videos. From the edit menu, select the appropriate option. This allows you to create dynamic instructions or share short moments from games, which is impossible on standard Android smartphones without installing third-party software.
Below is a table comparing the main methods of creating screenshots on Redmi devices:
| Method | Speed. | Convenience | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buttons (Loudness + Power) | Tall. | Average. | Physical access |
| Curtain menu | Medium | High. | Unlocking |
| Three-finger gesture | Very high. | Very high. | Setting up on the menu |
| Voice command | Low. | Specific | Internet, microphone |
Remember, the quality of the image you save depends on the resolution of your screen. On modern Redmi Note models, screenshots can weigh several megabytes if you save them in a format without compression. This is not critical for normal correspondence, but when filling up memory, you should take this into account.
Where to store and how to delete screenshots
All images are automatically stored in the device's internal memory, and you can find them through the standard Gallery app, which is usually sorted into a separate album called Screenshots or Screenshots, so you don't mix them with personal photos taken on camera.
The physical path to files in a file system is as follows: Internal memory → DCIM → Screenshots. Knowing this path, you can easily find files through a Explorer or connect your phone to your computer for fast transfer of image archives.
⚠️ Warning: Check the screenshot folder periodically. The accumulation of thousands of unused images can not only take up space, but also slow down the gallery when indexing new files. Delete old and unnecessary pictures regularly.
To clean up quickly, you can use the built-in Cleanup tool (a flashbrush icon in the Security or Settings app), and the system will analyze the screenshots itself and suggest removing those that it thinks are no longer needed or that were taken a long time ago, which helps maintain order in the file system without manual brute force.
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Regular cleaning of the folder of screenshots frees up to 2-3 GB of memory for six months of active use of the smartphone.
Frequent problems and their solution
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where screenshots are not taken, the most common reason is content protection, banking applications, streaming services (Netflix, Kinopoisk) and incognito mode in the browser block the creation of screenshots for security and copyright protection, in which case you will see a black image or a message of restriction.
Another reason could be a lack of RAM: If a smartphone is heavily loaded with tasks, the system may ignore the screen capture command, in which case it is worth closing the background applications or restarting the device, and also check whether Do Not Disturb mode or special game modes that can block system gestures are turned on.
⚠️ Note: If screenshots are no longer saved in the gallery, check the available space in the internal memory. When the storage is 100% full, the system will not be able to write a new file.
In rare cases, you may need to reset your interface settings. This won’t delete your data, but will return the location of the icons and some system settings to factory values. You can do this from the Settings menu → Advanced Settings → Reservation and Reset → Reset (only choose to reset, not data!).
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Use cloud services (Google Photos, Mi Cloud) to automatically sync screenshots, which will save important data in the event of loss or breakage of your smartphone.
In conclusion, learning all the ways to create screenshots on Xiaomi Redmi makes your smartphone a more powerful tool for work and entertainment. Choose the method that suits you and customize it to your habits.