How to take a screenshot on a Xiaomi laptop: all the ways for RedmiBook and Mi Notebook

Xiaomi laptops — whether it’s a RedmiBook line or a premium Mi Notebook — combine performance and stylish design, but it’s not always obvious how to take screenshots on them. Unlike smartphones, where you just need to press two buttons, on laptops, the algorithm depends on the operating system, the driver version, and even the specific model. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways, from standard hotkeys to hidden MIUI functions for PCs that work only on Xiaomi devices.

The brand's laptops are unique in their firmware. Many models (like the RedmiBook 15/16 Pro or Mi Notebook Pro X) come with Windows 11 pre-installed, but with additional utilities from Xiaomi that extend functionality, which means that in addition to classic Windows methods, you have exclusive tools that few people know about. We tested all methods on current models from 2023-2026, so the instructions will work even on fresh devices.

1. Standard Windows Hot Keys

The most versatile method that works on any Windows laptop — including all Xiaomi models. There’s nothing exclusive here, but these combinations are worth knowing first, as they work even without the drivers installed.

• 🖥️ PrtSc (Print Screen) - Copies the entire screen to the clipboard. Plug a screenshot into Paint, Word, or any other editor through Ctrl + V.
• 🖼️ Win + PrtSc – saves a screenshot of the entire screen immediately to the folder This computer → Images → Screenshots. The file will be in.png format.
• 🎯 Alt + PrtSc – only copies an active window (e.g., a browser or program) to the buffer).
• 🖱️ Win + Shift + S – launches the Scissors tool for selective screenshot (you can select a rectangular area, arbitrary shape or window).

On Xiaomi laptops, the PrtSc key is sometimes paired with another feature (like SysRq). In this case, press it with Fn (like Fn + PrtSc). If the combination doesn't work, check if the key in the BIOS is disabled, which is a rare but possible problem on some models.

⚠️ Note: On RedmiBook Pro 15 (2022) and later, the PrtSc key may require Fn pressing even when the Functional Keys mode is activated in the BIOS. Check the settings in BIOS → Advanced → Function Key Behavior.

2. Scissors Tool (Snipping Tool)

Windows 10 and 11 have a built-in Scissors Tool that lets you take late screenshots, highlight screen snippets, and even record video (in Windows 11).

How to open it:

• 🔍 Through Windows Search: Enter Scissors or Snipping Tool.
• 📁 Through the Start Menu: Start → Standard. → Scissors.
• 🔥 Hot keys: Win + Shift + S (a mini-panel will open to highlight the area).

The advantages of Scissors:

• ⏱️ Screenshot Delay (up to 10 seconds) – useful if you want to capture the drop-down menu.
• 🎨 Editing: You can crop, add text or marker directly to the utility.
• 📤 Quickly send via context menu (by mail, in OneNote, etc.).

Open the right window or program|Launch "Scissors" (Win) + Shift + S)|Select the type of selection (rectangle / arbitrary shape)|Save or copy the result-->

Windows 11 has an update that now recognizes text in screenshots (OCR) and saves the history of the last 50 shots. On the Mi Notebook Pro X 15 (2023), this feature works steadily, but on budget RedmiBooks can slow down with a large number of screenshots.

3. Exclusive MIUI features for PC

Xiaomi laptops on Windows often come with Mi PC Suite or Xiaomi Quick Tools, which add unique features, one of which is quick screenshots with additional options. These tools are not available on all models, but if they are preinstalled, they are worth using.

How to take a screenshot with Xiaomi Quick Tools:

1. Press Fn + F11 (on some models – Fn + F12).
2. A toolbar will open where you can choose: 📸 Full screenshot. 🔲 Selective area (with the possibility of drawing). 📹 Screen recording (available on Intel 12th generation and newer models).

C:\Users\Username\Pictures\Xiaomi Screenshots

On RedmiBook Pro 16 (2023) and Mi Notebook Ultra in Xiaomi Quick Tools there is a function "Text recognition in a screenshot" - analogue of OCR, which allows you to copy text from an image without third-party programs.

⚠️ Warning: If nothing happens after pressing the hot keys, check if the software is installed MIUI+ (Available from the Microsoft Store. On some models, it is removed when Windows is reset.

4. Screenshots via Xbox Game Panel

Windows 10 and 11 have an Xbox gamebar built in, which was originally designed for gameplay recordings, but is great for screenshots as well.This method is especially convenient for Xiaomi with discrete graphics (for example, Mi Notebook Pro X with NVIDIA RTX 3050), since the panel is optimized for GPU work.

How to take a screenshot:

1. Open the desired window or program.
2. Press Win + Alt + PrtSc.
3. The screenshot will be saved in Video → Capture in.png format.

Advantages of the method:

• 🎮 It works even in full-screen games and applications (for example, in Photoshop or Blender).
• 🔊 You can set up the last 30 seconds of the screen (useful for bug reports).
• 📊 Supports high-resolution screenshots (up to) 4K on Mi Notebook Ultra).

On Xiaomi’s hybrid graphics laptops (Intel Iris Xe + NVIDIA), the game panel automatically selects a discrete graphics card to record, which can drain the battery faster. If you need screenshots in power saving mode, use standard methods (PrtSc or Scissors).

5 Third-party programs for advanced screenshots

If built-in tools are not enough, you can install specialized software. For Xiaomi laptops, you can:

• 📏 ShareX – a free utility with support GIF-record, OCR and downloads to cloud services. optimized for Windows 11.
• 🖼️ Lightshot is a simple tool for quick screenshots with the ability to search for similar images on the Internet.
• 🎥 OBS Studio – if you need screenshots from videos or streams (for example, for recordings from the Mi Notebook screen during broadcasts).
• 🔍 Snagit is a paid, but most functional option with an editor and templates (suitable for creating instructions).

On RedmiBook with low RAM (4-8 GB), we recommend ShareX or Lightshot - they consume minimal resources. For powerful models (Mi Notebook Pro X with 16+ GB of RAM), Snagit or OBS will suit.

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If you often need screenshots of the entire web pages (including the scrolling part), use the GoFullPage extension for Chrome or Firefox. It saves the page as a single long image without cropping.

When installing third-party programs on Xiaomi laptops, pay attention to:

• 🛡️ Security: download software only from official sites (avoid repaks from torrents).
• 🔋 Autoboot: Some utilities (like Lightshot) are added to autostart, which increases the time of the laptop.
• 🖥️ Compatibility with screen resolution: on models with 3K/4K-Displays (Mi Notebook Pro X) 15) Check if the program supports high resolution.

6. Screenshots on Xiaomi laptops with Linux

If you installed Linux (like Ubuntu or Manjaro) on your Xiaomi, standard Windows combinations won’t work.

• 🐧 PrtSc – saves a screenshot of the entire screen in the ~/Pictures.
• 🖥️ Alt + PrtSc – screenshot of an active window.
• ⬛ Shift + PrtSc – allocation of arbitrary domain (in some distributions).

For advanced features, install Flameshot:

sudo apt install flameshot # For Debian/Ubuntu


sudo pacman -S flameshot # For Arch/Manjaro

Once installed, assign hotkeys to the system settings (e.g., Ctrl + Alt + S). Flameshot allows you to:

• 🎨 Edit screenshots right after creation.
• 🔗 Copy text from the image (OCR).
• 📤 Upload screenshots to Imgur or other hosting.

⚠️ Note: RedmiBook with Linux may not have functional keys (Fn) to adjust brightness or volume.This is due to the lack of drivers for Xiaomi Quick Tools.Solution: install xbindkeys and assign keys manually.

7. Solving screenshot problems

If screenshots are not possible to do any of the ways, check the following points:

On Xiaomi’s dual graphics (Intel + NVIDIA/AMD) laptops, screenshot issues are sometimes related to graphics card drivers.

• 🔧 Device Manager (Win) + X → Device Manager → Video adapters).
• 🌐 Official sites: Intel (for embedded graphics). NVIDIA or AMD (discretely).

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If screenshots still don’t work after updating the drivers, try rolling the system back to the restore point or resetting Windows with saving files (Settings → Update & Security → Recovery).

FAQ: Frequent questions about screenshots on Xiaomi