How to take a screenshot of Xiaomi: all ways

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face the need to quickly save a screen image. Whether it’s correspondence, a route map or an important check from an online store, taking screenshots is a basic skill. However, the interface of the MIUI shells and the new HyperOS offers many options for doing this task that many users do not even know.

In this article, we will take a look at all the available screenshot techniques, not only the classic button combinations, but also advanced features like a long scrolling screenshot or gesture control, and understanding these tools will dramatically accelerate your experience in 2026.

The Android feature, coupled with the proprietary shell, allows you to flexibly customize how you capture images to suit your habits. Some prefer physical buttons, others prefer triple tapping on the body. Let's look at each option in detail so you can choose the most convenient one for yourself.

The classic method through buttons

The most common and reliable way to work on all Xiaomi smartphones regardless of the year of release. The mechanics here are extremely simple and do not require any pre-tuning. You need to press two buttons at the same time: reduce volume and lock the screen.

It's important to press them at the same time, with a difference of no more than 0.5 seconds. If you press the power button too long, the system can perceive this as a command to call the switch menu or activate the voice assistant. When executed correctly, you will hear the characteristic click of the camera shutter, and in the upper right corner a thumbnail of the picture taken will appear.

This is considered the most versatile method, because it works even in applications where there may be conflicts with program gestures. Physical buttons respond at the system level, so it is almost impossible to fail when using them. However, on modern frameless models with a side-fingerprint scanner, you need to be careful not to unlock the screen instead of shooting.

Some users have noted that on large Phablet screens, it can be difficult to reach both buttons with one hand, in which case it is better to use alternative methods, which we will discuss below.

⚠️ Warning: If you press the buttons, the screen goes out or the switch-off menu appears, try changing the force or speed of the press. On the new side-scanner models, a short press takes a screenshot, and a long one calls a menu.

Use of notification curtain

For those who are uncomfortable reaching for buttons on the case, Xiaomi has a software shortcut that sits in the control center, which is called by swipe down from the top edge of the screen, depending on the version of the shell, it can be the upper right or left corner.

In the quick settings list, you need to find an icon with a picture of scissors, and clicking on it instantly creates a snapshot of the current contents of the display, which is especially convenient when the smartphone is lying on the table or you hold it in one hand, using your thumb to control the interface.

If you don't see the scissors icon in the front row of the icons, it may be hidden in the second tab or removed from the active list. To return it, you click on the edit button (usually a pencil icon or three dots) and drag the screenshot label to the active element area. This action does not require root rights and is available to all users.>

The advantage of the notification curtain is that it's very visual, and you can see what's going into the frame before you save it, and it also eliminates the random change in media volume that sometimes happens when you use physical buttons while you're watching a video.

💡

Add a screenshot shortcut to the very first three positions of the notification curtain – this will speed up access to the feature in critical situations when the count goes by seconds.

Screenshots with three fingers and gestures

One of the most popular features of MIUI is the ability to swipe screenshots with three fingers, which is not active by default, so it needs to be enabled in the settings. The path to the option may vary slightly on different versions of the software, but the overall algorithm is the same.

To activate the mode, go to Settings → Additional settings → Screenshot. Here you need to tick the box against the "Three-finger swipe" option. After that, simply swiping three fingers from top to bottom of the screen will instantly save the image. This is ideal for one hand.

There is also an alternative gesture, such as knuckle tapping or double tapping on the screen if supported by a particular model, but the triple swipe remains more stable and crashes less frequently, and the system responds to multi-touch gestures very quickly, with little or no delay.

Gestures are especially important for large-touch models, where it is physically difficult to reach volume buttons. Touch control gives you the advantage of ergonomics. However, it is worth remembering that in games or applications with active use of multi-touch (for example, graphic editors), random screenshots can occur often.

The function of a long screenshot (scroll)

Often, you need to save not one frame, but an entire page of the site, a long correspondence in the messenger or a list of products. The standard screen does not contain all the information, but the Long Screenshot function solves this problem. After you create a regular picture (in any of the ways described above), a preview appears in the corner.

Click on the "Scroll" button (or the icon with arrows down) in the menu that appears. The screen will automatically scroll down, capturing new content and stitching it to the previous frame. The process continues until the end of the page or until you touch the screen to stop.

This feature is indispensable for saving articles, receipts from online banking or correspondence on WhatsApp and Telegram. The system automatically aligns the boundaries and removes the seams between frames, creating a single long image. The quality of the final picture remains high, the text remains readable.

It should be noted that not all applications support this feature. In some programs with dynamic content loading, the scroll may stop prematurely, in which case it is better to use the built-in export functions of the application itself or take a series of regular screenshots.

Voice control and assistants

Modern Xiaomi smartphones are equipped with powerful voice assistants. You can just say the phrase "OK, Google, take a screenshot" or activate Xiao AI (in Chinese versions) with the appropriate command. This is especially useful when your hands are busy or dirty, and you can not touch the screen.

This method requires that the phone be connected to the Internet and the voice control function is activated in the settings, and it is also worth checking the permissions for Google Assistant to have access to the actions on the screen. Without the appropriate rights, the command can be ignored.

Voice input is good for its versatility, but it has a latency in response. You have to say a command, wait for confirmation, and then hear the shutter sound. In situations where every millisecond matters, this method loses to mechanical buttons.

However, for people with disabilities or in specific use cases (such as a smartphone mounted in a car or on a tripod), voice control is becoming the only viable option. Speech recognition technology achieved a high level of accuracy in 2026.

Where to look and how to edit pictures

Once you've created a screenshot, it's automatically saved to the gallery, and you can find it by opening the Gallery app and going to Screenshots, which stores all your screenshots, sorted by date, and it also offers a basic editor that's available immediately after you've created the image.

In an editor, you can cut edges, draw arrows, add text, or blot out sensitive data (such as card numbers or phone numbers), and the Blurring tool is especially important for keeping screenshots private on social media. It works like a smart brush.

Files take up space in internal memory, so it’s worth periodically auditing. Duplicates and failed frames are better deleted so as not to clog the storage. Memory optimization helps the phone run faster and leaves room for new photos and apps.

If you use cloud services like Google Photos or Xiaomi Cloud, your screenshots can be automatically synced, which ensures that your data is kept safe even if your device is lost or broken.

⚠️ Note: When using the Long Screenshot feature, the final file can weigh significantly more than usual.

💡

The fastest way to work constantly is to set up the gesture "three fingers", and the most reliable in any situation - the classic volume and power buttons.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)