How to take a screenshot on a Xiaomi smartphone: a full guide

Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones today have huge high-resolution displays, making sharing visual information extremely convenient. Users often face the need to save correspondence in WeChat, capture an error in an application or share an interesting moment from the game. The MIUI operating system or the new HyperOS has many ways to accomplish this task, from classic buttons to advanced gestures.

But beginners sometimes get lost in the abundance of features or are unaware of hidden features, such as a long screenshot or a timer. Understanding all the methods available saves time and makes interaction with the device more efficient. In this article, we will take a detailed look at each available option for taking screenshots.

Some of the ways may seem redundant, but for people with disabilities or when buttons break, they become the only way to save. We'll look at both standard tools and specialized teams that work even in safe mode. Get ready to learn a little more about your gadget.

Classical Method: A Combination of Physical Buttons

The fastest and most familiar way, familiar to Android device owners for many years, is to press two keys simultaneously. On most modern Xiaomi models without a physical home button, this is a combination of Volume Down + Power. It is important to press them almost simultaneously, with a difference of no more than 0.5 seconds, otherwise the system may perceive this as a separate action and turn on the off menu or change the volume.

Once the action is successful, the camera's characteristic shutter sound (if the sound is on) is heard, and a thumbnail flashes at the top of the screen. The system automatically stores the image to the Screenshots folder inside the gallery, which works even when the touch screen is temporarily unresponsive or blocked by third-party applications.

⚠️ Warning: If you hold the buttons too long (more than that) 2-3 Some models may start with the Google Assistant or emergency call menu instead of creating a snapshot.

For older devices with a physical or touch button under the screen, the logic may be different, and in these cases, the combination Power + Home is often used, as is the case with older Redmi Note or Mi lines released a few years ago.

The accuracy of the press is key. If you don't get a screenshot the first time, try changing the rhythm of the press: don't push hard, but make a short, confident click. The mechanical buttons on modern smartphones have a clear stroke, and the system responds exactly when the contact is closed.

Gesture Control: The Three-Finger Method

Owners of large-diagonal Xiaomi smartphones often prefer to control the device with one hand, and the three-finger method is ideal for this scenario. To activate this feature, you need to swipe three fingers from top to bottom down the center of the screen. This action instantly creates a snapshot of the current contents of the display without having to reach for the side faces of the body.

This feature is not activated by default on all global firmware versions, so you need to pre-enable it in the settings. The path to the switch usually looks like: Settings → Additional settings → Keyboards → Take a screenshot. Here you should select the option “Put three fingers down”.

The convenience of the method is speed and ergonomics. You don't have to change the grip of the device, which is especially true when watching videos or reading books in horizontal mode. In addition, this gesture can be adjusted to perform other actions, but by default it is reserved for creating screen images.

⚠️ Attention: The gesture may not work if you use a low-quality protective glass with a poor oleophobic coating or if there are water droplets on the screen, as this disrupts multi-touch input recognition.

There's also a variation of this method for making long screenshots, and after a typical three-finger shot, hold your finger on the screen and lead down, and the system will try to automatically scroll through the content and glue it together into one long picture, which is indispensable when you save correspondence or articles.

Screenshot through the notification curtain and menu

If physical buttons are not available for some reason or gestures seem inconvenient, you can always use the software of the MIUI interface. You just swipe from top to bottom to open the notifications "Stork" and find the appropriate label there. It is usually signed as "Screenshot" or has a scissors icon.

This is especially useful in situations where the volume buttons are triggered or have a broken contact. The programmatic call of the function guarantees 100% result, as it depends only on the performance of the touchscreen. The label can be moved to the top of the list of frequently used switches for quick access.

In addition, some versions of the shell have a Second Space or One Hand mode, which also has its own control panels. The multitasking menu (list of running apps) sometimes also has a snapshot button when you click on the app icon from above.

If you don't find the button in the curtain, it may be hidden. Click on the edit icon (usually a pencil or a gear in the corner of the curtain) and drag the Screenshot icon into the active zone. This will take a couple of seconds, but will make life much easier in the future.

Long screenshot and automatic scrolling

The Long Screenshot (or Scroll) feature is one of the most sought-after features in Xiaomi’s ecosystem, allowing you to save not only the visible part of the screen, but also the content that is below, automatically scrolling through the page, ideal for web pages, long messenger dialogues, and contact lists.

To activate this mode, first take a regular screenshot in any convenient way, and immediately after that, in the upper right corner of the thumbnail that appears, an additional button with down arrows or an icon "More" will appear.

The system will slowly move the content upwards, capturing new areas, and you can stop the process at any time by touching the screen or pressing the stop button, and then the image will be processed and stored as a single file.

The quality of the final file may be lower than that of a normal image, because the resolution vertically increases significantly, but it doesn't matter to read text on a computer. Files with long screenshots take up more space in the memory of the device.

Use of voice assistant and commands

For those who prefer voice control or whose hands are busy, Xiaomi offers integration with voice assistants. You can just say the phrase “OK, Google, take a screenshot” (if Google Assistant is activated) or use the built-in Xiao AI assistant (in Chinese versions).

This method requires a stable Internet connection to process voice commands by cloud services, and once speech recognition is available, the system will execute the command instantly, which is especially convenient when the phone is lying on a desk or connected to a holder in a car.

You can also create custom automation scenarios, such as setting a command to take a screenshot when you shake your phone or tap on the back cover (if the model supports this sensor function).

⚠️ Note: Voice commands may not work in high-security applications, such as banking clients or incognito browser mode, due to data privacy concerns.

Using third-party apps from Google Play also allows you to expand the functionality. There are utilities that add floating buttons or allow you to take screenshots on a schedule, but they require additional permissions and can consume battery life.

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Use the Screenshot widget on your desktop to instantly access the feature with one touch if other methods are uncomfortable.

Where to store and how to edit pictures

Once an image is created, it automatically enters the system storage. The standard file path in the file manager is like Internal Memory → DCIM → Screenshots or MIUI → Gallery → Cloud → Screenshots. The gallery has a separate folder album for them.

The built-in MIUI editor allows you to mark up text immediately after you create a screenshot: highlight text with a marker, add arrows, blur sensitive data (such as card numbers or passwords) or add text. These tools are in the editing menu, which is called immediately after the photo is taken or when the photo is opened.

Blur is especially useful when posting screenshots on social media, as it irreversibly hides sensory information, and unlike brushing, blurring is harder to repair with software.

Files can be sorted by date of creation. If you take a lot of screenshots, it is recommended to periodically clean this folder, as it can grow to several gigabytes, taking up valuable space on the drive.

Comparison of methods and troubleshooting

Not all methods are equally effective in different situations, and below is a table that will help you choose the best way to work depending on your conditions and the condition of the device.

If screenshots are no longer created, check if the device is full. If there is no free space, the system will not be able to save the new file. It is also worth rebooting the smartphone to reset possible errors in the screenshot system process.

In rare cases, the problem may be in third-party themes that incorrectly modify system files, and switching to a standard theme can solve the problem.

Developers or advanced users can use the method ADB (Android Debug Bridge command adb shell screencap -p /sdcard/screen.png allows you to take a screenshot from a computer, which is useful when debugging applications or if the touchscreen does not work completely.

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The most versatile method is a combination of buttons, but for daily use, a three-finger gesture is much more ergonomic on large screens.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)